Albert Cohen

Biography

Born on the Greek island from Corfou in 1895, Abraham Albert Cohen belongs to the important Jewish community of the island.

Resulting from a family from manufacturing soap, the parents of Albert decide to emigrate in Marseilles when the factory périclite and that the anti-semitism does nothing but grow on the island. They found there a trade of eggs and olive oil. It will evoke this period in the book of my mother . Albert Cohen begins his education in a catholic private establishment. It is the August 16th 1905 which it is made treat of “dirty youpin” in the street, event which it will tell in O you, human brothers . In 1904, it enters to the Lycée Thiers, and in 1909, it binds friendship with another pupil, Marcel Pagnol. In 1913 it obtains its baccalaureat with the mention “rather well”.

In 1914, Albert Cohen leaves Marseilles for Geneva. It is registered with the Faculty of Law of the in October city. Consequently, it engages in favor of the Sionisme. For judaïser its name, it will make there add a H ; he will become Albert Cohen. He obtains his license in 1917 and is registered with the Faculty of Arts where it will remain until in 1919. In 1919, it obtains Swiss nationality (it was Othoman). He marries this same year, Elisabeth Brocher. In 1921, his wife gives rise to Myriam, their daughter. In 1924 his wife dies of a cancer. In 1925, Albert takes the direction of the Jewish Revue , which counts at its editorial board Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud. Of 1926 with 1931, it occupies a post of civil servant attached to the diplomatic Division of the International office of work, with Geneva. It will find in this experiment its inspiration of the universe of Adrien Deume for Belle of the Lord . In 1931 it Marie in second weddings with Marianne Goss.

At the time of the German invasion of May 1940, Albert flees with Bordeaux then with London. It is then charged by the Jewish Agency for Palestine with establishing contacts with the governments in exile. The January 10th 1943, the mother of Cohen dies in Marseilles. This same year it meets his future third wife, Bella Berkowich. In 1944, he becomes legal adviser at the Intergovernmental Committee for the refugees who took part in particular in the development of the international agreement of the October 15th 1946 bearing on the statute and the protection of the refugees. In 1947, Cohen returns to Geneva. In 1957, it refuses to occupy the post of ambassador of Israel, to continue its literary activity. It is buried with the Cimetière Jew of Veyrier, close to Geneva.

Its work

In 1921 it publishes " Juives" words; , a collection of poems. It publishes then a novel, " Solal" (1930), the first volume of a cycle that Cohen thought a time to entitle " The gesture of the juifs" , or " Solal and Solal". The novel, preceding " to some extent; Beautiful of the seigneur" , the youth of the young Greek tells on the island of Céphalonie, like its first loves. Will come then " Mangeclous" (1938) and " The Book Of My Mère" (1954), poignant portrait of an at the same time daily being and perfectly good that it will evoke once again in its " Carnets" (1978). Then " Valeureux" (1969), putting in scene a group of Jews, parents of Solal, on the island of Céphalonie.

Beautiful of the Lord

1968 are the year of dedication for Albert Cohen who publishes his major work. Belle of the lord receives the Grand Prix of the French Academy. It is the only high level literary prize of which he will be prize winner. He is made Chevalier of the Legion of Honor in 1970. He which spent its time making fun of false decorations of its truculent " Valeureux" would have, years later, be very affected by its failure with the Nobel Prize of literature.

" Beautiful of Seigneur" , was considered by certain as a central novel of the French literature (published in the Pleiad for this reason) is an anthem eternal with the woman, object of fascination and despair for the author. The lesson of seduction of Solal, data with ARIANE in Chapter XXXV, destroyed more quickly and brutally still that dangerous Connections the hope of a love which would not be based on a warlike strategy.

Belle of the Lord appears in May 1968 (after 30 years of writing and 4 manuscripts). Whereas the women claim their sexual release in the streets of the Latin Quarter, Gaston Gallimard publishes one of the love stories that some regard as one of the more male chauvinist pigs of the century.

Albert Cohen suffers then from nervous breakdown and lack to die of anorexia in 1978. This death until it at every moment waits since always, does not want him. It then changes radically life (with more than 80 years…) and will employ its last years to do what his/her large friend Pagnol had done all his life: to make the promotion of its work. Leaving asceticism, it publishes its Carnets 1978 and answers at the requests of interview.

The general public then starts to know it. An exclusive televised interview of Bernard Pivot for Apostrophes propels it to the front of the literary scene. A number of the Literary Magazine is finally devoted to him.

It publishes its last text in Nouvel Observateur in May 1981 in the form of last glorification of the love of his wife for her person and proclaiming its anguish of the death which it will have fears until the end.

The October 4th 1981, Cohen fractures a coast. The lesion becomes complicated of an anemia and a broncho-pneumonia. Albert Cohen dies the October 17th. He is buried with the Jewish cemetery of Veyrier, close to Geneva.

Belle of the Lord can be regarded as a " réécriture" novel Solal . Solal, hero éponyme, are in love with an young woman, ARIANE, but this passion love is dedicated to the failure.

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