Querelle of Brest

Summary

Querelle of Brest (French: Querelle de Brest) is a novel by the French writer Jean Genet. It was written mostly in 1945 and first published anonymously in 1947, limited to 460 numbered copies, with illustrations by Jean Cocteau.[1] It is set in the midst of the port town of Brest, where sailors and the sea are associated with murder. Georges Querelle, its protagonist, is a bisexual thief, prostitute and serial killer who manipulates and kills his lovers for thrills and profit. The novel formed the basis for Querelle (1982), Rainer Werner Fassbinder's last film.

Querelle of Brest
First edition
AuthorJean Genet
Original titleQuerelle de Brest
TranslatorAnselm Hollo
CountryFrance
LanguageFrench
PublisherMarc Barbezat - L'Arbalete (Original French), Grove Press (English Translation)
Publication date
1947
Published in English
1974
Media typePrint

Legacy edit

Canadian writer Kevin Lambert's 2018 novel Querelle of Roberval was partially based on Querelle of Brest.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ White, Edmund. Genet: A Biography. New York: Knopf, 1993, pp. 293, 410-411. ISBN 0-394-57171-1
  2. ^ Dominic Tardif, "Les nouveaux mâles de la littérature québécoise". Le Devoir, September 29, 2018.