Mauriac, François, << maw RYAK, frahn SWAH >> (1885-1970), a French author, won the 1952 Nobel Prize for literature. His novels are set among middle-class people in his native Bordeaux. The attitudes toward sin and love expressed in his fiction reflect his Roman Catholic faith. Mauriac’s novels explore the mysteries of human existence, the nature of destiny, and human guilt before a judging though forgiving God. His stories are noted for their psychology and beautiful language. Mauriac’s major novels include The Kiss to the Leper (1922), Thérèse Desqueyroux (1927), Vipers Tangle (1932), and The Frontenac Mystery (1933).
In 1934, Mauriac began to write essays on his view of life and literature for the newspaper Le Figaro. These essays have been republished periodically in collections called Journals. Mauriac also wrote several plays, including Asmodée (1938) and Le Feu sur la terre (1951). His poetry was collected in Le Sang d’Atys (1940). His biographies include two studies of Christ, Life of Jesus (1936) and The Son of Man (1958).
Mauriac was elected to the French Academy in 1933. Claude Mauriac, his son, was also a well-known novelist. François Mauriac was born on Oct. 11, 1885. He died on Sept. 1, 1970.
