The Prospector (Verba Mundi (Hardcover)) - Hardcover

Le Clézio, J. M. G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 087923976X ISBN 13: 9780879239763

Publisher: Verba Mundi, 1994

Synopsis

The Prospector is the crowning achievement from one of France's preeminent contemporary novelists and a work rich with sensuality and haunting resonance. It is the turn of the century on the island of Mauritius, and young Alexis L'Etang enjoys an idyllic existence with his parents and beloved sister: sampling the pleasures of privilege, exploring the constellations and tropical flora, and dreaming of treasure buried long ago by the legendary Unknown Corsair. But with his father's death, Alexis must leave his childhood paradise and enter the harsh world of privation and shame. Years later, Alexis has become obsessed with the idea of finding the Corsair's treasure and, through it, the lost magic and opulence of his youth. He abandons job and family, setting off on a quest that will take him from remote tropical islands to the hell of World War I, and from a love affair with the elusive Ouma to a momentous confrontation with the search that has consumed his life. By turns harsh and lyrical, pointed and nostalgic, The Prospector is 'a parable of the human condition;' (Le Mond) by one of the most significant literary figures in Europe today. (Verba Mundi)

About this title

About the Author:

Recipient of the 2008 Nobel Prize in Literature, Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio was born on April 13, 1940, in Nice. At the age of eight, Le Clezio and his family relocated to Nigeria, where the father had been stationed as a physician during the Second World War. He was raised speaking both French and English, and his literary career began at the age of eight with the novel Un long voyage, written over their passage to Nigeria.

In 1950 the family returned to Nice. After completing his secondary education, he studied English at Bristol University in 1958-59 and completed his undergraduate degree in Nice in 1963. He took a master s degree at the University of Aix-en-Provence in 1964 and wrote a doctoral thesis on Mexico s early history at the University of Perpignan in 1983. He has taught at universities in Bangkok, Mexico City, Boston, Austin and Albuquerque.

Language Notes:

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

About this edition

• Publisher: Verba Mundi
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 087923976X
• ISBN 13: 9780879239763
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352