I have read Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) a number of times and in a number of translations. I am always stymied by the translations; they cI have read Les Fleurs du Mal (The Flowers of Evil) a number of times and in a number of translations. I am always stymied by the translations; they can seem to be a world apart from the original - though I can kind of follow French comparing the translation to the original, there is no way I can read this in it's original language.
Poetry is the original - and full frontal exposed - autobiography. Where else do we find the author shows him/herself so completely in body, mind and soul?
Here is an original Baudelaire followed by what seems to ME to be the most accurate translation:
Ange plein de gaieté, connaissez-vous l'angoisse, La honte, les remords, les sanglots, les ennuis, Et les vagues terreurs de ces affreuses nuits Qui compriment le coeur comme un papier qu'on froisse? Ange plein de gaieté, connaissez-vous l'angoisse?
Ange plein de bonté, connaissez-vous la haine, Les poings crispés dans l'ombre et les larmes de fiel, Quand la Vengeance bat son infernal rappel, Et de nos facultés se fait le capitaine? Ange plein de bonté connaissez-vous la haine?
Ange plein de santé, connaissez-vous les Fièvres, Qui, le long des grands murs de l'hospice blafard, Comme des exilés, s'en vont d'un pied traînard, Cherchant le soleil rare et remuant les lèvres? Ange plein de santé, connaissez-vous les Fièvres?
Ange plein de beauté, connaissez-vous les rides, Et la peur de vieillir, et ce hideux tourment De lire la secrète horreur du dévouement Dans des yeux où longtemps burent nos yeux avide! Ange plein de beauté, connaissez-vous les rides?
Ange plein de bonheur, de joie et de lumières, David mourant aurait demandé la santé Aux émanations de ton corps enchanté; Mais de toi je n'implore, ange, que tes prières, Ange plein de bonheur, de joie et de lumières!
Reversibility
Angel full of gaiety, do you know anguish, Shame, remorse, sobs, vexations, And the vague terrors of those frightful nights That compress the heart like a paper one crumples? Angel full of gaiety, do you know anguish?
Angel full of kindness, do you know hatred, The clenched fists in the darkness and the tears of gall, When Vengeance beats out his hellish call to arms, And makes himself the captain of our faculties? Angel full of kindness, do you know hatred?
Angel full of health, do you know Fever, Walking like an exile, moving with dragging steps, Along the high, wan walls of the charity ward, And with muttering lips seeking the rare sunlight? Angel full of health, do you know Fever?
Angel full of beauty, do you know wrinkles, The fear of growing old, and the hideous torment Of reading in the eyes of her he once adored Horror at seeing love turning to devotion? Angel full of beauty, do you know wrinkles?
Angel full of happiness, of joy and of light, David on his death-bed would have appealed for health To the emanations of your enchanted flesh; But of you, angel, I beg only prayers, Angel full of happiness, of joy and of light!
This is really excellent! Another uncommon subject and a real historian writing it. At no point did my howler sensors quiver, which means that even ifThis is really excellent! Another uncommon subject and a real historian writing it. At no point did my howler sensors quiver, which means that even if Ms Bard made any, her writing was good enough to override them. I will be after her other books immediately and am uttering my usual glad cry to a favourite author (yes, favourite - on the basis of just one book): Please write faster!...more
Based on Marie de France's 13th century poem Lai de Bisclavret, I had previously taken this out of the library and not read it. Then I read another ofBased on Marie de France's 13th century poem Lai de Bisclavret, I had previously taken this out of the library and not read it. Then I read another of Gillian Bradshaw's excellent HF novels and I got it out again and loved it. It is beautifully written and her characterisation is always compelling: a charming story....more
Another historical hero of mine. Van Gogh is possibly the most original painter in history (my opinion) and certainly one of the most influential. HowAnother historical hero of mine. Van Gogh is possibly the most original painter in history (my opinion) and certainly one of the most influential. How surprised he would have been to know that! The novel is a fairly quiet story in which he features almost as an aside - it tells the story of the resolution of the marriage of Jeanne and Charles Trebuc, whose portraits Vincent painted during his stay at the asylum in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence. This is of course purely a fictional account though the details involving van Gogh appear to be mainly accurate and include direct quotes from his letters. As an examination of what does not get said between a couple in the course of a long marriage and the effect when it finally gets said this is a quiet but meaningful psychological picture. Jeanne and Charles are both very real characters and likable too.
No fireworks here but worth reading even if van Gogh means nothing to you....more
We have a distance now from WWII and forget, perhaps, the horrors that occurred. Some of them we 'never' knew because they were politically suppressedWe have a distance now from WWII and forget, perhaps, the horrors that occurred. Some of them we 'never' knew because they were politically suppressed. This was most true in France where there had been a war-long schism as France divided along the Vichy line into Vichy France and the Zone Libre. After the war it was seen as imperative to quickly create a sense of unity as a nation, to which end a lot of things were swept under a metaphorical carpet. The events of this book form part of that, partly because they involved women and partly because De Gaulle wished for a national amnesia about Franco-German cooperation, preferring to promote an image of brave freedom fighters (the Resistance) betrayed by a mere handful of 'traitors', thus placing France on the side of the angels (that is, the winners). Had events gone the other way I am sure he would have as eagerly promoted the opposite myth.
The writing is a bit stiff but all the same most affecting; who could not be distressed by the torments these brave women went through, leading ultimately to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Some survived the war. These formed a part of a huge, often-forgotten group of deportees to the concentration camps; while Jews were the main target and well-documented, there were other groups who the Nazis wanted 'disappeared' - Romani, physical and intellectual 'cripples', homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, Poles in general (so that Aryans would have the space) and the Polish Underground, multi-faith priests and pastors, 'intelligentsia' from many countries and 'dissidents' generally, usually categorised as Communists. Black people were to be sterilised (and presumably returned to slavery).
The more one discovers about the dreadful cruelties practiced by the Nazis in these camps, the more thankful one has to be that they failed, ultimately. Books like this must continue to be written, must continue to inform us, must continue to bring to life what happened
I think this is Stephanie Dray's best book yet and she is a favourite of mine (her HF, that is). This is really, really good. I take note tha5.5 stars
I think this is Stephanie Dray's best book yet and she is a favourite of mine (her HF, that is). This is really, really good. I take note that she is a joint author with Laura Kamoie, a historian. I have history with authors claiming to be historians but I believe this one! The research is impeccable. I am no expert - almost a beginner in fact - in this period, or in American history at all - but I am pretty expert in looking for detail and authenticity; there's plenty of that in here and included in such a natural way that the reader never feels lectured.
It's one of those books that seems to be slow - until you realise you are holding your breath in anticipation of what is going to happen......this happened so many times I am amazed because throughout I never lost the feeling it was a gentle domestic kind of story; to me that is genius storytelling. Jefferson is portrayed warts and all but with a sympathetic touch. The characterisation throughout was convincing and had an authentic voice.
So, my congratulations to both authors! This seems like a great collaborative team. Historical fiction at its best, do go on and read it!
Fabulously descriptive and evocative of the markets whether describing the revolting or the luscious. Not a book to read when hungry as there is so muFabulously descriptive and evocative of the markets whether describing the revolting or the luscious. Not a book to read when hungry as there is so much glorious food involved! Ultimately a parable on the relative value of different roles to society - and the values perceived by the author do not correspond to the ascribed values society actually bestows....more
Read to complete the translated set - very frustrating as the other 'half' of this was never translated.Read to complete the translated set - very frustrating as the other 'half' of this was never translated....more
The first, apparently, of a trilogy. Oh dear! Yes, it says historical fiction but
BUT
why write pretend fiction about a 2.5 stars - I couldn't make it 3
The first, apparently, of a trilogy. Oh dear! Yes, it says historical fiction but
BUT
why write pretend fiction about a known (and self diarised) historical figure? The story is good enough as it was but the whole dramatica about Le Sèvre pervades the story. And she's running around Paris as if it were possible for a girl of her family to do so. She's big on self-delusion too!
Most of this novel, despite the historical record, if just made up. Glenn would have been better to model a heroine on Vigée Le Brun than to write twaddle about her life. Tut! And also Tsk!
Further complaint: i) terrible printing, ii) atrocious editing, iii) inept writing, iv) invented words (who does she thing she is - Shelley?), Author cannot decide whether to 'write forsoothly' or make the language modern and so makes the worse errors in both. v) tedious stereotyping espec. wicked stepfather. vi) altered time frame.
Perhaps Ms Glenn's greatest misfortune was that Vigée Le Brun is a painter I admire. She was the first successful woman painter I came across in my teens and she was a masterly portraitist, though very feminine in her touch. Her fabric textures, so important to the visual look of that period, entice me to touch. Above all, she broke to mould and became a professional artist at a time when women were imprisoned (as good as) by the men whose chattels they were and so very few women ever got to develop talent - against which later misogynists attempted to justify that women are naturally inferior and cannot produce art - or anything other than babies. So, those few who did were precious to me.
So, I am saddened - and no little maddened - to find an admired painter treated like this. I doubt I will be reading the next two. I do wish she has chosen to write fiction based on Vigée Le Brun. I would have had no quarrel with that....more
This takes place mainly on board a ship with much misunderstanding between the two groups of people contained within it. I thought the author was goinThis takes place mainly on board a ship with much misunderstanding between the two groups of people contained within it. I thought the author was going to drag on the main protagonist's failure to recognise Rescator for who he is but she put them out of their misery fairly promptly - to replace it with a bit more, naturally! This series remains surprisingly readable if one accepts the heroic or superhuman status of the hero and heroine (especially the latter).
After all, that's what heroes are, no? It's no different to Jack Reacher, really :)...more
Looks like nonsense but a damn good read and historically not bad at all! I expected to be far more picky with it than I was in my early teens (when lLooks like nonsense but a damn good read and historically not bad at all! I expected to be far more picky with it than I was in my early teens (when last read) but there really was no need. Especially fascinated by some of the means of expression in English by which translation as close to the text as possible (I have to assume) was achieved; the vocabulary used was far greater than the average English writer uses. Overall - no standard bodice ripper, actually; this deserves to be taken more seriously....more
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