Le Grand Meaulnes [The Wanderer]

By: Henri Alain-Fournier

Narrated by: John Hollingworth

Le Grand Meaulnes is one of the great classics of French literature, a mysterious, even impressionistic tale of adolescence in the French countryside in the dying years of the 19th century.

A teenager, Agustin Meaulnes, arrives in a country school, and his strong personality immediately affects its rural atmosphere, especially in the eyes of his younger school companion, the 15 year old François. He is dubbed 'le grand Meaulnes', and he lives up to his reputation by going missing for a few days. He says little about his adventure on his return. But François eventually discovers that Meaulnes stumbled upon a strange party held at an unknown chateau, and became enmeshed in the lives of the beautiful young Yvonne de Galais and her brother Frantz.

Love, confusion, the urgency of young passion propels these three along unpredictable paths, observed anxiously by François, who desperately wants to help solve and resolve the mysteries. But Meaulnes and Frantz are driven by their own emotions along a trajectory which is anything but simple and straight.

Le Grand Meaulnes, regarded by John Fowles as 'the greatest novel of adolescence in European literature' has cast a remarkable spell on successive many generations.

In turn elliptical, impressionist, hopeful, haunting, Le Grand Meaulnes made an immediate impression on the French public when it was first published in 1913 (a year before its author died in the First World War) and swiftly gained a permanent place in European literature. The translation by Françoise Delisle has been revised for this recording.(P)2016 Ukemi Productions Ltd

Fantastic writing and story

This is an amazing hidden gem of a novel by a writer who only lived to make one masterpiece before getting cut down in WW1. The story is a relatable coming of age tale expressing the loss of innocence. Not violent, a little sentimental but not overly so, playful, tragic, and I think touched on universal themes. The narration is excellent and perfect for the story. The writing is evocative and shows a master at work. About as good a work of fiction as I’ve read in a long time and really shows the talent that was lost prematurely when the author died young. Highly recommend

An unforgettable journey

An enigmatic character who is thrown into a fairy tale world for one day. Only the world is real but bound to be lost. This is a coming of age story. A story of love and friendship, of happiness and pain. The backdrop of quaint French villages long since gone adds a rare charm. But its the pairing of a brilliant writer with an equally brilliant narrator that makes this book an unforgettable experience. This book allows the reader to step inside the main character who's thoughts and feelings are almost palpable. Instead of being a passive observer, you live the book, you feel the magic. The performance is worthy of the writing. This is one of those books that never lets you go, it's like a dream that keeps coming back and you wonder whether you dreamt it or actually lived it...