Suite française by Irène Némirovsky (Book Analysis) E-Book

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

Seitenzahl: 22

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2016

Beschreibung

Unlock the more straightforward side of Suite française with this concise and insightful summary and analysis!

This engaging summary tells an analysis of  Suite française by Irène Némirovsky, which describes the lives of various French families from different social classes as they flee Paris, searching for lost loved ones and fighting for survival. It is the only novel to have ever received the Renaudot Prize posthumously, and its film adaptation saw great success in 2014. Némirovsky herself is considered one of the greatest literary figures of her time and Suite française remains one of the best known representations of World War II. 

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This in-depth and informative reading guide brings you:
• A complete plot summary
• Character studies
• Key themes and symbols
• Questions for further reflection

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Leseprobe

Irène Némirovsky

Russian novelist

Born in Kiev in 1903Died in Auschwitz in 1942Notable works:David Golder (1929), novelLe Bal (1930), novelSuite française (2004, published posthumously), novel

Irène Némirovsky was born in 1903 in Kiev. The daughter of a rich Ukrainian banker, she had a blissful childhood. But the revolution in 1917 forced her family to emigrate to France, where Irène began studying literature, at which she excelled. In 1923, she published her first novel, The Misunderstanding, and then experienced her first great success with David Golder in 1929. She became a one of the greatest literary figures of her time.

The Second World War turned this young Jewish woman’s life upside down. She was forced to wear the yellow star, and was soon abandoned by her friends and her editor. She, along with her daughters and her husband, sought refuge in a small village in the centre of France. Despite this, she was arrested in July 1942 by the French police and sent to Auschwitz concentration camp, where she died of typhus a few weeks after her arrival.

Suite française

A real life story

Genre: novelReference edition: Némirovsky, I. (2007) Suite française. Trans. Smith, S. London: Vintage. First edition: 2004Themes: Second World War, France, exodus, love, customs, memories

Suite française is the title of a series of novels conceived by Irène Némirovsky which would have been split into five volumes; Tempête en juin (Storm in June) and Dolce (Sweet) would have been followed by Captivité (Captivity), Batailles (Battles) and finally the optimistic La Paix (Peace). Having been kept by Némirovsky’s daughters after she was sent to the concentration camp, the first two completed works were published for the first time in 2004 under the title Suite française. It is the only novel to have ever received the Prix Renaudot (French literary award) posthumously.

The first volume, Storm in June, recounts the fleeing of many Parisians following the announcement of the Germans’ arrival in June 1940. The second, Dolce, depicts the peaceful life of a small countryside village, Bussy, during the first months of the German occupation.

Summary

Storm in June

Chapter 1-8

June 1940. Paris is bombed and news of the Germans’ arrival spreads. At the Péricands’ home, it is decided that Charlotte, the wife, will take the entire family, including the old Monsieur Péricand, to seek refuge in Bourgogne, while Adrien Péricand, the husband, will stay in Paris. The oldest son Philippe, a priest, has to take a group of orphans to shelter in the south of France.