Therese Desqueyroux - (Sheed & Ward Books) by François Mauriac (Paperback)

About the Book

François Mauriac's masterpiece and one of the greatest Catholic novels, Thérèse Desqueyroux is the haunting story of an unhappily married young woman whose desperation drives her to thoughts of murder.

Book Synopsis

François Mauriac's masterpiece and one of the greatest Catholic novels, Thérèse Desqueyroux is the haunting story of an unhappily married young woman whose desperation drives her to thoughts of murder. Mauriac paints an unforgettable portrait of spiritual isolation and despair, but he also dramatizes the complex realities of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. Set in the countryside outside Bordeaux, in a region of overwhelming heat and sudden storms, the novel's landscape reflects the inner world of Thérèse, a figure who has captured the imaginations of readers for generations.

Raymond N. MacKenzie's translation of Thérèse Desqueyroux, the first since 1947, captures the poetic lyricism of Mauriac's prose as well as the intensity of his stream-of-consciousness narrative. MacKenzie also provides notes and a biographical and interpretive introduction to help readers better appreciate the mastery of François Mauriac, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1952. This volume also includes a translation of "Conscience, The Divine Instinct," Mauriac's first draft of the story, never before available in English.

Review Quotes

"Aimed at the American English ear, MacKenzie's syntax restores the Jazz Age punch of Mauriac's original. Thanks to MacKenzie's introduction, notes, and translated first draft of Mauriac's text ('Conscience'), Therese's sexuality is also restored, making her once again an ambivalent 'new woman' [la garçonne] of the 1920s and a scandalous protagonist for a 'Catholic novel.' As a result, the interwar 'Catholic revival' [renouveau catholique] also recovers its punch with Mauriac's challenge to bourgeois Catholicism. With new eyes and ears, another generation of readers can now wade with Therese Desqueyroux into 'the human river.'" --Stephen Schloesser, author of Jazz Age Catholicism: Mystic Modernism in Postwar Paris, 1919-1933

"An invaluable volume for those exploring Mauriac or his place in the French Catholic renaissance. MacKenzie's fresh, highly readable translation of Mauraic's disturbing masterpiece includes translator's notes and an excellent introduction. His inclusion of Mauriac's first draft permits rare insights into the startling evolution of the eponymous heroine." --William Bush, Professor Emeritus of French Literature at the University of Western Ontario, Canada

"It is safe to say that Francois Mauriac's Thérèse Desqueyroux has achieved the most coveted form of 'immortality' that any writer could hope for: inclusion on countless university and secondary school reading lists for both courses and exams. Only a few French novels share this distinction. Thus, Professor MacKenzie's excellent translation is well timed, for Thérèse, a great novel by any criterion, will be read by many throughout the rest of the new century. The Gerard Hopkins translation, competent and reliable in its day, nonetheless shows signs of wear. The English language, particularly in North America, has evolved considerably in the intervening three quarters of a century since its publication, and a fresh new translation in today's idiom is most welcome. This bright new translation is a valuable addition to Mauriac studies, and will add to the luster of Mauriac's reputation in the English-speaking world. Thanks to Professor MacKenzie, a new generation of readers in the English-speaking world will be able to have a direct, lively and utterly reliable interaction with Mauriac 's great novel." --David O'Connell, Department of Modern and Classical Languages, Georgia State University

Aimed at the American English ear, MacKenzie's syntax restores the Jazz Age punch of Mauriac's original. Thanks to MacKenzie's introduction, notes, and translated first draft of Mauriac's text ('Conscience'), Therese's sexuality is also restored, making her once again an ambivalent 'new woman' [la garçonne] of the 1920s and a scandalous protagonist for a 'Catholic novel.' As a result, the interwar 'Catholic revival' [renouveau catholique] also recovers its punch with Mauriac's challenge to bourgeois Catholicism. With new eyes and ears, another generation of readers can now wade with Therese Desqueyroux into 'the human river.'

An invaluable volume for those exploring Mauriac or his place in the French Catholic renaissance. MacKenzie's fresh, highly readable translation of Mauraic's disturbing masterpiece includes translator's notes and an excellent introduction. His inclusion of Mauriac's first draft permits rare insights into the startling evolution of the eponymous heroine.

It is safe to say that Francois Mauriac's Thérèse Desqueyroux has achieved the most coveted form of 'immortality' that any writer could hope for: inclusion on countless university and secondary school reading lists for both courses and exams. Only a few French novels share this distinction. Thus, Professor MacKenzie's excellent translation is well timed, for Thérèse, a great novel by any criterion, will be read by many throughout the rest of the new century. The Gerard Hopkins translation, competent and reliable in its day, nonetheless shows signs of wear. The English language, particularly in North America, has evolved considerably in the intervening three quarters of a century since its publication, and a fresh new translation in today's idiom is most welcome. This bright new translation is a valuable addition to Mauriac studies, and will add to the luster of Mauriac's reputation in the English-speaking world. Thanks to Professor MacKenzie, a new generation of readers in the English-speaking world will be able to have a direct, lively and utterly reliable interaction with Mauriac 's great novel.

About the Author

Raymond N. MacKenzie is professor of English at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN.