Si le grain ne meurt
Encyclopedia
Si le grain ne meurt is the autobiography
of the French
writer
André Gide
. Published in 1924, it recounts the life of Gide from his childhood in Paris
until his engagement with his cousin Madeleine Rondeaux in 1895.
The book has two parts. In the first, the author recounts his childhood memories: his private tutors, his time at the Ecole Alsacienne, his family, his friendship with Pierre Louÿs
, the start of his veneration of his cousin, and his first efforts at writing. The book's title, Si le grain ne meurt, is an allusion to the Gospel of John
12:24-25.
The much shorter second part recounts his discovery of his homosexuality
during a trip to Algeria
, part of which was with Irish
writer Oscar Wilde
. At the time of its publication, parts of the book shocked the public with their depictions of homosexuality and detailed descriptions of Gide’s debauchery.
Gide later recounted the total failure of his married life with Madeleine in another autobiography called Et nunc manet in te, written shortly after the death of his wife in 1938. It was published in 1951.
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
of the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
André Gide
André Gide
André Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947. Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the symbolist movement, to the advent of anticolonialism between the two World Wars.Known for his fiction as well as his autobiographical works, Gide...
. Published in 1924, it recounts the life of Gide from his childhood in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
until his engagement with his cousin Madeleine Rondeaux in 1895.
The book has two parts. In the first, the author recounts his childhood memories: his private tutors, his time at the Ecole Alsacienne, his family, his friendship with Pierre Louÿs
Pierre Louÿs
Pierre Louÿs was a French poet and writer, most renowned for lesbian and classical themes in some of his writings. He is known as a writer who "expressed pagan sensuality with stylistic perfection."-Life:...
, the start of his veneration of his cousin, and his first efforts at writing. The book's title, Si le grain ne meurt, is an allusion to the Gospel of John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
12:24-25.
The much shorter second part recounts his discovery of his homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
during a trip to Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
, part of which was with Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
writer Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
. At the time of its publication, parts of the book shocked the public with their depictions of homosexuality and detailed descriptions of Gide’s debauchery.
Gide later recounted the total failure of his married life with Madeleine in another autobiography called Et nunc manet in te, written shortly after the death of his wife in 1938. It was published in 1951.
Literature
- André GideAndré GideAndré Paul Guillaume Gide was a French author and winner of the Nobel Prize in literature in 1947. Gide's career ranged from its beginnings in the symbolist movement, to the advent of anticolonialism between the two World Wars.Known for his fiction as well as his autobiographical works, Gide...
: Si le grain ne meurt. Collection Folio. Paris: Gallimard, 1972. - Jean-Michel Wittmann: Si le grain ne meurt d'André Gide. Essai et dossier. Collection Foliothèque. Paris: Gallimard, 2005.