Alain-Fournier’s only novel
Le Grand Meaulnes, published in 1913, tells the story of two adolescent boys who set out on a quest for adventure and wonder. Fuelled by the contradictory drive that is teenage innocence mixed with teenage desire, the story seems to anticipate a whole century of literature and pop culture marked by that peculiar phase in life between childhood and maturity. Set in the French countryside of the early 20th century, the novel captures a time of transition in the boys’ lives and a time of transition in history, too. The generation of boys depicted in the novel would grow up to be the soldiers of World War I, historically known as the Lost Generation.
François Seurel and Augustin Meaulnes meet at a boarding school in the village of Sainte-Agathe of the Sologne
3031 words
Citation: Bruncevic, Mersiha. "Le Grand Meaulnes". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 03 July 2020 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=28538, accessed 31 October 2024.]
