My Father's Glory & My Mother's Castle: Marcel Pagnol's Memories of Childhood [Paperback]

Marcel Pagnol (Author), Rita Barisse (Translator), Alice L. Waters (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 1, 1986

Bathed in the warm clarity of the summer sun in Provence, Marcel Pagnol's childhood memories celebrate a time of rare beauty and delight.Called by Jean Renoir "the leading film artist of his age," Pagnol is best known for such films as The Baker's Wife, Harvest, Fanny, and Topaze, as well as the screen adaptations of his novels Jean de Florette and Manon of the Springs (North Point, 1988). But he never forgot the magic of his Provencal childhood, and when he set his memories to paper late in life the result was a great new success. My Father's Glory and My Mother's Castle appeared on the scene like a fresh breeze, captivating readers with its sweet enchantments. Pagnol recalls his days hunting and fishing in the hill country, his jaunts about Marseilles, his schoolboy diversions, and above all his family: his anticlerical father and sanctimonious uncle, his mild and beautiful mother, and many others. This bright and lively book sparkles with the charm and magic that were Marcel Pagnol's own.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pagnol lived what he made movies and wrote about.... More than just the reminiscences of a happy childhood, these pages resonate with the inspirational qualities of all Pagnol's work: the good humor, the love of nature, the sensuality, and the strong feeling for family and tradition."--Alice Waters

"Marcel Pagnol has taught me a great deal more than anyone would guess. In his final moments Pagnol became almost godlike in his mix of deep understanding and earthy enjoyment, his hilarious and compassionate understanding of the people of Marseilles and Provence."--M. F. K. Fisher

Language Notes

Text: English, French (translation)

Product Details

• Paperback: 342 pages
• Publisher: North Point Press; First edition. edition (August 1, 1986)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865472572
• ISBN-13: 978-0865472570
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,167 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fond remembrance of childhood in Provence, May 20, 2000

By 

"mlimbc" - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Father's Glory & My Mother's Castle: Marcel Pagnol's Memories of Childhood (Paperback)

A wonderful autobiography by Marcel Pagnol telling of his early childhood with his family in the hills of Provence. Of school, his schoolteacher father, his delicate mother and his rambunctious brother. Of eventful journeys by rail, by foot and by cart from home to their vacation house. Of a joyful time spent exploring a countryside fragrant with wild herbs, full of insects to dissect, birds to hunt and caves to discover. Written in a prose that evokes the simplicity and seriousness of an inquisitive ten year old. And with a bittersweet ending that makes us immediately want to go back to previous pages where we were with him, his family, friends and the hills, tucked safely in summertime warmth and innocence.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happiness in childhood, December 11, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Nice, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: My Father's Glory & My Mother's Castle: Marcel Pagnol's Memories of Childhood (Paperback)

My opinion is surely quite distorted since I am french, but please, you american people, read it. I have presented it to so many english or american friends that I have lost track of the number. And all of them told me they loved it.This simple happiness of his childhood in the deep Provence hills is universal. So are the basic values and feelings. love, sun, freedom, friendship.This way of writing, full of humour, light and deep at the same time is really a perfect joy.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A real charmer, January 22, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: My Father's Glory & My Mother's Castle: Marcel Pagnol's Memories of Childhood (Paperback)

(The two books read as one, the second simply taking up--with no exposition--where the first leaves off.) These simple, sunny, nostalgic memoirs of a small boy's happy youth and adventures in the bosom of his loving and often very funny family in Marseilles and the hills of Provence in the early years of this century will captivate anyone who isn't a real Scrooge. They are filled with human understanding, warmth, and humor. Charming and absolutely delightful. Not to be missed.