Du carnet de route aux carnets de retour. La genèse de L’Usage du monde

The article focuses on Nicolas Bouvier's travel journals and more particularly his return diaries which narrate the genesis of The Way of the World. They demonstrate a genuine proliferation of writing which is opposed to the relative paucity of the travel journals themselves. To better understand the role of Bouvier's travel journals as a whole, the author proposes a study of the various documents relating to the journey narrated in The Way of the World. The specificity of the writer-traveller's creative work is also analysed.