In the Absence of Men
 | |
| Author | Philippe Besson |
|---|---|
| Translator | Frank Wynne |
| Country | France |
| Language | French |
| Genre | Novel |
| Published | 2001 |
| Publisher | Éditions Julliard, Carroll & Graf |
Publication date | 2001 |
Published in English | 2003 |
| Pages | 198 |
| Award | Prix Emmanuel-Roblès |
| ISBN | 978-0-7867-1161-1 |
In the Absence of Men is a novel by Philippe Besson published originally in French by Éditions Julliard in 2001. Besson's first novel, it won the prix Emmanuel-Roblès.
Background[edit]
The first novel by Besson, he had to send the manuscript to seven or eight publishers eventually settling on the publisher Julliard.[1] An English translation was published in 2003.
Plot[edit]
The novel is divided into two parts. In part one, during the summer of 1916, a French teenager named Vincent de l'Etoile experiences an intense love with a soldier named Arthur Vales who is on leave from the French front of World War I. During this time of extreme tension, the romance becomes a respite for both. Vincent also befriends a well-known but unnamed French author. The second part of the novel is a series of letters between Vincent and Arthur and Vincent and the unnamed author.
Awards and recognition[edit]
In 2001 the French edition of the novel won the Prix Emmanuel-Roblès and the first winner of Prix premier Roman de Culture et bibliothèques pour tous de la Sarthe.[2][3] The English translation received positive reviews from several publications including Kirkus Reviews, and the Washington Post.[4][5]
References[edit]
- ^ "Contemporary writers - The world according to Philippe Besson - Ministère des Affaires étrangères". 2007-10-15. Archived from the original on 2007-10-15. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ ,SearchTerms:'philippe%20besson',SortField:!n,SortOrder:0,TemplateParams:(Scenario:,Scope:ROBLES,Size:!n,Source:,Support:)))) "Prix Roblès - Recherche". bibliotheques.agglopolys.fr (in French). Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ "Prix du Premier Roman de l'AD de la Sarthe - Union Nationale Culture et Bibliothèque pour Tous (UNCBPT) - Site officiel". www.uncbpt.fr. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ "Believe it or not, Philippe Be ..." Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-09-10.
- ^ IN THE ABSENCE OF MEN | Kirkus Reviews.