Farewell to the King (novel)

Farewell to the King
AuthorPierre Schoendoerffer
Original titleL'Adieu au Roi
TranslatorXan Fielding
LanguageFrench
PublisherÉditions Grasset
Publication date
1 December 1969
Publication placeFrance
Published in English
1 September 1970
Pages299

Farewell to the King (French: L'Adieu au Roi) is a 1969 novel by the French writer Pierre Schoendoerffer.

Plot

The novel is set during World War II and centres on Learoyd, an Irish deserter from the battle of Singapore, who has become the king of a headhunting tribe in the jungles of Borneo.[1]

An inspiration for the main character was Tom Harrisson. Schoendoerffer originally conceived the story as a film project, but changed it into a novel.[2]

Reception

The novel became a bestseller in France.[2] It was awarded the Prix Interallié.[3]

Kirkus Reviews wrote that the novel is reminiscent of Joseph Conrad's works. The critic complimented Schoendoerffer's "use of a raw and terrifying jungle landscape" to portray "the varied ethic of war", but wrote that there is "an excess of tremulous commentary which transports Learoyd out of belief and reality".[1]

Adaptations

There were unrealised plans in the early 1970s for Schoendoerffer to direct his own film adaptation of the novel. The novel is the basis for the 1989 American film Farewell to the King, directed by John Milius.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b "Farewell to the King". Kirkus Reviews. 1 September 1970. Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  2. ^ a b McNay, Michael (2 September 1970). "New Testament, uniform edition". The Guardian. p. 8.
  3. ^ Leménager, Grégoire (14 March 2012). "Pierre Schoendoerffer, l'adieu aux armes". Le Nouvel Obs (in French). Retrieved 30 September 2024.
  4. ^ Hinson, Hal (3 March 1989). "'Farewell to the King'". Washington Post. Retrieved 30 September 2024.