Therese Desqueyroux

It is safe to say that Francois Mauriac's Therese Desqueyroux has achieved the most coveted form of "immortality" that any writer could hope for: inclusion on countless university and secondary school reading lists for both courses and exams. Only a few French novels share this distinction. Thus, Professor MacKenzie's excellent translation is well timed, for Therese, a great novel by any criterion, will be read by many throughout the rest of the new century. The Gerard Hopkins translation, competent and reliable in its day, nonetheless shows signs of wear. The English language, particularly in North America, has evolved considerably in the intervening three quarters of a century since its publication, and a fresh new translation in today's idiom is most welcome. This bright new translation is a valuable addition to Mauriac studies, and will add to the luster of Mauriac's reputation in the English-speaking world. Thanks to Professor MacKenzie, a new generation of readers in the English-