Λιούις και Ειρήνη

by Paul Morand, Νίκη Καρακίτσου-Ντουζέ (Translator), Βάσω Νικολοπούλου (Translator)

Jeune financier que les cours de la Bourse preoccupent plus que les femmes, Lewis tombe amoureux d'Irene - de la famille Apostolatos, riches banquiers de Trieste. Que deviendra l'amour entre ces deux requins qui, tout en se caressant, se disputent les mines de San Lucido, en Sicile ?
Au meilleur de sa forme, Paul Morand nous le dit dans ce recit superbe et cruel ou le coeur et l'argent echangent leurs vocabulaires.

216 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1924

About the author

Paul Morand was a French diplomat, novelist, playwright and poet, considered an early Modernist.

He was a graduate of the Paris Institute of Political Studies (better known as Sciences Po). During the pre-war period, he wrote many short books which are noted for their elegance of style, erudition, narrative concision, and for the author's observation of the countries he visited combined with his middle-class views.

Morand's reputation has been marred by his stance during the Second World War, when he collaborated with the Vichy regime and was a vocal anti-Semite. When the Second World War ended, Morand served as an ambassador in Bern, but his position was revoked and he lived in exile in Switzerland.

Post-war, he was a patron of the Hussards literary movement, which opposed Existentialism. Morand went on to become a member of the Académie française; his candidature was initially rejected by Charles de Gaulle, the only instance of a President ever exercising his right to veto electees to the academy. Morand was finally elected ten years later, though he still had to forgo the official investiture).

Paul Morand was a friend of Marcel Proust and has left valuable observations about him.

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg

This is my first book I've ever read by Paul Morand and I really liked it. It reminds me, in some ways, the style of writing of Henry Bordeaux and Paul Borget.

I made the proofing of this book for Free Literature and Project Gutenberg will publish it.

[PPEsquire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sans être son meilleur, ce premier roman de Morand donne un bel aperçu des qualités de l’auteur. La vivacité de la plume, le sens de la formule – et de la langue de pute – mais aussi sa sensibilité esthétique aux paysages et aux ambiances, ici Paris, Londres et Corfou. En précurseur moderniste, ses personnages sont des archétypes, des symboles d’un travers de la vie moderne, ici l’importance de la vie professionnelle, du « business » sur tout le reste. Lewis et Irène sont deux fascinants échos de ce que deviendrait une société pensée par des petits managers et le testament de la profondeur de vue de Morand, qui a très tôt vu et détesté la société qui se profilait.

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le sujet est assez moderne: le travail des femmes, la nécessité de travailler pour s’inclure dans le monde, le conflit de l’amour et de la sociabilité… Le style est daté et ampoulé ce qui rend la lecture difficile