The island of Mauritius is well known for its beautiful beaches and scenery, and it has an extremely interesting cultural history and social dynamic. While it has many interesting natural heritage aspects, its association to literature and the arts is representative of its great and wondrous beauty. The writer Mark Twain refers to the island in Following the Equator, and Nobel Prize winner Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio lives there for part of the year. Tourists appreciate the beauty and historical significance of the island. The best hotels Mauritius are typically found in the city centers, though many visitors seek out the unique country inns, which offer a major contrast to the urban setting.
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio is an award winning French author. He was born in 1940 in the city of Nice on the French Riviera. When he was eight his family moved to Nigeria where he spent most of his childhood. Later he would draw on these early experiences for his writing, specifically with his semi-autobiographical novel Onitsha. He studied at both the University of Bristol in England and Nice’s Institut d’Etudes Litteraires. After he completed his education he came to the United States and worked as a teacher. He also spent a short period of time serving in the French military in Thailand, though he was expelled from the country due to his outspoken opposition to child prostitution.
Le Clezio has written at least 40 works and has won numerous awards. These include the 1963 prix Renaudot for the novel Le Proces-Verbal and the 2008 Nobel Prize for literature. The Swedish Academy recognized his work as poetic and sensual. It is often characterized by a focus on the environment. His style of writing underwent major changes in the late 1970s. He let go of his tormented struggle themes and a lot of his work began to deal with travel. The desert is a regular focus in his writing.