Twin studied Le Grand Meaulnes for French 'A' Level and it was commonly known as 'Le Grand Moan' in our home. This had, unsurprisingly put me off reading it, but thankfully years later something prompted me, and I'm sure I must have been partly intrigued as to why Twin disliked it so much. I enjoyed it. Here's the one passage which stood out to me at that time. I think I wished I would maybe have the confidence to say this if the need arrived.
'If you feel you ought to go, if I came to you at a moment when nothing could make you happy, if it'd necessary for you to leave me now for a time and only come back when you've found peace, then it is I who ask you to go...' Alain Fournier Le Grand Meaulnes
@
It would take a LOT of confidence to say that - when the risk is them not coming back, surely every fibre of yourself would ache to bind them more tightly to you, not release them.
ReplyDeleteI loved this novel when I read it years ago. That's a beautiful line you've quoted. I've forgotten about it.
ReplyDeleteDesperately want to read this now. What beautiful words -- beautiful because of the sentiment behind them, really...
ReplyDeleteI disliked it at school, too, and then came back to it some years later and was completely entranced. I'd love to re-read it and wonder if I would still find it so magical. It was my French teacher's favourite novel; which was quite enough to put me off as a 16-year-old!
ReplyDelete