The real title of this book is Le Grand Meaulnes (The Great Meaulnes). Why do translators insist upon changing (often drastically) an authors title? The Great Gatsby was good enough for Fitzgerald. Meaulnes happens to be the surname of the principal character and, while he is a rover and a dreamer, it is about his growth from boyhood to adolescence. However, considering the ending, one might question whether he has matured.