Le Silence de la Mer

par Vercors (Jean Bruller) 1942

Published covertly in Nazi-occupied France, this was a publication for the French people, a sort of “guide for la Resistance” to this country still dazed from the invasion.  There were underground publications of newspapers but Vercors approached a publisher to do this larger project.  It is a short story, only 50 pages, but still very good and with psychological depth.

The story enfolds as two lower soldiers examine the narrator’s house.  Several comings and goings later a soldier tells the man and his niece that there will be an officer staying in their house.  When they meet him he is actually fluent in French and very polite.  Still, neither the niece nor the narrator utter a word or even acknowledge him.  This was the start of an unspoken agreement that they would continue their lives as usual as if he had never came.

One night there is a snowy-rain outside.  The officer does not come in like he usually does, but after a while they hear his uneven steps in the hallway and he enters wearing civilian clothes.  He warms himself by the fire and begins talking to them about himself.  This is the beginning of a long, thoroughly one-sided dialogue that happens every night, where he tells them about his dreams, his loves and his philosophies.  It turns out he is a composer who has loved France from afar for his whole life.  He believes that the invasion will begin a great union between France and Germany and that the war will cause “the sun to rise over Europe.”  He regards the niece as a metaphor for France.  The silence in the house exists always.

After a time, he has the opportunity to go to Paris to witness what he thinks will be the marriage/union between the two countries.  But, when he returns he no longer comes to see them.  Finally he comes, this time in a uniform and utterly changed.  In Paris they laughed at him and his idealism.  They said there was no union between France and Germany; they were going to conquer the beast and suck out its soul like venom.  They planned to destroy everything that the officer loved.  But worst of all, these words came from a fellow artist, a poet who he had studied and traveled with since they were young, someone he saw as a brother.

When he comes to explain this to the narrator and his niece, he is a soldier once more and a broken man.  The reader can see from his involuntary movements how he tries to hold in all of his emotions and grief.  He has asked to be reassigned to Russia, a hell, but one easier than the one he is in now.  As he leaves he says Adieu while looking at the niece and waits in the doorway for her response.  His France breaks the silence and acknowledges him as a human being with a responding Adieu.  He’s gone the next morning and the sun is paler in the sky.

Very excellent book that should be read for its quality and to enjoy in the intricacies of its symbolism and character interactions, as well as for its greater message.

The second [introduction] by Brown, explores the eloquent symbolism of silence, its politics, its aesthetics and the sensory and kinetic codes through which it is constructed, tending though to hint that the key to intelligibility lies in the biography of the author.

Michael Kelly, University of Southampton, French History Journal

(If you want to read this in English, Michael Kelly also recommends Put out the light; a translation by Cyril Connolly, London, Macillan, 1944.)

The film (2004) is very loosely based on the book.  In the film the emphasis is totally on the relationship between the niece and the officer and it has switched narrators from hearing the thoughts of the uncle to following the niece around all day.  It tries to encompass too much of the situation in France, deviating from the story line for long periods of time.

Queen of Babble

by Meg Cabot

From Booklist: “Lizzie Nichols, a fashion-history major, wants nothing more than to graduate college and then fly off to London to be with her boyfriend, Andy. But at her graduation party, Lizzie finds out that she can’t graduate until she writes a senior thesis. And when she lands in London, Andy turns out to be a liar, gambler, and a fashion disaster. Lizzie, stuck in London with a nonchangeable ticket home, escapes Andy via the Chunnel in hopes that her friend Shari, who is catering weddings for the summer at a French chateau, can help. On the train, Lizzie meets a stranger, Jean-Luc, and spills everything that has happened, only to find out that he is the son of the chateau’s owner. At the chateau, Lizzie continues to babble when she shouldn’t, ticking off Jean-Luc, shocking his mother, and upsetting a bride. Will she ever learn to keep her mouth shut?”

Warning, this book lives up to its name.  At times Lizzie’s internal babbling was so distracting I would lose the real conversation.  But I’m sure this was intended, just like in real life when we talk to ourselves and get lost in our own thoughts sometimes we look up and the scenery has changed.  One place though that irked me was when she was illusioning that Luke was a kidnapper/murder preying on innocent travelers.  It’s like, come on, even YOU should be able to see that you will end up together!

But, Lizzie does have a very big heart, and her mouth runs amuck with only the best intentions.  It ends splendidly and there are sequels to be had!

This novel is aimed at an older reader base then Cabot’s Princess Diaries.  Character development was so-so, originality was pretty good, overall enjoyment was good, there were plenty of laugh out loud moments, the ending is awesome.  Voice is better than some of Cabot’s novels I’ve read, not spectacular.  Pacing is slow at some points and fast at others, and the setting was great (a beautiful château in the french countryside with a pool, vineyards, and a trove of vintage dresses in the attic?  where’s my plane ticket!)  So I would recommend this book for a light read.

The King’s Daughter

by Suzanne Martel

Wow, exceeded my expectations.  I hated the cover picture but couldn’t pass up a book about Québec for $1, and I was pleased to find that it as a lovely classic look underneath.

{From the publisher:  A historical novel that realistically depicts life in 17th-century Quebec from the point of view of a French teenager.  In 1672, eighteen-year-old Jeanne Chatel has just been chosen as a “king’s daughter”, one of the hundreds of young women sent to the wilderness of North America by the French government to become the brides of farmers, soldiers, and trappers.

Jeanne has been raised in a convent. But with her independent spirit, she doesn’t hesitate when she’s given the chance to go to New France. Her vivid imagination conjures up a brilliant new life full of romance and adventure.

Upon arrival, however, Jeanne discovers that she must put aside her romantic dreams.  Her husband is not a dashing young military officer, but a proud, silent trapper who lives with his two small children in a remote cabin.  Jeanne must draw on all her courage and imagination to adjust to this backwoods life and respond to the dangers that surround her.  She learns to paddle a canoe and fire a musket, masquerades as a man to save her husband’s fur-trading permit, and fights off marauding Indians.  By the end of a year, she has won the love of her husband and his family — and at last feels truly at home in her new land.

The King’s Daughter is a classic story of adventure and discovery, a tale for every young reader looking for a plucky heroine or intrigued by our continent’s colonial past.}

Une autre fable par Jean de la Fontaine

Le Loup et le Chien
I have discovered a book of fables by Jean de la Fontaine that my sister used in college.  It is surprising and thrilling to find that I know many of the tales from childhood, I just didn’t know the author.  Now I can read them in French (fairly well) and marvel at the rhyme that was lacking before.

Un Loup n’avait que les os et la peau,
      Tant les chiens faisaient bonne garde.
Ce Loup rencontre un Dogue aussi puissant que beau,
Gras, poli, qui s’était fourvoyé par mégarde.
       L’attaquer, le mettre en quartiers,
       Sire Loup l’eût fait volontiers;
       Mais il fallait livrer bataille,
       Et le mâtin était de taille
       À se défendre hardiment.
       Le Loup donc l’aborde humblement,
Entre en propos, et lui fait compliment
       Sur son embonpoint, qu’il admire.
       « Il ne tiendra qu’à vous, beau sire,
D’être aussi gras que moi, lui repartit le Chien.
       Quittez les bois, vous ferez bien:
       Vos pareils y sont misérables,
       Cancres, hères et pauvres diables,
Dont la condition est de mourir de faim.
Car quoi? rien d’assuré: point de franche lippée;
       Tout à la pointe de l’épée.
Suivez-moi: vous aurez un bien meilleur destin. » 
Le Loup reprit: « Que me faudra-t-il faire?
- Presque rien, dit le Chien: donner la chasse aux gens
       Portant bâtons, et mendiants;
Flatter ceux du logis, à son maître complaire:
       Moyennant quoi votre salaire
Sera force reliefs de toutes façons,
       Os de poulets, os de pigeons,
       Sans parler de mainte caresse. » 
Le loup déjà se forge une félicité
       Qui le fait pleurer de tendresse.
 Chemin faisant, il vit le col du Chien pelé.
« Qu’est-ce là? lui dit-il. – Rien. – Quoi? rien? – Peu de chose.
- Mais encor?  - Le collier dont je suis attaché 
De ce que vous voyez est peut-être la cause.
- Attaché? dit le Loup: vous ne courez donc pas
Où vous voulez? – Pas toujours; mais qu’importe?
- Il importe si bien, que de tous vos repas
       Je ne veux en aucune sorte,
Et ne voudrais pas même à ce prix un trésor. »
Cela dit, maître Loup s’enfuit, et court encor. 

A rhyhmic translation of the last few lines:
“It ought to be a precious price
Which could to servile chains entice;
For me, I’ll shun them while I’ve wit.’
So ran Sir Wolf, and runneth yet.”
~ www.jdlf.com

Twilight in Theaters

     The Twilight movie will be in theaters on the 21st, next Friday, and I’m thinking of going to the midnight showing.  One might wonder, why would I not see it?  Well, I’ve told everyone since the prospect of a Twilight film was ever mentioned that I would not under any circumstance see it.  I hate the idea of the movie characters overriding my mental images of the characters and otherwise forever altering my memories of a beloved book.  In the same way I make an effort to read the book before seeing the movie.
       Some examples of this are the Harry Potter movies, Eragon, and the Golden Compass.  The making of Harry Potter was a special case where the film company was held accountable by millions of ardent fans and the author J.K. Rowling worked closely with writers, directors and actors throughout production.  Those movies were so very magical and the characters precise that it synced perfectly with what my imagination had come up with.
       On the other hand, I heard from friends how unlike the book and poor quality the movie Eragon was.  I’d rather not sully my impressions with a half-rate film, so I don’t plan on ever seeing it, and I don’t think I’ll be scarred for life.  The movie The Golden Compass was also very different from the book.  I saw that movie last New Years Eve, and I had read the book about four years before that.  I was able to separate the two into completely separate stories in my mind and could then enjoy the rich graphics and vibrant characters.
       So, the question in my mind remains, can I keep the movie and the book as two individual experiences?  This is all probably bordering on fanatical book loyalty, do other book fans feel the same way?  Feel free to weigh in on the discussion.

The Birth of ‘Literary Livewire’

Welcome to the world, ‘Literary Livewire’!!  At 7:20 pm on September 16, 2008 this page was conjured from ether (a.k.a. cyberspace).  It will be the new home of posts currently residing in the misnomer www.pleut.blogspot.com.

Boy Proof

Boy Proof
by Cecil Castellucci

Very interesting. Il a beaucoup des idées interessantes.

Some of the concepts mentioned by Max and Victoria are amazingly poignant.

I loved how it was set in Hollywood.  That would be a whole different world, all those things going on, all those different people.  I loved how her hero Zach/Uno was good at Trig.  I can’t believe some of those people though, her guidance counselor asking her mom for an autograph?  Eugh.  I was really glad for her mom though when she got back into acting and had all those great positions and stuff.

That would have been really horrible to have everyone ignore you like that, and I can’t believe they carried it out as long as they did.  Like two months I think!  But, on the other hand, she was just that horrible to them, and it might have taken something that drastic to knock some sense into her.

Another person that needed some sense knocked into them was Egg’s dad.  What a jerk!  One should be able to contain one’s anger once in a while.  Oh, I’m going to explode at you because you talked to me.  So there!  I hate how Egg thinks it’s perfectly okay.  I understand personal space, and not disturbing people, but that is way extreme.

And I can’t believe she let the Valedictorian slip away from her like that.  I guess it’s a good thing, she was an over-achiever and needed to realize that there is more to life.

I don’t know that ‘Boy Proof’ is a good title.  It is not a novel solely about how Victoria is boy proof, it is more of a story about how she doesn’t need anyone else.  I would have called it ‘Hailing from Planet Egg’ or something like that that ties in the science fiction aspect.

Clean up

Mmkay, found my password, now I can post again!

I just realized in retrospect how little French I have included. Alors, ce ne vas pas continuer. Il y aura du français de temps en temps!
And I’ll chuck in a FreeRice word once in a while. fallacious = illogical (maybe two!) albedo = whiteness

I am going to be a lot more flexible with what I include and get a new blog skin already, ay caramba this one is annoying!

*Note to self: host my own images from now on. . . eugh so much more work. . . but so worth it and actually the right thing to do. ;)

Le Corbeau et le Renard

Le Corbeau et le renard

Maître corbeau, sur un arbre perché,
Tenait en son bec un fromage.
Maître renard, par l’odeur alléché,
Lui tint à peu près ce langage :
« Hé ! bonjour Monsieur du Corbeau.
Que vous êtes joli ! que vous me semblez beau !
Sans mentir, si votre ramage
Se rapporte à votre plumage,
Vous êtes le phénix des hôtes de ces bois. »
A ces mots, le corbeau ne se sent pas de joie ;
Et pour montrer sa belle voix,
Il ouvre un large bec, laisse tomber sa proie.
Le renard s’en saisit, et dit : « Mon bon monsieur,
Apprenez que tout flatteur
Vit aux dépens de celui qui l’écoute.
Cette leçon vaut bien un fromage sans doute. »
Le corbeau honteux et confus,
Jura, mais un peu tard , qu’on ne l’y prendrait plus.

Jean de LA FONTAINE
Fables, livre I (1668)

Cliquez ici pour l’écouter:
www.wheatoncollege.edu

A Tale of Two Cities

A Tale of Two Cities
by: Charles Dickens

Review
I absolutely loved this book. I was slow to get into it, but that’s to be expected since it is written in a different style than I’m used to and it was an assigned book in English.

My favorite part was at the end when Sydney Carton meets the girl Charles Darnay had befriended. She instantly recognizes that he’s not Darnay, but they give each other comfort until the end, and Carton truly feels happy.

The author’s primary historical source was The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle: Dickens wrote in his Preface to Tale that “no one can hope to add anything to the philosophy of Mr. CARLYLE’S wonderful book”^[11] Carlyle’s view that history cycles through destruction and resurrection was an important influence on the novel, illustrated especially well by the life and death of Sydney Carton.

~ From the Afterword of the Penguin Classics 2003 edition, cited from Wikpedia

I never noticed before how many stories incorporate the idea of people looking alike and using it to their advantage or causing havoc, also seen in Shakespeare’s “Two Gentlemen of Verona”.

Before I read A Tale of Two Cities, I had a murky conception of this book being a story about two gentlemen wanting to see what life was like in the other’s city, a notion I discerned from a kid’s book about two frogs. After I got the gist of the story I remembered a Wish Bone episode I had seen, and everything fit into place.

One thing that helped me to understand this book and lessen my confusion was reading “The Scarlet Pimpernel” by Baroness Emmuska Orczy. It is a much simpler book to read, and less in depth, but just as enjoyable in my opinion.