Michel Talbert
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Michel Bernanos (20 January 1923 – 27 July 1964) was a French poet and
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
writer. He was the fourth child of French writer
Georges Bernanos Louis Émile Clément Georges Bernanos (; 20 February 1888 – 5 July 1948) was a French author, and a soldier in World War I. A Catholic with monarchist leanings, he was critical of elitist thought and was opposed to what he identified as d ...
. He also used Michel Talbert and Michel Drowin as pen names to avoid the reputation of his father's name. His great cycle of initiation, inspired by two trips to
Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
between 1938 and 1948, centers around the novel'' The Other Side of the Mountain'' (1967). Bernanos committed suicide in the
Forest of Fontainebleau The forest of Fontainebleau (, or , meaning, in old French, "forest of Ericaceae, heather") is a mixed deciduous forest lying southeast of Paris, France. It is located primarily in the arrondissement of Fontainebleau in the southwestern part of th ...
. Most of his works were published posthumously.


Biography

The only biography that appears to be devoted to Michel Bernanos is by Salsa Bertin: ''Michel Bernanos, the Insurgent'' (). In 1956, he made a small appearance in the film ''
A Man Escaped ''A Man Escaped'', also known as ''A Man Escaped or The Wind Bloweth Where It Listeth'' (), is a 1956 French prison film directed by Robert Bresson. The film is loosely based on the memoir of André Devigny, a member of the French Resistance who ...
''. The film was written and directed by
Robert Bresson Robert Bresson (; 25 September 1901 – 18 December 1999) was a French film director. Known for his ascetic approach, Bresson made a notable contribution to the art of cinema; his non-professional actors, Ellipsis (narrative device), ellipses, an ...
, who adapted his father's novels ''
Diary of a Country Priest ''Diary of a Country Priest'' () is a 1951 French drama film written and directed by Robert Bresson. The film stars Claude Laydu in his feature film debut. A faithful adaptation of Georges Bernanos' Grand Prix du Roman-winning novel of the sa ...
'' and ''
Mouchette ''Mouchette'' () is a 1967 French tragedy film directed by Robert Bresson, starring Nadine Nortier and Jean-Claude Guilbert. It is based on the novel of the same name by Georges Bernanos. Bresson explained his choice of the novel, saying, "I fou ...
''. Only ''The Murmur of the Gods'' was published during the author's lifetime, under the pseudonym Michel Drowin.


Bibliography

* ''Le cycle de la Montagne morte de la vie'' (''The Other Side of the Mountain''; Black River, 1996) which includes: # "Le Murmure des Dieux" ("The Whisper of the Gods") # "L'Envers de l'éperon" ("The Back of the Spur") # "La Montagne morte de la vie" ("The Dead Mountain of Life") # "Ils ont déchiré Son image" ("They Have Destroyed His Image") * ''La Forêt complice'' (''The Forest Accomplice''; Le Castor Astral), which contains three stories * ''On lui a fait mal'' (''It Hurt him''; Black River, 1996), three novels and six short stories: # "Les nuits de Rochemaure" # "La Grande Bauche" # "La Neige qui tue" # "On lui a fait mal" # "Le Cri des oiseaux" # "La Forêt complice" ("The Colluding Forest") # "La Parole donnée" ("The Given Word") # "La Prière à l'étoile" # "La Tempête" # "Le Passage"


''Le cycle de la Montagne morte de la vie''

Written in 1963 in
Gentilly, Val-de-Marne Gentilly () is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. It is the closest commune to Paris, located from the city center. Name The name Gentilly was recorded for the first time in the 6th century as ''Gentilly'', a royal estate of ...
, Court, it is divided into two distinct parts. The first part reads like a novel about the sea. A boy of 18 boards a vessel, where he is first bullied by the other crew members and then taken under the wing of the cook Toine. The boat is then stalled at the equator for months, and a
mutiny Mutiny is a revolt among a group of people (typically of a military or a crew) to oppose, change, or remove superiors or their orders. The term is commonly used for insubordination by members of the military against an officer or superior, ...
ensues. The vessel is eventually engulfed by a storm, leaving the protagonist and his friend Toine alone and adrift on the sea. Here begins the second part, which becomes much more fantastic. Both main characters are stranded on a mysterious land under a red sun. The novel was translated into English under the title ''The Other Side of the Mountain'' and published by
Houghton Mifflin The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often vocalize it as ...
in 1968.


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bernanos, Michel 1923 births 1964 suicides 1964 deaths French fantasy writers 20th-century French poets French male poets 20th-century French male writers Suicides in France Weird fiction writers