Francois Mauriac's masterpiece and one of the greatest Catholic novels, Therese Desqueyroux is the haunting story of an unhappily married young woman whose desperation drives her to thoughts of murder. Mauriac paints an unforgettable portrait of spiritual isolation and despair, but he also dramatizes the complex realities of forgiveness, grace, and redemption. Set in the countryside outside Bordeaux, in a region of overwhelming heat and sudden storms, the novel's landscape reflects the inner world of Therese, a figure who has captured the imaginations of readers for generations. Raymond N. MacKenzie's translation of Therese Desqueyroux, the first since 1947, captures the poetic lyricism of Mauriac's prose as well as the intensity of his stream-of-consciousness narrative. MacKenzie also provides notes and a biographical and interpretive introduction to help readers better appreciate the mastery of Francois Mauriac, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1952. This volume also includes a translation of "Conscience, The Divine Instinct," Mauriac's first draft of the story, never before available in English.

弗朗索瓦·莫里亚克（Francois Mauriac），1885—1970， 法国天主教文学大师，著名小说家、戏剧家、诗人、杂文家、批评家。1885年10月11日出生在波尔多。1906年赴巴黎从事文学创作。在出版了两本诗集后，于1913年发表了第一部小说《身戴镣铐的孩子》。三十七岁时发表了《给麻风病人的吻》，从此进入创作的旺盛期，相继发表了《火流》《母亲大人》《恶》《爱的荒漠》《苔蕾丝·德斯盖鲁》《终点》《蛇结》《弗龙特纳克的神秘》《黑夜的终止》《黑天使》《未知的海》《法利赛女人》《被爱的和被恨的》《羔羊》《昔日一少年》等重要小说以及一些诗歌、剧本和文艺评论集。其中《爱的荒漠》获法兰西学院小说大奖。莫利亚克1932年任法国文学家协会主席；1933年当选法兰西学院院士。1958年荣获法国国家荣誉勋章。1952年，奠里亚克因在小说中“深入刻画人类生活的戏剧时所展示的精神洞察力和艺术激情”而获得该年度的诺贝尔文学奖