Vian, Boris

Boris Vian was born on March 10, 1920 in the town of Ville d'Avray near Paris . He studied at the Paris Central School - one of the largest French technical universities. After receiving an engineering degree, he worked at the French Association of Standardization, while simultaneously studying music and literary writing.

In 1944, Viana's father was killed by robbers who entered their home.

From 1946 to 1948 he was published in the magazine Les Temps Modernes , and in 1974 these texts (essays and articles of various subjects) were first published as a separate publication called “ ”.

He wrote 10 novels, including the famous “ Foam of Days ” ( 1946 ). Translated into French works by Raymond Chandler . Under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan Vian released works styled noir : the novels “I Will Come Spit on Your Graves”, “All Dead Are the Same Color”, “Women Can't Understand”, “Destroy All Freaks” and the story “Dogs, Desire, Death”.

This pseudonym was made up of the names of the writer’s friends in jazz orchestra (where Vian himself was a trumpeter): Sullivan and Vernon. According to legend, Vernon Sullivan was an African American who was not allowed to print in the United States for his very free views, but he was translated by Vian and he published well in France.

The first novel “I Will Come Spit on Your Graves” caused a real sensation; he immediately became a bestseller . Until now, the circulation of this novel exceeds the total circulation of other works by Vian. The novel was written at the request of the publisher, a friend of Vian, whose business suffered losses. However, soon the novel was considered too bold, vulgar and even pornographic. Circulations were burned, societies of the struggle for morality organized a movement against the novel. Tired of fighting the “champions of morality,” Vian stopped writing under this pseudonym.

In 1956, the writer suffers from severe pulmonary edema , after which he undergoes a course of treatment at a resort in Saint-Tropez . 1958 marked a nervous breakdown. June 23, 1959 Vian came to the premiere of the film, shot against his will according to the thriller he wrote, “ I Will Come Spit on Your Graves ”. The viewing began at about ten in the morning at the Petit Marbef Hall. Ten minutes later, Vian dropped his head on the back of a chair and lost consciousness. He died, without recovering, on the way to the hospital. Doctors stated that Vian’s worn heart could not stand the unrest associated with the premiere. Viana was buried on June 27 at the cemetery of Ville d'Avray .

Novels

Under your name:

1. “A fairy tale for not quite adults” / fr. Conte de fées à l'usage des moyennes personnes ( 1943 ; unfinished novel)
2. "Scolopendra and plankton" / fr. Vercoquin et le plancton ( 1946 , Russian translation 1998 )
3. “Foam of the days” / fr. L'Écume des Jours ( 1946 , Russian translation 1983 )
4. "Autumn in Beijing" / fr. L'Automne à Pékin ( 1947 , Russian translation 1995 )
5. "Red Grass" / fr. L'Herbe rouge ( 1950 , Russian translation 1998 )
6. "Heart Diver" / fr. L'Arrache-cœur ( 1953 , Russian translation 1994 )
7. "Catavasia in the Andennes" ("Andean Showdown") / fr. Trouble dans les Andains ( 1966 , Russian translation 1998 )

Under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan:

1. “I Will Come Spit on Your Graves” / Fr. J'irai cracher sur vos tombes ( 1946 , Russian translation 1993 )
2. “All the dead have the same skin” / Fr. Les morts ont tous la même peau ( 1947 ; Russian translation 1992 )
3. “Destroy all the freaks” / fr. Et on tuera tous les affreux ( 1948 , Russian translation 1991 )
4. "Women do not understand" / Fr. Elles se rendent pas compte ( 1950 , Russian translation 1993 )

Stories

• Goosebumps / Les Fourmis ( 1949 ; Russian translation 1994 )
• Werewolf / Le Loup-garou ( 1970 , Russian translation 1998 )

Under the pseudonym Vernon Sullivan:

• Dogs, Desire, Death / Les Chiens, le désir et la mort ( 1970 , Russian translation 1992 )
• Plumber / (Russian translation by T. Vorsanova)

Pieces

• Beginner Flayer / L'Équarrissage pour tous ( 1950 , Russian translation 1998 )
• The builders of the empire / Les Bâtisseurs d'empire ( 1959 , Russian translation 1998 )
• Snack of the Generals / Le Goûter des généraux ( 1962 , Russian translation 1998 )
• / Le dernier des métiers ( 1965 )
• Head around / Tête de méduse ( 1971 , Russian translation 1998 )
• / Série blême ( 1971 )
• / Le Chasseur français ( 1971 )

Poetry

• / Barnum's Digest ( 1948 )
• Frozen Cantilens / Cantilènes en gelée ( 1949 )
• I would not want to die / Je voudrais pas crever ( 1962 )
• One Hundred Sonnets ( 1984 )

Translations

• Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep under the title: Le grand sommeil (1948)
• The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler under the title: La Dame du lac (1948)
• The World of Null-A by Alfred Van Vogt , entitled: Le Monde des Å (1958)

• 1968 - The Foam of Days / L'écume des jours (dir. Charles Belmon)
• 2001 - Chloe / Kuroe (based on the novel Foam of Days , directed by Guo Ridzu)
• 2013 - The Foam of Days / L'écume des jours (dir. Michel Gondry )
• 2015 - Banal tales for unremarkable personalities / Conte de fées à l'usage des moyennes personnes (dir. Kloe Mazlo / Chloé Mazlo)

• 1948 - Ulysses or unhappy love / Ulysse ou les Mauvaises Rencontres (dir. Alexander Astryuk); lotophage (episode)
• 1949 - Upset / Désordre (dir. Jacques Baratier ); (episode)
• 1952 - St. Tropez, a long holiday / Saint-Tropez, devoir de vacances (dir. Paul Pavieux ); (episode)
• 1952 - La Chasse à l'homme (dir. Pierre Caste ); (episode)
• 1956 - Notre Dame de Paris / Notre-Dame de Paris (dir. Jean Delannoy ); Cardinal Charles II de Bourbon
• 1957 - Pickpocket Love / Amour de poche (dir. Pierre Cast)
• 1959 - Dangerous Liaison / Les Liaisons dangereuses (dir. Roger Vadim ); Prévan
• 1960 - The Great Age / Le Bel Âge (dir. Pierre Caste); Boris

• Vian, Boris in the library of Maxim Moshkov
• Boris Vian on the Internet Movie Database
• Site dedicated to the work of B. Viana
• An abridged version of Maria Anninsky’s biographical essay, “A Man“ Who Been Ahead of Time “and His Age”
• M. Anninsky's article on Viana
• A story-lecture “Songs of Boris Vian” in LiveJournal (author - Natalia Meerovich)

• Vian Boris. Foam days. / Translation from fr. - M .: Fiction, 1983. - 320 p.