Marcel Aymé

by Graham Lord

This book, the first comprehensive study of Aymé's work, explores the thematic and structural unity masked by the astonishing variety and complexity of the oeuvre. It underlines the constant tension between peasant and Parisian, moralist and entertainer, head and heart that gives Aymé's work its charm. After a preliminary chapter on Aymé the man, the book turns to an examination of Aymé's recurrent sexual repression, schizophrenia, social order, illusion, thwarted ambition. This is complemented by an exploration of Aymé's the fluent, ironic style, the comic reversals, the rise-and-fall patterns, the personal and collective crises, the increasing tension in a flawed victim. These patterns combine with Aymé's key themes to convey a tender but tormented world-view where the vision of the moralist and the needs of the entertainer are finely balanced indeed.

221 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1987

About the author

Graham Lord was a British biographer, novelist and journalist best known for his acclaimed biographies of figures including Jeffrey Bernard, James Herriot, Dick Francis, Arthur Lowe, David Niven, John Mortimer and Joan Collins. Born in Southern Rhodesia and raised in Mozambique, he studied History at Churchill College, Cambridge, where he edited Varsity. He joined the Sunday Express in 1965 and served as its Literary Editor for 23 years, interviewing many leading writers of the period. After leaving the newspaper in 1992, he became a full-time author, writing biographies, novels, memoirs and journalism.