Modiano is still best known for writing novels set in the Occupation. His apparent obsession, especially in his earlier works, with this dark period of French history has been the main concern of his critics and reviewers. It is certainly a controversial subject: it was probably one of the main causes for the impact that Modiano's first novels had on the public, instantly creating a reputation for the young author. We may wonder, however, whether there was more to this reaction than that of simple choice of subject matter. What is the nature of Modiano's treatment of the subject? Is it noticeably more provocative than that of other novelists? If so, how does this manifest itself on the level of narrative, and what is the effect on the reader?

There is a group of novelists who concentrated their efforts on the subject of the Occupation, and with whom Modiano is sometimes classed, mistakenly: a post-war literary movement, that of the mode ré tro. The term mode ré tro is commonly used to describe the many works of fiction set in the Occupation which appeared after 1970, usually by writers of a generation too young to have experienced the War. Born in 1945, Modiano falls into this category by virtue of age and theme, and some reviewers and critics have therefore chosen to view his work solely in this light. This classification, however, results in a regrettably simplified assessment of Modiano's work and of the relationship it bears to the facts of the Occupation, which differs significantly from that of the mode ré tro writers.