Romain Gary was a Jewish-French novelist, film director, World War II aviator and diplomat. He also wrote under the pen name 脡mile Ajar.
Born Roman Kacew (Yiddish: 拽爪讘, Russian: 袣邪褑械胁), Romain Gary grew up in Vilnius to a family of Lithuanian Jews. He changed his name to Romain Gary when he escaped occupied France to fight with Great Britain against Germany in WWII. His father, Arieh-Leib Kacew, abandoned his family in 1925 and remarried. From this time Gary was raised by his mother, Nina Owczinski. When he was fourteen, he and his mother moved to Nice, France. In his books and interviews, he presented many different versions of his father's origin, parents, occupation and childhood.
He later studied law, first in Aix-en-Provence and then in Paris. He learned to pilot an aircraft in the French Air Force in Salon-de-Provence and in Avord Air Base, near Bourges. Following the Nazi occupation of France in World War II, he fled to England and under Charles de Gaulle served with the Free French Forces in Europe and North Africa. As a pilot, he took part in over 25 successful offensives logging over 65 hours of air time.
He was greatly decorated for his bravery in the war, receiving many medals and honors.
After the war, he worked in the French diplomatic service and in 1945 published his first novel. He would become one of France's most popular and prolific writers, authoring more than thirty novels, essays and memoirs, some of which he wrote under the pseudonym of 脡mile Ajar. He also wrote one novel under the pseudonym of Fosco Sinibaldi and another as Shatan Bogat.
In 1952, he became secretary of the French Delegation to the United Nations in New York, and later in London (in 1955).
In 1956, he became Consul General of France in Los Angeles.
He is the only person to win the Prix Goncourt twice. This prize for French language literature is awarded only once to an author. Gary, who had already received the prize in 1956 for Les racines du ciel, published La vie devant soi under the pseudonym of 脡mile Ajar in 1975. The Acad茅mie Goncourt awarded the prize to the author of this book without knowing his real identity. A period of literary intrigue followed. Gary's little cousin Paul Pavlowitch posed as the author for a time. Gary later revealed the truth in his posthumous book Vie et mort d'脡mile Ajar.
Gary's first wife was the British writer, journalist, and Vogue editor Lesley Blanch (author of The Wilder Shores of Love). They married in 1944 and divorced in 1961. From 1962 to 1970, Gary was married to the American actress Jean Seberg, with whom he had a son, Alexandre Diego Gary.
He also co-wrote the screenplay for the motion picture, The Longest Day and co-wrote and directed the 1971 film Kill!, starring his now ex-wife Seberg.
Suffering from depression after Seberg's 1979 suicide, Gary died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on December 2, 1980 in Paris, France though he left a note which said specifically that his death had no relation with Seberg's suicide.
Lady L is a 1958 novel by the French writer Romain Gary. Gary wrote the book in English and translated it to French himself in 1963. Peter Ustinov directed a 1965 film with the same title based on the novel.
Lady L. is a confrontation of love and politics. The love story of Annette Boudin, Lady L., and Armand, Annette's mistress, Armand gives up becoming a priest, and becomes an anarchist.
The novel is full of artistic, philosophical and political titles.
romain gary bana hep iyi gelir, neden bilmem. b枚yle bir ba臒 var aram谋zda. lady l.鈥檡i okumak uzun zamand谋r akl谋mdayd谋, k谋smet se莽im sonras谋 da臒谋lan psikolojimizi toparlama zaman谋naym谋艧. 80 ya艧谋ndaki ingiliz aristokrat lady l.鈥檔in do臒um g眉n眉nde ge莽en bu romanda ruhen hi莽 ya艧lanmam谋艧, akl谋 fikri hinlikte olan, 艧atafattan ve krali莽eden ve torunlar谋n谋n 莽o臒undan, gelinlerinden ho艧lanmayan bu kad谋n, ger莽ek ad谋yla annette, bo艧altmas谋 gereken, karayolu i莽in kamula艧t谋r谋lan yaz evi sebebiyle bize bir hikaye anlat谋yor. kendisine 40 y谋ld谋r a艧谋k devlet 艧airi percy鈥檈 hayat谋n谋 anlatmaya ba艧lad谋臒谋nda kar艧谋s谋ndakinin uzun bir s眉re inanmamas谋 莽ok do臒al 莽眉nk眉 annette鈥檌n ya艧am谋 i艧te tam da romanlarda rastlayaca臒谋m谋z t眉rden. 1800鈥檒erin sonunda de臒i艧meye ba艧layan fransa鈥檇a durmadan 莽al谋艧an annesini ve devrimci s枚ylevler atmaktan ba艧ka bir 艧ey yapmayan babas谋n谋 tan谋yoruz 枚nce. ki annesi 枚ld眉kten sonra babas谋n谋n hak ve e艧itlikten anlad谋臒谋 艧eyin k谋z谋n谋n 眉zerinde bamba艧ka bir hakk谋 olmas谋 anlam谋na geldi臒ini fark etti臒inde annette babas谋n谋 d枚ve d枚ve postal谋yor. roman boyunca annette鈥檌n 枚zg眉rl眉k e艧itlik ve karde艧lik鈥檈 neden inanmayaca臒谋, onu 枚nce sokaklarda fahi艧elik yapmaya, sonra anar艧irstlerle tak谋lmaya iten g眉c眉n ne oldu臒u buradan ba艧l谋yor. sonras谋 beceriksiz anar艧istlerin annette sayesinden buldu臒u paralarla bir t眉rl眉 do臒ru d眉zg眉n bir 艧ey becerememesi (ayn谋 bizim k枚hne muhalafet), annette鈥檌n davadan g眉nbeg眉n kopmas谋 ama hareketin ba艧谋 olan g眉zeller g眉zeli armand denis鈥檈 duydu臒u tutkulu a艧k y眉z眉nden k枚leli臒inden vazge莽ememesi. roman谋n en m眉thi艧 karakteri olan ilk kocas谋 isyankar aristokrat dicky, annette鈥檌n akl谋n谋 biraz olsun ba艧谋na getiriyor ve hayat annette i莽in bamba艧ka ak谋yor. ama bence bu roman谋n as谋l ba艧ar谋s谋 bu vah艧i ve dizginlenemez a艧ka bizi sonuna kadar inand谋rmas谋. hayatta en 莽ok 眉z眉ld眉臒眉m insanlar b枚yle bir a艧k谋 tatmam谋艧 olanlar diyebilirim, 眉zg眉n眉m. yanl谋艧 yapt谋臒谋n谋 bile bile yanl谋艧a devam etmek, vazge莽ememek, tek bir 芒n谋n g眉zelli臒i i莽in d眉nyay谋 satar谋m duygusu belki 枚m眉rde bir kez ya艧an谋r, fazlas谋 枚ld眉r眉r yani gerek yok, ama ya艧an谋rsa i艧te bu romandaki gibi annette鈥檌 sonuna kadar anlar谋z. romain gary frans谋z ihtil芒lcilerinden anar艧istlere, aristokratlara, saray dalkavuklar谋na, kiliseye kadar her 艧eyi hor g枚r眉yor. zaten onun t眉m izm鈥檒ere kar艧谋 oldu臒unu biliyoruz di臒er kitaplar谋ndan da. romanda 枚v眉lmeye de臒er tek bir karakter var: annette. zafer onun olsa da kad谋nlar谋n farkl谋 bi莽imlerde nas谋l s枚m眉r眉ld眉臒眉n眉 枚yle ba艧ka bir yerden anlat谋yor ki. her kitab谋ndan sonra iyi ki yazm谋艧s谋n romain gary diyorum, iyi ki. alev er鈥檌n son derece yetkin 莽evirisiyle.
脟ok enteresan bir kitap 莽谋kt谋 bu Lady L - bana okutup "yazar谋n谋 tahmin et" deseniz hayatta Romain Gary demezdim, di臒er kitaplar谋ndan o kadar ama o kadar farkl谋 ki. San谋r谋m 枚nce 陌ngilizce yaz谋p sonra kendisi Frans谋zca'ya 莽evirmi艧, belki biraz da o nedenle b枚yledir ama Gary / Ajar k眉lliyat谋n谋n epey d谋艧谋nda bir eser kendisi.
80 ya艧谋nda bir 陌ngiliz aristokrat谋 kad谋n olan Lady L bize ge莽mi艧ini anlat谋yor kitap boyunca. Paris sokaklar谋nda ba艧layan 枚yk眉s眉 hakikaten m眉thi艧 s眉r眉kleyici. 19. y眉zy谋l sonunun anar艧istleriyle i莽 i莽e ge莽en hayat谋, kendisini sokaklardan saraylara ta艧谋yan tuhaf ve abs眉rt maceralar谋 pek acayip. Gary okurken g眉lmeye 莽ok al谋艧谋臒谋m ama bu bi莽imiyle de臒il - genelde aralara s谋k谋艧t谋r谋r o tuhaf abs眉rt detaylar谋, bu kitab谋nsa tamam谋 abs眉rt, bir nevi fars gibi yazm谋艧. Dili de epeyce daha konvansiyonel.
Bunlar kitab谋 k枚t眉 k谋lm谋yor, k枚t眉 de臒il asla, sadece ger莽ekten 莽ok beklemedi臒im bir yerden geldi - bir acayip macera roman谋 okudum resmen. Ama elbette mevzubahis Gary olunca bundan ibaret olam谋yor konu. Bir idealiste a艧谋k olan Lady L, her ne kadar a艧k谋na kar艧谋l谋k bulsa da, d眉nyay谋 de臒i艧tirmeye kafay谋 takm谋艧 a艧谋臒谋 Armand Denis'nin asla birinci 枚nceli臒i olam谋yor, 莽眉nk眉 onun as谋l b眉y眉k a艧k谋 insanl谋k, insanl谋臒a iyilik etmek. Lady L de sevgilisini elinden alan insanl谋臒谋 rakibesi olarak g枚rmeye ve insanlardan nefret etmeye ba艧l谋yor. Yazar谋n kurdu臒u bu 莽at谋 bence m眉thi艧 zekiceydi ve farkl谋 bi莽imlerde pek 莽ok a艧k ili艧kisinde benzer dinamiklerin i艧ledi臒ini d眉艧眉nd眉rtt眉. Kitab谋n a艧谋r谋 s眉rprizli sonu da muazzamd谋.
Gary'nin b枚yle yazabilece臒ini hi莽 bilmiyordum valla. 脰臒renmi艧 oldum. Can谋m Alev Abi'nin (Alev Er) 莽evirisi de her zamanki gibi leziz. 鉂わ笍
"陌nsanlar insani yanlar谋ndan vazge莽mi艧 olsayd谋 e臒er, insan olmaktan da vazge莽mi艧 olurlard谋 莽oktan."
Para拧yta nepaprastai gra啪iai, pirminis nustebimas i拧ties nutinka, bet galiausiai prailgsta, i拧sitempia nepakeliamai, ne寞traukia ir pabosta. Kalbos gro啪is - pakankamas argumentas skaityti, bet nei pasiliksiu bibliotekoje, nei rekomenduoti i拧dr寞s膷iau: tikrai labai l臈tas reikalas, mano skoniui nepakankamai stimuliuojantis.