My father's glory ; and, My mother's castle : memories of childhood

by Marcel Pagnol

Other authorsAlice Waters (Foreword)
Paperback, 1986

Status

Available

Publication

San Francisco : North Point Press, 1986.

Description

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 of the Springs (North Point, 1988). But he never forgot the magic of his Provencal childhood, and when he set his memories to paper late inlife the result was a great new success. My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle 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 lively book sparkles with the charm and magic that were Marcel Pagnol's own.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member missizicks
I first read these stories in French at school, and loved them from the start. Then I saw the films, and loved them even more. Then I found an English translation, and my joy was complete. The perfect representation of childhood, the hero worship of parents, and the start of making your own way in
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the world, it's all in these books, with equal measures of humour and sorrow.
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LibraryThing member Lukerik
Don't be put off by the hideous cover: this is one of the funniest books ever written. There's humour all the way through, but it's concentrated in the early parts of My Father's Glory. A lot of it depends on the perceived idylls of nature and childhood and the horror at the heart of both. Also,
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the set-piece with the junk-man compelled to charge them fifty francs is a masterpiece.

It's also very well written, with tricolons galore and both parts constructed like novels, building to scenes of mild peril.
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Language

Barcode

2603
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