André Robert Gustave Nepveu (March 10, 1881, Paris – January 29, 1959), known under his pseudonym Luc Durtain, was a French poet, novelist, journalist, playwright and a physician by profession.

Life

Durtain's talents were discovered by

Jules Romains Jules Romains (born Louis Henri Jean Farigoule; 26 August 1885 – 14 August 1972) was a French poet and writer and the founder of the Unanimism literary movement. His works include the play '' Knock ou le Triomphe de la médecine'', and a cycle ...

who introduced him to the group

Abbaye de Créteil L'Abbaye de Créteil or Abbaye group (french: Le Groupe de l'Abbaye) was a utopian artistic and literary community founded during the month of October, 1906. It was named after the Créteil Abbey, as most gatherings took place in that suburb of Pa ...

. There he became close friends with writers

Charles Vildrac Charles Vildrac (November 22, 1882 – June 25, 1971), born "Charles Messager",''1971 Britannica Book of the Year'' (for events of 1971), "Obituaries 1971" article, page 532, "Vildrac, Charles" item was a French libertarian playwright, poet a ...

and

Georges Duhamel Georges Duhamel (; ; 30 June 1884 – 13 April 1966) was a French author, born in Paris. Duhamel trained as a doctor, and during World War I was attached to the French Army. In 1920, he published '' Confession de minuit'', the first of a serie ...

. In 1908, Durtain published the collection of poems Pegasus, written in the style of

unanimism Unanimism (French: ''Unanimisme'') is a movement in French literature begun by Jules Romains in the early 1900s, with his first book, ''La vie unanime'', published in 1904. It can be dated to a sudden conception Romains had in October 1903 of a 'com ...

. Durtain served as a doctor during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and wrote his first novel in the trenches. His novel was eventually published in 1922 and highly praised by critics. It was not until the mid twenties however where became well known by establishing himself as a travel writer. His books on America, such as The 40th Floor and Frank and Marjorie, contrast the achievements of technology with the intellectual impoverishment of contemporary bourgeois society. In the cycle of novels Remembrances of Your Life, he painted a rather broad picture of French society. In 1927 he visited the Soviet Union, then sympathetically described his impressions in the book A Different Europe: Moscow and Its Faith. He continued to travel around the world exploring Africa and Indochina, where he became an associate of the Vietnamese nationalist leader Phan Bội Châu. Durtain was of left-wing and pacifist convictions, and spoke against the rise of fascism in Europe. He urged Jules Romain for the drafting of the manifesto against the bombardment of Adoua by Fascist Italy and the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany. He condemned the Soviet Union for the Molotov-Ribbentropp pact. A member of the steering committee of the magazine ''Europe'' since its creation, he created and co-directed with

Paul Nizan Paul-Yves Nizan (; 7 February 1905 – 23 May 1940) was a French philosopher and writer. He was born in Tours, Indre-et-Loire and studied in Paris where he befriended fellow student Jean-Paul Sartre at the Lycée Henri IV. He became a member of t ...

from 1937 to 1940 ''Les Cahiers de la Jeunesse'', a monthly magazine intended for communist youth and published under the patronage of Romain Rolland. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, he contributed literary articles to the socialist newspaper of Jean Luchaire, ''Les Nouveaux Temps'' which switched to

collaboration Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...

with the Vichy regime after 1942. Although he was not affected by the '' Épuration légale'' but was dismissed from ''Europe'' magazine. He continued to publish until his death, giving in particular an immense contemporary historical fresco in four volumes: "Memoirs of your life".

Works

* 1907: ''L'Étape nécessaire'' * 1914: ''Kong Harald'' * 1920: ''Le Retour des hommes'' * 1924: ''Perspectives'', illustrated by Berthold Mahn * 1925: ''Ma Kimbell'' * 1927: ''Quarantième étage'' * 1927: ''Le Donneur de sang, comédie en trois actes'' * 1927: ''Découverte de Longview'' with Frans Masereel * 1928: ''Hollywood dépassé'' * 1928: ''Quelques Notes d'U.S.A.'' * 1928: ''L'Autre Europe: Moscou et sa foi'' * 1930: ''Dieux blancs, hommes jaunes'' * 1930: ''Lignes de vie'' * 1931: ''Captain O.K.'' * 1933: Vers le ville kilomètre 3 - Ernest Flammarion * 1934: ''Frank et Marjorie'' * 1935: ''Quatre continents'' * 1936: ''La Globe sous le bras'' * 1938: ''Voyage au pays des Bohohom'' * 1939: ''La Guerre n'existe pas'' * 1944: ''Les Secrets du rêve''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Durtain, Luc 1881 births 1959 deaths French poets French travel writers 20th-century French journalists 20th-century French novelists French pacifists 20th-century French physicians 20th-century French dramatists and playwrights