“This mythical novel by Michel Bernanos is a staggering synthesis of several literary genres that it transcends. It begins with a novel of the sea, a story of pirates with a ship stuck in the middle of the sea and the crew embarked in a nightmare when the crew ravaged by hunger and bad alcohol eat each other. We continue with a formidable storm, a frightening cyclone that engulfs the last survivors as if the underworld were welcoming them. Two castaways will emerge from the infernal gorge, the sailor, who tells us about his adventure, and an old hand who protected him. They are soon stranded on an unparalleled shore, populated by men standing at the foot of a crushing mountain. Carried by a single and meager hope, they undertake to climb this rocky mass which seems to be animated by a life of its own. This ascent will constitute the climax of this book which leaves the real to project us in another world.”
Michel wrote The Other side of the Mountain in only 19 days. In the light of his life path, a connection with his involvement in the Free French Naval Forces and the post-war wounds of the soul is undeniable.
