Les Éditions du Pacifique
29, rue des trois bornes,
75011 Paris, France
+(33) 1 42 22 48 63
bonjour@leseditionsdupacifique.com
20.00€
Explore a mysterious and lush jungle through the author Henri Fauconnier, the prestigious Goncourt Prize winner in 1930. ‘Malaisie’ is a captivating novel where adventure and discovery give way to wonder.
After World War I, Lescale makes the daring decision to set sail for Malaysia. In this rapidly developing land, he reunites with his trench comrade who manages a rubber plantation nestled deep in the jungle. Amidst hard work and the solitary life of a planter, Lescale is immersed in this entirely new world. Henri Fauconnier makes Malaysia the central character of this adventure narrative, drawing from his own experience as a planter to paint an intimate portrait of this Southeast Asian country. It’s a place he never expected to be tied to but one that will leave an indelible mark on him.
This travel novel offers a unique perspective on the local culture of Malaysia. Each chapter begins with a Malay poem, immersing you even deeper into the country’s soul. The Malaysian jungle itself becomes a character in its own right, playing a central role in the narrative.
Follow Lescale on his journey and discover the beauty of Malaysia through his eyes. Let yourself be carried away by this literary voyage, one that still resonates today.
Henri Fauconnier (1879-1973) was a French writer from Barbezieux in Charente, a leading figure in the “Barbezieux Group” alongside his sister Geneviève Fauconnier and his friend Jacques Chardonne. After studying law, he left France in 1905 to teach in England, then settled in Malaysia where he learned the trade of plantation owner and founded one of the first large rubber plantations in Selangor. This experience, which was decisive in his life, later inspired his literary work.
Settling in Tunisia in 1926, he wrote Malaisie, a largely autobiographical novel that won him the Prix Goncourt in 1930 and established his name in French literature. He then published Visions (1938), a collection of short stories, while continuing to correspond extensively with the writers of his time. An amateur painter and musician, a discreet and sensitive man, he is described by biographer Ginette Guitard-Auviste as “a kind of Hindu sage, silent as a stone, impassive and extremely sensitive.”
Founder of the Académie d’Angoumois with his sister Geneviève Fauconnier and Jacques Chardonne, he remains a singular figure in 20th-century literature.
He is the author of Malaisie, published by Éditions du Pacifique.
