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Customer Reviews (4)

Lausard drafted out of self-loathing in jail, and on to glory in First Italian Campaign
This is the first of six books which follow the fortunes of Alain Lausard across the Napoleonic Age in war.The books are well crafted, but not inspired on on individual basis. Still, they each tell a good story in a competent manner.

The true worth of the books, however, are revealed in their totality.The device of one central character across the entire expanse Napoleonic Wars provides a variety of writing efficiencies in character development and it allows the author time to reveal the events in the background and the plotting in the foreground.

Following the progress of Lausard from his jail cell to the Legion of Honor at Jena, and on to further spiritual growth through the tragedy of Eylau, many conflicts arise that are very exciting for the Napoleonic reader.Will Lausard, for instance, be reconciled to the humiliation of of the Revolution?Will he rise on his merits?Will he improbably be one of the few to survive all the major battles and campaigns?What fates will keep him alive?Will he rise to Marshal of France?We he become whole and will he provide a human example of the historical transformations of the age?

These looming questions are wonderful sources of reading interest and it all unfolds in a competent retelling of the famous anecdotes of the era and the great human achievements of the age. Any one of the books is far less valuable alone than as a part in of the ensemble. In the totality of the work can be found a real value, wherein it it is clear the whole is far more valuable than the sum of the parts.

The protagonist Lausard has many internal conflicts and rises in the Army as a dragoon despite his disdain for rank and glory. He grows and survives as his true intelligence and character constantly redeem him in the crisis of the outward conflicts around him. He rises to Sergeant and is widely respected by his fellow soldiers because he fights for them and not for glory itself.

The road map of major events follows the obvious Napoleonic cannon. This first volume culminates on the "fertile plains" of Italy as the French transform from a band of misfits into a force worthy at the Battle of Rivoli to cause the Holy Roman Empire to begin its retreat into history.

It is up to the reader to know what is generally going on. I recommend, as always, a syntopical reading with more a sweeping, factual telling of the campaigns from the strategic perspectives.This book and its companions are a valuable addition to the literature. However, I do not think the real dramatic interest can be obtained and enjoyed without a grasp of the ultimate context and major figures. You have to already know the big picture to get the marrow.

Superficial and Inept Knock-Off
This is quite possibly the worst series of military fiction that I have ever read!...The author betrays a knowledge of history and strategy clearly gleaned from Britannica Junior, his grasp of tactics is vague at best, and his capacity to develop characters (not to mention theme) ranks with my former 7th Grade creative writing class...Howard ineptly attempts to copy the genre of Cornwell, but without the slightest effort to make himself the master of historical detail apart from superficial (and generally wrong) references to technical terms...Napoleon is an arch-villain, endlessly playing the incarnation of evil with a God complex...The main characters are cavalrymen of superhuman skill who nonetheless petulantly argue the IDENTICAL exchange of dialogue for two pages of every ten (or more often) throughout the entire series!...One fellow has unshakeable idealism, another has religious faith (both are portrayed as buffoons for this), and the protagonist is a murdering cynic who condemns his fellows, the Revolution, the Directory, Napoleon, and every ounce of human existence, but to no visible purpose or eventual growth...This may seem like a overly-tedious exercise in sharing the author's hostility for (and ignorance of) the Age he selected for his work, but Howard does break the monotony with an occasional, and absurdly gory, fight scene...The battles are more dubious than the worst efforts of Robert Ludlum...Our heroes routinely stab various unmounted enemies in various ways three or four times while galloping past them, and the mounted enemies must submit to having their heads grabbed and necks twisted to breaking (of course, all done at the full gallop once again!)...I most wholeheartedly suggest that you turn your attention to Allan Mallinson (or even Delderfield) for a competent plot and skillful writing...I bought this entire series in great anticipation, and it brought me frustration, rage, and (by the third book) merely laughter...The series is not fit for a comic book.

An entertaing and imaginative Napoleonic tale.
Fans of Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe" series will undoubtedly enjoy Richard Howard's "Bonaparte's Sons". The novel follows the adventures of Alain Laussard, a disgraced nobleman rotting in the depths of a Parisian prison after the tumultous period following the French Revolution.Laussard, along with a mixed bag of fellow convicts is then recruited into one of Bonapartes elite cavalry units, and sent to the front lines of the 1797 Italian campaign. While the novel itself lacks the stylistic flair of Cornwell or C.S Forrester, it remains an enjoyable work. Readers however, should be prepared for cliched one-dimensional characters (even in the case of the main protagonist), and a fairly routine military story.That being said, the novel contains plenty of action, and a relatively impressive attention to historical detail (though at times Howards research becomes a little too evident, for example do we really need to know the precise speed of a projected cannon ball?). As a writer Howard is not quite in the same league as O'Brian, Forrester or Cornwell, but fans of Napoleonic war literature will definetly enjoy this novel as an entertaining and imaginative read.

A worthy swashbuckler
I spotted this series in a catalogue, and was eager to try out the first volume.Since the story is told from the French perspective, it's a refreshing change from the solidly anglophile array of historical adventures, in English, covering the Napoleonic period:on land, Bernard Cornwell's "Sharpe" novels and a couple of C.S. Forester's tales; on sea, the Hornblower novels of Forester and Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey/Mathurin books.Richard Howard is not in the same league as Cornwell, Forester, or O'Brian. (A better French-viewed Napoleonic tale is Patrick Rambaud's "The Battle", published in English in 2000). But the book is a worthwhile, entertaining read, ideal for a long airplane, train, or bus trip, or by the poolside or seaside.It begins in the fall of 1795, with the French Directory scouring the prisons of Paris for its armies on the Rhine and in Northern Italy.The main character is part of a squadron of dragoons who are trained and sent to join Bonaparte at the start of his Italian campaign in April 1796.This colorful gang of thieves and cutthroats -- a Napoleonic "Dirty Dozen" -- gradually evolves into an effective fighting unit, acquitting itself ably at the climactic battle of Rivoli in January 1797 and a subsequent raid behind Austrian lines.The author does not stint in his description of the grisly, unglamorous aspects of warfare of this era:harsh discipline, pillaging, the harrowing fate of the wounded, the carnage and confusion of battle.However, I didn't get a good sense of just what role the dragoons, and cavalry in general, played in Bonaparte's army and how they contributed to victory.The book is interspersed with chapters showing Bonaparte himself taking command of the Army of Italy and leading it to breathtaking triumph;this works well, but then stops, and only picks up again in the final chapter.I wish the publisher had provided a map or two, and some historical comments (which are much appreciated in the Sharpe books).Also, some biographical notes about the author would have been interesting:Is he the same Richard Howard whose new translation of "The Charterhouse of Parma" has recently been published in the Modern Library series? Visually, the front covers of the first two volumes of the series, "Bonaparte's Sons" and "Bonaparte's Invaders", are stunning.They reproduce details from marvelous 19th century paintings.The one on the third book, "Bonaparte's Conquerors", does not, and the difference is striking and disappointing. ... Read more

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Austelitz to Jena; Disageement and defeat of Prussia
This book is a useful, accurate and interesting story of parts of the Napoleonic story, not told in fiction elsewhere in any detail. It is a must read for anyone who wishes to have an on-the-ground view of the whole story of the Napoleonic Age.You can't tell the players without a scorecard, and no source but fiction can explore the era from the inside out.

This book begins with the end of Austerlitz, and concludes with the clearing smoke on the field at Jena.It is a sparsely explored story of the overall tales and so it wins praise just for filling a gap in the literature.

More to follow.

good for a non native reader
It is easy for a non native reader to read this book if you are familiar with Napoleonic military technical terms. ... Read more

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Three classic, heartwarming stories about belly bumps, babies and baby daddies!

The Way Home by Linda Howard

Anna Sharp risked her heart on a man who told her upfront he would never be more than her lover. But when Saxon Malone learned she was pregnant with his child, he found himself suddenly a father…and wanting more of Anna than he had ever imagined possible.

The Paternity Test by Sherryl Woods

The stick turned blue on Jane Dawson's pregnancy test just in time to stop her biological clock from running wild. But there was just one small problem—she'd unwittingly thrown her former flame into daddyhood!

A Stranger's Son by Emilie Richards

Devin Fitzgerald was a talented, successful rock musician…and thinking about a change. But he hadn't planned on the biggest change of all: fatherhood. Now he wanted to share the joys of raising his son—only, he'd have to convince Robin Lansing to let him into her life…and her heart. ... Read more

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Profiles a family of immigrants, the Preks, from Cambodia, struggling to make a better life for themselves as they embrace American culture while still treasuring much of their Cambodian heritage. ... Read more

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Balzac considered it the most important French novel of his time. André Gide later deemed it the greatest of all French novels, and Henry James judged it to be a masterpiece. Now, in a major literary event, Pulitzer Prize-winning poet and distinguished translator Richard Howard presents a new rendition of Stendhal's epic tale of romance, adventure, and court intrigue set in early nineteenth-century Italy.
        The Charterhouse of Parma chronicles the exploits of Fabrizio del Dongo, an ardent young aristocrat who joins Napoleon's army just before the Battle of Waterloo. Yet perhaps the novel's most unforgettable characters are the hero's beautiful aunt, the alluring Duchess of Sanseverina, and her lover, Count Mosca, who plot to further Fabrizio's political career at the treacherous court of Parma in a sweeping story that illuminates an entire epoch of European history.
        "Stendhal has written The Prince up to date, the novel that Machiavelli would write if he were living banished from Italy in the nineteenth century," noted Balzac in his famous review of The Charterhouse of Parma. "Never before have the hearts of princes, ministers, courtiers, and women been depicted like this. . . . One sees perfection in every detail. . . . [It] has the magnitude of a canvas fifty feet by thirty, and at the same time the manner, the execution, is Dutch in its minuteness. . . . The Charterhouse of Parma often contains a whole book in a single page. . . . It is a masterpiece."
        This edition includes original illustrations by Robert Andrew Parker and Notes and a Translator's Afterword by Richard Howard.Amazon.com Review
Officer, diplomat, spy, journalist, and intermittent genius,Marie Henri Beyle employed more than 200 aliases in the course of hiscrowded career. His most famous moniker, however, was Stendhal, whichhe affixed to his greatest work, The Charterhouse of Parma. Theauthor spent a mere seven weeks cranking out this marvel in 1838,setting the fictional equivalent of a land-speed record. To be honest,there are occasional signs of haste, during which he clearly bypassedle mot juste in favor of narrative zing. So what? Stendhal athis sloppiest is still wittier, and wiser about human behavior, thanjust about any writer you could name. No wonder so meticulous astylist as Paul Valéry was happy to forgive his sins againstFrench grammar: "We should never be finished with Stendhal. I canthink of no greater praise than that."

The plot of The Charterhouse of Parma suggests arun-of-the-mill potboiler, complete with court intrigue, militaryderring-do, and more romance than you can shake a saber at. ButStendhal had an amazing, pre-Freudian grasp of psychology (at leastthe Gallic variant). More than most of his contemporaries, heunderstood the incessant jostling of love, sex, fear, and ambition,not to mention our endless capacity for self-deception. No wonder hishero, Fabrizio de Dongo, seems to know everything and nothing abouthimself. Even under fire at the Battle of Waterloo, the young Fabriziohas a tendency to lose himself in Napoleonic reverie:

Suddenly everyone galloped off. A few moments laterFabrizio saw, twenty paces ahead, a ploughed field that seemed to bestrangely in motion; the furrows were filled with water, and the wetground that formed their crests was exploding into tiny blackfragments flung three or four feet into the air. Fabrizio noticed thisodd effect as he passed; then his mind returned to daydreams of theMarshal's glory. He heard a sharp cry beside him: two hussars hadfallen, riddled by bullets; and when he turned to look at them, theywere already twenty paces behind the escort.

Customer Reviews (36)

The Charterhouse of Parma
A very old edition.Marked "Not for resale".But readable. If I had known the condition I would probably bought another offering.The price was good.

Perhaps the sexiest novel ever written
The key to this novel, and why it has lasted for over 150 years, is like that of _The Red and The Black_:Because of their quick intelligence, the main characters see what they want and see what must be done, but are thwarted in their achievements because the times in which they live demand cunning without feeling, pragmatism without romance, and correct actions without sensory experience.And Stendhal's genius is that he puts imperfect characters into an imperfect world where all the possibilities seem to be in the future, not the present.

It should come as no surprise that a novel might be sexy because of the characters' internal conflicts within a setting as politically hot as 1820's Italy._Charterhouse_ is a dynamic mixture of the actions of people who are under pressure from political and personal forces while they attempt to rise above those forces with as much nobility of character as possible (given the incredible odds against them).The protagonist, Fabrizio del Dongo, has everything that fate could give a young man: aristocratic birth, wealth, good looks, health and energy, and a quick mind; but wherever he turns, he can't find the right career path.Sound familiar?The church and the military are not for him, and commerce is for the bourgeois, those who have steady business habits.As a result, Fabrizio has a knack for getting into trouble.And, he has talent for getting out of it, thanks to two women: the prison warden's beautiful daughter, Clelia, and his aunt, Gina del Dongo, the Duchess Sanseverina.One could say that _Charterhouse_ is also a novel about false imprisonment and incarceration.The jailers, or gaolers, play a huge role.

And it's about irony.The first time I read _Charterhouse_, twenty-five years ago, I don't recall picking up Stendhal's ironic comments.Now I do.In other words, Stendhal had to choose the omniscient narrator style in order to bring out every bit of irony, passion, and tragedy that was possible to perceive in the era in which he lived.The irony is a result of Stendhal's perception that there was a little bit of the hypocrite in everyone (unless you are a Quaker or Mennonite, people who don't figure here).There are shades of hypocrisy, and forgiveness must be in order.Fabrizio seems to live for the moment, and thus is never aware of irony, while Gina does what must be done at a particular moment to get what she wants, which is hypocritical in one instance, but she's primarily trying to keep Fabrizio alive and tied to her.

To me, the greatest creation in _Charterhouse_ is the Count Mosca della Rovere.Count Mosca is very much aware that he's a minister for a Prince who imprisons and executes intelligent men while rewarding schemers, but Stendhal's genius is to make Mosca aware that he has to act under dismal circumstances, intelligent when he needs to be, and able to avoid catering to his Prince's worst habits.Also Stendhal has Mosca be in love with Gina (a touching portrait of love) but with enough rationality to avoid ministerial blunders on account of her over-much concern for her nephew and her power with the Prince.Stendhal gives Mosca his own character faults, but gives him a characteristic which raises him above the crowd while saving him from being one of those ministers who gets poisoned or assassinated: He's willing to leave the Prince's employment at any time.His willingness to hand in his resignation is really what saves his character; an independently wealthy aristocrat, with his own identity, can say goodbye to employment at anytime.

Regarding the author:Stendhal turned himself inside out in everything he wrote.Like most of his characters--female or male--he had discovered as an adult that he had a passion for high-minded thought and deed in an era where petty tyranny and a police-state (run by Austria) were the norm.In the 1820s and `30s, most indications of what a stable democracy could be like promised only mediocrity.It seems to me the author struggled personally to find the space in which to live freely.He found that space somewhere between his escape from the state terrorism that would imprison him (the Austrian-dominated Italy) while following the highest expression of the human spirit in literary art.In 1839, only one thousand of the right people had to read a novel in order to make it last.The original print run of Charterhouse was only 1,200.Two of those people were Balzac and Prosper Merimee.

As a final note, I prefer Beyle's first masterpiece, _The Red and the Black_ because everything the author had to say about the post-Napoleanic era was focused directly on the working-class hero Julien Sorel (and Mathilde, too), whereas _Charterhouse_ has a broader range of topic and thus the power of the novel's discourse is dispersed on a broader stage.

The "Charterhouse" Conundrum
This will be mainly a note on translations--and a rather muddled one at that.

Years before I read "Charterhouse of Parma" I read "Red and Black," and one thing I noticed with that book, which I love, is what a tricky thing it is to translate Stendhal. I read the old Margaret Shaw translation in an old used Penguin--much maligned, just like her "Charterhouse" translation. But I found something odd: Shaw's very British failure to even try to approximate Stendhal's dash and offhand brio, his proto-modern style-of-no-style, actually worked well. Shaw concentrated only on faithfully conveying Stendhal's sense, and so in spite of her mid-twentieth century educated British English, Stendhal's authorial voice came through beautifully. She didn't get his literary style but she caught his thought on the wing, and in "Red & Black" that's what really matters.

But in "Charterhouse," literary style is really inseparable from the work. For this deconstructed medieval fairytale set among the reactionary, repressive, collapsing aristocracies of revolutionary Europe, Stendhal employed a self-consciously traditional tale-teller's style, yet laced through with his own ironic realism. That hybrid/clash of styles is crucial, since it embodies Stendhal's vision of a modern Europe groaningly aborning amid its contradictions: for example, say, in expressing the delicious mash-up of incongruities between that old staple of Euro-tales, the humble subject approaching the throne of the king for a favor, and the shockingly novel, psychologically and politically realistic use Stendhal makes of that received form here. This is the thrilling birth of modern literature, and the presentational voice really matters. And is really hard to get right, judging from the translation attempts I've tried.

So, to cases: I started out with Richard Howard, having heard his was a great new translation. (This was the late '90s.) Ouch! I found him unreadable. Howard was unwise enough to try what Shaw had foregone, a writerly re-creation in English. But he seems not to have gotten Stendhal at all, or was arrogant enough to think he could just re-write the book. Stay away! No Stendhal here. I put "Charterhouse" down for five years.

But I really wanted to read it, so I went back--to trusty Margaret Shaw. But I soon recognized what I noted above: what had worked for "Red and Black" wasn't working for "Charterhouse." Here there WAS a strong if elusive literary style, and Shaw wasn't getting it across.

So I picked up Margaret Mauldon's Oxford translation (I'd read her "Madame Bovary" and liked it, and was thinking Flaubert>Stendhal, that might work)--and that was more like it. Mauldon gets Stendhal, she's very close to his style. And yet...this was more the Stendhal of "Red and Black." Almost hard-boiled. Mauldon was missing a certain romantic warmth (very un-Stendhalian, I know, but there's a bittersweet sense of romance--ironic, satirized, yet almost desperate romance in "Charterhouse")...and so I actually found myself going back and forth between Shaw and Mauldon, sometimes able between them to catch what felt like the real Stendhal, often, not really. So finally, determined to get closer, during the last 100 pages (!), I tried the new Penguin Sturrock.

I think it's the best I found--more like Mauldon than Shaw, but less cool than Mauldon. Sturrock is sure-footed, and gets something fairly close, one feels, to Stendhal's tone and rhythms. Fairly close...

So, finally, I think I'd recommend Sturrock. But is it...the true "Charterhouse"? No, I don't think so. Maybe you should go to the library and check out several versions, if you can, and read twenty-five pages of each. See which reads right(est) for you.

"Charterhouse" is a fascinatingly elusive beast, and in the end the truth may be that it's just untranslatable. But well worth reading!

Learn French?

A BAS MONCRIEFF!
C.K. Scott-Moncrieff's disastrous translations of Stendhal are still available in Everyman's Library and you should avoid them like the plague. What Moncrieff did to Proust was bad enough, but his Stendhal was even worse. Stendhal should read like dry champagne in a crystal flute, but Montcrief turns him into cheap cough syrup. This Edwardian queen made all his defenseless authors read like him. The translators of choice here are Raffel for Red & Black and Howard for Parma. Consign Moncrieff to the dustbin of translators!

What Did I Miss?
Wow - definitely a minority here since everyone else totally dug the book.Puzzling.I love historical fiction, especially about England or Italy.The description on the back was mouthwatering.

It's certainly not the antiquated narrative tone - Oliver Twist, The Fifth Queen, Barnaby Rudge, Wives and Daughters (excellent!!), Dracula...no problem with any of them.

I didn't finish the book - think it was around page 70 or so I decided to drop it. Couldn't tell you why.Just found it tedious and uninteresting.LOTS of description and long solid paragraphs maybe? ... Read more

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In Urban Sprawl and Public Health, three of the nation's leading public health and urban planning experts explore an intriguing question: How does the physical environment in which we live affect our health? For decades, growth and development in our communities has been of the low-density, automobile-dependent type known as sprawl. The authors examine the direct and indirect impacts of sprawl on human health and well-being, and discuss the prospects for improving public health through alternative approaches to design, land use, and transportation. Urban Sprawl and Public Health offers a comprehensive look at the interface of urban planning, architecture, transportation, community design, and public health. It summarizes the evidence linking adverse health outcomes with sprawling development, and outlines the complex challenges of developing policy that promotes and protects public health. Anyone concerned with issues of public health, urban planning, transportation, architecture, or the environment will want to read this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Compelling book that challenges convention
The authors have brought together several disciplines in a compelling and convincing narrative that links the importance of urban planning for healthy living.The book contains striking data, stories and photos that show how closely the rise in obesity, diabetes and asthma (to name a few) have been linked to increasing urban sprawl.One of the main results of urban sprawl is increased time spent driving which not only increases stress but the time spent in gridlock traffic reduces family time and community involvement.The result of spending so much time commuting is much more severe than many people realize because it results in exhausted, anxious and stressed people who have little time to their children and neighbors, or in the language of the book "social capital." I highly recommend this book for anyone who seeks to see healthier cities that are designed for people rather than cars.

An excellent review of the science linking sprawl & public health
This book provides an excellent overview of the science linking sprawl and public health that will be useful to both public health professionals less familiar with planning and planners less familiar with public health.Dr. Frumkin's message is clear: urban sprawl is having a detrimental impact on many aspects of public health.However, his tone remains objective and hence more useful.Moreover, the references alone make the book a very valuable text for all professionals working in this area.

Public Health input essential for Urban Planning
The Europeans are way ahead of our efforts to consider health issues in the urban planning process. This book provides a history and direction to address urban sprawl and understand well the health implications of reckless or solely market-driven city planning. After all, no built community will have sustainability, if its populations are at risk for chronic and acute illness.

Presented are the ingredients to make our cities safer and livable.This is a must read for City Planners, County officials, and anyone interested in cleaning up our urban communities with an eye toward social equity and environmental justice.MJY

The dis ease of living in the US
The costs of sprawl are enormous.This book describes the costs in terms of many different types of public health measurements.If you haven 't thought about sprawl, this is a good place to start.It is chilling to think about how many physical, emotional, psychological and medical ramifications there are to the US automobile lifestyle.The price to degradation of the planet was not discussed in depth but that too would make you think about our legacy of our lifestyle to the quality of our planet for future generations. I am encouraged that the topic is being developed.The automobile lifestyle is addictive and to change it will require a paradigm shift.The shift starts with organized discussions and lucidly presented data.This book is excellent on both accounts.

reasonably well done
A broad (though not particularly deep) guide to the public health problems associated with sprawl, including: (1) the air pollution caused by sprawl-induced auto traffic, (2) the health consequences of the reduction in walking caused by automobile dependency, (3) injuries and deaths from auto traffic, (4) water quality problems associated with suburban development, (5) the alleged intangible costs of automobile dependency (e.g. driving-induced stress, the isolation of nondrivers).None of these issues are addressed in enormous detail; for example, the book occasionally mentions pro-sprawl counterarguments, but does not fully address them.But then again, each of these topics could probably justify a separate book. ... Read more

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A close advisor of Howard Hughes offers an intimate look at the eccentric multimillionaire's final years, discussing his legendary paranoia, business deals, political influence, and more. $40,000 ad/promo. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

EXCELLENT BOOK!
After reading the obituary about the fascinating life of Robert Maheu several weeks ago, I purchased this book.I'm glad that I did! This book is a real page turner.Maheu's first hand account of his job with Howard Hughes is unbelievable!I felt as though I was there with Maheu as he became rich and famous and then hit the low points when he was fired.Maheu overcame so much adversity after he was fired by suffering depression, mouth cancer and a heart attack, in addition to the litigation brought by the IRS and government against him.Through it all, he never gave up and he succeeded again!Robert Maheu's life and comeback is inspiring!!!However, Howard Hughes life was a nightmare!I couldn't believe that those who supposedly were "caring for him" let him die the way he did.They used him to spend his money while the poor man didn't know what was going on.What a sad life he led secluded and in bed.Maheu's message to interact with people really inspired me.Maheu was a real networker and he made lots of friends, in addition to his wonderful family.Howard Hughes had no friends or family and as a result, his employees treated him terribly.If he had a family, they would have gotten him the treatment that he so desperately needed.This is a great book!!!I could not put this book down!

Somewhat revealing but disappointing and one-sided.
Robert Maheu gives a one-sided view of his reign under Howard Hughes downplaying his "sins" in my opinion and never really coming to grips with his abuse of power and lack of character. I suspect that what hedid reveal is mostly because he was caught with his pants down.Nevertheless, I still found it interesting in helping to piece together theHoward Hughes enigma. I learned much more from reading "CitizenHughes". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

simple symbolic language
Beutiful poetic introspection--"nothing discourges thought so much as this perpetual blue sky" "the seeker must abjure, must disdain culture, propriety, rules."As Michel recovers and comes alive through humanity, although imperfect and often disorderly while Marceline perishes as her rosary falls....This book reminds me alot of The picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, only alot more subtle and symbolic.

Well written, but falls short
A common ploy in literature is to hook the reader with an early confession of guilt- i.e. the narrator admits to some horrible act- without revealing the specific details of the act.Then, over the course of the book, the narrator tells his tale and slowly puts together the pieces of the puzzle which predictably concludes with the horrible act which has been hinted at but never fully disclosed.When used successfully, this ploy propels the reader forward and results in a satisfying experience from start to finish.When used unsuccessfully, this ploy also propels the reader forward only upon reaching the climax, the reader does not feel so fulfilled.
"The Immoralist", while well-written and worthy of discussion, ultimately falls into the latter category.The book starts off with the narrator's close friends gathering to hear a sordid tale from Michel, the narrator himself.We are not told what horrible act precipitates this meeting, but the bait has been set and the story begins.Michel is a bookworm, kind of a loner, who falls into an arranged marriage only to experience real love for the first time shortly thereafter.Unfortunately, Michel also becomes gravely ill, causing him to question his whole life and what it means.Upon recovering from his illness, Michel, dragging his wife along with him, sets upon a series of brief "life adventures" in which he finds happiness in a variety of different ways- ogling young boys, poaching his own wildlife, obsessing over intelligent young men with strong philosophical ideas.A strong current of existentialism underlies Michel's acts as he seeks and contemplates the meaning of life and what it means to be happy.
Ultimately, the horrible act which Michel commits is, by today's standards, nothing much.Even in the context of this book, however, Gide treats the atrocities which Michel supposedly commits in such a roundabout way that they do not come across as that horrible.In a way, this serves as a testament to Gide's writing- the existential arguments put forth through his characters are convincing enough to not cast guilt on any of these same character's actions.Unfortunately, considering the hype given Michel's tale early in the work, the sense of disappointment is inevitable.
Andre Gide is a great writer and while reading this book, one will not be bored.As a piece of fiction that will be long remembered once the book is put down, however, this book fails.

Happiness does not come off the peg...
...it has to be made to measure.
Gide's 1902 novel makes a strong statement on individualism.
A `simple' story, told in simple straight language.
Rich young nerd (Michel) without interest in women (or in men, so far) marries to please his dying father. Goes on honeymoon trip to North Africa, falls ill with tuberculosis, barely survives, and then, during reconvalescence, learns to live, to appreciate life, finds a new self, which leads him away from old habits and old convictions. This is a strong part, but it must be said that there is a distinct, if not explicit pedophile strain in Michel's revival.
On the way home via Italy he comes closer to his wife, who has been nursing him loyally during his illness, without much attention by the patient. She even becomes pregnant, so that they look forward to a `normal' life. They spend time on their farm in Normandy, then in their Paris apartment, but Michel drops out: he has lost the ability to function in his old role. He quits his lecturing job; he sells his farm after bouts with low lives.
The wife falls ill, has a miscarriage, they travel again; finally back to Tunisia... happiness is not to be found. Michel's tendency to drift off to darker worlds becomes stronger. After his wife dies, Michel reaches the end of his tether. Knowing how to free oneself is nothing; the difficult thing is knowing how to live with that freedom.

Structurally, the narration is first person by Michel, but wrapped in a fiction that he tells his story and his predicament to some friends of his, who come to see him in Tunisia.
I was motivated to try Gide again (after over 40 years, hadn't read him since high school, and did not keep such great recollections) by his friendship with Conrad. However similarities in narrative style or content are negligible.
The Penguin edition that I read has this to say on the back: A frank defense of homosexuality and a challenge to prevailing ethical concepts...
Hmm. Is it possible that even Penguin editors don't read the books that they praise? Where is the `frank defense'? There is nothing frank in this book, probably with good reason. It was 1902 after all. There is no explicitness. We need to guess what Michel is doing. What we see is this: his new found attitudes don't seem to make him happier.
That is not a criticism of the novel, but of the simplifiers.

While reading this, I was torn between respect for the man's struggles, his attempts to be decent, i.e. not all that much of an immoralist, on one side, and rejecting his spineless lack of direction on the other. The man is a pushover. Once he drops out of his world of respectability, he loses solid ground under his feet.
A strong novel about a weak man.

Freedom vs. responsibility
Having faced his mortality following a bout with tuberculosis, scholar Michel resolves to live a more "authentic" life, obeying the dictates of his heart rather than the repressive strictures of society.

For me, the fascinating tension in this novel concerns the balance between selfish egotism and one's responsibility to others.Andre Gide's presentation of illness is compelling and horrifying, offering a plausible catalyst for Michel's decision to change his life in fundamental ways.It is easy to sympathize with him as he struggles to rearrange his priorities, particularly considering that he is clearly a repressed homosexual living during oppressive times who feels compelled to marry a woman he doesn't love.However, he loses sympathy when he repays her attentive nursing during his own illness by dragging her about on a debilitating journey when she herself becomes sick.In my view, Michel emerges as a cautionary figure.Everyone would like to live a life unencumbered by expectations from others, but the ultimate test of character lies in recognizing the line between legitimate personal freedom and reckless disregard of other people.I fear that Michel failed his test.

Intelligent, engaging, and enjoyable.
THE IMMORALIST (written in 1902) is a predecessor, both chronologically, literarily, and intellectually, to central works such as Nietzche's WILL TO POWER (1903), Albert Camus' THE FALL (1956), among others.If you have already read the nihilists, existentialists, and absurdists, this work is particularly interesting given its influence on Camus and Sartre, particularly.If you have not, Gide's THE IMMORALIST provides an excellent entry point into these distinct philosophical areas.THE IMMORALIST has considerable depth.Gide wrote in the preface to the Vintage edition (Paul Howard translator): "One may without too much conceit, I think, prefer the risk of failing to interest the moment by what is genuinely interesting -- to beguiling momentarily a public fond of trash."Gide did tackle the genuinely interesting.

Structurally, the novel is interesting in that most of the novel is told in the first person from the perspective of Michel. However, Michel's narrative is related to us secondhand through one of his friends. The novel begins with a letter from one friend of Michel's to a government official. The short letter poses an opening question: "Can we accommodate so much intelligence, so much strength-or must we refuse them any place among us?"

While the question is posed in the context of a letter examining whether Michel could be of use to the state, Gide is really asking the reader about such supermen and society.Gide does not answer the question. As he explained: "I wanted to write this book neither as an indictment of Michel nor as an apology, and I have taken care not to pass judgment."

The text of the letter is followed by a purportedly verbatim account by Michel.Michel's account begins with his marriage to Marceline, a woman towards whom he felt "tenderness" and "a kind of pity" rather than love.While in a small desert town, Michel contracts tuberculosis.Marceline dutifully nurses him back to health.Michel's illness renews his passion for living:"Now I would make the thrilling discovery of life."during his recovery, he decides he must redefine "Good" and "Right" to mean "whatever was healthy for [him]."He rejects his formerly bookish ways and sets out to define a new path, wringing from life what pleasure he can.

When his health improves enough to leave his sickbed, he discovers that Marceline has been become acquainted with a group of local boys.He starts avoiding Marceline's company in favor of the company of the boys. The boys are, after all, vigorously alive and youthful.This trend is repeated in numerous locales, where Michel finds someone new and, in their way, exotic to him.His friendships usually involve breaking social mores and, often, the law.

Michel spends the rest of the novel exploring the world and his newfound philosophy of life. For Michel, "sensation was becoming as powerful as thoughts." Gide magnificently manages Michel's transformation from a dependable, bookish man of means to a rather self-centered, erratic, pleasure-seeker. But Michel's pleasure-seeking is not simple hedonism, he is trying to navigate between living in the past (as in his previous vocation as scholar of history) and living only for the future.A man Michel meets, Menalque, encourages Michel to adopt his own philosophy:

"I create each hour's newness by forgetting yesterday completely. Having been happy is never enough for me. I don't believe in dead things. What's the difference between no longer being and never having been?"

Gide never spells out whether Michel answers this or any of the other questions so adroitly presented.Readers are left to ponder the weighty issues raised for themselves.This is an idea-driven novel.However, there are compelling plot points throughout, which I will not ruin by detailing.The book is a quick read.

THE IMMORALIST has the potential to be life changing in ways that few books are.Gide's Nobel Prize for Literature was well-deserved. ... Read more

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novel, tr Richard Howard, Prix du Premier Roman Amazon.com Review
Christophe Bataille's first novel, the jewel-like Annam, wonFrance's Prix du Premier Roman in 1993, when he was only21. Hourmaster is his third novel, and he continues to deliverhis exquisite prose in small doses, belying the brevity of his workwith the depth of his imagination.

Sometime in the 17th century,Duke Gonzaga, who remains massively indifferent to the entropy thatsurrounds him, rules over an unnamed and decaying French port. TheDuke tries to relieve his boredom by sleeping with hisladies-in-waiting and throwing decadent parties, but he only findspurpose when the 218 clocks that measure the slow passage of time inthe palace begin to run down. More fable than novel, Hourmasteris a richly evocative work, echoing the Fisher King myth, the work ofEdgar Allen Poe, and Mervyn Peake's Gormenghast novels, whileretaining its own unique voice. Great things come in small packages. ... Read more

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A Dark, Twisting and Pointless Story
A decaying duchy in 17th century France is the setting of this book. Theduchy remains unnamed and is only referred to as "the City" or"the Realm" throughout the entire book. The duchy's sovereign,Duke Gonzaga, rules with a slack and indifferent hand, preferring thepursuit the City's young maidens than the restoration the City's formerglory. Inside the Duke's palace, the passage of time is marked by theticking of 218 clocks, maintained by the Duke's hourmaster.

After hisfirst hourmaster vanishes and the second flees to escape an unspoken doomhe senses in the City, Duke Gonzaga finally hires Arturo, better known asGog. With the arrival of Gog, the City's atmosphere begins to change as ifit has been given a second chance at glory. At the same time, Gog and DukeGonzaga strike up an unlikely friendship. These events, however, are shortlived and the events of the book take on a much more sinister tone.

Thebasic plot sounds very intriguing, but I was sorely disappointed by thetime I finished the book. The plot is often confusing and the events thereader is writing about often seem to bear no relation at all to the book.I am not against subtle plots, but the pieces of the puzzle simply did notfit together. This led a disjointed story with foreign bits of informationjust thrown in.

I still had hope for the end, expecting a shockingsecret or dramatic event to be played out. The end might be dramatic andsignificant, but again, I do not understand how it fits in with the rest ofthe story or why things happened the way they did. Unfortunately, readersare never privy to the motivations and thoughts of the characters.

Thebook's sole redeeming quality is that the author did do an excellent job ofcreating an atmospheric setting. You can almost feel a chill imaging theCity's dark, damp winding streets. Although I applaud the author for this,it is not enough to save the sagging and pointless story. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Not worth it
Unless you really like Howard Hodgkins' work, don't bother.I don't like it, especially after reading this book. ... Read more

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Dorothea Tanning, who was born in 1910 in Galesburg, a town on the Illinois prairie, is one of America’s major surrealist artists.She first came to fame in the 1940s when she showed in the gallery of Julien Levy, New York’s preeminent dealer of surrealism.However, in the 1950s she felt a growing need to move beyond the prevailing idiom of surrealist representation. She describes what happened: “Around 1955 my canvases literally splintered . . . I broke the mirror, you might say.”The resulting paintings are vibrant with faceted colors and shifting spaces. The Insomnias — the group takes its name from a painting of the same title that Tanning made in 1957 — are forays into the realm of conjured energies; they represent a vigorous expansion of form and content at a crucial historical moment that continues to reverberate today.Charles Stuckey describes these “seemingly multidimensional mindspaces” as “among the most ambitious and sophisticated paintings to address the dilemmas of imagination and culture in a new atomic, space-race age.” ... Read more

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Surrealist's Retrospective
Beautifully designed and illustrated little hardcover book-lots of very well reproduced colour plates of her paintings "Insomnias" 1954-1965 and an informative documentary text with many rare b&w photos. This 1st edition limited to 2000 copies is an unmissable addition to any surrealist library! Highly recommended!

Amazing!!!!!!!!!!
A very comprehensive overview of this particular body of works made by Dorothea Tanning.The color reproductions of the paintings are beautiful! ... Read more

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Considered by Gide to be the most important of his books, this slim, exquisitely crafted volume consists of four dialogues on the subject of homosexuality and its place in society.

Published anonymously in bits and pieces between 1911 and 1920, Corydon first appeared in a signed, commercial edition in France in 1924 and in the United States in 1950, the year before Gide's death. The present edition features the impeccable translation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Richard Howard.

In spirited dialogue with his bigoted, boorish interviewer, Corydon marshals evidence from naturalists, historians, poets, and philosophers to support his contention that homosexuality pervaded the most culturally and artistically advanced civilizations, from Greece in the age of Pericles to Renaissance Italy and England in the age of Shakespeare. Although obscured by later critics, literature and art from Homer to Titian proclaim the true nature of relationships between such lovers as Achilles and Patrocles--not to mention Virgil's mythical Corydon and his shepherd, Alexis. The evidence, Corydon suggests, points to heterosexuality as a socially constructed union, while the more fundamental, natural relation is the homosexual one.

"My friends insist that this little book is of the kind which will do me the greatest harm," Gide wrote of his Corydon. In these pages, contemporary readers will find a prescient and courageous treatment of a topic that has scarcely become less controversial. ... Read more

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A quick amusing read
A quick, amusing read, but not Gide's best work.The work doesn't have the same subjective character studies I've grown to love, but rather readslike a scientific paper written by a skeptical college student. Nonetheless, it is a landmark work in gay literature and so I gave it 4stars instead of the 3 it actually earned. ... Read more

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A beautiful novel of memory, youth, and old age, from the Nobel Prize-winner.

Claude Simon, a Nobel Prize-winning author and cultural icon in France, here presents a Proustian novel, exquisitely intermingling the memories of youth and old age. His madeleine is the trolley of the book's title, the transport that took him to and from school every morning of his childhood. As the book progresses, we move from childhood into old age, and our narrator is now on a different form of transport, a mobile hospital bed, beginning a different voyage into old age. When coincidences unite the two trajectories, the story becomes a fugue of memory that has delighted critics and made the book a bestseller in France. ... Read more