11Oct

Happy 131st birthday to French writer Francois Mauriac

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Philosophical Library would like to wish a happy 131^st birthday to French writer Francois Mauriac. Born on October 11, 1885, our birthday honoree was born and raised in Bordeaux, France. He received his education from the University of Bordeaux where he studied literature and graduated in 1905. He continued his academic career in Paris at the Ecole des Chartes.

“No love, no friendship can cross the path of our destiny without leaving some mark on it forever.” – Francois Mauriac

With his own philosophical views in hand, Francois was outspoken when it came to the political happenings of his time. When the editor of a resistance paper, Albert Camus, argued that France, freshly released from the Nazi’s power of WWII, should remove all of The Party’s collaborators from the country, Francois responded by warning that such doings would cause even more of a drift and that restoration of peace would be halted. Continuing to call for peaceful measures, Francois denounced France’s involvement in Vietnam as well as the use of torture by the military. More public disputes occurred when another writer condemned the Vatican in books he’d written that were then advertised in the paper for which Francois wrote. Francois threatened to leave his position if such advertisements continued to appear in the paper.

“Human love is often but the encounter of two weaknesses.” – Francois Mauriac

Francois Mauriac won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1952 as well as the Grand Cross of the Legion d’honneur six years later in 1958. His literature is still read and enjoyed today. Such works include his book Saint Margaret of Cortona. Saint Margaret of Cortona was a source of spiritual influence for the author during a time when Germany had invaded his homeland. His interest stemmed from the mystery surrounding her as well as her surrender to human love. It is said that he followed her wherever she led him and he submitted his inspiration to the pages within this book. Other titles include Proust’s Way and Letters on Art and Literature. In the latter title, the author shares his thoughts on a variety of topics in an anthology of letters. One of these letters was written to the very man with whom Francois had strongly disputed, Albert Camus. To read more about or purchase these titles, please click here.

“Tell me what you read and I’ll tell you who you are is true enough, but I’d know you better if you told me what you reread.” – Francois Mauriac

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