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Review

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful. Poignant And Magical - An Unforgettable Novel!By Jana L.Perskie"Le Grand Meaulnes" is; simply put; a beautiful novel. A friend recommended it to me recently; and after reading it once I know I will keep it to read over and over again. Alain-Fournier has written; with heartbreaking poignance; about a magical period between boyhood and manhood; a time that once gone can never be recaptured. The books title has shifted over the years from "The Grand Meaulnes;" to "The Wanderer;" and then "The Lost Domain." Alain-Fournier writes about a boy who is called "Le Grand Meaulnes" by his friends and fellow schoolmates. What does "Grand" mean? The novels translator writes: "No English adjective will convey all the shades of meaning that can be read into the simple word grand which takes on overtones as the story progresses. Le Grand Meaulnes can be the tall; the big; the almost-grown-up; even the great Meaulnes - or with schoolboys; even good old Meaulnes. But when the book has been put down; that phrase evokes in retrospect the image of someone not only tall or big; but also daring; noble; tragic; fabulous." And Augustin Meaulnes is all those things - as he is also a wanderer; searching for a lost domain.The tale is set in France in the late 1800s. Our narrator is Francois Seurel; the somewhat sheltered; adolescent son of Sainte-Agathes secondary schoolmaster. A new border comes to the school; Augustin Meaulnes; bringing adventure and a breath of fresh air into Francois peaceful; rather sedate life. The charismatic young man easily becomes the leader of the schoolboys and much admired by all. He is definitely not flamboyant nor a show-off; but a rather quiet; serious and sometimes introspective young man. Yet he has tremendous imagination and leads the boys on childish exploits; "bold and dangerous." One day Meaulnes disappears on what the others believe is a seemingly harmless prank - an adventure. When he returns; 3 days later; he is forever changed. He becomes reclusive and obsessively works on a map he is making. He loses interest in everything and everyone; except for Francois; who has become his only confident.The day Meaulnes disappeared from the schoolhouse; he became lost and disoriented. After an anxious overnight stop; in the middle of nowhere; he found himself in the midst of a grand and fantastic celebration in a forest clearing. The festival was held to celebrate the wedding of young Frantz de Galais and his beloved bride. At this feast; Augustin Meaulnes met the beautiful; gentle; mysterious Yvonne; Frantz sister. Tragically; the wedding never took place; the party was disbanded; and Meaulnes; forced to take leave immediately; lost sight of Yvonne - his fairy-princess; his love dream of adolescence.He returned to Sainte-Agathe but remained haunted by memories of the magic place; its trappings and most of all; Yvonne. Meaulnes time was now almost exclusively spent trying to find his way back; but since he didnt know how he arrived at the domain; he didnt know how to return. Disconsolate; he wrote down everything he remembered about his trip and began his mapmaking. He promised Francois that he could accompany him when he finally makes his way back to the lost domain. Together the two friends attempt to retrace Meaulnes footsteps. They journey together into the world of adulthood; trying to close the circle between what had been and what was yet to be.Alain-Fourniers descriptive prose is exquisite. His narrative frequently reads like pure poetry; filled with magical imagery. I must say a few words here about Frank Davisons superb and faithful translation. Without Mr. Davisons work; I would not have been able to appreciate Fourniers prose. This story of friendship and love; of vows broken and vows kept; is one of the most original and unique books I have ever read. I cannot recommend it highly enough.What makes this novel even more poignant is that the author was killed; at age 27; in the first actions of WWI. I was overwhelmed by sadness when I learned of this terrible loss. Alain-Fournier will always be remembered through his wonderful work.JANA0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I hate to give a low star rating based on thisBy TMBuyer beware. I was looking at the French edition paperback when I noticed I could get the same book on Kindle for a lower price. The Kindle book is in English. Perhaps I was foolish in thinking that different language translations would be listed separately; but it was very misleading. I hate to give a low star rating based on this; but I dont know how else to report it and I dont want others to get burned.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Le grand Meaulnes: un grand livreBy Murielle Lucie Cleacute;mentIl y a des livres qui restent et dautres qui disparaissent. Le grand Meaulnes dAlain-Fournier se classe dans la premiegrave;re cateacute;gorie. Mystegrave;re; enfance; feacute;erie;.. Mais pardessus tout; une eacute;criture qui na pas pris une seule ride en cent ans. Ce livre est agrave; mettre entre toutes les mains pour un immense plaisir de lecture. Murielle Lucie Cleacute;ment