Duras's previous works were in the tradition of classical and romantic French literature, with characters, names, places, and plot, although her characteristic style was beginning to emerge. It is interesting to note that these earlier works met with little success, except The Sea Wall (1950), which Duras would later rework as The Lover (1984). With The Square, she moved into an entirely new phase, that of the abstract novel. This is a style that Duras later developed and perfected.