November 23, 2012
“Believe those who seek the truth, doubt those who have found it.”
André Gide (1869-1951)
A native of Normandy, Gide published his first novel at 22 and went on to write dozens more, as well as plays, essays and autobiographical works, receiving the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1947. Controversy swirled around him almost his entire life, principally for his open attraction to men much younger than himself, and for his marriage to his cousin, never consummated, while siring a daughter with another woman. In his politics Gide seemed to worship Soviet Communism from afar, until he visited Russia in the 1930’s, after which he became its vocal critic. He spent a significant portion of his life in the then French colonies of North and Central Africa and passed the bulk of the Second World War in Tunisia, but ultimately returned to Paris before his death.


nobody’s perfect.
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Greg,
I had the privilege of studying André Gide exclusively in a high school course years ago and enjoyed this post immensely. I appreciate your selected quotes and find the short biographies valuable.
Thanks, David
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