Louis Pergaud
Encyclopedia
Louis Pergaud was a French writer and soldier, whose principal works were known as "Animal Stories" due to their rooting in the flora and fauna of the Franche-Comté
. His most famous work was the novel La Guerre des boutons (English: "War of the Buttons"), written in 1912. A schoolteacher by profession, Pergaud came into conflict with Roman Catholic authorities over the implementation of the Third French Republic's separation of Church and State enacted in 1905. In 1907 Pergaud chose to move to Paris to pursue his literary career. Pergaud's prose works are often considered to reflect the influences of Realist
, Decadent and Symbolist movements. He was killed in action aged 33, in April 1915, whilst serving with the French Army
near Marchéville-en-Woëvre
during the First World War.
. Son of a republican schoolmaster, Louis was encouraged to excel in his studies. His academic successes earned him scholarships permitting him to continue school with the intention of following in his father's footsteps. In 1901, after completing his studies at the École Normale in Besançon
, Louis Pergaud accepted his first teaching position in Durnes
. He had only been teaching for one year when he was called to complete a year of military service with the 35th infantry regiment stationed in Belfort
. In the fall of 1903, Pergaud returned to his post in Durne. He also married his first wife in that year. In 1905 Pergaud transferred to Landresse
, a village that would eventually become so dear to his heart. Initially though, life in this small, isolated village was difficult for him because he found himself in conflict local people over certain major political issues of the time, the separation of Church and State to name one. In 1907, Pergaud left Landresse, and his wife, for Paris
, where he joined a long time friend and inspiration, Leon Deubel. In Paris, Louis Pergaud suffered through extreme poverty, even as he worked as a clerk and then as a schoolteacher, in an effort to realize his dream of literary success.
published a collection of Pergaud's short stories under the title De Goupil à Margot. This work earned for the author the prestigious Prix Goncourt
which lead to a certain amount of national recognition. A second collection of short stories about animals, La Revanche du corbeau appeared in 1911. "La Guerre des boutons", described below, was published in 1912. In 1913 Pergaud produced another novel, Le Roman de Miraut, once again giving an animal the leading role. He wrote numerous other short stories about the people and animals of his native Franche-Comté that would be published posthumously.
In 1912 La Guerre des boutons was published, a tale of a play-war between the small boys of two neighbouring villages. Those "killed" would have their buttons removed as trophies before being sent home. The novel begins humorously and harmlessly, but becomes more sinister as the distinctions between play-war and real violence become blurred. It has been described as having a "touch of Lord of the Flies
" in tone, although the book obviously substantially pre-dates that novel. Pergaud's works remain popular in France, with the La Guerre des boutons having been reprinted over thirty times. There is a Paris society especially devoted to him and his works, named Les Amis de Louis Pergaud.
into the French Army at the outbreak of the First World War, having been placed in the active reserve following his national service twelve years before. In this capacity he served in the Battle of Lorraine
during the German invasion of France and subsequently on the Western Front
. On 7 April 1915, Pergaud's regiment launched an attack on German lines near Fresnes-en-Woëvre
, in which Pergaud was shot and wounded, falling into barbed wire
and becoming trapped. Some hours later, German soldiers rescued him and took him and his comrades to a temporary field hospital behind their lines. It was there, on the morning of the 8 April, that Pergaud was killed in a French artillery barrage that destroyed the hospital.
Franche-Comté
Franche-Comté the former "Free County" of Burgundy, as distinct from the neighbouring Duchy, is an administrative region and a traditional province of eastern France...
. His most famous work was the novel La Guerre des boutons (English: "War of the Buttons"), written in 1912. A schoolteacher by profession, Pergaud came into conflict with Roman Catholic authorities over the implementation of the Third French Republic's separation of Church and State enacted in 1905. In 1907 Pergaud chose to move to Paris to pursue his literary career. Pergaud's prose works are often considered to reflect the influences of Realist
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
, Decadent and Symbolist movements. He was killed in action aged 33, in April 1915, whilst serving with the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
near Marchéville-en-Woëvre
Marchéville-en-Woëvre
Marchéville-en-Woëvre is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meuse department...
during the First World War.
Early life
Pergaud was born on the 22nd January 1882, in Belmont, DoubsBelmont, Doubs
Belmont is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:...
. Son of a republican schoolmaster, Louis was encouraged to excel in his studies. His academic successes earned him scholarships permitting him to continue school with the intention of following in his father's footsteps. In 1901, after completing his studies at the École Normale in Besançon
Besançon
Besançon , is the capital and principal city of the Franche-Comté region in eastern France. It had a population of about 237,000 inhabitants in the metropolitan area in 2008...
, Louis Pergaud accepted his first teaching position in Durnes
Durnes
Durnes is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:...
. He had only been teaching for one year when he was called to complete a year of military service with the 35th infantry regiment stationed in Belfort
Belfort
Belfort is a commune in the Territoire de Belfort department in Franche-Comté in northeastern France and is the prefecture of the department. It is located on the Savoureuse, on the strategically important natural route between the Rhine and the Rhône – the Belfort Gap or Burgundian Gate .-...
. In the fall of 1903, Pergaud returned to his post in Durne. He also married his first wife in that year. In 1905 Pergaud transferred to Landresse
Landresse
Landresse is a commune in the Doubs department in the Franche-Comté region in eastern France.-Population:External links*...
, a village that would eventually become so dear to his heart. Initially though, life in this small, isolated village was difficult for him because he found himself in conflict local people over certain major political issues of the time, the separation of Church and State to name one. In 1907, Pergaud left Landresse, and his wife, for 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...
, where he joined a long time friend and inspiration, Leon Deubel. In Paris, Louis Pergaud suffered through extreme poverty, even as he worked as a clerk and then as a schoolteacher, in an effort to realize his dream of literary success.
Works
His earliest works were collections of poetry that were published at his own expense through a literary review called Le Beffroi. The first collection, entitled L'Aube, appeared in 1904. The second, L'Herbe d'Avril, was published in 1908. In 1910 Mercure de FranceMercure de France
The Mercure de France was originally a French gazette and literary magazine first published in the 17th century, but after several incarnations has evolved as a publisher, and is now part of the Éditions Gallimard publishing group....
published a collection of Pergaud's short stories under the title De Goupil à Margot. This work earned for the author the prestigious Prix Goncourt
Prix Goncourt
The Prix Goncourt is a prize in French literature, given by the académie Goncourt to the author of "the best and most imaginative prose work of the year"...
which lead to a certain amount of national recognition. A second collection of short stories about animals, La Revanche du corbeau appeared in 1911. "La Guerre des boutons", described below, was published in 1912. In 1913 Pergaud produced another novel, Le Roman de Miraut, once again giving an animal the leading role. He wrote numerous other short stories about the people and animals of his native Franche-Comté that would be published posthumously.
In 1912 La Guerre des boutons was published, a tale of a play-war between the small boys of two neighbouring villages. Those "killed" would have their buttons removed as trophies before being sent home. The novel begins humorously and harmlessly, but becomes more sinister as the distinctions between play-war and real violence become blurred. It has been described as having a "touch of Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies is a novel by Nobel Prize-winning author William Golding about a group of British boys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results...
" in tone, although the book obviously substantially pre-dates that novel. Pergaud's works remain popular in France, with the La Guerre des boutons having been reprinted over thirty times. There is a Paris society especially devoted to him and his works, named Les Amis de Louis Pergaud.
Death
Despite his pacifism, Louis Pergaud was conscriptedConscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
into the French Army at the outbreak of the First World War, having been placed in the active reserve following his national service twelve years before. In this capacity he served in the Battle of Lorraine
Battle of Lorraine
The Battle of Lorraine was a battle of World War I fought in August 1914 between France and Germany. This followed Plan XVII, which proposed a French offensive through Lorraine and Alsace, and into Germany itself.- French Offensive :...
during the German invasion of France and subsequently on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. On 7 April 1915, Pergaud's regiment launched an attack on German lines near Fresnes-en-Woëvre
Fresnes-en-Woëvre
Fresnes-en-Woëvre is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.-See also:*Communes of the Meuse department*Parc naturel régional de Lorraine...
, in which Pergaud was shot and wounded, falling into barbed wire
Barbed wire
Barbed wire, also known as barb wire , is a type of fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strand. It is used to construct inexpensive fences and is used atop walls surrounding secured property...
and becoming trapped. Some hours later, German soldiers rescued him and took him and his comrades to a temporary field hospital behind their lines. It was there, on the morning of the 8 April, that Pergaud was killed in a French artillery barrage that destroyed the hospital.
Adaptations of his works
La Guerre des boutons has been made into a film three times:- La Guerre des Gosses (1936, France) by Jacques Daroy
- La Guerre des BoutonsWar of the Buttons (1962 film)La Guerre des boutons or War of the Buttons is a 1962 French film directed by Yves Robert, about two rival kid gangs whose playful combats escalate into violence. The title derives from the buttons that are cut-off from the rival team's clothes as combat trophies...
(1962, France) by Yves RobertYves RobertYves Robert was a French actor, screenwriter, director, and producer.Born in Saumur, Maine-et-Loire, in his teens Robert went to Paris to pursue a career in acting, starting with unpaid parts on stage in the city's various theatre workshops. To support himself, he worked at a variety of jobs... - War of the ButtonsWar of the Buttons (1994 film)War of the Buttons is a 1994 Irish film directed by John Roberts, about two rival kid gangs in Ireland, the Ballys , and the Carricks...
(1994, Ireland) by John Roberts - La nouvelle guerre des boutons (2011, France) by Christophe BarratierChristophe BarratierChristophe Barratier , son of actress Eva Simonet and nephew of film director Jacques Perrin, is a French film producer, film director and screenwriter. He has directed three hugely successful features films The Chorus...
- La guerre des boutons (2011, France) by Yann SamuellYann SamuellYann Samuell , is a French film director, and screenwriter.-Biography:Samuell went to film school and was a storyboard artist before becoming a director. He gave his directing debut in 2003 with Love Me If You Dare and his second film was the romantic comedy film My Sassy Girl...
External links
- Works of Louis Pergaud
- nous!": les fondements nationalistes de la Guerre des boutons a Master's thesis (French).