‘Le Sagouin’, a bold, harrowing novel by French writer, critic, poet and journalist Francois Mauriac (1885-1970) is now available in Persian.
Veteran translator Davoud Navabi, 81, has translated the book and it has been brought out by Tehran-based Noon Publication. Its Persian title is ‘Rahi Baraye Rahaee’ (A Way to Freedom), Mehr News Agency reported.
Le Sagouin was first published in French in 1951. Its English translation ‘The Little Misery’ by Gerard Hopkins was released in 1952.
The book is the story of a backward child rejected by his mother because he closely resembles his father, whom she detests.
In this novel, Mauriac deals predominantly with the remnants of the provincial nobility, impoverished and almost ossified by ineffectuality and pride.
“Mauriac believes ... that innate in man there is some taint which may assume various outward forms. The revelation and development of this taint forms his theme,” said American author, essayist and critic Milton Stansbury in his book ‘French Novelists of Today’.
Mauriac often wrote as a moralist, with a pessimistic attitude to life; but his bold, vigorous style makes his novels enjoyable and stimulating. One is not concerned with the effect he may have on one’s morals.
Mauriac was a member of the Academie Francaise (French Academy), the pre-eminent French council established in 1635 for matters pertaining to the French language. He won the Noble Prize in Literature in 1952, and in 1958 was awarded the Grand Cross of the Legion d’honneu, the highest French order for military and civil merits.
Davoud Navabi has translated over 20 French works, mostly novels, into Persian.
His latest translations are ‘Trinity’ written by American author Leon Uris (1924-2003) and ‘The Knot of Vipers’ another work by Francois Mauriac. Both translations are to be released by Noon Publication. In addition to his numerous translations, he has authored ‘The Short History of Translation from French to Persian from the Beginning to the Present Time’, a valuable reference for researchers in contemporary literature.
