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Le Grand Art - Livre
Le Grand Art est un roman fondateur d'Alexandre David-Neel. Il nous plonge dans la vie sensible et la pensée féconde de cette célèbre exploratrice qui, avant de consacrer sa vie à l'Orient, fut chanteuse lyrique, femme de lettres et féministe engagée.
" En pensant à ces choses il me semble que j'évoque le souvenir d'un rêve ou que je me rappelle le récit des aventures d'une étrangère... Est-ce bien moi qui ai vécu ces heures ? Est-ce moi qui, transie, l'âme vide, suis arrivée, ici, à la nuit tombée, dévisagée narquoisement par les servantes ? Moi qui, deux heures après, étais aux bras de cet homme, inconnu la veille, subissant passivement ses caresses, tellement brisée que, de ma chair, lasse jusqu'à l'anéantissement, ne monta même pas une protestation, un cri de révolte... "
Se présentant comme le journal d'une actrice, Le Grand Art surprendra les admirateurs d'Alexandra David-Neel par sa sensualité et sa modernité. Achevé en 1902, à une époque où son auteure était encore inconnue mais déjà une femme déterminée de plus de trente ans, ce roman nous fait suivre la vie tourmentée d'une jeune comédienne et chanteuse lyrique, prise au piège entre sa passion pour l'art et la prédation sexuelle des hommes. Isolée, démunie, elle cherche les ressources pour défendre sa liberté...
" En pensant à ces choses il me semble que j'évoque le souvenir d'un rêve ou que je me rappelle le récit des aventures d'une étrangère... Est-ce bien moi qui ai vécu ces heures ? Est-ce moi qui, transie, l'âme vide, suis arrivée, ici, à la nuit tombée, dévisagée narquoisement par les servantes ? Moi qui, deux heures après, étais aux bras de cet homme, inconnu la veille, subissant passivement ses caresses, tellement brisée que, de ma chair, lasse jusqu'à l'anéantissement, ne monta même pas une protestation, un cri de révolte... "
Se présentant comme le journal d'une actrice, Le Grand Art surprendra les admirateurs d'Alexandra David-Neel par sa sensualité et sa modernité. Achevé en 1902, à une époque où son auteure était encore inconnue mais déjà une femme déterminée de plus de trente ans, ce roman nous fait suivre la vie tourmentée d'une jeune comédienne et chanteuse lyrique, prise au piège entre sa passion pour l'art et la prédation sexuelle des hommes. Isolée, démunie, elle cherche les ressources pour défendre sa liberté...
440 pages, Pocket Book
Published May 12, 2022
3 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra David-Néel
122 books245 followersAlexandra David-Néel was an explorer, anarchist, spiritualist, Buddhist and writer. She is most known for her visit to the forbidden (to foreigners) city of Lhasa, capital of Tibet (1924). She was born in Paris, France and died in Digne, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. She wrote more than 30 books, about Eastern religion, philosophy, and her travels. Her well-documented teachings influenced the beat writers Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg, and philosopher Alan Watts.
Her real name was Louise Eugenie Alexandrine Marie David. During her childhood she had a strong desire for freedom and spirituality. At the age of 18, she had already visited England, Switzerland and Spain on her own, and she was studying in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.
In 1890 and 1891, she traveled through India, returning only when running out of money. In Tunis she met the railroad engineer Philippe Néel, whom she married in 1904.
In 1911 Alexandra traveled for the second time to India, to further her study of Buddhism. She was invited to the royal monastery of Sikkim, where she met Maharaj Kumar (crown prince) Sidkeon Tulku. She became Sidkeong's "confidante and spiritual sister" (according to Ruth Middleton), perhaps his lover (Foster & Foster). She also met the thirteenth Dalai Lama twice in 1912, and had the opportunity to ask him many questions about Buddhism—a feat unprecedented for a European woman at that time.
In the period 1914-1916 she lived in a cave in Sikkim, near the Tibetan border, learning spirituality, together with the Tibetan monk Aphur Yongden, who became her lifelong traveling companion, and whom she would adopt later. From there they trespassed into Tibetan territory, meeting the Panchen Lama in Shigatse (August 1916). When the British authorities learned about this—Sikkim was then a British protectorate—Alexandra and Yongden had to leave the country, and, unable to return to Europe in the middle of World War I, they traveled to Japan.
There Alexandra met Ekai Kawaguchi, who had visited Lhasa in 1901 disguised as a Chinese doctor, and this inspired her to visit Lhasa disguised as pilgrims. After traversing China from east to west, they reached Lhasa in 1924, and spent 2 months there.
In 1928 Alexandra separated from Philippe. Later they would reconcile, and Philippe kept supporting her till his death in 1941. Alexandra settled in Digne, and during the next 10 years she wrote books.
In 1937, Yongden and Alexandra went to China, traveling there during the second World War, returning to France only in 1946. She was then 78 years old.
In 1955 Yongden died. Alexandra continued to study and write till her death at age 100.
Her real name was Louise Eugenie Alexandrine Marie David. During her childhood she had a strong desire for freedom and spirituality. At the age of 18, she had already visited England, Switzerland and Spain on her own, and she was studying in Madame Blavatsky's Theosophical Society.
In 1890 and 1891, she traveled through India, returning only when running out of money. In Tunis she met the railroad engineer Philippe Néel, whom she married in 1904.
In 1911 Alexandra traveled for the second time to India, to further her study of Buddhism. She was invited to the royal monastery of Sikkim, where she met Maharaj Kumar (crown prince) Sidkeon Tulku. She became Sidkeong's "confidante and spiritual sister" (according to Ruth Middleton), perhaps his lover (Foster & Foster). She also met the thirteenth Dalai Lama twice in 1912, and had the opportunity to ask him many questions about Buddhism—a feat unprecedented for a European woman at that time.
In the period 1914-1916 she lived in a cave in Sikkim, near the Tibetan border, learning spirituality, together with the Tibetan monk Aphur Yongden, who became her lifelong traveling companion, and whom she would adopt later. From there they trespassed into Tibetan territory, meeting the Panchen Lama in Shigatse (August 1916). When the British authorities learned about this—Sikkim was then a British protectorate—Alexandra and Yongden had to leave the country, and, unable to return to Europe in the middle of World War I, they traveled to Japan.
There Alexandra met Ekai Kawaguchi, who had visited Lhasa in 1901 disguised as a Chinese doctor, and this inspired her to visit Lhasa disguised as pilgrims. After traversing China from east to west, they reached Lhasa in 1924, and spent 2 months there.
In 1928 Alexandra separated from Philippe. Later they would reconcile, and Philippe kept supporting her till his death in 1941. Alexandra settled in Digne, and during the next 10 years she wrote books.
In 1937, Yongden and Alexandra went to China, traveling there during the second World War, returning to France only in 1946. She was then 78 years old.
In 1955 Yongden died. Alexandra continued to study and write till her death at age 100.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 22, 2022
Absolutely gripping. David-Néel shares Zola's view that people, and especially men, are moved by only 2 passions, lust and greed, but whereas to me "L'Oeuvre" is morbid and nauseating, I found something uplifting in the story of Cécile's long ordeal and final triumph through cunning and cynicism. Left in the lurch once again by a dishonest theater director, Cécile becomes the mistress of a cattle trader who keeps her on a very short leash. Nonetheless, she makes the acquaintance of a member of the local gentry who pretends to want to help her go back to the stage, but in fact exploits her too. Finally she meets her false protector's son, and falls in love with him without realizing that he, too, sees her only as a sexual toy. On the day she is cruelly disabused of her hope to return to Paris with Georges, unexpected help appears in the guise of the dashing young deputy's butler, who also wants to sleep with her but does give her some cash as well as a valuable introduction to a successful courtesan. Chloé d'Avril turns out to be a former Conservatory prize-winner, just like Cécile, but apart from that bond she sees in Cécile a potential ally to take revenge on another courtesan who, coincidentally, happens to be Georges's current mistress. Thanks to Chloé's money and advice, Cécile manages to attract the attention of the wealthy banker Bernheim, who accepts to launch her career at the opera in return for her favors. The moral of the tale is that female artists cannot hope to escape from prostitution, all they can do is practice it more or less on their own terms.
April 28, 2021
Cécile Raynaud, ambiziosa cantante di teatro, inizia a scrivere un diario in cui decide di svelare sé stessa, i pensieri più reconditi e le angosce e le paure più pesanti. Le pagine del diario ci raccontano prima i ricordi di un passato avventuroso, alla ricerca del successo e della gioia dell’affermazione. I mille viaggi, le incertezze e la situazione economica altalenante.
In questo diario però ritroviamo una quotidianità tipica di questa forma letteraria. Giorni fatti di speranze, con progetti che promettono ma non mantengono, ricercando un pegno d’amore nella totale dissolutezza della donna che, alla fine, cede. Cécile sperimenta, perciò, l’inganno sotto varia forma, lo subisce così come comprende che innamorarsi potrà portarle solo dolore, sfinimento e un arrendersi, diciamo.
La sublime arte è un testo inebriante, appassionato, vivo, interessante. Un ritratto di un’epoca decadente, una fotografia della società dell’epoca e pagine in cui è racchiusa la vita di una donna, il suo dolore e le sue gioie. I toni sono diversi a seconda di cosa sta raccontando: addolcito per i ricordi, intransigenti quando racconta dell’epoca.
In questo diario però ritroviamo una quotidianità tipica di questa forma letteraria. Giorni fatti di speranze, con progetti che promettono ma non mantengono, ricercando un pegno d’amore nella totale dissolutezza della donna che, alla fine, cede. Cécile sperimenta, perciò, l’inganno sotto varia forma, lo subisce così come comprende che innamorarsi potrà portarle solo dolore, sfinimento e un arrendersi, diciamo.
La sublime arte è un testo inebriante, appassionato, vivo, interessante. Un ritratto di un’epoca decadente, una fotografia della società dell’epoca e pagine in cui è racchiusa la vita di una donna, il suo dolore e le sue gioie. I toni sono diversi a seconda di cosa sta raccontando: addolcito per i ricordi, intransigenti quando racconta dell’epoca.
August 14, 2022
Un metoo du début 20ème qui met les mots sur les mêmes maux que les femmes subissent encore aujourd'hui. Un livre du point de vue d'une femme et féministe. Ecrit au début du 20ème siècle, ce livre montre incroyablement bien comment le destin des femmes dépend des hommes, détenteurs de l'argent et véritables prédateurs sexuels qui se servent de leur pouvoir pour coucher avec des femmes qui elles, ne souhaitent qu'une chose : sortir de la pauvreté. Il n'y a que quand Cécile, l'héroïne, rencontre Chloé, que cette première peut enfin s'émanciper et se retrouver dans une consoeur pour réussir à se faire sa place dans le monde de ce que David-Néel appelle Le Grand Art. Un roman génialissime d'une femme en quête d'émancipation qui dénote des romans masculins de la même époque, voire plus tôt dans le 19ème, où le patriarcat est neutre et la norme.
February 8, 2023
Totalement conquise par le style fluide, élégant et piquant d'Alexandra David-Néel. Les nombreuses notes de contextualisation, dues au caractère inachevé de l'œuvre, rendent la lecture ardue au début. Mais la plume et l'histoire m'avaient happée, alors j'ai continué avec un intérêt grandissant. J'ai aussi apprécié la critique sociale acerbe sur le statut des actrices, la causalité inversée talent/succès, on sent que l'autrice y a mis du vécu (ou du rapporté ?).
February 23, 2019
I am a big Alexandra David Neel.
Really felt like I was thrown into that era
Really felt like I was thrown into that era
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews