Michel Tournier
Michel Tournier was a renowned French writer known for his novels and reinterpretations of myths. His notable works include 'Friday, or, The Other Island' (French: 'Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique'), a retelling of Daniel Defoe's 'Robinson Crusoe', and 'The Erl-King' (French: 'Le Roi des Aulnes'), which won him the prestigious Prix Goncourt in 1970. Tournier's writing is characterized by its philosophical depth and exploration of human nature.
Books
This list of books are ONLY the books that have been ranked on the lists that are aggregated on this site. This is not a comprehensive list of all books by this author.
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1. Friday
The novel tells the story of Robinson, a European man who becomes the sole survivor of a shipwreck on a remote tropical island. He attempts to create a civilization in his image, but his efforts are largely unsuccessful. When a native named Friday eventually arrives on the island, Robinson attempts to teach him his ways. However, Friday, who is free-spirited and in tune with nature, fundamentally challenges Robinson's worldview. The novel explores themes of colonialism, the nature of civilization, and the tension between individual freedom and societal order.
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2. The Ogre
"The Ogre" is a complex narrative that explores the life of a Frenchman who, through a series of misadventures and peculiar circumstances, finds himself in Nazi Germany during World War II. Initially working as a caretaker at a hunting lodge, he becomes entangled with the German regime and is assigned to recruit children for an elite Nazi school. The protagonist's obsession with purity and innocence, coupled with his imposing physical presence, paints a dark and unsettling portrait of a man who, while seeking to preserve the essence of childhood, becomes an unwitting participant in the horrors of the era. The novel delves into themes of myth, innocence, and the corrupting influence of ideology, all while examining the nature of good and evil within the human soul.
