Novel
Frenchman Abel Tiffauges is a naive man who lives a simple life working as a mechanic. Falsely accused of being a child abuser, he is recruited as a soldier when World War II begins, but is captured soon and taken to the heart of Nazi Germany.
Writer
Gaspard is a brilliant pupil who makes a clean sweep of all the prizes every year. He despises his family, and do not want to remain a crude peasant like them. Two businessmen, Mister Fereor and Mister Frolichein, want him to work in their factories. The former wins the contest. Gaspard is a young Turk who wants to make his way of life at any cost. He steals ideas from other young men and becomes an occasional informer. He wins his boss over and, as this tycoon has no son, he is adopted by him even though his biological parents are still alive. But unfair competition threatens Fereor's business and Gaspard is forced to marry Frolichein's daughter, Mina.
Novel
Idris is a young shepherd in the desert of Tunesia. One day a jeep drives by and a woman takes a picture of him; she says she's from Paris and promises to send him a copy. But when nothing arrives during the next months, Idris becomes worried. His father advises him to get his "face" back or bad things may happen to him. So he sets out to Paris... and discovers Paris as a world full of strange things and weird behavior.
