SOURCE: Scott, Malcolm. “Giono's Song of the World: The Theme of Language and Its Associations in Giono's Pre-war Writings.” French Studies 16 (1972): 289-304.

In the following essay, Scott explores the theme of the healing power of language and music in the early novels of Giono.

The first and most obvious manifestation of Giono's fascination with the power and potential of language—his own startlingly rich imagery—has rightly received the close attention of critics and scholars.¹ What has not been sufficiently explored is the way in which this fascination is expressed, especially in Giono's pre-war writings, in a second major way: namely, as a theme. Throughout the period from the publication of Colline in 1929 to that of L'Eau vive in 1943, there are constant references in Giono's writings to the power of language and its role in the world. Often these references develop into a major theme within particular works...