My Father's Glory

This article is about the novel. For the film, see My Father's Glory (film).

My Father's Glory
Author(s)	Marcel Pagnol
Original title	La Gloire de Mon Père
Country	France
Language	French
Series	Souvenirs d'enfance
Genre(s)	Autobiographical novel
Publisher	Pastorelly
Publication date	1957
Media type	Print (Hardback & Paperback)
ISBN	NA

My Father's Glory (French: La Gloire de mon père) is a 1957 autobiographical novel by Marcel Pagnol. Its sequel is My Mother's Castle. It is the first of four volumes in Pagnol's Souvenirs d'enfance series. It is also a 1990 film based on the novel, and directed by Yves Robert.

Plot summary

Young Marcel was born in the country but raised in Marseille. His father, Joseph, is a hard-working strongly atheist public school teacher in Marseille. Marcel's Aunt Rose marries the round, jovial, and very theistic and Roman Catholic Uncle Jules. Joseph and Uncle Jules come into conflict over religion.

Over summer break, Joseph and Jules decide to take their families to a house in the country.

Jules decides to educate Joseph in hunting techniques. Marcel wants to come hunting with them, but the two adults don't like the idea; they lie to him that he can come, but leave the house while he is still just waking up. Marcel, aware of their deceit, gets up and follows them stealthily. He observes Jules making a fool out of Joseph over his hunting prowess. This enrages Marcel. But while he is following them he gets lost in the wilderness.

Hearing the hunters later, he follows the sounds to the top of a high cliff. His presence there scares out the legendary birds, the Rock Partridges. Joseph shoots two down with his side-by-side loading musket. Jules does not believe that Joseph has made the kill. Marcel retrieves the birds and holds them by the legs in his outspread arms on the cliff for the sight of the hunters in the valley below. He "lifts his father's glory to the sky", hence the name "My Father's Glory."

Back in the village, the residents are amazed at Joseph's skill. Marcel is very proud of him, but realizes his father's vanity when Joseph poses for a photograph with the birds. Earlier, Joseph had mocked a colleague who posed with fish, saying that such poses lacked dignity.

Film

Main article: My Father's Glory (film)

External links

• La Gloire de mon père at the Internet Movie Database
• Marcel Pagnol