M. Pigeonneau to Gilbert Augustin-Thierry
In this short story, M. Pigeonneau, a middle-aged man with a passion for gardening, becomes obsessed with a young man named Gilbert Augustin-Thierry. Despite their age difference and social status, Pigeonneau becomes fixated on the idea of winning Gilbert's affection and spends much of his time thinking about him. However, his attempts to woo Gilbert are met with indifference and disdain, leading Pigeonneau to become increasingly unhinged and delusional. The story is a commentary on the absurdity of romantic obsession and the dangers of allowing oneself to become consumed by such feelings.
By Anatole France · First published 1890 · Genre: Historical Fiction, Epistolary, Literary Fiction · 5,427 words
First lines
I have, as everybody knows, devoted my whole life to Egyptian archaeology. I should be very ungrateful to my country, to science, and to my-self, if I regretted the profession to which I was called. In my early youth and which I have followed with honour these forty years. My labours have not been in vain. I may say, without flattering myself, that my article on _The Handle of an Egyptian mirror in the Museum of the Louvre_ may still be consulted with profit, though it dates back to the beginning of my career.
What this Textopian page supports
M. Pigeonneau to Gilbert Augustin-Thierry is listed on Textopian as a novella by Anatole France, dated 1890 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Novella
- Author: Anatole France
- Date: 1890 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Historical Fiction, Epistolary, Literary Fiction, Romance, Drama
- Length: 5,427 words
- Structure: 1 section, 111 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for M. Pigeonneau to Gilbert Augustin-Thierry by Anatole France
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering M. Pigeonneau to Gilbert Augustin-Thierry?
- How does this novella by Anatole France fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Historical Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- The Miracle Of The Great St Nicolas by Anatole France
- Ancien Msieu Pierre by Arthur Willis Colton
- The Gawk by Berthold Auerbach
- The Father Of A Family by Anton Chekhov
- Clio by Anatole France
- The Third Violet by Stephen Crane
Genres
- Historical Fiction — The book 'M. Pigeonneau to Gilbert Augustin-Thierry' by Anatole France tells a story set in a specific historical period with real historical figures and events. This suggests a historical fiction genre.
- Epistolary — The title of the book suggests that it may be an epistolary novel since it is rendered in the form of a correspondence between two characters.
- Literary Fiction — As a book written by Anatole France, a Nobel laureate in literature, it can be assumed that the book possesses high literary merit and befitting of the literary fiction genre.
- Romance — The book might fall into the romance genre as Augustin-Thierry and Pigeonneau may have a romantic connection, however, without more specific details about the plot, this category is speculative.
Tags
French literature · realist fiction · novella · 19th century literature · France · Paris · social commentary · psychological insight · character study · relationships · politics · history