The Solitude of Compassion

First published in France in 1932, "The Solitude of Compassion" is a collection of stories about small-town life in Provence. Jean Giono invents a village of characters, often warm and admirable, at times immoral or coarse, who populate a world of striking reality.

JEAN GIONO (1895–1970) was born in Manosque, Provence, the son of a shoemaker and a washerwoman. A widely loved figure in his native France, he is the author of many books, the best known of which, perhaps, are Song of the World and Horseman on the Roof. He was awarded the Prize of Prince Rainier of Monaco for his body of work in 1953, became a member of the Académie Goncourt in 1954, and accepted a seat on the Literary Counsel of Monaco in 1963. Except for a few trips to Paris and abroad, Giono spent his entire life in his town in Provence.