Wine of Paris

the Wine of Paris is a collection of new of Marcel Aymé published in 1947.

The eight accounts which compose it have as a common point to proceed in Paris during (or right afterwards) the German occupation. The first of between-them, indifferent the , is inspired freely by the business Petiot. The topics approached are related to the concerns of this time: the shortage, cowardice, collaboration etc

Two of this news, the Grace and Crossed from Paris , were adapted for television and the cinema.

The indifferent one

It leaves prison, where it has just purged a eight month sorrow, and any scruple nor remorse does not test. Also it does not make any objection when one proposes to him, as a work, to traverse the countryside by trucidant the farmers to conceal their money to them. On the other hand, it functions with feeling, and when he learns that his owner plans to assassinate the former mistress of his father, he sees there like a “breach of trust”. Its intervention will consist in leaving the protagonists entretuer with a revolver and little matters to him that one or the other was left there alive.

Crossing of Paris

Two accomplices undertake the crossing of Paris nuitamment in order to deliver a pig cut out in bags. However, if the first, Martin, are an honest and courageous guy, the second, Grandgil, quickly appear antipathetic: he extorts money from Jambier, the owner of the pig, treats the tenants of a bar of “bastards of the poor” and strikes a policeman. When, Martin discovers that Grandgil is an easy painter who is there to only have fun, it enters in fury and, during the brawl which follows, stabs it with its knife. Later, it is delivered to the police force with a feeling of accomplished justice.

Grace

A good man, piles and moderated, are found one day affublé of an aureole. Estimating “that it is to better be well seen of its caretaker that of its creator”, his wife pushes it to get rid of the cumbersome accessory by making successively each of the seven deadly sins. Not only it does not reach that point, but in more it takes pleasure so much in the defect which it ends up exerting the mackerel trade on the Parisian boulevards.

Wine of Paris

A dark poor employee in is delirious because of a deprivation of wine. Taken hallucinations, it confuses soon its congeneric with bottles and precipitates on them equipped with a corkscrew. One imprisons it in a lunatic asylum where it is, unfortunately for him, neat with the water of Vittel.

Dermuche

Dermuche is simple of spirit having assassinated three shareholders to steal a dish to them to music. The morning of December 24th, day of his execution, one finds it in his cell transformed into infant. After some hesitations, the authorities decide nevertheless to carry out it. It is learned whereas the three shareholders are ressuscities. Wanting to return its innocence to the assassin, the divine hand had thus also erased its sin.

The pit with the sins

Delirious history of the passengers of a steamer, admirer of golden calf, who find in hell for expier their sins. Pasteur, wheel with their help, fights with the incarnation of the seven deadly sins, of which it is demolished with ease, and manages to save them.

The false police officer

To nourish his family, a modest accountant disguises himself as a police officer to extort money from criminals. Enthusiast of justice, he also assassinates them. But the day when its new mistress makes him shave her moustache, it ceases being credible and is made stop by the police force.

Good painting

A Montmartrean painter discovers one beautiful day that his painting with faculty to nourish the body. He becomes immediately famous and a major policy issue in these times of shortage according to war. Extremely fortunately, of many other painters develop the same talent and thus make reign an era of abundance.

Random links: