The Solitude of Compassion

March 1, 2003
Probably best known to American audiences as the author of the fable The Man Who Planted Trees, the animation of which won a 1987 Academy Award, the Provental Giono (1895-1970) is one of the most respected and original modern French writers. First published in 1932, these 20 stories, appearing for the first time in English, present a delightful treat for readers unfamiliar with his work, similar in feel to his Second Harvest. Most of these narrations are not stories in the traditional sense but rather a combination of skeletal plot with structured musings or essays that expound upon Giono's typical themes; some are so short they're merely sketches. Giono's obsession with the natural element appears in not only the bucolic settings and pastoral themes but also the titles themselves, e.g., "Fields" and "The Sheep." His pacifist stance is made manifest in "Ivan Ivanovitch Kossiakoff," while his plea for ecology in "Song of the World" ("We do not want to isolate man. The face of the earth is in his heart") is as relevant today as when it was first written. These stories are a throwback to a simpler place and time, when through communion with nature Giono sought to evade the harsh realities of his time. Recommended for academic and public libraries.-Lawrence Olszewski, OCLC Lib., Dublin, OH

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