Marcel Aymé (29 March 1902 – 14 October 1967) was a French

novelist A novelist is an author or writer of novels, though often novelists also write in other genres of both fiction and non-fiction. Some novelists are professional novelists, thus make a living wage, living writing novels and other fiction, while othe ...

and

playwright A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

, who also wrote

screenplays ''ScreenPlay'' is a television drama anthology series broadcast on BBC2 between 9 July 1986 and 27 October 1993. Background After single-play anthology series went off the air, the BBC introduced several showcases for made-for-television, fea ...

and works for children.

Biography

Marcel André Aymé was born in

Joigny Joigny () is a commune in the Yonne department in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté in north-central France. It is located on the banks of the river Yonne. History The current city, originally known as Joviniacum in Latin, was founded during Roman times ...

, in the

Burgundy Burgundy (; french: link=no, Bourgogne ) is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. The ...

region of France, the youngest of six children. His father, Joseph, was a

blacksmith A blacksmith is a metalsmith who creates objects primarily from wrought iron or steel, but sometimes from #Other metals, other metals, by forging the metal, using tools to hammer, bend, and cut (cf. tinsmith). Blacksmiths produce objects such ...

, and his mother, Emma Monamy, died when he was two years old, after the family had moved to

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metr ...

. Marcel was sent to live with his maternal grandparents in the village of

Villers-Robert Villers-Robert () is a commune in the Jura department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Ov ...

, a place where he would spend the next eight years, and which would serve as the model for the fictitious village of Claquebue in what is perhaps the most well-known of his novels, '' La Jument verte''. In 1906 Marcel entered the local primary school. Because his grandfather was a staunch

anti-clerical Anti-clericalism is opposition to religious authority, typically in social or political matters. Historical anti-clericalism has mainly been opposed to the influence of Roman Catholicism. Anti-clericalism is related to secularism, which seeks to ...

republican, he was looked down upon by his classmates, many of whose parents held more traditional views. Accordingly, Marcel was not

baptized Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost inv ...

before reaching the age of eight, nearly two years after the death of his grandfather in 1908. Orphaned once more when his grandmother died two years later, he briefly lived with other family members before moving to

Dole Dole may refer to: Places * Dole, Ceredigion, Wales * Dole, Idrija, Slovenia * Dole, Jura, France ** Arrondissement of Dole * Dole (Kladanj), a village at the entity line of Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina-Republika Srpska * Dole, Ljubuški, ...

, a small town of the Franche-Comte region, to stay with an aunt and attend the Collège de l'Arc, where he demonstrated more ability in mathematics than in literature. His years at school there were an unpleasant experience he would never look back on fondly. Despite ongoing issues with his health that had begun when he was a child, Aymé was able to perform his military service, which began in 1919, as part of an

artillery Artillery is a class of heavy military ranged weapons that launch munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieg ...

unit in the occupied Rhineland. In 1923 he moved to Paris where he worked unsuccessfully at a bank, an insurance company, and as a journalist. Though he failed in his career as a reporter, his stint at the newspaper allowed him to discover his love of writing. His first published novel was ''Brûlebois'' (1926), and in 1929 his ''La Table aux crevés'' won the Prix Renaudot. After the great success of his novel ''La Jument verte'' (1933), translated into English as ''The Green Mare'', he concentrated mostly on writing and published children's stories, novels, and collections of stories. In 1935 he also started writing movie scripts. In theater, Marcel Aymé found success with his plays ''Lucienne et le boucher, Clérambard'' (1949), a farce, and ''Tête des autres'' (1952), which criticized the death penalty. He died in 1967 and was buried in the Cimetière Saint-Vincent in the

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue C ...

Quarter of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

Work

One of Aymé's most famous short stories is ''

Le passe-muraille ''The passer-through-walls'' (french: Le Passe-muraille), translated as ''The Man Who Walked through Walls'', ''The Walker-through-Walls'' or ''The Man who Could Walk through Walls'', is a short story published by Marcel Aymé in 1941.Michel Lec ...

'' or "The Walker-Through-Walls". At the age of 42, Dutilleul suddenly discovers that he has "the remarkable gift of being able to pass through walls with perfect ease". What begins as a novelty that gives him pleasure ends up pushing Dutilleul toward ever more sinister pursuits.

Legacy

Visitors to Paris can see a monument in his honor at Place Marcel-Aymé, in the Montmartre Quarter. The statue is based upon his short story "Le passe-muraille" ("The Walker through Walls").

Bibliography

Novels

*1926 ''Brûlebois'' *1927 ''Aller Retour'' *1928 ''Les Jumeaux du diable'' *1929 '' La Table aux crevés'' (translated as ''The Hollow Field'') *1930 ''La Rue sans nom'' *1931 ''Le Vaurien'' *1933 '' La Jument verte'' (translated as ''The Green Mare'') *1935 '' Maison basse'' (translated as ''The House of Men'') *1936 '' Le Moulin de la Sourdine'' (translated as ''The Secret Stream'') *1937 ''Gustalin'' *1939 ''Le Bœuf clandestine'' *1941 '' La Belle image'' (variously translated as ''The Second Face'', ''The Grand Seduction'', and ''Beautiful Image'') *1941 '' Travelingue'' (novel translated as ''The Miraculous Barber'') *1943 '' La Vouivre'' (translated as ''The Fable and the Flesh'') *1946 ''

Le Chemin des écoliers ''Le chemin des écoliers'' is a 1959 French film starring Alain Delon. It is based on the novel ''The Transient Hour'' by Marcel Aymé. Plot Cast * Alain Delon : Antoine Michaud * Bourvil : Charles Michaud, Antoine's father * Paulette Dubost ...

'' (novel translated as ''The Transient Hour'') *1948 ''

Uranus Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun. Its name is a reference to the Greek god of the sky, Uranus (Caelus), who, according to Greek mythology, was the great-grandfather of Ares (Mars), grandfather of Zeus (Jupiter) and father of Cronu ...

'' (novel translated as ''The Barkeep of Blémont'') *1960 '' Les Tiroirs de l'inconnu'' (novel translated as ''The Conscience of Love'')

Short story collections

French

*1932 ''Le Puits aux images'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "La Retraite de Russie," "Les Mauvaises Fièvres," "Noblesse," "A et B," "Pastorale," "Les Clochards," "L'Individu," "Au clair de la lune," "La Lanterne," "Enfants perdus") *1934 ''Le Nain'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "La Canne," "La Liste," "Deux victimes," "Rue Saint-Sulpice," "Bonne vie et mœurs," "L'Affaire Touffard," "Le Mariage de César," "Trois faits divers," "L'Armure," "Sporting," "La Clé sous le paillasson," "Le Dernier") *1934-1946 '' Les Contes du chat perché'' (translated as ''The Magic Pictures'' and ''The Wonderful Farm'') *1938 ''Derrière chez Martin'' (contains "Le Romancier Martin," "Je suis renvoyé," "L'Élève Martin," "Le Temps mort," Le Cocu nombreux," "L'Âme de Martin," "Rue de l'Évangile," "Conte de Noël," "La Statue") *1943 ''Le Passe-muraille'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "Les Sabines," "La Carte," "Le Décret," "Le Proverbe," "Légende poldève," "Le Percepteur d'épouses," "Les Bottes de sept lieues," "L'Huissier," "En attendant") *1947 ''Le Vin de Paris'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "L’Indifférent," " La Traversée de Paris," "La Grâce," "Dermuche," "La Fosse aux péchés," "Le Faux Policier," "La Bonne Peinture") *1950 ''Les Bottes de sept lieues'' *1950 ''En arrière'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "Oscar et Erick," "Fiançailles," "Rechute," "Avenue Junot," "Les Chiens de notre vie," "Conte du milieu," "Josse," "La Vamp et le Normalien," "Le Mendiant") *1967 ''Enjambées'' (first posthumous collection contains seven stories, all of which appeared earlier except for "La Fabrique") *1987 ''La fille du shérif''

English

*1958 ''Across Paris and Other Stories'' *1961 ''The Proverb and Other Stories'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "Three News Items," "Knate," "The Retreat from Moscow," "Josse," "Backwards," "The Boy Martin," "The Life-Ration," "The Bogus Policeman," "Couldn't-Care-Less," "La Bonne Peinture," "The Last") *1972 ''The Walker-through-walls and Other Stories'' *2012 ''The Man Who Walked through Walls'' (contains, in addition to the title story, "Sabine Women," "Tickets on Time," "The Problem of Summertime," "The Proverb," "Poldevian Legend," "The Wife Collector," "The Seven-League Boots," "The Bailiff," "While Waiting")

Plays

* 1948 ''Lucienne et le boucher'' (''Lucienne and the Butcher'') * 1950 '' Clérambard'' translated by Norman Denny * 1951 ''Vogue la galère'' (adapted into a

a film A. Film Production A/S (previously A. Film A/S, A. Film ApS and A. Film I/S) is a Denmark, Danish animation studio currently based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Affiliated to the Copenhagen studio are A. Film Estonia located in Estonia and A. Film L ...

in 1973) * 1952 ''La tête des autres'' (''Other People's Heads'') * 1954 ''Les quatre vérités'' * 1954 ''Les sorcières de Salem'' (''The Salem Witches'', adapted from ''

The Crucible ''The Crucible'' is a 1953 play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It is a dramatized and partially fictionalized story of the Salem witch trials that took place in the Massachusetts Bay Colony during 1692–93. Miller wrote the play as an ...

'' by

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' (19 ...

) * 1955 ''Les oiseaux de lune'' (''

The Moon Birds ''The Moon Birds'' (''Les oiseaux de lune'') is a play by the French playwright Marcel Aymé. The play was premiered in 1955 by André Barsacq at the Théâtre de l'Atelier in Paris. The leading role of Valentin was created by Jacques Duby. ...

'') * 1957 ''La mouche bleue'' (''The Blue Fly'') * 1957 ''Vu du pont'' * 1961 ''Louisiane'' * 1961 ''Les Maxibules'' (''The Maxibules'') * 1963 ''La consommation'' * 1963 ''Le placard'' (''The Wall Cupboard'') * 1965 ''La nuit de l'iguane'' (''The Night of the Iguana'', adapted from ''

The Night of the Iguana ''The Night of the Iguana'' is a stage play written by American author Tennessee Williams. It is based on his 1948 short story. In 1959, Williams staged it as a one-act play, and over the next two years he developed it into a full-length play, pr ...

'' by

Tennessee Williams Thomas Lanier Williams III (March 26, 1911 – February 25, 1983), known by his pen name Tennessee Williams, was an American playwright and screenwriter. Along with contemporaries Eugene O'Neill and Arthur Miller, he is considered among the thre ...

) * 1966 ''La convention Belzébir'' (''The Belzébir Convention'') * 1967 ''Le minotaure''

Screenwriter

* ''

Crime and Punishment ''Crime and Punishment'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Преступление и наказание, Prestupléniye i nakazániye, prʲɪstʊˈplʲenʲɪje ɪ nəkɐˈzanʲɪje) is a novel by the Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky. ...

'' (dir.

Pierre Chenal Pierre Chenal (; 5 December 1904 – 23 December 1990) was a French director and screenwriter who flourished in the 1930s. He was married to Czech-born French film actress Florence Marly from 1937 to 1955. Work Chenal was best known for film no ...

, 1935) * '' The Green Domino'' (dir.

Herbert Selpin Herbert Selpin (29 May 1904 – 1 August 1942) was a German film director and screenwriter of light entertainment during the 1930s and 1940s. He is best known for his final film, the partly suppressed ''Titanic'', during the production of which h ...

and Henri Decoin, 1935) * '' Les mutinés de l'Elseneur'' (dir.

, 1936) * ' (dir.

Louis Daquin Louis Daquin (20 May 1908 – 2 October 1980) was a French film director, screenwriter and actor. He directed 14 films between 1938 and 1963. He also appeared in 11 films between 1937 and 1979. Selected filmography * '' The Man from Nowhere ...

, 1941) * ' (dir. Maurice Gleize, 1941) * ''

Strange Inheritance ''Strange Inheritance'' is an American television docu-series which airs on Fox Business Network. The series examines unusual inheritances and the stories behind them. The series is produced by Towers Productions and hosted by Jamie Colby J ...

'' (dir.

, 1943) * ' (dir.

, 1943) * '' Papa, Mama, the Maid and I'' (dir. Jean-Paul Le Chanois, 1954) * '' Papa, maman, ma femme et moi'' (dir. Jean-Paul Le Chanois, 1955) * '' Your Money or Your Life'' (dir.

Jean-Pierre Mocky Jean-Pierre Mocky (6 July 1929 – 8 August 2019), pseudonym of Jean-Paul Adam Mokiejewski, was a French film director, actor, screenwriter and producer. Life and career Mocky was born in Nice, France to Polish immigrant parents, Jeanne Zylinska ...

, 1966)

Filmography

* ''

Street Without a Name ''Street Without a Name'' (French: ''La Rue sans nom'') is a 1934 French drama film directed by Pierre Chenal and starring Constant Rémy, Gabriel Gabrio and Paule Andral. It is based on the 1930 novel '' La Rue sans nom'' by Marcel Aymé.Goble p ...

'', directed by

(1934, based on the novel '' La Rue sans nom'') * '' Mr. Peek-a-Boo'', directed by Jean Boyer (1951, based on the short story '' The passer-through-walls'') * '' The Beautiful Image'', directed by

Claude Heymann Claude Heymann (13 November 1907 – 13 April 1994) was a French screenwriter and film director.Frey p.78 Selected filmography * ''American Love (film), American Love'' (1931) * ''Idylle au Caire'' (1933) * ''The Brighton Twins'' (1936) * ''P ...

(1951, based on the novel ''La Belle image'') * ', directed by

Henri Verneuil Henri Verneuil (; born Ashot Malakian; 15 October 1920 – 11 January 2002) was a French-Armenian playwright and filmmaker, who made a successful career in France. He was nominated for Oscar and Palme d'Or awards, and won Locarno International ...

(1951, based on the novel '' The Hollow Field'') * '' La Traversée de Paris'', directed by

Claude Autant-Lara Claude Autant-Lara (; 5 August 1901 – 5 February 2000) was a French film director and later Member of the European Parliament (MEP). Biography Born at Luzarches in Val-d'Oise, Autant-Lara was educated in France and at London's Mill Hill ...

(1956, based on the short story ''Traversée de Paris'') * '' Way of Youth'', directed by Michel Boisrond (1959, based on the novel ''Le Chemin des écoliers'') * ''

The Man Who Walked Through the Wall ''The Man Who Walked Through the Wall'' () is a 1959 West German comedy film directed by Ladislao Vajda, starring Heinz Rühmann and Nicole Courcel. It was shot at the Bavaria Studios in Munich. The film is based on the novella '' The Man Who Wa ...

'', directed by Ladislao Vajda (West Germany, 1959, based on the short story '' The passer-through-walls'') * '' The Green Mare'', directed by

(1959, based on the novel '' The Green Mare'') * ', directed by (1961, TV film, based on the short story ''Le Nain'') * ', directed by

Philippe Agostini Philippe Agostini was a French cinematographer, director and screenwriter born 11 August 1910 in Paris (France), died 20 October 2001. He was married to Odette Joyeux until the end of her life. Biography Founder of École Louis-Lumière (situ ...

(1967, TV film, based on the short story ''La Bonne Peinture'') * ', directed by Jacques Pierre (1969, TV film, based on the novel ''Le Boeuf clandestin'') * '' Clérambard'', directed by

Yves Robert Yves Robert (19 June 1920 – 10 May 2002) was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. Life and career Robert was born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, France. In his teens, he went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with ...

(1969, based on the play ''Clérambard'') * '' Vogue la galère'', directed by Raymond Rouleau (1973, based on the play ''Vogue la galère'') * ', directed by Pierre Tchernia (1977, TV film, based on the short story '' The passer-through-walls'') * ', directed by Pierre Tchernia (1979, TV film, based on the short story ''La Grâce'') * ', directed by Georges Wilson (1989, based on the novel ''La Vouivre'') * ''

'', directed by

Claude Berri Claude Berri (; 1 July 1934 – 12 January 2009) was a French film director, writer, producer, actor and distributor. Early life Born Claude Beri Langmann in Paris, Berri was the son of Jewish immigrant parents. His mother, Beila (née Bercu), w ...

(1990, based on the novel ''

'') * ', directed by (1990, TV film, based on the short story ''Les Bottes de sept lieues'') * ', directed by Pierre Tchernia (1991, TV film, based on the short story ''L'Huissier'') * '' The Favour, the Watch and the Very Big Fish'', directed by Ben Lewin (1991, based on the short story ''Rue Saint-Sulpice'') * ', directed by (2002, based on the short story ''Le Temps mort'') * ', directed by (2013, TV film, based on the novel ''Le Boeuf clandestin'') * ', directed by (2016, TV film, based on the short story '' The passer-through-walls'')

References

External links

SAMA: Société des Amis de Marcel Aymé (in French)
*
Author page
at

Pushkin Press Pushkin Press is a British-based publishing house dedicated to publishing novels, essays, memoirs and children's books. The London-based company was founded in 1997 and is notable for publishing authors such as Stefan Zweig, Marcel Aymé, Ant ...

Le roman selon les romanciers: bibliographie critique de l'Université McGill (French)
Inventory and analysis of Marcel Aymé's non-novelistic writings about the novel * Link to severa

including ''The Man Who Could Walk Through Walls'' or ''Le Passe-Muraille''

(personal web site) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ayme, Marcel 1902 births 1967 deaths People from Joigny French children's writers French humorists French fantasy writers Writers from Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 20th-century French novelists 20th-century French male writers French male novelists French dramatists and playwrights French male screenwriters 20th-century French screenwriters People of Montmartre Légion d'honneur refusals Prix Blumenthal Prix Renaudot winners