La Normandie may be touristique, but for a good reason: The literary scene of Normandy is inspired by its breathtaking landscapes, imposing cliffs, roaring ocean and sweet cider. The trails of some of the greatest literary masterminds of France, such as Proust, Flaubert, Hugo, Leblanc, Sagan and the movie The Intouchables, all lead back to Normandy, the land of the Northmen. This tempts tourists to visit Normandy in the region in Northern France in ever-increasing flows, and you can be one of them.
The literary scene of Normandy, a proustian idyll
The literary pioneers mentioned above are all connected by the region of Normandy. This should already give you an idea of the grandeur the literary scene of Normandy possesses in the world of the arts and creative minds. Marcel Proust, for example, based his masterpiece In Search of Lost Time (1922-1933) on the Normandian towns of Deauville, Trouville-Sur-Mer and Cabourg, all of which are visited by people from all around the world every year. Proust also frequently escaped the heat and dust of Paris in the summers to Cabourg, where he trusted the Grand Hôtel with his inspiration, rest and relaxation. One can still stay at his preferred room, number 414, and perhaps even find the lost time, or at least some of the insipiration that those walls clearly hold!
Fun in the literary scene of Normandy à la Sagan
For those looking for some joie de vivre and femme fatale style elegance, Proust’s search for the lost time that took a whopping 4,215 pages may get a little dull. Luckily, Normandy has hosted an influencial female voice of the French literary scene: Françoise Sagan, who won 8 million francs at the Deauville Casino one night in 1959 and bought a mansion between Deauville and Honfleur, had a taste for gambling, horse races and parties. While Sagan might have said Bonjour to tristesse (sadness), she certainly had her tricks to say au revoir to it as well. While a traveller should not expect to win the money for a Normandy mansion in one night, Normandy offers all these other activities. Another reason to visit the literary scene of Normandy.
The literary scene of Normandy for the modern day tourist
Do Proust and Sagan sound a little out of date to you? Fear not, because Normandy has inspired modern day works as well. Proust’s favourite hotel, Cabourg’s Grand Hôtel, hosted the final scene of the movie The Intouchables (2011), which has become one of the greatest modern French films. Perhaps you would like to recreate a moment of true love at the exact table at which François Cluzet sat, waiting for his love whom Omar Sy had invited. Normandy really is an idyll of amour! And it seems that one of the greatest stars in modern French cinema, Omar Sy, just can not get enough of it. The Netflix favourite, Lupin, based on Maurice Leblanc’s stories of the gentleman thief Arsène Lupin, is partly set in the region, and offers its audience some breathtaking action on the coasts of Normandy. Is there anything the literary scene of Normandy doesn’t have?
Now it’s your turn to visit the literary scene of Normandy!
Now is your chance to breathe the air of Normandy that clearly has something inspiring and unique in it and join that world-famous literary scene. What are you still waiting for?
The perfect way to start your journey is by ordering this complete guide for your travels in Normandy and a perfect opportunity to work on those French skills, La Normandie Touristique. The literary scene of Normandy will inspire you too.
