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Les amitiés particulières is a 1943 novel by Roger Peyrefitte, probably his best known work today, which won the coveted Renaudot prize. It deals with a homoerotic relationship between two boys at a Roman Catholic boarding school. In 1964, it was adapted into a movie of the same title by director Jean Delannoy.
It was translated into English and published under the title Secret Friendships in the United States and Special Friendships in the United Kingdom. As of 2005, it is out of print.
The plot revolves around Georges de Sarre, who starts a "special friendship", i.e. a friendship with sexual overtones, with the younger Alexandre Motier. The priests which lead the school disapprove of their relationship, even though it does not go beyond a few kisses and love poems. The outcome is tragic for the two boys. The work has been praised for its elegant style, and the discretion with which the subject is treated. One example is the question which Alexander poses to Georges: "Georges, do you know the things one should not know?"
Peyrefitte was on (mostly) friendly terms with Henry de Montherlant, who in his later years wrote a novel (Les garçons, 1969) on a similar relationship. There exists substantial correspondence between the two on, among other things, homosexuality.
The plot is understood to be largely autobiographical, with de Sarre being Peyrefitte's alter ego in the book.
Further reading
- Roger Peyrefitte: Secret Friendships. ISBN 0914301233