[PDF] Henri TROYAT (1911-2007) - France

How did Henri Troyat get his name?

Already fluent in French thanks to a Swiss governess, he took the name Henri Troyat after he published his first novel at the age of 24. Three years later, in 1938, his fifth novel, “L’Araigne,” won the Prix Goncourt. Years later, he recalled how he forged his writing style.

How old was Pierre Troyat when he died?

He was 95. His death was announced by the Académie Française, of which he was a member. Mr. Troyat was only 27 when he won the prestigious Prix Goncourt and became a permanent figure on the French literary scene, known not only for his enormous output, totaling 105 books, but also for the lucidity of his language.

What happened to Troyat in Tant que la terre durera?

After a long exodus taking them to the Caucasus on to Crimea and later by sea to Istanbul and then Venice, the family finally settled in Paris in 1920, where young Troyat was schooled and later earned a law degree. The stirring and tragic events of this flight across half of Europe are vividly recounted by Troyat in Tant que la terre durera .