Solal is the first novel of Albert Cohen, an early work loan of blazing romanticism. Its publication by Gallimard in 1930 will offer thereafter a monthly revenue to the author supposed to encourage it in the drafting of a new manuscript, had a presentiment of like “the continuation”. It will be Mangeclous, chief of work of derision and humor, whereas paradoxically, Albert Cohen lives one of the periods more the melancholic persons of his life.

Solal is regarded as the first opus of the tetralogy of the Valeureux . Follow Mangeclous (1938) and Belle of the Lord (1968), major work which will occult the preceding novels of Cohen. The library of the Pleiad will maintain this confusion by publishing Belle the Lord independently of the remainder of its literary production.

Who is (what) Solal?

It is a young boy who nourishes a pantagruelic ambition, having a particular relationship with the women, without to attract the resemblances to Georges Duroy, the hero created by Maupassant for Beautiful-Friend. Charles Dantzig will say of Solal in its egoistic Dictionnaire of the French literature (Grasset, 2005) that it is “the largest bloody nuisance of the literature he is beautiful, it is intelligent, it succeeds, he allures the most beautiful girls, and he is never content”.

Recurring character of Valorous, Solal is a lifeblood of youth, opportunist in all but solved with nothing. Its escapades in love will be the principal screens of various works, by which its character will be right of a happiness pretends. “The women, for little that they love you, forget that you are Jewish”. From this postulate of Cohen, Solal draws all the power and, consequently, all the tragedy of its loves.

Indeed, throughout its life Solal will be the Jewish seducer, sulfurous, in a world of Christians. Disavowing its faith, then it exacerbating until the contempt towards its wives, amantes, mistresses, courtesans.

The station which Solal at the company of the Nations occupies is not without pointing out the career even of Albert Cohen. Brilliant studies at the University of Geneva and a diplomatic passport thereafter. Solal will be written during long the afternoon of the Cohen civil servant, who will be sufficiently studious “to cut down the morning all the one day work”. The particularly tasty scenes which depict these high-ranking dignitaries of the world diplomacy belong to great creations of Albert Cohen, greeted by all for their irony relentless and right.

Synopsis

Solal, young child of Céphalonie (Greek island) allured the woman of the French Consul. Creating the embarrassment in its entourage, Solal decides to leave its island to join Marseilles then Paris, where he will marry the girl of the Prime Minister and will thus become in his turn, by intrigue and base, Minister for Labor. His/her uncle Saltiel will go to his meeting to allow him to re-examine his father, with whom Solal must of the excuses. Owner of a castle at two hours of Paris, it arranges his cellars in order to accommodate part of the Jewish population of his Céphalonie native. He will vainly try to initiate his wife with the respect of the Jewish traditions. Demolishes of its ministry, repudiated by the French State, Solal will put an end to its days and will ressuscitera a such old god, Solaire.