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Un certain Monsieur Blot
Miné par sa vie de bureau, par sa vie conjugale, par sa vie extra-conjugale, par ses enfants, par la hantise de retrouver chaque matin les mêmes têtes, M. Blot, un jour, éclate. Plus exactement, un « concours du Français Moyen » organisé par un journal lui permet de faire éclater ses sentiments. En marge de ses brèves réponses aux questions posées, il se livre à l'inventaire de sa vie. Actuaire dans une compagnie d'assurances, accoutumé aux calculs de probabilités, il est favorisé dans les estimations statistiques : il gagne le Concours, et vingt millions. Devenu Français Moyen n°1, M. Blot, de transparent devient opaque, célèbre, adulé. L'homme tel qu'il vit selon qu'il est noyé dans l'anonymat ou éclairé par les feux de « l'actualité » - tel est un des thèmes de cet ouvrage à la fois grave et empreint de l'humour propre à l'auteur des Carnets du Major Thompson. Un livre dont Le Monde a écrit : « Il contient des observations sur l'homme de notre temps qui dépassent considérablement les procédés de l'humour. »
248 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1960
3 people are currently reading
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About the author
Pierre Daninos
125 books5 followersPierre Daninos (26 May 1913, Paris – 7 January 2005, Paris) was a French writer and humorist.
Daninos wrote Les carnets du Major Thompson, which was published in 1954, and was followed by many sequels. The books in the series pretended to be the observations of a retired British officer living in France, and were witty collections of comparisons between French and British society. Daninos is also the author of Un Certain Monsieur Blot, a critique of French middle class taste and habits.
Some of these books were translated into English and published as Major Thompson Lives in France and Discovers the French, Major Thompson and I and Major Thompson Goes French.
Les carnets du Major Thompson was filmed by Preston Sturges in 1955. The film was released in the U.S. under the title The French, They Are a Funny Race.
These works were not praised by everyone, the Guardian's obituary considered that this sort of thing had been done before and sometimes done better, and that Daninos had uncritically repeated instead of critically examining national stereotypes.
Daninos was the brother of the industrialist Jean Daninos, who produced the Facel Vega luxury cars.
Daninos wrote Les carnets du Major Thompson, which was published in 1954, and was followed by many sequels. The books in the series pretended to be the observations of a retired British officer living in France, and were witty collections of comparisons between French and British society. Daninos is also the author of Un Certain Monsieur Blot, a critique of French middle class taste and habits.
Some of these books were translated into English and published as Major Thompson Lives in France and Discovers the French, Major Thompson and I and Major Thompson Goes French.
Les carnets du Major Thompson was filmed by Preston Sturges in 1955. The film was released in the U.S. under the title The French, They Are a Funny Race.
These works were not praised by everyone, the Guardian's obituary considered that this sort of thing had been done before and sometimes done better, and that Daninos had uncritically repeated instead of critically examining national stereotypes.
Daninos was the brother of the industrialist Jean Daninos, who produced the Facel Vega luxury cars.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 3, 2024
Le célèbre auteur des carnets du major W. Marmaduke Thompson (que je m’en vais vite relire) s’est aussi penché sans miroir sur le français moyen. Oui, juste lui : le plus moyen des moyens ! Monsieur Blot, actuaire, gagnant du Grand concours du français moyen.
Guillaume Meurice ne renierait pas la première partie qui m’a fortement fait penser à son Petit éloge de la médiocrité. Alors, moyen ? c’est nul ou c’est pas si mal ?
La seconde partie m’a rappelé Laure Murat et son Proust, roman familial avec la vacuité… que dis-je, le vide intersidéral aristocratique.
Un livre des années 60 qui a franchement bien vieilli tant les situations décrites semblent toujours aussi actuelles !
Un bijou de clairvoyance et d’humour avec bon nombre de pépites
https://www.noid.ch/un-certain-monsie...
Guillaume Meurice ne renierait pas la première partie qui m’a fortement fait penser à son Petit éloge de la médiocrité. Alors, moyen ? c’est nul ou c’est pas si mal ?
La seconde partie m’a rappelé Laure Murat et son Proust, roman familial avec la vacuité… que dis-je, le vide intersidéral aristocratique.
Un livre des années 60 qui a franchement bien vieilli tant les situations décrites semblent toujours aussi actuelles !
Un bijou de clairvoyance et d’humour avec bon nombre de pépites
https://www.noid.ch/un-certain-monsie...
August 24, 2019
I read this book right after "Les Carnets du major Thompson" and I will honestly say that I didn’t notice the difference between them in terms of the worthiness of these stories as artistic prose, although readers from all over the world rate this book below the aforementioned "Les Carnets du major Thompson". Frankly speaking, the book is not bad, it is saturated with immodest satire and subtle humor which is its biggest virtue.
May 11, 2025
it's entertaining.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews