Georges Bernanos (1888–1948)

Bernanos is one of the greatest Catholic writers of the 20th Century and this book, winner of the 1936 Grand-Prix of the French Academy, is widely recognised as his masterpiece. A tale of a young, seemingly inept, parish priest in a remote French village, this is indeed a remarkable novel but not necessarily an enjoyable one. Difficult is what it certainly is. First of all because it reflects the contradictions of its author - a devout Catholic who could be outspokenly critical of the Church, a reactionary monarchist with socialist ideals, a supporter of De Gaulle who became disillusioned with post-war France. It is also difficult because, as its title implies, it expresses its (not always obvious) theological/philosophical message through the medium of a fictional diary - which means long monologues and reminiscences of dialogues between the protagonist and fellow clerics and/or parishioners. Bernanos provides no easy or convenient answers and, for a Catholic novel which ends on a note of hope, it has more than its fair share of existentialist angst. A challenging read, but a strangely captivating one.… (mer)