French Literature Reviews - 2026

B. Jannin, Pays éperdu
Francophone and Oral Literatures

Pays éperdu
Bernard Jannin

PUBLICATION DATE: 01/11/12 PUBLISHER: Page centrale SERIES: La collection absolue ISBN: 979-10-90367-04-3 EAN: 9791090367043. 112 p.

Preface by Pierre Jourde

Bernard Jannin, who comes from the same hamlet in the Cantal region as Pierre Jourde—author of Pays perdu, which sparked widespread debate upon its release in 2003—revisits his friend's work.
Yet he does so to ensure that Pays éperdu firmly breaks away to become a narrative, or even a tale, offering comforting reflections on what, in the face of time, vanishes or endures of the people and life in a cherished place.

This book is the third dedicated to this corner of Auvergne. What is it about such remote places that inspires so much literary creation? It could be pure coincidence, driven simply by the personal journey of authors returning to their roots, as often happens with age. But it is undoubtedly not that simple.

Bernard Jannin is a filmmaker and director of historical and cultural documentaries for television. His passion for literature strongly influences his cinematic work; among other projects, he has directed films about writers Maurice Genevoix and Alexandre Vialatte. He has published two novels: Une vraie boucherie and Ça sent le tabac.

Hailing—like Pierre Jourde—from the Auvergne village of Lussaud, where the dissected landscape of the Massiac region meets the volcanic massif of Cézallier, he carries this region deeply in his heart and soul.

Bernard Jannin is a filmmaker and director of historical and cultural documentaries for television. His passion for literature strongly influences his cinematic work; among other projects, he has directed films about writers Maurice Genevoix and Alexandre Vialatte. He has published two novels: Une vraie boucherie and Ça sent le tabac. Hailing from the same hamlet in the Cantal region as Pierre Jourde, from the Auvergne village of Lussaud where the dissected landscape of the Massiac region meets the volcanic massif of Cézallier, he carries this region deeply in his heart and soul.

This publication forms part of a broader literary interest in remote rural landscapes and the enduring traces of local history. Readers interested in contemporary French regional narratives, personal geographies and the literary intersections between film and prose may find this work relevant to their pursuits.