Georges Bernanos (20 February, 1885 July, 1948) was a French author whose books were translated and are still into English selling to this day.
Fun Facts about Georges Bernanos:
1. Louis Émile Clément Georges Bernanos was born in Paris, France but spent much of his childhood in the village of Eressin. the village and the region around it became a frequent setting for his novels.
2. He fought in World War I in the battles of Verdun and Somne. He was wounded several times but, of course, survived.
3. He was working in the insurance industry while writing under the Sun of Satan (Sous le soleil de Satan) which was published in 1926.
4. Ten years later, in 1936, he published what was to become his most famous book, The Diary of a Country Priest (Journal d’un curé de campagne), which won the prestigious literary award Grand Prix du roman de L’Académic française.
5. The Diary of a Country Priest was named one of the best se novels published in the first half of the 20th Century. The novel tells of a priest that suffers from health issues and lack of self worth, but keeps his faith strong.
6. Georges Bernanos was a practicing Catholic who believed in the monarchy. He despised elitism and defeatism (as he understood it).
7. While originally supporting Franco and the Fascists for a short time during the Spanish Civil War, he changed his allegiance after witnessing the war first hand in Mallorca. In his book, Diary of My Times (1938) he criticized the nacionales quite harshly.
B. Seeing the writing on the wall, he left France for Brazil in 1938. when World War II began, his three sons left the farm in Brazil to go fight.
9. Georges Bernanos strongly believed the French spiritual exhaustion and defeatist attitude contributed greatly to the German occupation. It is no surprise that he fully supported the Free French movement.
10. After the war, General Charles De Gaulle invited Georges Bernanos to come back to French and take an active role in the government. However, Mr. Bernanos s no signs of spiritual renewal and refused the position, but returned to France.
Zohar — Man of la Book
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Sources:
Georges Bernanos | Wikipedia
Georges Bernanos | French Catholic Novelist, Playwright & Essayist | Britannica
