Born and brough up in Paris, in 1946 he went to the University of Tübingen, to study philosophy. On his return, however, he failed the agrégation and abandoned plans for an academic career. Instead he went into the media, and later became chief of literary services of Plon Editions.

He beacame famous with two novels of great success, Vendredi ou les Limbes du Pacifique (1967, Grand Prix Académie Française), and Le roi des aulnes (1970, Prix Goncourt).