“ I have never voted in my life. I have always known and understood that the idiots are in a majority so it's certain they will win. “
Quotes by Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Introducing Louis-Ferdinand Céline
Louis-Ferdinand Céline, born Louis Ferdinand Auguste Destouches on May 27, 1894, in Courbevoie, France, was a French novelist, polemicist, and physician. He is best known for his novel "Journey to the End of the Night", published in 1932, which is considered a classic of modern literature.
Céline's early life was marked by modest beginnings. His father, Fernand Destouches, worked as a minor functionary in an insurance company, and his mother, Marguerite-Louise-Céline Guillou, was a lacemaker and antiques dealer. He received a basic education before enlisting in the French cavalry in 1912. During World War I, he served in the 12th Cuirassier Regiment and was severely wounded in 1914, leading to his discharge and being awarded the Médaille Militaire.
Céline's early life was marked by modest beginnings. His father, Fernand Destouches, worked as a minor functionary in an insurance company, and his mother, Marguerite-Louise-Céline Guillou, was a lacemaker and antiques dealer. He received a basic education before enlisting in the French cavalry in 1912. During World War I, he served in the 12th Cuirassier Regiment and was severely wounded in 1914, leading to his discharge and being awarded the Médaille Militaire.
After the war, Céline traveled extensively, working in various capacities, including a stint in colonial Africa. He eventually pursued medical studies, earning his degree in 1924 with a thesis on Ignaz Semmelweis, a pioneer of antiseptic procedures. Céline practiced medicine in Paris, often treating the poor, experiences that would deeply inform his literary work.
His debut novel, "Journey to the End of the Night," is a semi-autobiographical work that follows the protagonist, Ferdinand Bardamu, through experiences mirroring Céline's own: the horrors of World War I, colonial exploits in Africa, and the struggles of working-class life in Paris. The novel is noted for its innovative use of colloquial language and a deeply pessimistic view of human nature.
During World War II, Céline fled France due to his associations with the Vichy regime, eventually settling in Denmark. He was convicted in absentia for collaboration but was later granted amnesty and returned to France in 1951. He continued to write until his death on July 1, 1961, in Meudon, France.
