Jean-Christophe Rufin
Author of The Abyssinian
About the Author
Jean-Christophe Rufin, a physician, is a former vice president of Doctors Without Borders, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. He lives in France. (Bowker Author Biography)
Series
Works by Jean-Christophe Rufin
Associated Works
Tagged
Common Knowledge
- Canonical name
- Rufin, Jean-Christophe
- Legal name
- Rufin, Jean-Christophe
- Birthdate
- 1952-06-28
- Gender
- male
- Nationality
- France
- Country (for map)
- France
- Birthplace
- Bourges, Cher, Centre-Val de Loire, France
- Places of residence
- Paris, France
Tunisia
Eritrea
Senegal - Education
- Lycée Janson-de-Sailly, Paris, France
Lycée Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
Faculté de médecine de La Pitié-Salpêtrière
Institut d'études politiques, Paris, France - Occupations
- Ambassador (France ∙ to Senegal)
physician - Relationships
- Léotard, François (Ministre)
Kouchner, Bernard
Malhuret, Claude
De Villepin, Dominique (Ami)
Aubry, Martine
Tesson, Sylvain - Organizations
- Académie française (2008)
Action Against Hunger (President)
Médecins Sans Frontières (one of founders) - Short biography
- Jean-Christophe Rufin est un romancier, haut-fonctionnaire et médecin français.
Acteur engagé de la cause humanitaire et des relations Nord-Sud, il voyage beaucoup et écrit des essais consacrés au Tiers-Monde et aux relations Nord-Sud, ainsi que les romans qui lui valent la notoriété.
Il est né à Bourges en 1952. Fils unique, il est élevé par ses grands-parents, car son père est parti et sa mère travaille à Paris. Son grand-père, médecin et résistant, a été déporté deux ans à Buchenwald. En 1977, après des études de médecine, il part comme coopérant en Tunisie et mène sa première mission humanitaire en Erythrée, ou il rencontre Azeb, qui deviendra sa deuxième femme.
Diplômé de l'Institut d'études politiques, il devient, en 1986, conseillé du secrétaire d'Etat aux droits de l'homme et publie son premier livre, Le Piège humanitaire, un essai sur les enjeux politiques de l'action humanitaire.
De 1991 à 1993, il est vice-président de Médecins sans Frontières (MSF).
En 1993, il entre au ministère de la Défense comme conseiller spécialisé dans la réflexion stratégique sur les relations Nord-Sud. Il quitte ce poste en 1995 et devient administrateur de la Croix-Rouge française.
En 1997, a 45 ans, il publie son premier roman, L'Abyssin, l'histoire d'une ambassade dépêchée par la cour du Négus d'Ethiopie auprès de Louis XIV. Goncourt du premier roman et prix Méditerrannée, ce livre se vend à plus de 300 000 exemplaires et est traduit en 19 langues.
En 1999, Les Causes perdues, inspiré de sa misson humanitaire en Ethiopie, remporte le prix Interallié. En 2001, il reçoit le plus prestigieux des prix littéraires français, le Goncourt, pour son roman Rouge Brésil, un voyage de l'autre côté de l'Atlantique au temps des premières colonies françaises.
En 2003, il se lance avec bonheur dans le roman d'anticipation, Globalia, qui raconte les aventure de Baïkal, jeune rebelle qui quitte les "territoires sécurisés" pour pénétrer dans la "non-zone"... Un "1984" revisité dénonçant le monde de conformiste, obsédé par sa sécurité, dans lequel nous vivons.
Jean-Christophe Rufin Poursuit sa carrière d'écrivain tout en étant maître de conférences à l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris et président d'Action contre la faim (ACF). Il prend la suite de Jean Malaurie en tant que directeur de la Collection Terre Humaine (Plon) en 2015
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Reviews
Beautifully written. The author, an extraordinary man, is a doctor, mountaineer, former diplomat and co-founder of medicines sans frontier. A humorous account which describes the aesthetic transformation which many people experience undertaking this long distance pilgrimage. Recommended for any Camino aspirants.
Jean-Christophe Rufin is a french doctor writer and diplomat; he won the prix Goncourt with Rouge Brasil in 2001. Immortelle Randonée was published in 2013 and relates the authors experience of completing a sizeable section of the route de Compestelle which is arguably the most famous of the long distance walking/pilgrimage routes. Known as the Camino or the Way of St Jacques it is now a network of routes stretching through France, Portugal and Spain that culminate in the shrine of the apostle St Jacques in the cathedral at Santiago de Compostela in Galicia northwest Spain. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during the Middle Ages on which a plenary indulgence could be earned. Hundreds of Thousands (300,000 in 2017) set off from a variety of starting points across Europe to complete the walk. Jean-Christophe Rufin started his walk from Hendaye on the French/Spanish border which usually entails 38-40 days walking, doing an average of 23 kilometres per day.
This was of interest for me because my house is very close to one of the major routes through France and my daily walk covers about a kilometre of the route. I often see people (les Jacquets) on the path which opens out onto a tremendous view of the Pyrenees, which they have to cross and usually pass the time of day with them, saying something like "its not too far to the mountains". The Cahors Vallee du Lot tourist agencie's promotional leaflet describes the "adventure of the Camino" in glowing terms:
A transformation in the way you perceive the wonderful world around you. A transformation in the relationships you have with your loved ones, but also with complete strangers. On the way, you will see the masks fall to make way for authentic, sincere and deep exchanges. A transformation of yourself, and of the knowledge you have of it. As you walk, the answers to the questions that haunt your thoughts will appear discreetly on their own, until they become crystal clear.
Jean-Christophe Rufin's book touches on these thoughts and feelings, but also describes the reality of a long and arduous walk through a landscape that can be picturesque, but is often more like a typical urban sprawl.
He chose to walk alone and because of his insomnia; the result of being a light sleeper he chose to camp out whenever he could: the refuge halls and dormitories along the route are a nightmare for him and he avoids them whenever possible. After laying the groundwork and telling of his information gathering in Paris he takes a train down to Hendaye in South West France and sets off with all his belongings in his rucksack. He is an experienced alpinist, however he soon found that walking for 4-6 hours everyday takes its toll on the body and the first week of walking; which is described in some detail is nearly enough to make him give up. He meets other 'jacquets' along the way, but rarely gets involved in deep and meaningful conversations, he is not intent on interviewing other walkers in order to gather material for his book. He says he did not keep a diary and only decided to write up his experiences, on reflection, after completing his journey.
He writes about his journey in a chronological order and so the reader can feel his excitement and his tiredness as he nears his goal. There are two main routes from Hendaye to Santiago de Compestela and Rufin chose the Camino del Norte, which is less walked than the more popular Camino Frances. He does make a few detours to take in churches, chapels and monasteries along the way and attends mass when the opportunity arises, but he seems to tire of the religious experience. He devotes a chapter to describing his spiritual feelings as he is walking, often extremely tired, unwashed and outside of his ordinary daily life. He says it is more akin to a Buddhist's view of the world. He feels like a pilgrim:
"it delivers one from from the torments of thoughts and desires. It removes the vanity of the mind and all sufferance of the body. It erases the rigid envelope which surrounds the things and separates them from our consciousness. It puts one in resonance with nature. Like all initiation it penetrates the mind by the body and it is difficult of sharing this with those who have not experienced it."
He say that of course not everybody feels like this, as this is only particular to him "In leaving for St Jacques I was looking for nothing and I found it."
He has something to say about the tourists who travel by coach or cars and the crowds that gather for the final stages of the walk. It has become commercialised, but then again perhaps it always was, but one can still easily gain that true experience of a pilgrimage.
I was thoroughly entranced by Jean-Christophe's book, which would certainly serve well anybody thinking of taking on the Camino. It has some useful information, but more importantly Rufin takes the armchair reader with him, on a fabulous journey 4.5 stars.… (more)
This was of interest for me because my house is very close to one of the major routes through France and my daily walk covers about a kilometre of the route. I often see people (les Jacquets) on the path which opens out onto a tremendous view of the Pyrenees, which they have to cross and usually pass the time of day with them, saying something like "its not too far to the mountains". The Cahors Vallee du Lot tourist agencie's promotional leaflet describes the "adventure of the Camino" in glowing terms:
A transformation in the way you perceive the wonderful world around you. A transformation in the relationships you have with your loved ones, but also with complete strangers. On the way, you will see the masks fall to make way for authentic, sincere and deep exchanges. A transformation of yourself, and of the knowledge you have of it. As you walk, the answers to the questions that haunt your thoughts will appear discreetly on their own, until they become crystal clear.
Jean-Christophe Rufin's book touches on these thoughts and feelings, but also describes the reality of a long and arduous walk through a landscape that can be picturesque, but is often more like a typical urban sprawl.
He chose to walk alone and because of his insomnia; the result of being a light sleeper he chose to camp out whenever he could: the refuge halls and dormitories along the route are a nightmare for him and he avoids them whenever possible. After laying the groundwork and telling of his information gathering in Paris he takes a train down to Hendaye in South West France and sets off with all his belongings in his rucksack. He is an experienced alpinist, however he soon found that walking for 4-6 hours everyday takes its toll on the body and the first week of walking; which is described in some detail is nearly enough to make him give up. He meets other 'jacquets' along the way, but rarely gets involved in deep and meaningful conversations, he is not intent on interviewing other walkers in order to gather material for his book. He says he did not keep a diary and only decided to write up his experiences, on reflection, after completing his journey.
He writes about his journey in a chronological order and so the reader can feel his excitement and his tiredness as he nears his goal. There are two main routes from Hendaye to Santiago de Compestela and Rufin chose the Camino del Norte, which is less walked than the more popular Camino Frances. He does make a few detours to take in churches, chapels and monasteries along the way and attends mass when the opportunity arises, but he seems to tire of the religious experience. He devotes a chapter to describing his spiritual feelings as he is walking, often extremely tired, unwashed and outside of his ordinary daily life. He says it is more akin to a Buddhist's view of the world. He feels like a pilgrim:
"it delivers one from from the torments of thoughts and desires. It removes the vanity of the mind and all sufferance of the body. It erases the rigid envelope which surrounds the things and separates them from our consciousness. It puts one in resonance with nature. Like all initiation it penetrates the mind by the body and it is difficult of sharing this with those who have not experienced it."
He say that of course not everybody feels like this, as this is only particular to him "In leaving for St Jacques I was looking for nothing and I found it."
He has something to say about the tourists who travel by coach or cars and the crowds that gather for the final stages of the walk. It has become commercialised, but then again perhaps it always was, but one can still easily gain that true experience of a pilgrimage.
I was thoroughly entranced by Jean-Christophe's book, which would certainly serve well anybody thinking of taking on the Camino. It has some useful information, but more importantly Rufin takes the armchair reader with him, on a fabulous journey 4.5 stars.… (more)
El abisinio
Jean-Christophe Rufin
Publicado: 1997 | 488 páginas
Novela Histórico
El hecho histórico que sirvió como fuente de inspiración a Jean-Christophe Rufin para escribir «El abisinio» fue la embajada a Abisinia organizada por el Rey Sol. Esta epopeya barroca y poética tiene como protagonista a Jean-Baptiste Poncet, un joven médico perteneciente a la colonia francesa asentada en El Cairo, que ve truncada su tranquilidad al ser elegido como cabecilla de una misión cuyo objetivo es curar de una enfermedad a El Negus, mítico soberano abisinio. La embajada es en realidad un pretexto del monarca Luis XIV con el fin de restablecer el contacto político y religioso con uno de los países más enigmáticos y atractivos para Occidente, afianzando así la presencia francesa en Oriente. Poncet, que ignora la trama urdida a sus espaldas, parte hacia Abisinia en compañía de su acólito Juremi, un artista y liberal francés, y el padre Brèvedent, un jesuita cuya melancolía oculta una siniestra ambición de poder. Juntos recorren los desiertos egipcios, cruzan las montañas abisinias y, tras haber cumplido con su objetivo, se trasladan a Versalles, donde comunican sus impresiones al rey francés. Sin embargo, el recibimiento en palacio será muy diferente al esperado: la ideología liberal de Poncet chocará con el conservadurismo de la corte. Emocionante novela de aventuras impregnada de humor, historia de un amor marcado por la diferencia de clases, parábola que cuestiona el papel colonizador de Occidente, «El abisinio» recibió el premio Goncourt a la primera novela.… (more)
Jean-Christophe Rufin
Publicado: 1997 | 488 páginas
Novela Histórico
El hecho histórico que sirvió como fuente de inspiración a Jean-Christophe Rufin para escribir «El abisinio» fue la embajada a Abisinia organizada por el Rey Sol. Esta epopeya barroca y poética tiene como protagonista a Jean-Baptiste Poncet, un joven médico perteneciente a la colonia francesa asentada en El Cairo, que ve truncada su tranquilidad al ser elegido como cabecilla de una misión cuyo objetivo es curar de una enfermedad a El Negus, mítico soberano abisinio. La embajada es en realidad un pretexto del monarca Luis XIV con el fin de restablecer el contacto político y religioso con uno de los países más enigmáticos y atractivos para Occidente, afianzando así la presencia francesa en Oriente. Poncet, que ignora la trama urdida a sus espaldas, parte hacia Abisinia en compañía de su acólito Juremi, un artista y liberal francés, y el padre Brèvedent, un jesuita cuya melancolía oculta una siniestra ambición de poder. Juntos recorren los desiertos egipcios, cruzan las montañas abisinias y, tras haber cumplido con su objetivo, se trasladan a Versalles, donde comunican sus impresiones al rey francés. Sin embargo, el recibimiento en palacio será muy diferente al esperado: la ideología liberal de Poncet chocará con el conservadurismo de la corte. Emocionante novela de aventuras impregnada de humor, historia de un amor marcado por la diferencia de clases, parábola que cuestiona el papel colonizador de Occidente, «El abisinio» recibió el premio Goncourt a la primera novela.… (more)
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- Works
- 35
- Also by
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One morning the port officials of Conakry wake up to find a dead man suspended from the mast of his yacht. He is french and Aurel takes it on himself to launch his own investigation, not believing the local police version of events: that is was a robbery, carried out by local criminals. Aurel uses his connections in the consulate, playing his cards close to his chest, so as not to fall foul of his boss, the local police chief and the customs officials. He is helped by the dead man's sister who appreciates the unconventional work of Aurel and flies out to Conakry to assist.
Jean-Christophe Ruffin is a doctor and worked as a french diplomat in Africa and so has plenty of experience of life in a foreign consulate. His story is full of the internal strife of the workings of the diplomatic service along with the colourful life of the Africans who live and work inside and outside its doors. The plot works well enough, but the success of these types of books is the setting of the story and this one held my attention throughout. Aurel Timescue is a great character and I look forward to following more of his adventures. Jean-Christophe Ruffin writes clearly and well, wrapping up his story with ease. 4 stars.… (more)