The Wicker Work Woman: A Chronicle of Our Own Times

"The Wicker Work Woman: A Chronicle of Our Own Times" by Anatole France is a novel written in the late 19th century. The story opens with M. Bergeret, a professor of literature, who reflects on his life and surroundings while preparing his lesson on Virgil's "Æneid". Through his introspective thoughts, we catch a glimpse of a man dissatisfied with his marriage and professional life, grappling with a sense of melancholy and yearning for a more vibrant existence. The opening of the novel introduces us to M. Bergeret in his cramped study, where the dreary environment and the dissonance of his daughters practicing piano contribute to his somber mood. As he muses over the beauty of the classical world and the irony of his mundane life, he is interrupted by his student, M. Roux, and later by a visit from Madame Bergeret, who adds to his troubled thoughts. The interactions reveal the professor's contempt for the military and those glorifying war, as well as his struggle with personal dissatisfaction, framed against the backdrop of societal norms and expectations. The poignant reflections of M. Bergeret set the tone for a narrative steeped in introspection and social critique. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Anatole France was a French poet, journalist, and novelist with several best-sellers. Ironic and skeptical, he was considered in his day the ideal French man of letters. He was a member of the Académie Française, and won the 1921 Nobel Prize in Literature "in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament".