Les Éditions du Pacifique
29, rue des trois bornes,
75011 Paris, France
+(33) 1 42 22 48 63
bonjour@leseditionsdupacifique.com
21.50€
Prepare for an exotic and satirical journey into colonial Malaysia with ‘Le sacrilège malais’ by Pierre Boulle. Although often overshadowed by the author’s global successes, this novel deserves to be discovered for its humor, irony, and incisive observations.
At the heart of this story is Maille, a young French engineer sent to Malaysia to work on a vast rubber plantation. Nothing had prepared him for this experience. Yet, he finds himself unwittingly engaged in a battle against the absurdity of bureaucracy and the colonial model of resource exploitation.
In this novel, Pierre Boulle draws inspiration from his own experience as a rubber planter in Malaysia. He provides a biting satire of industrial rationalization, blending humor and fantasy to unveil the ridiculous inconsistencies of that era. Through Maille’s misadventures, the author explores alienation and societal values.
More than just a story, ‘Le sacrilège malais’ is a testament to the human condition and the impact of industrialization. It tells the story of the struggle for freedom in a world where labor has become king.
Dive into this unforgettable novel, where the subtle irony and exceptional writing of Pierre Boulle will guide you through the intricacies of colonial Malaysia. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking read, order your copy quickly.
Pierre Boulle, born on February 20, 1912, in Avignon and died on January 30, 1994, in Paris, was a French writer famous for his adventure and science fiction novels. Born into a bourgeois family, he developed an early taste for nature, hunting, and fishing, which fueled his love of adventure. After studying engineering at Supélec, he went to work in Malaysia on a rubber plantation, an experience that would inspire several of his novels, notably Le Sacrilège malais (The Malay Sacrilege).
During World War II, he joined the Resistance in Southeast Asia and joined the Free French Forces under the identity of Peter John Rule. Captured by French soldiers loyal to the Vichy regime, he was sentenced to hard labor, but escaped and joined Force 136 in Calcutta. These experiences inspired his novel The Bridge on the River Kwai, adapted for the cinema by David Lean in 1957.
After the war, Boulle devoted himself to writing. Between 1950 and 1992, he published nearly one book a year, exploring different genres: adventure, storytelling, fantasy, science fiction, and social criticism. His most famous work remains Planet of the Apes (1963), which was adapted for the cinema and became a global franchise.
Boulle skillfully blended humor, humanism, and critical observation of society in his books, successfully navigating between fiction and personal memories.
He is the author of Le Sacrilège malais (The Malay Sacrilege) and Les Oreilles de jungle (The Jungle Ears), published by Éditions du Pacifique.
