PRIX GONCOURT

Literary prizes in France, very much - more than a thousand. There are prizes that are awarded to the author for his first novel, a novella and T e. The purpose of such awards - not give a lost work by the young writer in the book thread. Some awards are based rich cultural workers, agencies and publishers, and sometimes it happens that awarded them for their work, not having in-depth content and artistic value.

The biggest prize in French literature is Gonkurovskaya, officially established in 1896, but awarded her only started since 1902.

French writers, brothers Jules and Edmond Goncourts, began as artists, did watercolors in Italy and passing written travel notes.

They lived and worked in the XIX century, but their favorite time was the XVIII century. Brothers Goncourts compiled a vast collection of rarities and a variety of certificates of that era (the newspaper notes, book illustrations), bought the letter completely unknown people, collecting various items of women′s dress (beads, fans, textiles and T E). They lived in an environment of real things XVIII century, which could touch and feel; This introduces the "art of historical scholarship, but not so as to distort or parodied it, but to help and serve her.

Photo — «Prix Goncourt»

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Cut off from the dull everyday life, the brothers lived Goncourts only operation, always write together, discussing each chapter of his novels in detail. Then write them separately, choosing the best or did contamination. Their collaboration was so close that even today it is almost impossible to determine the proportion of each of them in joint work. So when he died in 1869, Jules, Edmond seemed lost his "alter ego". He felt that without the participation of Jules came to an end his work: he was "silent" for seven years, and only in 1876, to overcome the emotional loneliness, he decided to go to work - and then only for a book they have previously planned and prepared together ( "The girl Eliza").

Brothers Goncourts left a vast fortune, which as a bequest of Edmond passed the Academy Goncourt, formally established in 1896. In the Goncourt Academy are the ten most famous writers of France, who receive a nominal fee - 60 francs a year. Each member of the Academy has only one vote and may give him only one book: the president of the Academy has two votes.

Photo — «Prix Goncourt»

The members of the Goncourt Academy at various times were writers A. Daudet, J. Renard, J. Roney Sr. , F. Erian, E. Bazin, Louis Aragon and others.

By statute, the brothers Goncourt Prize must surmount "the youth, originality, talent and new trends in thought and artistic form," that is awarded to young writers for the originality of their talent, for new and bold search for content and form of literature. Prix Goncourt awarded to the author of the best novel or best collection of short stories, written in French, but not necessarily writers living in France. In the first days of December, after the traditional lunch in the restaurant "Druyan, president Goncourt Academy announces the name of the lucky man. The first winner of Prix Goncourt in 1903 was John-Antoine But who has received this most honorable and respectable literary award of France for his novel "hostile force".

However, the wishes of the founder E. Goncourt - an award to the young writer to be awarded for originality - were soon forgotten, and for the entire period of its existence before the war can lead only a few examples of when it was granted the authors truly outstanding literary works (such as Henri Barbusse for anti-war novel " Fire ").

Photo — «Prix Goncourt»

French writer, style about it with regret, wrote that "Prix Goncourt has a tendency, on the one hand, the rise and on the other - fall sharply. " In Soviet times, when we in the country in art and literature was dominated by socialist realism, it′s not relevant it works recognized progressive enough.

In May 1940, France was occupied by Nazi troops, but the jury of many literary awards, including the Goncourt, continued to perform their duties. Prize in 1941 was a provincial writer A. Purra for his novel "The March wind. He was the author of large but little-known works, "inspired singer Auvergne, but a wide circle of French readers remained unknown. In 1943, during the period of highest pitch of the French Resistance, was awarded the Prix Goncourt novel by M. Gro "Go man," by which the events of the occupation can not find anything unusual and did not protest against them.

Not changed position on the award of Prix Goncourt and after the war, and the winners of its sometimes called the French readers a sharply negative attitude in the best case - disillusionment.

Photo — «Prix Goncourt»

Therefore rewarding writer M. Druon was greeted with a welcome relief. The exception was, and in 1954, when the Prix Goncourt was awarded to Simone de Beauvoir for the novel "The Mandarins" - a complex of ideological and philosophical idea of the psychological narrative decision on the fate of French intellectuals after the war years.

Currently President of the Academy Goncourt is Nurisse Francois, who presented this highest award - the first time in a century-old history of its existence - a writer from Russia. Andrew Makin awarded Prix Goncourt for his novel "The French Testament", which translated into 30 languages and which the Americans are going to withdraw film. 1