Albertine Sarrazin

Life

Childhood

Its life begins like a Romance : in 1936, his/her father, military Doctor with Algiers (Algeria), lieutenant-colonel, resulting from an easy family, puts pregnant the young Jewish maidservant of hardly Algeria 15 years old. On her orders, the young mother deposits the baby with the Public assistance. The child is then renamed Albertine Damien: indeed, one gives to the children Assistance the name of the saint of the day when the child is found (on September 23rd). In 1937, the colonel is repatriated medical with Marseilles, then a few months later again affected in Algiers. The couple which cannot have of child, decides to adopt. The colonel arranges himself then to adopt his own daughter, in February 1939. The child is then 17 months old, renamed Anne-Marie, said Anne or Marie. His wife, Therese, (“Mother”, in the letters of Albertine) are unaware of this filiation very. The final act of adoption is written at November 17th 1941.

At two years, the child is victim of an access of Paludisme, beginning of long a series of crises. She attends the religious establishments of the colony: in 1947, it is graduate of religious education, has the elementary certificate signed by the archbishop of Algiers.

His/her father ceasing belonging to the bodies of reserve, since April 15th 1941, the family leaves Algiers in 1947 and moves in with Aix-en-Provence, in a housing furnished with 28 rue de la Paix.

Albertine follows the rigorous training of a child raised in a middle-class medium, registered with the college Holy-Catherine-of-His of Aix-en-Provence, and obtains many first outstanding commendation awards with the passing of years, in spite of a Viol undergone at the ten years age by his/her uncle.

In 1949, it starts to write in notebooks with spirals the undisciplined adventures of three guides . In 1952, it becomes internal with the college. But completely undisciplined with the eyes of his/her father, this last obliges it to see a psychiatrist who considers it normal but which recommends a family distance. The judge then grants “the paternal correction” which authorizes the father to put his child in prison. It is thus sent of force in the establishment Good Pasteur to Marseilles. At its entry it is renamed Anick (following the example all boarders arriving in this establishment). The duration of the stay is 6 years, until its majority (21 years). Parallèmement the colonel tries to revoke the adoption and a social investigation begins.

The lawsuit

In 1953, it passes the first part of sound baccalaureat, which it obtains with mention well, it flees with Paris. With a comrade of the Good Pasteur found in Paris, it has many adventures, male prostitute, chaparde in the cars, the stores. At the end of 1953, it goes back to Marseilles to see his/her father, its gun flies to him and sets out again in Paris. She tries a holdup where his/her friend, wounds the saleswoman of a blow of Revolver to the right shoulder.

The two girls, in escape, are stopped on August 20th, Saint-Michel boulevard. The 24 they are presented to Bertin judge, and are then separate. It is at this time that it starts to write the green notebooks . A few days later, it is submitted with the parquet floor and is sent to Fresnes. In 1954 it starts to write poems and a year later, it passes its vat of Final to Vanves.

In November 1955, the two friends appear with sitted of minor of the Seine; the lawsuit is behind closed doors. Annick nargue the Judge S and sworn Court of Assizes: “I do not have any remorse. When I have some, I will warn you”, says it to the lawsuit. They are condemned. Annick is judged like brain of the steering. She is condemned to seven years of prison (its comparse “takes only five years”), initially with the Fresnes then with the approved school of Doullens in the North of France (today unused), in 1956. She has number 504, and is gathered in division Béarn . In parallel, his/her parents, which it had just asked a lawyer, for any answer are satisfied to revoke the plenary adoption (extremely rare procedure in France).

In October it is registered with the certificate of traditional general literary studies, session June 1957.

The same year, it is put at the dungeon during ten days to have embraced another held on the mouth. The April 19th 1957, it escapes while jumping a ten meters height and breaks the astragale (a small bone of the foot), which will extremely make it suffer and will even prevent it from going. While crawling, she trails herself to the trunk road.

Great love

There, Julien Sarrazin, small shady in the middle tending, collects it on the roadside, the hiding place in his mother, looks after it, and fall in love with it. It then hiding place it in a guinguette Creteil, “small Venice”, then in a prostitute. Annick sticks to him. She then is hospitalized with Creteil and is operated astragale.

In March 1958, Julien is stopped and imprisoned with Boulogne. Annick only finds herself with Paris and male prostitute to survive. She then meets a mechanic, Maurice Bouvier, known as the uncle , who becomes his regular and pours financial equalizations to him. A few months later, Julien is released, and they leave food to Calais.

September 8th 1958, Julien is stopped with Abbeville for flight and Anick for papers use of forgery. Julien is released and slackens on September 17th, but Anick must finish the sorrow of Doullens, then is transferred to Amiens. She is locked up in the district of the women, number 2091. She deals then of maintenance, the seam and names her sewing machine Cornélie. She studies philosophy and English, writing of the poems. She begins Times, newspaper of prison 59 .

February 7th 1959, Julien and Anick (21 years) marry with the town hall of Xe district, between two gendarmes. Annick begins the writing of the Mare . Annick is transferred to Soissons, so that Julien can more often see it. But it is stopped for burgling and is condemned to 15 month of prison. It is released on September 23rd 1960.

In October, Anick obtains a seven months grace. In 1961, it has an car accident, with Julien and the mother of this one. The latter dies. Julien is again imprisoned, this time at Pontoise, to have flown of the jewels and Anick to have carried them. She is released on June 6th 1963. In January 1964 Anick settles with Alès to approach Nimes where Julien is imprisoned. She becomes freelance journalist with the Méridional . April 7th, it is made take to steal a bottle whiskey in Prisunic. She is condemned to four months of prison, with Alès. She writes the black suns which will become Astragale : '' small love story for Julien''. Julien in May is released. August 9th, it is with the whole of Annick to be released.

In 1964, they move into an old house with the Matelles (which it will call the “Den”) close to Montpellier. They are lodged there by Maurice, a former customer of Albertine which there has just taken its retirement and of a ic love all continues it Plato.

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The last drama

April 27th 1964, the director of edition Jean-Pierre Castelnau accepts the manuscripts of Astragale and the Mare . Annick leaves Montpellier then, to correct the last tests. In 1966, it is finally recognized and celebrated. The same year, it receives the price of the quatre-jurys 1966 . It completes the Bridging piece and it work is published on November 25th. In parallel, Astragale is translated into Spanish El Astragalo . Beginning 1967, it cumulates several operations of the astragale, of the ovaries,… what does not prevent it from working on the adaptation to the cinema of Astragale by Norbert Carbonnaux.

In 1967, it dies of the continuations of an operation of the Rein badly prepared, tired by alcohol, the tobacco, two other recent operations and its chaotic life. The anesthetist (not graduate) it forever seen and knows neither his blood group, nor his weight (minimum to operate); moreover, it is not supervised in recovery room. Moreover, there was no blood of reserve in this private clinic of Montpellier. The press will say: “Albertine Sarrazin finishes its strange destiny. ”

Her husband does not hear it this ear. He attacks the surgical team in justice: the parquet floor initially hastens to classify this death without continuation. Julien appeals and gains his lawsuit: the surgeon and the anesthetist of the Saint-Roch private clinic are condemned to two months of suspended sentence and 90 000 francs of fine for manslaughter. Light sorrow, but amends heavy for the time. This business (added to the other similar ones) will strongly encourage the health authorities to modify the regulations on the anesthesia and the procedures pre and post-operative.

Notes and anecdotes

High in an unreal and falsified world, Albertine always does not seem to be a full aware of its acts and undergone dangers or which they could make him undergo. Its psychoanalyst will notice that it seemed to live all these serious moments: rape, flights, prostitution, steering, lawsuit, escapes, etc as if they were the fact of another or as if that did not relate to it. In short like if, to some extent unreal, they belonged to another girl that it.
Its life started as one (bad) Romance will finish in the same way. In fact all its life: the prisons, the escapes, the mare,… is only one immense novel. Novel, well too short, that it will be able however to recall with wonder, thus placing itself among the most accomplished writers of the French literature.

Works

Astragale (Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1965)
the Mare (Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1965) adapted to the cinema by Michel Mitrani in 1971
the Bridging piece (Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1966)
Romance, letres and poems (Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1969)
Poems (Jean-Jacques Pauvert, 1969)
Letters in Julien (Pauvert, 1971)
Newspaper of prison 1959 (Sarrazin editions, 1972)
the crib, bibiche, the business saint-juice, the washer (new, Sarrazin editions, 1973)
Letters of the literary life (Pauvert, 1974)
the Pass-Sorrow (Julliard, 1976)
Biftons of prison (1976)
Newspaper of Fresnes

The whole of these books was drawn with more than 3 million specimens.

Biography

Josane Duranteau : Albertine Sarrazin , Sarrazin editions, 1971
Jaques Layani: Albertine Sarrazin, a life , editions Writing, 2001, ISBN 2 909240 42 8

See too

External bonds

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