Marcel Jouhandeau was born and spent his childhood above his father’s butcher’s shop, in the family flat overlooking the rue de l’Ancienne Mairie, also known as the “rue des Pommes”, which he wrote about in his book Chaminadour and in La Jeunesse de Théophile.
After spending his youth in Guéret, surrounded by his aunt and grandmother and taught Catholicism, he considered entering the seminary. Then, following a reading, he became aware of his homosexuality. This duality between his faith and his sexuality led him to attempt suicide. Once this unease had passed, he turned, on the advice of a friend, to writing stories, short stories and essays. These texts were often inspired by his home town, which he nicknamed Chaminadour. His writings provoked a strong reaction from the people of Guéret, who, despite the name changes, found themselves in the satirical, mocking writings of the writer, who depicted scenes from the lives of Guéret’s inhabitants in a caustic tone.
Jouhandeau’s work is not limited to Chaminadour. His prolific output also includes “La Jeunesse de Théophile”, “Les Pincengrain”, “Prudence Hautechaume”, “De l’abjection”, “Memorial” (7 volumes), “Journaliers” (28 volumes), etc.
The house where he was born cannot be visited. However, his father, together with his wife, bought a house at 10 rue Joseph Ducouret, which can be visited during the Rencontres de Chaminadour and other special events.
