Georges Bernanos
Journal d' un Curé de campagne
(1951)
324 pages
Plon Paris
(190x120x25)mm
Weight: 245grs

In the small parish of Ambricourt in the north of France, a young priest straight out of the seminary arrives with only his faith as his strength because he has no illusions about his own weaknesses and the human condition. His diary describes the misery of a population to whom he must preach... the spirit of poverty, and the arrogance of a dechristianized aristocracy. But the highlight of this masterpiece is his dialogue with the countess, whom he succeeds in convincing of the existence of God, just before she dies. He himself will die at the end, from an illness that will have made him suffer in the stomach during his entire mission.

Published in 1936 by Plon, winner of the Grand Prix du Roman de l’Académie française, this exceptional book has sold millions of copies in dozens of countries. It was the subject of an adaptation in 1951, itself exceptional, by the filmmaker Robert Bresson. Above all, it remains as relevant as ever in its uncompromising description of the flaws of the human soul that only faith can save.