▁in ▁ 1 9 3 0 , ▁later ▁studying ▁at ▁the ▁É cole ▁libre ▁des ▁sciences ▁polit iques ▁( S ci ences ▁Po .), ▁both ▁schools ▁of ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Paris ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 2 , ▁he ▁read ▁André ▁Bre ton ' s ▁Nad ja , ▁which ▁deeply ▁influenced ▁him . ▁His ▁first ▁novel , ▁The ▁Castle ▁of ▁Arg ol , ▁ ▁is ▁dedicated ▁to ▁that ▁sur real ist ▁writer , ▁to ▁whom ▁he ▁devoted ▁a ▁whole ▁book ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁French ▁Commun ist ▁Party ▁but ▁quit ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁after ▁the ▁Mol ot ov – R ib b ent rop ▁P act ▁was ▁signed . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁prisoner ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁S iles ia ▁with ▁other ▁officers ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁Army . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁friend ships ▁he ▁formed ▁there ▁was ▁with ▁author ▁and ▁literary ▁critic ▁Arm and ▁Ho og , ▁who ▁later ▁described ▁G rac q ▁as ▁a ▁passion ate ▁individual ist ▁and ▁f ero ci ously ▁anti - V ich y . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 0 , ▁he ▁published ▁a ▁fier ce ▁attack ▁on ▁contemporary ▁literary ▁culture ▁and ▁literary ▁pri zes ▁in ▁the ▁review ▁Emp é doc le ▁ ▁titled ▁La ▁L itt érature ▁à ▁l ' est om ac . ▁ ▁When ▁he ▁won ▁the ▁Prix ▁Gon court ▁for ▁The