Les Cent Livres des Hommes

The Hundred Books of Men

1970 · 17 episodes · 10h 54m in all

Les Cent Livres des Hommes (ORTF, 1969-1973) was a series of literary programs created by Claude Santelli and Françoise Verny, and produced notably by Santelli, Jean Archimbaud, and Serge Moati. Planned for one hundred episodes but completed at thirty-nine, the series aimed to introduce great literary works, 'chefs-d’œuvre', to a younger audience through a mix of dramatization, reading, and documentary techniques. It marked a transfer of cultural legitimacy from writers and critics to a generation of television producers, offering a new model of educational and creative literary broadcasting - 'télévision d’auteur'.

Episodes

1. 1

   1. Le Petit Prince de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

   7 Jun 1970 · 33 min

   'The Little Prince' by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. An introduction to the poetic and philosophical universe of Saint-Exupéry, blending analysis and adaptation of his masterpiece.

2. 2

   2. Le Petit Chose

   3 Feb 1971

   'Little Good-For-Nothing' or 'Little What's-His-Name' by Alphonse Daudet.

3. 3

   3. Le Noeud de vipères

   7 Apr 1971 · 50 min

   'The Knot of Vipers' by François Mauriac. A reading of Mauriac's novel that combines personal accounts with adapted scenes.

4. 4

   4. La Chartreuse de Parme

   17 Nov 1971 · 75 min

   'The Charterhouse of Parma' by Stendhal.

5. 

   5. Du côté de chez Swann

   22 Dec 1971

   'Swann's Way' by Marcel Proust.

6. 

   6. A la recherche du temps perdu

   22 Dec 1971 · 60 min

   A realistic and poetic evocation of Marcel Proust's 'In Search of Lost Time.' Halfway between an audiovisual adaptation and a portrait of the dandyish and reclusive writer, all in black and white by Claude Santelli, evoking the mystery, the intimacy, and the fatalism of existence.

7. 

   7. Martin Eden

   24 Jan 1972 · 51 min

   'Martin Eden' by Jack London. Claude Santelli and Jean-Louis Muller interview Professor Las Vergnas, a specialist in American literature, who contextualises the book within the author's entire body of work and life. Then, Maurice Le Goas, a labor activist, shares his experience of Jack London's influence on him.

8. 8

   8. Le portrait de Socrate

   26 Jan 1972 · 60 min

   The portrait of Socrates.

9. 9

   9. L'exode

   23 Feb 1972

   The biblical Book of Exodus.

10. 10

    10. Les Souffrances du jeune Werther

    22 Mar 1972 · 60 min

    'The Sorrows of Young Werther' by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

11. 11

    11. L'île mystérieuse

    15 Apr 1972

    'The Mysterious Island' by Jules Verne.

12. 12

    12. L'Enfance de Gorky

    26 Apr 1972 · 55 min

    'My Childhood' by Maxim Gorky.

13. 13

    13. Gargantua

    24 May 1972 · 60 min

    'Gargantua' by François Rabelais.

14. 14

    14. Jude l'Obscur

    26 Jul 1972 · 30 min

    'Jude the obscure' by Thomas Hardy.

15. 15

    15. Robinson Crusoe

    20 Dec 1972 · 60 min

    'Robinson Crusoe' by Daniel Defoe.

16. 16

    16. Histoire de la Révolution

    30 Jul 1973

    'History of the Revolution' by Jules Michelet.

17. 

    17. Alice aux pays des merveilles

    28 Dec 1973 · 60 min

    'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll. This program explores Wonderland from every angle: iconic scenes in which Brigitte Fossey portrays a mischievous Alice, readings by Claude Rich, and analyses of the 'delirious metaphysics' of this great literary classic. Lewis Carroll's universe never ceases to amaze!