Novel
A King Alone
Un roi sans divertissement
Jean Giono · 1947
Synopsis
In a mountain village of the Trièves, in the winter of 1843, a woman disappears under the snow, then other inhabitants after her, without any trace or explanation being found, and terror paralyses the region. A man of few words, military in bearing, Langlois, arrives to lead the investigation. Many years later, several voices from the region gather what is still known of this affair and of the man who conducted it.
Context
The novel was published in June 1947 by the éditions de la Table ronde; it was its author's first book after the war, and it opens the series of what he called his novelistic chronicles. It marks a break: the lyricism and humanism of the pre-war novels give way to a dark tone, pessimism and a biting irony. Several narrators, speaking many years after the events, take turns, and the narrative advances in fragments.
Who it is for
A narration split between several voices, speaking from a distance after the events; the narrative demands attention from the reader.
Prizes and reception
In English, Alyson Waters produced the first translation in 2019, under the title A King Alone.
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