Realms of Memory:The Construction of the French Past, Vol. 3, Symbols

Realms of Memory: The Construction of the French Past #3

by Pierre Nora (Editor), Arthur Goldhammer (Translator), Lawrence Kritzman (Editor)

This volume, the third part of Realms of Memory, focuses on the emblems that signify Frenchness to people around the world. It includes 13 essays on cultural icons from Joan of Arc to Descartes; the national motto of Liberty, Equality, Fraternity; the tricolour flag; and the French language itself. The closing essay on commemoration provides an overview of the series.

Genres: History, Theory

751 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Pierre Charles Nora was a French historian elected to the Académie Française on 7 June 2001. He was known for his work on French identity and memory, and was associated with the study of nouvelle histoire.

Reviews

[Revanth Ukkalam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay this one now this one is a classic worth the name. While appearing to be limited by the markings of a feebly defined "memory", the waters spill into territories that one may think are beyond the authors' grasp. And in each essay, the respective author is their own living organism full of their own ecstatic political and historical project. So many questions one had never thought of asking: despite the obvious contradictions and lack of integrity between liberty, equality, and fraternity, how did they stick in the long run? How did a dirty joke by the Latin writers make one of the most identifiable national symbols of France - the Gallic Cock (that I am aware I guess, from the logo of the Pathe media group)? Was Voltaire a piece of a villain in the long run memory of Joan of Arc? Why do the French who seem to like to hate religion so much also love to let the bishops and popes do the bidding for their history? Here is history with texture.