Jean-Christophe Granger is a French screenwriter and writer. For a long period of his life, he worked with various publications as a freelance journalist. The experience gained was useful to him later in writing novels that often touch upon the themes of political extremism, international terrorism, and the activities of occult organizations. It is about this modern master of detective and thriller that will be discussed in our article.
Biography: Granger Jean-Christophe
The date of birth of the writer is July 15, 1961. Homeland - France. Jean-Christophe was born in the town of Boulogne-sur-Mer. France has always been famous for excellent scriptwriters, writers, musicians, artists, directors and others. Granger was no exception. He very quickly gained the vast experience of a correspondent, an international reporter, screenwriter and, finally, a writer.
After graduation, he enters the famous French Sorbonne University. Here he is engaged in the study of anthropology and philology. The writer received a master's degree for his work on Gustav Flaubert. A great advantage in graduating from the Sorbonne was that in those years this university opened up great prospects for its students after graduation.
Beginning of work
Granger Jean-Christophe (whose biography is presented here) after graduation decides to start small and gets a job in a small advertising agency as a copywriter. And by 1989, when Grange was 28 years old, the writer became famous as an international correspondent, collaborating with such well-known magazines as Paris Match, National Geographic and Sunday Times.
Almost immediately after that, Granger founded his own company L&G and now works only for it, paying for all his trips on his own. Those articles that he wrote while in different countries during this period formed the basis for future action-packed works.
Soon, Granger's journalistic talent was awarded. The first he received in 1991 - the Reuters Prize, and the second - in 1992 - the World Press Prize.
Beginning of a career as a novelist
In 1994, Jean-Christophe made a big step in a new field for himself - he wrote his first novel, entitled âFlight of Storksâ. The work was noticed and appreciated by critics, but did not receive much popularity among the general public. But the next work, "Purple Rivers", published in 1998, was well received by the public. This success led to the fact that the novel was filmed in 2000.
In the same year in which "Purple Rivers" was published, the writer received for this novel the annual literary French Grand Prix RTL-Lire award, established in 1992. The prize was awarded based on the voting results of a group of readers.
Family life
Granger Jean-Christophe (all the books of the author will be presented below) was three times married. From marriages, he has four children: Matilda, Louis, Keito and Izi. The first wife of the writer was the journalist Virginia Luc, and it was to her that he dedicated his first work, Flight of the Storks. Then Granger married Priscilla Telmon, to whom he dedicated the book âEmpire of the Wolfâ. However, this marriage was short-lived. And already the novel "Kaiken" turned out to be a gift for the next darling - actress and model Like Minamoto.
Screenwriter and producer
Jean-Christophe is also known as a screenwriter and producer. Basically, he played in these roles in the film adaptation of his books, for example, âCrimson Riversâ, âEmpire of the Wolfâ, âBrotherhood of Stoneâ, âMiserereâ. His list also includes work on the series: Flight of Storks and Passenger. The only film that was not an adaptation of the novel, but in which Granger became a screenwriter, was Vidok, which was released in 2001.
It should be noted that the writer wrote the text of the comic strip âThe Curse of Zenerâ.
"Flight of the Storks"
It's time to consider the style in which Grange writes Jean-Christophe. The list of the writer's books will begin with his first novel, published in his homeland in 1994. He was translated into other languages ââmuch later.
The plot of the book: the main character - a young scientist-philosopher Louis Antios - meets with a friend of his adoptive parents BĂśhm, who is a famous bird watcher from Switzerland. Boehm offers to help him trace the migration path of storks in order to find out the reason why several hundred birds that went for wintering did not return to their nests in Europe. Louis agrees, but on the eve of his departure discovers a family friend dead. Such a combination of circumstances seems strange and suspicious to the hero, and he is not sure that Bem died his death. Therefore, Louis decides to independently make the journey planned by another and to figure out what is the matter. And after a few days it becomes clear to the hero that he got involved in a very dangerous adventure.
It would seem, what does the detective story have to do with bird migration? But Granger managed to make this a truly exciting plot with a very unpredictable denouement.
Purple Rivers
This is the authorâs second novel, which was published 4 years after the publication of the first. It was this work that brought Granger real success with the reader. In addition, this novel formed the basis of the film "Crimson Rivers", where the writer first appeared as a screenwriter. The picture was a success.
The plot of the novel: the action of the detective takes place in a small campus in the Alps, which in a matter of weeks is horrified - one after another in the city, incredible cruelty crimes are committed. Every now and then the police and local residents find the mutilated bodies of the victims of an unknown maniac. The killer seems to scatter them in the city and its environs, the bodies are found in the thickness of the glaciers, in the crevice of the rock, in the attics of houses. Detective Nyeman takes up the matter, who decided at all costs to stop the horror around him. However, the investigation leads him only to new victims of the crime.
"Brotherhood of Stone"
Jean-Christophe published this detective in 2000. This is the third literary work of the writer. The book was also filmed.
The plot of the book: the main character - Diana Tiberge - in her youth was a victim of violence. This incident left a serious imprint on her entire future fate. The heroine manages to find peace and happiness only after the adoption of an orphan boy in Thailand. Diana calls the child Lucien. In Paris, the heroine with her adopted son gets into a big car accident. Lucien is seriously injured; his life is in danger. However, there is some German doctor who manages to get the boy out of a coma. But immediately after this, the doctor is found dead. The heroine has the idea that the accident was not a mere accident, and that the target of an unknown attacker was Lucien. Diana begins an investigation that brings her to Mongolia. It is here that she will find out the truth, which will terrify both Diana herself and the readers.
Empire of the Wolves
The 2003 book, which was also filmed in 2005. Jean-Christophe acted as a screenwriter.
Plot: the main character is a happy young woman named Anna Games. She is pretty, smart and rich. She has a successful marriage with a loving and beloved man Laurent, who holds a high post in the Ministry of the Interior. She is a welcome guest at any sophisticated receptions and parties. However, Anna is tormented by terrible nightmares at night. What caused her memory lapses, why doesnât she recognize the faces of her friends and even the person closest to her Laurent? Maybe she's losing her mind? Laurent offers his wife to undergo psychiatric treatment, but Anna's whole nature resists this. The heroine begins her investigation, which should reveal to her the terrible secrets of her prosperous life.
Black line
Jean-Christophe Granger wrote a detective by 2004. Note that this is not the most successful work of the author, perhaps this is due to the short time of writing.
The plot of the book: the scene - Southeast Asia. Here, in the hut of Jacques Reverdy, the former world champion in diving, they discover the brutally mutilated corpse of a young Danish tourist. Once the athlete had already fallen into the field of vision of the police and was suspected of just a murder, but the case was closed due to lack of evidence. During interrogations, Reverdy is silent, so they decide to put him in a psychiatric hospital. At that moment, journalist Marc Dupeyira, who is very interested in the identity of the alleged killer, intervenes. To summon Reverdy for frankness, he begins to write letters to him on behalf of a young girl.
"Oaths of Darkness"
Jean-Christophe Granger is a French writer working exclusively in the genres of detective and thriller. The 2007 book âOaths of Darknessâ was no exception.
Plot: Mathieu Duray, a criminal investigator, suddenly finds out that his old friend Luke, also a police officer, was trying to commit suicide. Durey begins to take an interest in the circumstances of what happened and finds out that Luke was investigating strange murders taking place throughout Europe. All these crimes are united by satanic symbolism, in addition, criminals have learned in some way to influence the process of decomposition of a corpse. Gradually, it turns out that all the alleged criminals survived a coma and a clinical death. Mathieu comes to a terrible conclusion - perhaps all these people serve Satan, who brought them back to life.
"Miserere"
Writer Jean-Christophe Granger published this thriller in 2008. The book tells about the murder of the Chilean refugee William Getz in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. Here, the deceased served as regent of the boys' choir and organist. As soon as Kasdan, a retired policeman and parishioner of the temple, finds out about this, he immediately begins his investigation. Kasdan is joined by a police officer from the Volokin juvenile rights department. It turns out that in the past, boys from the temple choir more than once disappeared. The first kill follows the second. A dangerous game begins, in which the heroes have to figure it out.
"Forest of the Dead" (2009)
The thriller tells about a series of ritual killings that make even experienced Parisian policemen shudder. In Paris, a maniac acts, not only brutally killing his victims, but also eating their flesh. There are many versions of a psychopath-autist, sadistic pervert, and Satanist, but the investigating judge Joan will have to find the truth. A woman will overcome Guatemala and Nicaragua to end up in Argentinean swamps. It is here that the reason for the nightmare happening in Paris is hidden.
In addition to these works, Granger Jean-Christophe (photos are presented in the article) is the author of four more novels: âPassengerâ (2011), âKaikenâ (2012), âLontanoâ (2015), which was dedicated to the daughters of Keito and Izi, â Congo Requiem â(2016). The last book has not yet been translated into Russian.