Le Grand Meaulnes

Le Grand Meaulnes revolves around Augustin Meaulnes, a young man from a rural background who arrives at a boarding school in the village of Sainte-Agathe. Meaulnes befriends a fellow student named François Seurel, who also serves as the narrator of the story.

One day, Meaulnes goes on an adventurous journey and stumbles upon an estate known as the Domaine de la Sablière. A grand wedding celebration is taking place. He becomes captivated by the festivities and falls in love with a young girl named Yvonne de Galais. However, Meaulnes is unable to find the estate again after he returns to the boarding school.

The novel follows Meaulnes' relentless search for the lost estate and his quest to reunite with Yvonne. Along the way, he encounters various obstacles and undergoes personal growth and self-discovery. The story explores themes of love, longing, adolescence, and the fleeting nature of happiness and innocence.

Le Grand Meaulnes is renowned for its lyrical prose, evocative descriptions, and its portrayal of the complexities of youth and memory. Critics praise the novel for capturing the sense of nostalgia and the yearning for a lost world. Moreover, the novel continues to influence subsequent generations of writers.

About the author of Le Grand Meaulnes

Alain-Fournier, whose real name was Henri-Alban Fournier, was born on October 3, 1886, in La Chapelle-d'Angillon, France. ¹ He adopted the pen name Alain-Fournier to distinguish himself from another writer named Henri-Alban Fournier. Fournier's childhood experiences greatly influenced his writing. He grew up in a rural setting in central France, which served as the backdrop for the novel. Fournier's own boarding school experiences and his friendship with a fellow student formed the basis for the characters of Augustin Meaulnes and François Seurel in "Le Grand Meaulnes."

Fournier died at the age of 27 during World War I. He enlisted in the French army in 1914 and served as a lieutenant. Official records have him as MIA in September the same year (during the Battle of the Meuse) ².