Books by Julien Gracq

Aldo, a young aristocrat of Orsenna, becomes aware of the delicate balance that preserves the peace between Orsenna and Farghestan, who have, technically, been at war for three hundred years.

The great maritime state of Orsenna has long been lulled by settled peace and prosperity. It is three hundred years since it was actively at war with its traditional enemy two days' sail across the water, the savage land of Farghestan - a slumbering but by no means extinct volcano.

A World War One love story about the arrival of a soldier at the home of an aviator friend, who happens to be a dandy and avant-garde composer. The novel was inspired by two images, Goya's engraving La Mala Noche and Burne-Jone's painting King Cophetua and the Beggar Girl.