The Doomsday Will of Maurice Dekobra
According to Wikipedia, during the 1920s and 30s Maurice Dekobra was probably the best-known French writer in the world. His most famous book was La Madone des Sleepings (The Madonna of the Sleeping Cars), which according to its Amazon blurb is "one of the first and most influential spy novels of the twentieth century."
I hadn't heard of it. This is probably because (again according to Wikipedia) by the 21st Century Dekobra had become a "total unknown."
In 1945, while Dekobra was still near the height of his fame, he drew up an unusual will. He left his entire library of 17,000 books as well as his art collection to the town of Papeete in Tahiti. He did this because he figured that big cities such as Paris and London would probably soon be destroyed by nuclear bombs. But Papeete might survive. Therefore, so might his books.
Dekobra ended up living until 1973. I haven't been able to find out if, by that time, he had changed his will, or if Papeete ever got his books.
I hadn't heard of it. This is probably because (again according to Wikipedia) by the 21st Century Dekobra had become a "total unknown."
In 1945, while Dekobra was still near the height of his fame, he drew up an unusual will. He left his entire library of 17,000 books as well as his art collection to the town of Papeete in Tahiti. He did this because he figured that big cities such as Paris and London would probably soon be destroyed by nuclear bombs. But Papeete might survive. Therefore, so might his books.
Dekobra ended up living until 1973. I haven't been able to find out if, by that time, he had changed his will, or if Papeete ever got his books.
Los Angeles Times - Oct 3, 1945
Dekobra in 1965 holding some of his books
Comments
AFAIK, he became unknown well before the 21th century.
Posted by Virtual in Carnate on 06/15/23 at 06:07 AM
[citation needed]
Posted by Richard Bos on 06/17/23 at 08:31 AM
Seeing how sea levels rise because of global warming, the town of Papeete might need to relocate its library (and Dekobra's 17,000 books) to Saint-Véran, France.
Posted by Yudith on 06/17/23 at 08:33 AM
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Category: Death | Inheritance and Wills | Books