Axel

by Auguste de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam, June Guicharnaud (Translator), Jacques Guicharnaud (Afterword)

The epitome of symbolist drama. "Count Villiers de I'lsle-Adam", wrote Yeats, "swept together words behind which glimmered a spiritual and passionate mood, as the flame glimmers behind the dusky blue and red glass in an Eastern lamp". Paralleling the author's own metaphysical studies (which moved from occultism to more orthodox idealisms and back to Catholicism), these positions were examined by his characters. Each is rejected, and it is with the dramatic discovery of the highest ideal that the work ends.

Genres: Drama, France, Plays, French Literature, Romanticism, Fiction

200 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1890

About the author

Jean-Marie-Mathias-Philippe-Auguste, comte de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (7 November 1838 – 19 August 1889) was a French symbolist writer.

Reviews

[Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Sorrows of Young Werther meets Romeo and Juliet with a dash of Springs Awakening and The Sound of Music?

Some really powerful scenes. Some really interesting dialog. Some incredibly tedious scenes.

Quite interesting altogether. Villier was friends with Mallarme, Huysmans, Baudelaire and so many others. A Symbolist feast.

[valen ۶ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

me habría encantado que se tratase más sobre sara que axel !!

[quim · Rating 4 out of 5]

¿Qué serían, mañana, todas las realidades comparadas con los espejismos que acabamos de vivir?

[Aaron Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

the MOST Symboliste thing I think I've ever read. Wow.

[Vinícius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahhh não, não foi isso que eu pedi!


Eu definitivamente não tava no pique pra essa leitura. Muita política e relações históricas francesas que eu não tava fazendo nem questão de entender.
Ainda assim, a primeira e a última parte, principalmente a última, salvam demais esse livro. Sara apenas a maior que temos.
Digo mais, esse livro só não suscitou uma taxa de suicídio maior que Werther pq não viralizou na época. Caso contrário… argumentação pra morte muito mais bem trabalhada que naquele do Goethe (com todo respeito ok).

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

What the fuck did I just read lol