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Patrick Modiano

Born

in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France

July 30, 1945

Website

http://www.gallimard.fr/Contributeurs/Patrick-M...

Genre

Fiction, Children's, Mystery

Influences

Albert Camus, Georges Simenon, Raymond Queneau, Louis-Ferdinand Céline ...more

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Patrick Modiano is a French-language author and playwright and winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature.

He is a winner of the 1972 Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française, and the 1978 Prix Goncourt for his novel "Rue des boutiques obscures".

Modiano's parents met in occupied Paris during World War II and began a clandestine relationship. Modiano's childhood took place in a unique atmosphere: with an absent father -- of which he heard troubled stories of dealings with the Vichy regime -- and a Flemish-actress mother who frequently toured. His younger brother's sudden death also greatly influenced his writings.

While he was at Henri-IV lycee, he took geometry lessons from writer Raymond Queneau, who was a friend of Modiano's mother. He Patrick Modiano is a French-language author and playwright and winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize in Literature.

He is a winner of the 1972 Grand prix du roman de l'Académie française, and the 1978 Prix Goncourt for his novel "Rue des boutiques obscures".

Modiano's parents met in occupied Paris during World War II and began a clandestine relationship. Modiano's childhood took place in a unique atmosphere: with an absent father -- of which he heard troubled stories of dealings with the Vichy regime -- and a Flemish-actress mother who frequently toured. His younger brother's sudden death also greatly influenced his writings.

While he was at Henri-IV lycee, he took geometry lessons from writer Raymond Queneau, who was a friend of Modiano's mother. He entered the Sorbonne, but did not complete his studies.

Queneau, the author of "Zazie dans le métro", introduced Modiano to the literary world via a cocktail party given by publishing house Éditions Gallimard. Modiano published his first novel, "La Place de l’Étoile", with Gallimard in 1968, after having read the manuscript to Raymond Queneau. Starting that year, he did nothing but write.

On September 12, 1970, Modiano married Dominique Zerhfuss. "I have a catastrophic souvenir of the day of our marriage. It rained. A real nightmare. Our groomsmen were Queneau, who had mentored Patrick since his adolescence, and Malraux, a friend of my father. They started to argue about Dubuffet, and it was like we were watching a tennis match! That said, it would have been funny to have some photos, but the only person who had a camera forgot to bring a roll of film. There is only one photo remaining of us, from behind and under an umbrella!" (Interview with Elle, 6 October 2003). From their marriage came two girls, Zina (1974) and Marie (1978).

Modiano has mentioned on Oct 9, 2014, during an interview with La Grande Librairie, that one of the books which had a great impact on his writing life was 'Le cœur est un chasseur solitaire' (The Heart is a Lonely Hunter), the first novel published by Carson McCullers in 1940.

(Arabic: باتريك موديانو) ...more

Combine Editions
Patrick Modiano’s books

Average rating: 3.52 · 97,160 ratings · 12,788 reviews · 131 distinct works • Similar authors

	In the Café of Lost Youth by Patrick Modiano, Euan Cameron (Translator) 3.53 avg rating — 16,202 ratings — published 2007 — 15 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Rue des boutiques obscures 3.63 avg rating — 10,873 ratings — published 1978 — 132 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Dora Bruder 3.56 avg rating — 9,445 ratings — published 1997 — 129 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	So You Don't Get Lost in the Neighborhood by Patrick Modiano, Euan Cameron (Translator) 3.25 avg rating — 7,023 ratings — published 2014 — 13 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	La Petite Bijou 3.42 avg rating — 3,938 ratings — published 2001 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas by Patrick Modiano, Mark Polizzotti (Translator) 3.68 avg rating — 3,400 ratings — published 1988 — 41 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	L'Herbe des nuits 3.43 avg rating — 3,386 ratings — published 2012 — 66 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Out of the Dark by Patrick Modiano, Jordan Stump (Translator) 3.61 avg rating — 2,760 ratings — published 1995 — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Invisible Ink by Patrick Modiano, Mark Polizzotti (Translator) 3.55 avg rating — 2,463 ratings — published 2019 — 34 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Honeymoon by Patrick Modiano, Barbara Wright (Translator) 3.69 avg rating — 2,346 ratings — published 1990	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

More books by Patrick Modiano…

Series by Patrick Modiano

Trilogie « de l'Occupation » (3 books)
by

Patrick Modiano

3.30 avg rating — 4,638 ratings

Quotes by Patrick Modiano (?)

“لا أحب الحديث كثيراً. فأنا أدهش من هؤلاء الناس الذين يجيدون الكلام.”
― باتريك موديانو

37 likes

“For me the autumn has never been a sad season. The dead leaves and the increasingly shorter days have never suggested the end of anything, but rather an expectation of the future. In paris, there is an electricity in the air in october evenings at nightfall. Even when it is raining. i do not feel low at that hour of the day, nor do i have the sense of time flying by. i have the impression that everything is possible. the year begins in the month of october.”
― Patrick Modiano, Dans le café de la jeunesse perdue

37 likes

“أحسست بأن الإحباط يستولى علىّ ، بل أكثر من الإحباط ، اليأس الذى يتملكك عندما تُدرك أنك رغم جهدك وميزاتك وكل إرادتك الطيبة ترتطم بعقبة منيعة لا قبل لك بالتغلب عليها.”
― باتريك موديانو, Rue des boutiques obscures

32 likes

See all Patrick Modiano's quotes »

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