Fragments of a Paradise
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“Giono’s prose is a singularly fine blend of realism and poetic sensibility.” — The Washington Post
Giono’s very own Moby-Dick, a sensational maritime journey that follows a crew inwards on a spiritual tale of evocative sea-glimpses
An allegorical critique of modern civilization and the damages of war, Giono’s oft-overlooked seafaring tale sweeps the reader along a narrative as poetic and undulating as the wind, tacking between the sea’s mysteries and the intricacies of the men’s conversations and inner thoughts as they attempt to grasp the sensory reality around them.
“I no longer have any interest in living under the conditions that this era allows,” writes the Captain of L’Indien, a ship whose radio remains packed in a crate in the hold. The men aboard won’t be needing it; they have no interest in connecting with the world of ordinary men. With enough provisions to last them five years, they set sail in July of 1940 for the South Seas, leaving civilization behind in search of the unknown.
Hastening onwards, Giono’s men steer deeper into themselves, seeking a purpose beyond the “world in upheaval” they left behind—a moving and spiritual work written by one of Europe’s most ardent 20th-century pacifists.
A sensational novel that delves into the unknown reaches of the sea and soul, perfect for readers seeking a poetic escape that challenges the political and social status-quo.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Originally published in 1944, this alluring if uneven allegory from pacifist writer Giono (1895–1970), translated for the first time by Eprile, chronicles a French expedition to Antarctica. The venture's two ships, La Demoiselle and L'Indien, whose purported mission is to study botany, zoology, and other scientific subjects, become separated off the coast of Brazil. From there, the novel transforms into a metaphysical and pared-down Moby-Dick as it focuses on L'Indien, whose unnamed captain is bent on a vaguely stated deeper purpose, which critic Michael Wood categorizes in his introduction as a search for a "secular theology." As the captain writes in his log, "For my own part, I know this isn't so much a voyage of exploration as it is a new way of life.... We're leaving so we won't be turned into beasts." Their journey soon becomes alternately hellish and idyllic, haunted and mesmerized in turn by mysterious islands, giant squids, massive rays, and potentially more mythic leviathans. The captain's log can feel tedious; better are the passages devoted to the other crew members, including Paumolle, a tattooed sailor who dreams of riding on the backs of whales; Quéréjéta, the cook, whose dishes take inspiration from the natural world; and the explorer Guinard, who explores a remote island with signs of habitation. This asks more questions than it answers.
