Clochemerle

I greatly enjoyed this novel as the writer has a deep and detailed understanding of life in a small French town. This work is set at a time when new forms of modernity (in particular in this case a urinal) were causing disruption in one such town. Various factions compete with each other over local issues. Various individuals compete with each other for the most sought after local men and women. It is written with great humour and has an engaging cast of characters.

This is a much underrated work of art. On the surface it is an amusing and entertaining satire of the goings-on in a wine village in the early 20th century. A conflict which has been going on since the French revolution of 1789 between Church and State, between Clerical and anti-Clerical.However, it is far more than that. A lot is lost in a translation. Especially, the atmosphere of the place, which can only be expressed in French. The flowery and hyperfelutent language of the narrator gives way to the local vernacular of the area. Most of the names of protagonist have a pejorative sound to them. And there is much more. There is a social historical value to this work. It captures in an entertaining way a time gone by, a mindset which is disappearing, and a vernacular which has been replaced by "éducation nationale" French.

I was more than happy to find a kindle edition of this book as I haven’t read it for years, but I could still remember that this was a good read. Coming back to this years later I find that it is still well worth reading, and am thus glad that I nominated it for my local book group.The story opens in late 1922 on the outskirts of the town Clochemerle, a small picturesque town in the Beaujolais area of France. The mayor discusses with his assistant a plan that he has to build a public urinal for the town, an idea that seems perfectly harmless. Thus we leap into 1923 with the unveiling of this urinal, but although a relatively smooth ceremony is carried through, how long before someone puts a spanner in the works?As we read through this we find out more about Clochemerle and its more celebrated residents, along with the jealousies, gossip, and sexual shenanigans that go on. Gabriel Chevallier weaves a very funny, satirical and highly entertaining tale about what goes on in Clochemerle. With one woman complaining that the urinal, situated near the church is lowering the morals of the town people start to become divided into a for or against feeling towards the toilet. As the heat sets in in the summer of 1923 and the inhabitants imbibe more than usual of their local produce things are bound to come to a head. With fighting in the church, rioting and even the Government sending in troops will Clochemerle ever be the same again?With lovely illustrations and a story that will make you laugh out loud you can’t really go wrong with this. Although written by a Frenchman in places this does feel quite Wodehousian, which is probably why it has always been quite popular over here. There was a TV series made of this for the BBC in the early Seventies which I have been led to believe is now available on DVD, so although I haven’t yet looked for it, it should also be available on this site.

Anyone seeking to understand why France is the way it is now should have a quick look at the way it was - 90 years ago!Incredible as it may now seem, all the events of Clochemerle took place in 1923! Everything in village life is there.Starting with the social-political dynamic of every French village (the Mayor, the Schoolteacher, the Priest), and the cultural dynamic between the generations, and how this idyllic world can, as a result of a series of incidents for which no-one is personally responsible, will turn to a nightmare 'storm in a teacup' for a whole administration.A 'butterfly effect' - or a 'Clochmerle-effect', and all of this over a simple urinal!This is a wonderfully witty translation, and much of the equally-wonderful Peter Ustinov film was based on it. Anyone trying to understand village life should probably start here. Joanne Harris' 'Chocolat' makes a brave attempt but the dynamics of the public convenience seem to do more than that of the chocolate shop.

I could remember the TV series on BBC2 back in the seventies and the book rekindled every hilarious comical nuance.The descriptions of the inhabitants of the town, the post-revolutionised French politics of the time and the literary illustrations of the surrounding countryside are delightful and insightful.The writing is punctilious and discriminating regarding the positions and ranking of a between-the-wars, 1930's French town.It makes you smile like an idiot, who assumes that they know what is going to happen next, but doesn't.A complete and utter joy.

Bought for nostalgic reasons having read it some seventy years ago. Still lives up to its original entertainment value.

I bought this for a book club I belong to. I wasn't exactly reluctant, but I wasn't particularly looking forward to an English translation of a French comic novel. I don't know how the translation compares to the original, but in the event I enjoyed it very much indeed. It was laugh out loud funny at times and the absurdity of the plot was inspired and compelling. The bookseller was prompt and the book arrived as advertised.

A great look into the world of 1920s rural France (not a lot different to many areas today with their petty jealousies and constant chipping away at neighbours' land boundaries), well dramatised in the BBC TV series with Cyril Cusack and Roy Dotrice. An occasionally clunky translation, but generally faithful to the original.