Rave Review: "La Gloire de mon père" by Marcel Pagnol

Quick Summary

Type: Memoir, book 1 of Souvenirs d'enfance

Genre: Classics, literary, contemporary

Back Cover: "Bathed in the warm clarity of the summer sun in Provence, Marcel Pagnol's childhood memories celebrate a time of rare beauty and delight. Called by Jean Renoir "the leading film artist of his age", Pagnol is best known for such films as The Baker's Wife, Harvest, Fanny, and Topaze, as well as the screen adaptations of his novels Jean de Florette and Manon des Sources. But he never forgot the magic of his Provencal childhood, and when he set his memories to paper late in life the result was a great new success. La Gloire de mon père and Le Chateau de ma mère appeared on the scene like a fresh breeze, captivating readers with its sweet enchantments. Pagnol recalls his days hunting and fishing in the hill country, his jaunts about Marseilles, his schoolboy diversions, and above all his family: his anticlerical father and sanctimonious uncle, his mild and beautiful mother, and many others. This bright and lovely book sparkles with the charm and magic that were Marcel Pagnol's own.

Read Time: 10 days

Rating: 5 stars

Review

I may later try to translate this review to French, as I read the book in French, but for now English will suffice.

I loved this book. It's lighthearted and heartwarming, and hits on a nostalgic and romantic vision of France that I hold from my own childhood. My experiences were nothing like Pagnol's, but I can still see some of my own memories in the feelings.

Pagnol's writing is beautiful, and the little stories leading up to the main hunt were very fun to read. Great book overall, I have nothing bad to say about it.