Gilles

novel by Drieu la Rochelle

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June 29, 2026

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Gilles (1939) is a novel by Pierre Drieu La Rochelle, a French writer whose life and works reflect the disillusionment of European youth after World War I. The novel is considered his best-known work and portrays the "archetypal itinerary of the young French fascist". It follows the protagonist's journey from his experiences in World War I, through despair in the 1920s, to his decision to support the overthrow of the Spanish Republican government. Drieu La Rochelle himself became a fascist and collaborated with the Vichy government during World War II.12

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French literature
Céline and Drieu
…fascism, to write expressly in Gilles (1939) the archetypal itinerary of the young French fascist, from defeat in the trenches of World War I, through failure and despair in the 1920s, to the decision to help overthrow the elected Republican government in Spain. Drieu’s example was followed by younger men,…
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…fascism, to write expressly in Gilles (1939) the archetypal itinerary of the young French fascist, from defeat in the trenches of World War I, through failure and despair in the 1920s, to the decision to help overthrow the elected Republican government in Spain. Drieu’s example was followed by younger men,…
Read More