Romain Gary
Born 8 May 1914 · Died 2 December 1980
From Vilnius, Vilnius City Municipality, Lithuania · Nationality: France, Russian Empire, Second Polish Republic · Writes fiction
Romain Gary (21 May [O.S. 8 May] 1914 – 2 December 1980), born Roman Kacew in Vilna, Poland (now Vilnius, Lithuania), was a French novelist, diplomat, film director, and World War II aviator. He is the only author to have won the Prix Goncourt twice (once under a pseudonym). He is considered a major writer of French literature of the second half of the 20th century. He was married to Lesley Blanch, then Jean Seberg. Over the course of his career Gary wrote more than 30 novels, and became one of France's most popular and prolific writers. In addition to writing under his own name, he wrote under the pseudonyms of Émile Ajar, Shatan Bogat, Rene Deville and Fosco Sinibaldi.
He grew up in Vilna and later in Warsaw, Poland, with family. In 1925, his father abandoned his family and remarried, and Kacew moved with his mother to Nice, France. He studied law, first in Aix-en-Provence and later in Paris. In World War II he became a pilot in the French Air Force. When the Nazis invaded and occupied France, he fled to England, changed his name to Romain Gary, and served with the Free French Forces in Europe and North Africa and was highly decorated for his bravery in the war (Compagnon de la Libération, Légion d'Honneur).
After the war, he worked in the French diplomatic service and married his first wife, author and journalist Lesley Blanch. His first novel, "Education européenne" (A European Education), was published in 1945.
Quotes
“Humour is an affirmation of dignity, a declaration of man’s superiority to all that befalls him.”
p. 223 “A writer’s subconscious is one of the filthiest places there are: as a matter of fact, you can find the whole world there.”
The Dance of Genghis Cohn 1967 “I’ve had a lot of fun. Good-bye, and thank you.”
The Life and Death of Émile Ajar 1980 , an essay written prior to his suicide,
Quotes from Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Books by Romain Gary in order
Books by Romain Gary in the order they were published, from The Roots of Heaven. Translated from the French by Jonathan (1958) to The Kites (2017).
- 1The Roots of Heaven. Translated from the French by Jonathan
The Roots of Heaven. Translated from the French by Jonathan1958 - 2Lady L
Lady L1959 - 3A European Education
A European Education1960 - 4Nothing Important Ever DiesNothing Important Ever Dies1960
- 5Promise at Dawn
Promise at Dawn1961 - 6The Talent Scout
The Talent Scout1961 - 7Hissing Tales
Hissing Tales1964 - 8The Roots of Heaven
The Roots of Heaven1964 - 9The Ski Bum
The Ski Bum1964 - 10Pour Sganarelle
Pour Sganarelle1965 - 11Dance of Genghis Cohn
Dance of Genghis Cohn1968 - 12The Dance of Gengis Cohn
The Dance of Gengis Cohn1968 - 13White Dog
White Dog1970 - 14Europa
Europa1972 - 15The Gasp
The Gasp1973 - 16Momo
Momo1975 - 17The Way Out
The Way Out1975 - 18Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid
Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid1977 - 19La Promesse De L'aube
La Promesse De L'aube2014 - 20La vita davanti a sé
La vita davanti a sé2014 - 21The Kites
The Kites2017 - 22Adieu Gary Cooper
Adieu Gary Cooper - 23The Life Before Us
The Life Before Us