About
Pierre Boulle, born in Avignon in 1912, was a French writer. An electrical engineer, he went to Malaya as a rubber planter before World War II. Mobilized in Indochina, he joined the Free French and became a secret agent for the SOE. Captured in 1943, he escaped in 1944. After the war, he devoted himself to writing. His first novel, The Bridge over the River Kwai (1952), was a worldwide success and adapted into film. He also wrote Planet of the Apes (1963), a philosophical science fiction tale. His work, marked by the absurd and humor, earned him the Grand Prix de littérature de la SGDL in 1976. He died in Paris in 1994.
* 1912-02-20 — † 1994-01-28
Major works
- Le Pont de la rivière Kwaï (1952)novel
- La Planète des singes (1963)novel
- Contes de l'absurde (1953)short story collection
- E=mc² (1957)novel
- Histoires charitables (1965)short story collection
Key milestones
- 1943Captured by Vichy forces on the Mekong, he was subjected to forced labor.
- 1958The film The Bridge on the River Kwai won 7 Oscars, including Best Adapted Screenplay awarded to Pierre Boulle.
- 1976Received the Grand Prix de littérature de la SGDL.
Themes
the absurdwaridentityhuman conditionhumor
Sources: bnf.fr · britannica.com · bbc.com