As the family falls deeper in love with the hills, the long hike to their summer villa becomes a struggle. To save time, they begin using a "shortcut" along a canal that passes through the private estates of several grand châteaux.
In "My Father's Glory", Pagnol recounts his summer vacations spent with his family in the village of Aubagne, where his father, Joseph Pagnol, was the head of a post office. Through the eyes of a wide-eyed and curious child, Pagnol describes the adventures he shared with his brother, Robert, and their father, who instilled in them a love of nature, literature, and life. The narrative is infused with Pagnol's deep affection for his father, who emerges as a kind, wise, and witty mentor. As the family falls deeper in love with
: The series is completed by The Time of Secrets ( Le Temps des secrets ) and The Time of Love ( Le Temps des amours ), which cover his adolescence and first loves . Key Characters Through the eyes of a wide-eyed and curious
Pagnol, already a celebrated playwright and filmmaker ( Marius , César , The Baker’s Wife ), turned to prose late in life. But he brought with him the eye of a filmmaker: his memories are not narrated so much as projected. The reader sees the dusty roads of the Provence hills, hears the chirr of cicadas, smells the thyme and lavender. Yet unlike Proust’s involuntary memory triggered by a madeleine, Pagnol’s is deliberate, theatrical, and deeply affectionate. Key Characters Pagnol, already a celebrated playwright and
Mentorship, the tension between secularism (Joseph) and religion (Uncle Jules), and the discovery of the wild Provençal hills. My Mother’s Castle (Le Château de ma mère)