Colette Baudoche: The Story of a Young Girl of Metz

by Maurice Barrès

As a child Barres saw the Prussian invasion of France, and also the endless processions of those who, in 1871 and 1872, left Alsace - Lorraine rather than come under the yoke of their traditional enemy. These sad scenes left a deep and indelible impression on his mind, and explain to a certain extent his attitude towards Germany throughout his life.

Excerpt from Colette Baudoche: The Story of a Young Girl of Metz

At the moment when France is about to enter her fifth year of the war, redoubling her efforts, and revealing to an astonished world such magnificent spiritual qualities, it would be well, perhaps, to look back, to seek out and congratulate those who in preparing her to meet the struggle, guided her along the only true path.

197 pages, Nook

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Auguste-Maurice Barrès (19 August 1862 – 4 December 1923) was a French novelist, journalist and politician. Spending some time in Italy, he became a figure in French literature with the release of his work The Cult of the Self in 1888. In politics, he was first elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1889 as a Boulangist and would play a prominent political role for the rest of his life.

Barrès was associated in his literary works with Symbolism, a movement which had equivalence with British Aestheticism and Italian Decadentism, indeed he was a close associate of Gabriele d'Annunzio representing the latter. As the name of his trilogy suggests, his works glorified a humanistic love of the self and he also flirted with occult mysticisms in his youth. The Dreyfus affair saw an ideological shift and he was a leading anti-Dreyfusard, popularising the term nationalisme to describe his views. He stood on a platform of "Nationalism, Protectionism and Socialism."

Politically, he became involved with various groups such as the Ligue des Patriotes of Paul Déroulède, which he became the leader of in 1914. Barrès was close to Charles Maurras founder of Action Française, a monarchist party. Despite the fact that he remained a republican, Barrès would have a strong influence on various following French monarchists, as well as various other figures. During the First World War, he was a strong supporter of the Union Sacrée. In later life, Barrès returned to the Catholic faith and was involved in a campaign to restore French church buildings and helped establish 24 June as a national day of remembrance for St. Joan of Arc.

Reviews

[aslan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Tié vrmt pas un tigre

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read an English edition published during world war one. It feels a bit mild for a revanchist novel published by a Boulangist. It isn't set right after the occupation of Alsace-Lorraine like the blurp states but 35 years after the siege of Metz. The Prussian is depicted as naively wanting to 'elevate' the French but learns to appreciate the culture.

[Mila]

Narodna prosveta, Beograd