My Mother's Castle by Marcel Pagnol (Book Analysis) E-Book

Bright Summaries

• Herausgeber: BrightSummaries.com
• Kategorie: Bildung
• Serie: BrightSummaries.com
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Seitenzahl: 22

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of My Mother’s Castle with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary presents an analysis of My Mother’s Castle by Marcel Pagnol, an autobiographical tale which describes a year in the author’s childhood, focusing on the holidays he spent in the Provençal countryside with his family. During his time there, he develops a close friendship with Lili, a local boy, which leads the family to begin returning to their summer home more often, and to start using a different route to get there: a shortcut that leads them past four imposing castles. My Mother’s Castle is the second book in the Souvenirs d’enfance quartet, a very successful series of books which focus on Pagnol’s memories of his childhood and which are now regarded as classics of French literature. However, the author is not only famous for his novels, but also for his plays and films. He was the first filmmaker to be elected to the Académie française, and is widely considered to be one of France’s finest 20th century writers.

Find out everything you need to know about My Mother’s Castle in a fraction of the time!

This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:

• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

Why choose BrightSummaries.com?

Available in print and digital format, our publications are designed to accompany you on your reading journey. The clear and concise style makes for easy understanding, providing the perfect opportunity to improve your literary knowledge in no time.

See the very best of literature in a whole new light with BrightSummaries.com!

Leseprobe

Marcel Pagnol

French writer, dramatist and director

Born in Aubagne (France) in 1895.Died in Paris in 1974.Notable works:Marius (1929), playMy Father’s Glory (1957), novelMy Mother’s Castle (1957), novel

Marcel Pagnol was born in Aubagne in 1895. His father was a teacher and his mother was a seamstress. He studied English at university in Aix-en-Provence and then decided to follow in his father’s footsteps by becoming a teacher.

He was very successful in Paris thanks to his plays, which prominently feature the region where he grew up (the famous Marseillaise trilogy: Marius, 1929; Fanny, 1931; and César, 1936). He was also interested in cinema and directed more than 20 films (including Heartbeat, 1938).

In 1946, he was elected to the Académie française. He began his career as a novelist in 1957 with the first two volumes of his Souvenirs d’enfance (“Childhood Memories”) series, which were followed by The Water of the Hills in 1963. The Water of the Hills is the collective name for two of his most famous books: Jean de Florette and Manon of the Spring.

My Mother’s Castle

A tribute to a mother who died too young

Genre: novelReference edition: Pagnol, M. (1986) My Father’s Glory and My Mother’s Castle. Trans. Barisse, R. North Point Press: New York.1st edition: 1957Themes: childhood, family, hunting, friendship, memory, fear

My Mother’s Castle is the second volume in Pagnol’s Souvenirs d’enfance (“Childhood Memories”) series. It was originally published jointly with its prequel, My Father’s Glory, in 1957. These two instalments were then followed by The Time of Secrets (1960) and The Time of Love, which Pagnol never finished and which was published posthumously in 1977.

The novel begins in medias res with the line “After the epic hunting exploit of the bartavelles, I was automatically admitted to the rank of the sportsmen”, which is an obvious reference to the hunting episode at the end of My Father’s Glory, making it the chronological sequel to the first volume. After paying tribute to fatherly love in the first volume, Pagnol discovers the joys of friendship with Lili from Les Bellons in this sequel. However, as the title indicates, the main character in this second volume is Marcel’s mother, Augustine, who died when he was only 15.

Summary

The life of a hermit