François Mauriac revisited

In this new entry in Twayne's World Authors Series, David O'Connell provides an exceptionally well written, jargon-free introduction to Mauriac, a thoroughly updated rendition of Maxwell Smith's well received Francois Mauriac (1970). Drawing on a trove of primary source material that has become available in the interim, O'Connell focuses on the people and events influencing Mauriac's personal life and how these were manifested in his writings. Organizing his material partly chronologically and partly by genre, O'Connell surveys the writer's major accomplishments and occasional failings; he sheds much needed light on such developments as the spiritual crisis Mauriac underwent in 1927-30 and the writer's shift from supporter of right-wing causes to leading spokesman for the Resistance during World War II. Observing that Mauriac's "influence at home and abroad was enormous during his lifetime" and that "since his death, no 'Catholic writer' of comparable stature has emerged to replace him," O'Connell underscores Mauriac's enduring place in world literature. Readers seeking a first-rate guide to this cardinal writer need look no further than Francois Mauriac Revisited.