70:
58:, against the wishes of his father, who dreamt of a more prestigious union for his son. In 1929, from this union that was only regularised in 1934, a daughter, Sarah, was born, named in memory of his sister. Thérèze was the only love of Maxence's life and is the key to an understanding of his work. She was the inspiration for the protagonist of his trilogy
113:(1875-1947), for whom Van der Meersch had a profound admiration. Carton emphasised the importance of cleanliness and good day-to-day living, work environment, nutrition etc.: "Le microbe n'est rien. Le terrain est tout." ("The germ is nothing. The terrain is everything.") The protagonists of the novel are followers of Carton.
53:
Maxence, of delicate health, came from a relatively well off family — his father was an accountant. On 27 October 1918, he lost his sister, Sarah, who was just 19 years old, to tuberculosis, the disease that would eventually kill him too. His parents' marriage broke up. Marguerite, his mother, became
28:
1596:
54:
an alcoholic, and his father, Benjamin, lived a life considered dissolute by the standards of the times. In 1927, Maxence fell in love with Thérèze Denis, a poor working-class girl, with whom he lived in
150:
Van der
Meersch experienced great success in his lifetime, but today he has a far lower profile. Nevertheless, in 2010 some half a dozen of his books were still in print in France. In 1998
1601:
69:
1631:
109:
for that year. The novel was an international success — it was translated into 13 languages. It centred round the ideas of a celebrated doctor, Dr.
77:
A lawyer by training, he in fact practiced this profession very little, preferring to devote himself to writing. His work, replete with a spirit of
178:
and who had brought honour to the town by winning the Prix
Goncourt." In Cobb's opinion, "He was, in fact, a clumsy stylist, a Christian-Socialist
143:(1933) is set against the background of the Worker-priest movement active during strikes in northern French factories during the inter-war period.
529:
1636:
1621:
482:
397:
147:(1936) explores the theme of the influence of the Flemish and latent religious past among a family of ostensibly successful rationalists.
441:
1616:
1606:
1626:
1611:
1094:
221:
624:
522:
1525:
771:
424:
82:
136:
1234:
515:
1405:
1389:
1322:
1421:
1030:
1591:
1586:
1565:
1549:
1477:
1086:
915:
600:
580:
1541:
1370:
1226:
1110:
947:
867:
1461:
1306:
1178:
990:
608:
859:
696:
394:
27:
1266:
1250:
1046:
923:
632:
572:
564:
478:
128:
1533:
1517:
1509:
1501:
1429:
1413:
1330:
1298:
1242:
1202:
1134:
1038:
843:
811:
787:
736:
656:
592:
556:
132:
1557:
1485:
1397:
1346:
1194:
1142:
1126:
1118:
1070:
907:
680:
648:
445:
401:
1274:
1150:
974:
827:
712:
159:
1493:
1354:
1102:
1022:
1014:
728:
672:
664:
438:
78:
42:
17:
1580:
1218:
1186:
1078:
1062:
982:
931:
875:
779:
763:
755:
704:
688:
616:
539:
179:
86:
1469:
1453:
1437:
1362:
1338:
1314:
1282:
1210:
1054:
966:
939:
899:
891:
883:
851:
819:
803:
720:
584:
199:
171:
507:
1445:
1290:
1258:
1158:
1006:
795:
121:
117:
110:
174:
called van der
Meersch "a regionalist who had written almost exclusively about
998:
640:
55:
175:
124:
395:
Maxence Van der
Meersch et la vie ouvrière dans le Nord de 1914 à 1939
419:
198:
He died in Le
Touquet in 1951. He had gone there to be treated for
68:
26:
154:
was created by a group of his admirers. In 1988 his first novel,
376:
Corps et âmes (1956) (an essay in defence of
Cartonian medicine)
511:
81:, is essentially concerned with the life of the people of the
1597:
Converts to Roman
Catholicism from atheism or agnosticism
131:
in 1936. He wrote two religious biographies, one of the
73:
House where
Maxence Van der Meersch lived in Wasquehal
190:
meaning dossiers of people taken from real sources).
452:, 43: 286–322. Carton is discussed on pages 311–315.
170:
The sometimes iconoclastic, distinguished historian
1379:
1168:
956:
745:
546:
158:(1932), was made into a film by Michel Mees, with
85:, his native region. In 1936 he was awarded the
473:Richard Cobb (Author), Julian Barnes (Preface).
523:
8:
253:The Poor Girl Book I: The Sins of the World
530:
516:
508:
462:Maxence Van der Meersch et la vie ouvrière
249:La fille pauvre Tome I: Le Péché du monde
333:The Hour of Love: The Poor Girl Book III
182:, who wrote off an accumulated stock of
477:(New York Review Books Classic), 2004,
439:"Alternative Medicine in Modern France"
386:
364:(1943) (an essay against prostitution)
152:La société des Amis de Van der Meersch
116:Van der Meersch came from a family of
1602:20th-century deaths from tuberculosis
415:
413:
411:
329:La fille pauvre Tome III: La Compagne
41:(4 May 1907 – 14 January 1951) was a
7:
420:Invasion, by Maxence van der Meersch
323:The Poor Girl Book II: Pure in Heart
319:La fille pauvre Tome II: Le Cœur Pur
229:Car ils ne savent ce qu'ils font...
107:grand prix de l'Académie française
25:
1632:20th-century French male writers
1:
1637:Tuberculosis deaths in France
1622:20th-century French novelists
495:Book I: The Sins of the World
239:Quand les sirènes se taisent
141:Quand les sirènes se taisent
1095:André Pieyre de Mandiargues
1653:
233:They Know Not What They Do
625:Alphonse de Châteaubriant
243:When the Looms Are Silent
105:), which was awarded the
772:Maurice Constantin-Weyer
425:The Neglected Books Page
368:La petite sainte Thérèse
97:). In 1943 he published
836:Maxence Van der Meersch
497:in one volume entitled
437:Matthew Ramsey (1999).
269:Maria, fille de Flandre
162:in the principal role.
39:Maxence Van der Meersch
31:Maxence Van der Meersch
18:Maxence Van Der Meersch
1617:Roman Catholic writers
1607:French Roman Catholics
217:La Maison dans la dune
156:La Maison dans la dune
127:— but he converted to
74:
32:
1627:French male novelists
1612:Prix Goncourt winners
1406:Jacques-Pierre Amette
1390:Jean-Christophe Rufin
1323:Didier Van Cauwelaert
428:, February 26th, 2012
273:The Bellringer's Wife
222:The House on the Dune
72:
30:
1566:Jean-Baptiste Andrea
1550:Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
1087:Edmonde Charles-Roux
916:Jean-Jacques Gautier
601:Francis de Miomandre
303:The Dynamite Factory
1371:Jean-Jacques Schuhl
1227:Dominique Fernandez
475:Paris and Elsewhere
405:, p. 7 (in French).
374:Pourquoi j'ai écrit
283:Hath Not the Potter
279:L'Empreinte du dieu
120:— his father was a
95:Hath Not the Potter
91:L'Empreinte du dieu
1462:Michel Houellebecq
1422:François Weyergans
1307:Patrick Chamoiseau
1179:Patrick Grainville
1031:André Schwarz-Bart
991:Simone de Beauvoir
609:Marius-Ary Leblond
444:2011-07-27 at the
400:2011-08-21 at the
137:Thérèse of Lisieux
75:
33:
1574:
1573:
1267:Tahar Ben Jelloun
1235:Frédérick Tristan
924:Jean-Louis Curtis
538:Laureates of the
483:978-1-59017-082-3
356:Vie du Curé d'Ars
289:Pêcheurs d'hommes
135:and the other of
129:Roman Catholicism
16:(Redirected from
1644:
1564:
1556:
1548:
1542:Hervé Le Tellier
1540:
1534:Jean-Paul Dubois
1532:
1524:
1516:
1508:
1500:
1492:
1484:
1476:
1468:
1460:
1452:
1444:
1436:
1430:Jonathan Littell
1428:
1420:
1412:
1404:
1396:
1388:
1369:
1361:
1353:
1345:
1337:
1329:
1321:
1313:
1305:
1299:Pierre Combescot
1297:
1289:
1281:
1273:
1265:
1257:
1249:
1243:Marguerite Duras
1241:
1233:
1225:
1217:
1209:
1203:Antonine Maillet
1201:
1193:
1185:
1177:
1157:
1149:
1141:
1133:
1125:
1117:
1111:Félicien Marceau
1109:
1101:
1093:
1085:
1077:
1069:
1061:
1053:
1045:
1037:
1029:
1021:
1013:
1005:
997:
989:
981:
973:
965:
946:
938:
930:
922:
914:
906:
898:
890:
882:
874:
868:Francis Ambrière
866:
858:
850:
844:Charles Plisnier
842:
834:
826:
818:
810:
802:
794:
788:Henri Fauconnier
786:
778:
770:
762:
754:
737:Maurice Genevoix
735:
727:
719:
711:
703:
695:
687:
679:
671:
663:
655:
647:
639:
631:
623:
615:
607:
599:
591:
579:
571:
563:
557:John Antoine Nau
555:
532:
525:
518:
509:
502:
491:
485:
471:
465:
459:
453:
435:
429:
417:
406:
391:
362:Femmes à l'encan
313:Bodies and Souls
103:Bodies and Souls
21:
1652:
1651:
1647:
1646:
1645:
1643:
1642:
1641:
1577:
1576:
1575:
1570:
1562:
1558:Brigitte Giraud
1554:
1546:
1538:
1530:
1526:Nicolas Mathieu
1522:
1514:
1506:
1498:
1490:
1486:Pierre Lemaitre
1482:
1474:
1466:
1458:
1450:
1442:
1434:
1426:
1418:
1410:
1402:
1398:Pascal Quignard
1394:
1386:
1375:
1367:
1359:
1351:
1347:Patrick Rambaud
1343:
1335:
1327:
1319:
1311:
1303:
1295:
1287:
1279:
1271:
1263:
1255:
1247:
1239:
1231:
1223:
1215:
1207:
1199:
1195:Patrick Modiano
1191:
1183:
1175:
1164:
1155:
1147:
1143:Jacques Chessex
1139:
1131:
1127:Jacques Laurent
1123:
1119:Michel Tournier
1115:
1107:
1099:
1091:
1083:
1075:
1071:Georges Conchon
1067:
1059:
1051:
1043:
1035:
1027:
1019:
1011:
1003:
995:
987:
979:
971:
963:
952:
944:
936:
928:
920:
912:
908:Jean-Louis Bory
904:
896:
888:
880:
872:
864:
860:Philippe Hériat
856:
848:
840:
832:
824:
816:
808:
800:
792:
784:
776:
768:
760:
752:
741:
733:
725:
717:
709:
701:
697:Ernest Pérochon
693:
685:
681:Georges Duhamel
677:
669:
661:
653:
649:Adrien Bertrand
645:
637:
629:
621:
613:
605:
597:
589:
577:
569:
561:
553:
542:
536:
506:
505:
493:Published with
492:
488:
472:
468:
460:
456:
450:Medical History
446:Wayback Machine
436:
432:
418:
409:
402:Wayback Machine
392:
388:
383:
352:
339:Masque de chair
213:
208:
196:
168:
60:La Fille pauvre
51:
36:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1650:
1648:
1640:
1639:
1634:
1629:
1624:
1619:
1614:
1609:
1604:
1599:
1594:
1589:
1579:
1578:
1572:
1571:
1569:
1568:
1560:
1552:
1544:
1536:
1528:
1520:
1512:
1504:
1496:
1494:Lydie Salvayre
1488:
1480:
1478:Jérôme Ferrari
1472:
1464:
1456:
1448:
1440:
1432:
1424:
1416:
1408:
1400:
1392:
1383:
1381:
1377:
1376:
1374:
1373:
1365:
1357:
1355:Paule Constant
1349:
1341:
1333:
1325:
1317:
1309:
1301:
1293:
1285:
1277:
1269:
1261:
1253:
1251:Yann Queffélec
1245:
1237:
1229:
1221:
1213:
1205:
1197:
1189:
1181:
1172:
1170:
1166:
1165:
1163:
1162:
1153:
1145:
1137:
1129:
1121:
1113:
1105:
1103:Bernard Clavel
1097:
1089:
1081:
1073:
1065:
1057:
1049:
1041:
1033:
1025:
1023:Francis Walder
1017:
1015:Roger Vailland
1009:
1001:
993:
985:
977:
969:
960:
958:
954:
953:
951:
950:
942:
934:
926:
918:
910:
902:
894:
886:
878:
870:
862:
854:
846:
838:
830:
822:
814:
806:
798:
790:
782:
774:
766:
758:
749:
747:
743:
742:
740:
739:
731:
729:Thierry Sandre
723:
715:
707:
699:
691:
683:
675:
673:Henry Malherbe
667:
665:Henri Barbusse
659:
651:
643:
635:
633:André Savignon
627:
619:
611:
603:
595:
587:
581:Jérôme Tharaud
575:
573:Claude Farrère
567:
559:
550:
548:
544:
543:
537:
535:
534:
527:
520:
512:
504:
503:
486:
466:
454:
430:
407:
385:
384:
382:
379:
378:
377:
371:
365:
359:
351:
348:
347:
346:
336:
326:
316:
306:
296:
293:Fishers of Men
286:
276:
266:
256:
246:
236:
226:
212:
209:
207:
204:
195:
192:
167:
164:
50:
47:
43:French Flemish
34:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1649:
1638:
1635:
1633:
1630:
1628:
1625:
1623:
1620:
1618:
1615:
1613:
1610:
1608:
1605:
1603:
1600:
1598:
1595:
1593:
1590:
1588:
1585:
1584:
1582:
1567:
1561:
1559:
1553:
1551:
1545:
1543:
1537:
1535:
1529:
1527:
1521:
1519:
1518:Éric Vuillard
1513:
1511:
1510:Leïla Slimani
1505:
1503:
1502:Mathias Énard
1497:
1495:
1489:
1487:
1481:
1479:
1473:
1471:
1465:
1463:
1457:
1455:
1449:
1447:
1441:
1439:
1433:
1431:
1425:
1423:
1417:
1415:
1414:Laurent Gaudé
1409:
1407:
1401:
1399:
1393:
1391:
1385:
1384:
1382:
1378:
1372:
1366:
1364:
1358:
1356:
1350:
1348:
1342:
1340:
1334:
1332:
1331:Andreï Makine
1326:
1324:
1318:
1316:
1310:
1308:
1302:
1300:
1294:
1292:
1286:
1284:
1278:
1276:
1270:
1268:
1262:
1260:
1254:
1252:
1246:
1244:
1238:
1236:
1230:
1228:
1222:
1220:
1219:Lucien Bodard
1214:
1212:
1206:
1204:
1198:
1196:
1190:
1188:
1187:Didier Decoin
1182:
1180:
1174:
1173:
1171:
1167:
1161:(Romain Gary)
1160:
1154:
1152:
1146:
1144:
1138:
1136:
1135:Jean Carrière
1130:
1128:
1122:
1120:
1114:
1112:
1106:
1104:
1098:
1096:
1090:
1088:
1082:
1080:
1079:Jacques Borel
1074:
1072:
1066:
1064:
1063:Armand Lanoux
1058:
1056:
1050:
1048:
1042:
1040:
1039:Vintilă Horia
1034:
1032:
1026:
1024:
1018:
1016:
1010:
1008:
1002:
1000:
994:
992:
986:
984:
983:Pierre Gascar
978:
976:
970:
968:
962:
961:
959:
955:
949:
943:
941:
935:
933:
932:Maurice Druon
927:
925:
919:
917:
911:
909:
903:
901:
895:
893:
887:
885:
879:
877:
876:Henri Pourrat
871:
869:
863:
861:
855:
853:
847:
845:
839:
837:
831:
829:
823:
821:
815:
813:
812:André Malraux
807:
805:
799:
797:
791:
789:
783:
781:
780:Marcel Arland
775:
773:
767:
765:
764:Maurice Bedel
759:
757:
756:Henri Deberly
751:
750:
748:
744:
738:
732:
730:
724:
722:
716:
714:
708:
706:
700:
698:
692:
690:
689:Marcel Proust
684:
682:
676:
674:
668:
666:
660:
658:
657:René Benjamin
652:
650:
644:
642:
636:
634:
628:
626:
620:
618:
617:Louis Pergaud
612:
610:
604:
602:
596:
594:
593:Émile Moselly
588:
586:
582:
576:
574:
568:
566:
560:
558:
552:
551:
549:
545:
541:
540:Prix Goncourt
533:
528:
526:
521:
519:
514:
513:
510:
500:
499:The Poor Girl
496:
490:
487:
484:
480:
476:
470:
467:
463:
458:
455:
451:
447:
443:
440:
434:
431:
427:
426:
421:
416:
414:
412:
408:
404:
403:
399:
396:
390:
387:
380:
375:
372:
369:
366:
363:
360:
357:
354:
353:
349:
344:
343:Mask of Flesh
340:
337:
334:
330:
327:
324:
320:
317:
314:
310:
309:Corps et âmes
307:
304:
300:
297:
294:
290:
287:
284:
280:
277:
274:
270:
267:
264:
260:
257:
254:
250:
247:
244:
240:
237:
234:
230:
227:
224:
223:
218:
215:
214:
210:
205:
203:
201:
193:
191:
189:
185:
181:
177:
173:
165:
163:
161:
157:
153:
148:
146:
142:
138:
134:
130:
126:
123:
119:
114:
112:
108:
104:
100:
99:Corps et âmes
96:
92:
88:
87:Prix Goncourt
84:
80:
71:
67:
65:
64:The Poor Girl
61:
57:
48:
46:
44:
40:
35:French writer
29:
19:
1470:Alexis Jenni
1454:Marie NDiaye
1438:Gilles Leroy
1380:2001–present
1363:Jean Echenoz
1339:Pascale Roze
1315:Amin Maalouf
1283:Jean Vautrin
1275:Érik Orsenna
1211:Yves Navarre
1151:Pascal Lainé
1055:Anna Langfus
975:Béatrix Beck
967:Julien Gracq
940:Robert Merle
900:Elsa Triolet
892:Marius Grout
884:Marc Bernard
852:Henri Troyat
835:
828:Joseph Peyré
820:Roger Vercel
804:Guy Mazeline
721:Lucien Fabre
713:Henri Béraud
585:Jean Tharaud
498:
494:
489:
474:
469:
461:
457:
449:
433:
423:
393:
389:
373:
367:
361:
355:
342:
338:
332:
328:
322:
318:
312:
308:
302:
298:
292:
288:
282:
278:
272:
268:
263:Invasion '14
262:
258:
252:
248:
242:
238:
232:
228:
220:
216:
206:Publications
200:tuberculosis
197:
187:
183:
172:Richard Cobb
169:
160:Tchéky Karyo
155:
151:
149:
144:
140:
118:freethinkers
115:
106:
102:
98:
94:
90:
76:
63:
59:
52:
38:
37:
1592:1951 deaths
1587:1907 births
1446:Atiq Rahimi
1291:Jean Rouaud
1259:Michel Host
1007:Romain Gary
796:Jean Fayard
565:Léon Frapié
259:Invasion 14
122:Nietzschean
111:Paul Carton
1581:Categories
1159:Émile Ajar
999:Roger Ikor
948:Paul Colin
705:René Maran
641:Marc Elder
350:Nonfiction
133:Curé d'Ars
1169:1976–2000
957:1951–1975
746:1926–1950
547:1903–1925
341:(1958) —
331:(1955) —
321:(1948) —
311:(1943) —
301:(1936) —
291:(1936) —
281:(1936) —
271:(1935) —
261:(1934) —
251:(1934) —
241:(1933) —
231:(1933) —
219:(1932) —
166:Criticism
56:Wasquehal
45:writer.
1047:Jean Cau
464:, p. 47.
442:Archived
398:Archived
211:Fiction
176:Roubaix
125:atheist
79:realism
481:
370:(1943)
358:(1936)
345:(1959)
335:(1956)
325:(1949)
315:(1948)
305:(1953)
295:(1947)
285:(1937)
275:(1951)
265:(1937)
255:(1949)
245:(1934)
235:(1958)
225:(1938)
188:Fiches
184:fiches
381:Notes
299:L'Elu
194:Death
145:L'Elu
1563:2023
1555:2022
1547:2021
1539:2020
1531:2019
1523:2018
1515:2017
1507:2016
1499:2015
1491:2014
1483:2013
1475:2012
1467:2011
1459:2010
1451:2009
1443:2008
1435:2007
1427:2006
1419:2005
1411:2004
1403:2003
1395:2002
1387:2001
1368:2000
1360:1999
1352:1998
1344:1997
1336:1996
1328:1995
1320:1994
1312:1993
1304:1992
1296:1991
1288:1990
1280:1989
1272:1988
1264:1987
1256:1986
1248:1985
1240:1984
1232:1983
1224:1982
1216:1981
1208:1980
1200:1979
1192:1978
1184:1977
1176:1976
1156:1975
1148:1974
1140:1973
1132:1972
1124:1971
1116:1970
1108:1969
1100:1968
1092:1967
1084:1966
1076:1965
1068:1964
1060:1963
1052:1962
1044:1961
1036:1960
1028:1959
1020:1958
1012:1957
1004:1956
996:1955
988:1954
980:1953
972:1952
964:1951
945:1950
937:1949
929:1948
921:1947
913:1946
905:1945
897:1944
889:1943
881:1942
873:1941
865:1940
857:1939
849:1938
841:1937
833:1936
825:1935
817:1934
809:1933
801:1932
793:1931
785:1930
777:1929
769:1928
761:1927
753:1926
734:1925
726:1924
718:1923
710:1922
702:1921
694:1920
686:1919
678:1918
670:1917
662:1916
654:1915
646:1914
638:1913
630:1912
622:1911
614:1910
606:1909
598:1908
590:1907
583:and
578:1906
570:1905
562:1904
554:1903
479:ISBN
186:." (
180:Zola
89:for
83:Nord
49:Life
66:).
1583::
448:,
422:,
410:^
202:.
139:.
531:e
524:t
517:v
501:.
101:(
93:(
62:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.