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Lavinia
Lavinia, voor het eerst in Nederlandse vertaling, is een kort verhaal dat zich afspeelt in een prachtig berglandschap, de Pyreneeën.
Hoofdpersoon is Lavinia, een jonge vrouw die zich gesteld ziet voor een heel moeilijke keus, die bepalend voor haar verdere leven zal zijn.
Lavinia kiest - en zij maakt een voor haar tijd opzienbarende keuze. Zelfs Simone de Beauvoir - " het huwelijk is gevaarlijk voor de vrouw" - zou zich voor de keuze van Lavinia niet geschaamd hebben.
George Sand (1804-1876) schreef tachtig romans, politieke pamfletten, toneelstukken, een zeer omvangrijke autobiografie en duizenenden brieven. Zij was een beroemd en gevierd auteur in haar tijd. In Frankrijk en de Verenigde Staten is zij opnieuw ontdekt en ook in Nederland krijgt zig steeds meer aandacht.
Hoofdpersoon is Lavinia, een jonge vrouw die zich gesteld ziet voor een heel moeilijke keus, die bepalend voor haar verdere leven zal zijn.
Lavinia kiest - en zij maakt een voor haar tijd opzienbarende keuze. Zelfs Simone de Beauvoir - " het huwelijk is gevaarlijk voor de vrouw" - zou zich voor de keuze van Lavinia niet geschaamd hebben.
George Sand (1804-1876) schreef tachtig romans, politieke pamfletten, toneelstukken, een zeer omvangrijke autobiografie en duizenenden brieven. Zij was een beroemd en gevierd auteur in haar tijd. In Frankrijk en de Verenigde Staten is zij opnieuw ontdekt en ook in Nederland krijgt zig steeds meer aandacht.
136 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1833
About the author
George Sand
2,931 books947 followersAmantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, best known by her pen name George Sand, was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac in England in the 1830s and 1840s, Sand is recognised as one of the most notable writers of the European Romantic era. She wrote more than 50 volumes of various works to her credit, including tales, plays and political texts, alongside her 70 novels.
Like her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin, whom she admired, George Sand advocated for women's rights and passion, criticized the institution of marriage, and fought against the prejudices of a conservative society. She was considered scandalous because of her turbulent love life, her adoption of masculine clothing, and her masculine pseudonym.
Like her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin, whom she admired, George Sand advocated for women's rights and passion, criticized the institution of marriage, and fought against the prejudices of a conservative society. She was considered scandalous because of her turbulent love life, her adoption of masculine clothing, and her masculine pseudonym.
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May 14, 2026Je n'aime plus que les voyages, la rêverie, la solitude, le bruit du monde, pour le traverser et en rire, puis la poésie pour supporter le passé, et Dieu pour espérer l'avenir.
George Sand died in 1876. Which means that the year on which I am typing this - anno domini 2026 - is the 150th since she completed her life. One could mark such an occasion in various ways, smoming cigars, swimming naked in a nearby river or lake, however as a non-smoker with a poor swimming technique I thought I might reread some George Sand. But on my way to a Winter in Majorca I happened to check the library catalogue and found a dual language edition of Lavinia. Perfect! I thought, whatever I don't understand in one language, I might misunderstand differently in another. In fact reading a bi-lingual text was very challenging for me. I could not break the habit of slipping my eyes from the bottom of one page up to the top of the next, until I found a technical solution - to lay an A5 brochure across one page, and that succeeded in forcing me to read one language at a time.
This meant that I read the book twice, and in places looked at the two versions, and thought about the translation choices. I enjoyed that, though it is something that I can only cope with in a short text like this. And then I started to wonder about the authorial choices, for instance Sand mentions that Lavinia is Jewish three times, but only once that she is Portuguese. What was the importance of that to Sand, what would that have meant to her readers - I don't know, but I liked feeling these questions bubble up the more that I stared at the words on the page.
Lavinia in a letter warns Lionel of the dangers of smugglers in the Pyrenees, having reading Heine's [Book:Atta Troll: a midsummer's nights dream] long ago, I thought the main danger in the Pyrennes was the Carthaginian bears, but anyway in the Dutch the smugglers turned into bandits. I wondered why, the translators were correct, from context the behaviour of the business people sounded like banditary rather than smuggling, so why does Sand have her Lavinia talk about smugglers? I wondered if it was because Lavinia was smuggling the idea of Lionel meeting her again in to his consciousness?
As a student, I was told that texts become longer in translation. This was visible in this edition as the translators tried to keep the texts matching page by page so the Dutch version was visibly several lines longer than the original. So if you see a translated text, fat and heavy like a walrus, and you fear, as it comes closer, that it will crush you under it's bulk, you can remember that the original might just be a slim little gazelle of a book.
This is a very early work of Sand. It is short and distinctly theatrical - possibly she was thinking of making a stage version which I believe was a how nineteenth century authors thought that they could make serious money. The story begins with three letters and ends with one, in-between there is mostly dialogue.
The story concerns the eponymous Lavinia, she is a young widow, Jewish, and the daughter of a wealthy Portuguese banker, her skin is brown, she is independantly wealthy. Before marriage, she and the English nobleman Lionel had had a relationship, Lionel's friend, Henry is Lavinia's cousin.
Although the story is told from Lionel's point of view, and we see his emotions flicker through arousing interest to possessiveness to anger, yet my sympathy as a reader was all the time with Lavinia. For the men, who might propose marriage to her, life is easy, they are upper class, their fortunes are secure, at the end Henry reminds Lionel that both of them will sit in Parliament the next year. What I felt deep in my gut was how much danger and risk Lavinia was in.
Lionel or her French suitor the Comte de Morangy did say nice things to her before proposing marriage, but Lavinia has no guarantee that they would treat her well after marriage - after which she would become the man's property and what she then owned as a widow would become the husband's.
Anyway, a really interesting reading experience, a great glimpse of the young George Sand's creativity.
George Sand died in 1876. Which means that the year on which I am typing this - anno domini 2026 - is the 150th since she completed her life. One could mark such an occasion in various ways, smoming cigars, swimming naked in a nearby river or lake, however as a non-smoker with a poor swimming technique I thought I might reread some George Sand. But on my way to a Winter in Majorca I happened to check the library catalogue and found a dual language edition of Lavinia. Perfect! I thought, whatever I don't understand in one language, I might misunderstand differently in another. In fact reading a bi-lingual text was very challenging for me. I could not break the habit of slipping my eyes from the bottom of one page up to the top of the next, until I found a technical solution - to lay an A5 brochure across one page, and that succeeded in forcing me to read one language at a time.
This meant that I read the book twice, and in places looked at the two versions, and thought about the translation choices. I enjoyed that, though it is something that I can only cope with in a short text like this. And then I started to wonder about the authorial choices, for instance Sand mentions that Lavinia is Jewish three times, but only once that she is Portuguese. What was the importance of that to Sand, what would that have meant to her readers - I don't know, but I liked feeling these questions bubble up the more that I stared at the words on the page.
Lavinia in a letter warns Lionel of the dangers of smugglers in the Pyrenees, having reading Heine's [Book:Atta Troll: a midsummer's nights dream] long ago, I thought the main danger in the Pyrennes was the Carthaginian bears, but anyway in the Dutch the smugglers turned into bandits. I wondered why, the translators were correct, from context the behaviour of the business people sounded like banditary rather than smuggling, so why does Sand have her Lavinia talk about smugglers? I wondered if it was because Lavinia was smuggling the idea of Lionel meeting her again in to his consciousness?
As a student, I was told that texts become longer in translation. This was visible in this edition as the translators tried to keep the texts matching page by page so the Dutch version was visibly several lines longer than the original. So if you see a translated text, fat and heavy like a walrus, and you fear, as it comes closer, that it will crush you under it's bulk, you can remember that the original might just be a slim little gazelle of a book.
This is a very early work of Sand. It is short and distinctly theatrical - possibly she was thinking of making a stage version which I believe was a how nineteenth century authors thought that they could make serious money. The story begins with three letters and ends with one, in-between there is mostly dialogue.
The story concerns the eponymous Lavinia, she is a young widow, Jewish, and the daughter of a wealthy Portuguese banker, her skin is brown, she is independantly wealthy. Before marriage, she and the English nobleman Lionel had had a relationship, Lionel's friend, Henry is Lavinia's cousin.
Although the story is told from Lionel's point of view, and we see his emotions flicker through arousing interest to possessiveness to anger, yet my sympathy as a reader was all the time with Lavinia. For the men, who might propose marriage to her, life is easy, they are upper class, their fortunes are secure, at the end Henry reminds Lionel that both of them will sit in Parliament the next year. What I felt deep in my gut was how much danger and risk Lavinia was in.
Lionel or her French suitor the Comte de Morangy did say nice things to her before proposing marriage, but Lavinia has no guarantee that they would treat her well after marriage - after which she would become the man's property and what she then owned as a widow would become the husband's.
Anyway, a really interesting reading experience, a great glimpse of the young George Sand's creativity.
August 19, 2021
Döneminin kısıtlayıcı, bir kadına “yakıştığı” söylenen rolleri/davranışları çiğneyen iki kadın karakter/anlatıcıya sahip muazzam, 5 yıldızlık iki novella var içinde. “Lavinia” aşk acısı çekmeyi reddeden, üçüncü bir seçeneği tercih eden bir kadın. “Markiz” ise bir erkeğin boyundurluğu altına girmektense kafasına estiği gibi davranan, yaşayan idealist bir kadın. Feminist edebiyat için son derece önemli iki metin. George Sand, Kate Chopin’in önceli, mutlaka okunmalı.
August 7, 2021
Yazarın aşıklar ve hayranlarla çevrili bir hayatının olması mı sevgiyi ya da aşkı -ne derseniz deyin- bu kadar güzel anlatmasına sebep, bilmek isterdim. Hikayelerin akışından büyük keyif aldım, özellikle Lavinia'dan.
"Ben ölümcül bir yara aldım: Bu yara bendeki sevme yetisini sonsuza dek öldürdü; yanılsamaların yaktığı ateşi söndürdü, ben artık hayatın yavan ve acıklı yanlarını görüyorum."
"Ben ölümcül bir yara aldım: Bu yara bendeki sevme yetisini sonsuza dek öldürdü; yanılsamaların yaktığı ateşi söndürdü, ben artık hayatın yavan ve acıklı yanlarını görüyorum."
April 18, 2026
Çağının ötesinde bir yazar, son derece gerçekçi bir anlatı. George Sand, kadın karakterleri yalnızca “acı çeken” ya da “erdemli” kalıplarına sıkıştırmıyor; karar veren, hata yapan, çelişen ama en yalın halleriyle kendileri olabilen insanlar olarak yazıyor. Özellikle 19. yüzyılda yazıldığı düşünülürse bu, gerçekten dikkat çekici bir başarı.
Lavinia’nın da Markiz’in de hikâyelerini çok sevdim.
Lavinia’nın da Markiz’in de hikâyelerini çok sevdim.
April 26, 2017
George Burnham Ives' 1902 translation has been used in Michael Wallmer's lovely edition of George Sand's Lavinia. Sand was an incredibly prolific author; her oeuvre is something which most writers can only dream of. Her work spans four decades, being published as she was between 1831 and 1876. Lavinia is one of her earliest books, in fact, and was first published in its original French in 1833.
After a young and rather well-to-do English traveller, Sir Lionel Bridgemont, abandons well-born Portuguese Lavinia Buenafe, he breaks her heart. She consequently marries a nobleman, and is soon widowed. Some time later, after asking Sir Lionel - himself just about to be married - to return the love letters which she sent him many moons ago, she finds that they are near one another in the Pyrenees. They thus decide to meet, and along with their present-day story, elements of their past are revealed.
Lavinia's cousin, Sir Henry, who has accompanied his friend Sir Lionel to the Pyrenees, adds some humour to the whole. When Sir Lionel berates him for telling Lavinia that her letters were in his constant possession, he says: '"Good, Lionel, good!... I like to see you in a fit of temper; it makes you poetic. At such times, you are yourself a stream, a river of metaphors, a torrent of eloquence, a reservoir of allegories..."'. Sir Henry has rather an adoring, if slightly tongue-in-cheek, view of Lavinia, calling her: '"... as fresh as the flowers, lovely as the angels, lively as a bird, light-hearted, rosy, stylish, and coquettish..."'. Sir Lionel is really his antithesis, in speech at least, holding as he does a very conventional, if amusingly relayed, view of womankind: '"... In the opinion of every man of sense, a lawful wife should be a gentle and placid helpmeet, an Englishwoman to the very depths of her being, not very susceptible to love, incapable of jealousy, fond of sleep, and sufficiently addicted to the excessive use of black tea to keep her faculties in a conjugal state..."'.
Lavinia is a slim novella at its modest 71 pages; perhaps deceptively so, as there is quite a lot of depth to it. The descriptions are perhaps the real strength of the piece: '... the lovely valley, bathed in sparkling dew, floated in the light and formed a sheet of gold in a frame of black marble'. Lavinia is beautifully written, and so well translated; it is a real treat to settle down for an hour or two with. There are amusing asides which pepper the text, and make it feel far more contemporary than it is in actuality. There is a wonderful pace to the novella, and the structure of one singular chapter works well with regard to its length. Strong and thoughtful, Lavinia is perhaps most interesting when one looks at the shifting relationships and passing of time within it.
After a young and rather well-to-do English traveller, Sir Lionel Bridgemont, abandons well-born Portuguese Lavinia Buenafe, he breaks her heart. She consequently marries a nobleman, and is soon widowed. Some time later, after asking Sir Lionel - himself just about to be married - to return the love letters which she sent him many moons ago, she finds that they are near one another in the Pyrenees. They thus decide to meet, and along with their present-day story, elements of their past are revealed.
Lavinia's cousin, Sir Henry, who has accompanied his friend Sir Lionel to the Pyrenees, adds some humour to the whole. When Sir Lionel berates him for telling Lavinia that her letters were in his constant possession, he says: '"Good, Lionel, good!... I like to see you in a fit of temper; it makes you poetic. At such times, you are yourself a stream, a river of metaphors, a torrent of eloquence, a reservoir of allegories..."'. Sir Henry has rather an adoring, if slightly tongue-in-cheek, view of Lavinia, calling her: '"... as fresh as the flowers, lovely as the angels, lively as a bird, light-hearted, rosy, stylish, and coquettish..."'. Sir Lionel is really his antithesis, in speech at least, holding as he does a very conventional, if amusingly relayed, view of womankind: '"... In the opinion of every man of sense, a lawful wife should be a gentle and placid helpmeet, an Englishwoman to the very depths of her being, not very susceptible to love, incapable of jealousy, fond of sleep, and sufficiently addicted to the excessive use of black tea to keep her faculties in a conjugal state..."'.
Lavinia is a slim novella at its modest 71 pages; perhaps deceptively so, as there is quite a lot of depth to it. The descriptions are perhaps the real strength of the piece: '... the lovely valley, bathed in sparkling dew, floated in the light and formed a sheet of gold in a frame of black marble'. Lavinia is beautifully written, and so well translated; it is a real treat to settle down for an hour or two with. There are amusing asides which pepper the text, and make it feel far more contemporary than it is in actuality. There is a wonderful pace to the novella, and the structure of one singular chapter works well with regard to its length. Strong and thoughtful, Lavinia is perhaps most interesting when one looks at the shifting relationships and passing of time within it.
April 30, 2022
Biri 10 yıl sonra kendisini terk eden erkekle yeniden görüşen bir kadının, diğeri de hayatı boyunca bir kez aşık olmuş bir kadının öyküsünden oluşan iki novella. Ne kadar etkilendiğimi anlatamam. Çağdaş metinlerle yarışmanın ötesinde, büyük çoğunluğundan çok daha iyi, çok daha dürüst, çok daha feminist bir çizgisi var. Bayıldım, bayıldım...
November 8, 2024
200 sene önce böyle kitap yazabilmek,, büyük insanmış
April 4, 2018
Ben iflah olmaz bir novella severim a dostlar! O yüzden kötü yorum yapamam yanlıyım!
Çok akıcı çok sıcacık çok tadında!
Okuyunuz efenim!
Çok akıcı çok sıcacık çok tadında!
Okuyunuz efenim!
September 26, 2023
Lekker veel drama en erg feministisch.
March 14, 2013
LAVINIA
Georges Sand
“Self-Made Woman True to her Creator”
This novelette set in 19th century France reveals a heroine of remarkable emotional stamina, plus a sense of self worth—albeit purchased at the cost of betrayed naivety. Like a drama where the protagonist does not “enter’ until our curiosity has been sufficiently stimulated by the preliminary gossip of lesser characters, Laviinia herself—no longer ingenuous but still a dusky beauty—bursts upon the stage as a full-blown woman, eminently desirable and self-possessed.
Sir Henry, who had jilted her in the past (aided and abetted by his gay-blade buddy, Lionel) stages a risky rendez-vous in order to possess himself of his old love letters and trinkets before his impending marriage. But Lavinia does not swoon at his feet, nor beg him to come back to her—which annoys his masculine ego. Ah no, shocked Henry finds the amorous tables turned on himself! Much of the novel is like a play: there are “scene” and “acts”; there is a preponderance of dialogue that would make this work pleasure to stage. Sand spares nothing in vilifying the French 19th century society which she knew so well, with its highly restrictive role for women and its impossible demands placed on the fair sex.
So which suitor will win la belle Lavinia? -- panting and repentant Sir Henry or a rich young Count—equally besotted by her charms. This novelette of only 45 pages seems a cleverly disguised treatise or expose on the foibles and injustice imposed by French Society—at whose daintily-gloved hands Sand herself may have suffered. But expect a surprise ending, for Lavinia may do that which real women of her time only dreamed of doing. Almost morally wounded by affairs of the heart Lavinia will remain true to her instinct of self-preservation; both physical and moral. This book proves a fast read which may appear light--almost trite, but this piece actually simmers with Sand’s scathing denunciation of her constricted world.
(October 21, 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
Georges Sand
“Self-Made Woman True to her Creator”
This novelette set in 19th century France reveals a heroine of remarkable emotional stamina, plus a sense of self worth—albeit purchased at the cost of betrayed naivety. Like a drama where the protagonist does not “enter’ until our curiosity has been sufficiently stimulated by the preliminary gossip of lesser characters, Laviinia herself—no longer ingenuous but still a dusky beauty—bursts upon the stage as a full-blown woman, eminently desirable and self-possessed.
Sir Henry, who had jilted her in the past (aided and abetted by his gay-blade buddy, Lionel) stages a risky rendez-vous in order to possess himself of his old love letters and trinkets before his impending marriage. But Lavinia does not swoon at his feet, nor beg him to come back to her—which annoys his masculine ego. Ah no, shocked Henry finds the amorous tables turned on himself! Much of the novel is like a play: there are “scene” and “acts”; there is a preponderance of dialogue that would make this work pleasure to stage. Sand spares nothing in vilifying the French 19th century society which she knew so well, with its highly restrictive role for women and its impossible demands placed on the fair sex.
So which suitor will win la belle Lavinia? -- panting and repentant Sir Henry or a rich young Count—equally besotted by her charms. This novelette of only 45 pages seems a cleverly disguised treatise or expose on the foibles and injustice imposed by French Society—at whose daintily-gloved hands Sand herself may have suffered. But expect a surprise ending, for Lavinia may do that which real women of her time only dreamed of doing. Almost morally wounded by affairs of the heart Lavinia will remain true to her instinct of self-preservation; both physical and moral. This book proves a fast read which may appear light--almost trite, but this piece actually simmers with Sand’s scathing denunciation of her constricted world.
(October 21, 2012. I welcome dialogue with teachers.)
January 11, 2015
Probably one of the most enthralling studies of the heart and the cliče of falling in love. Sand must indeed knows what she talks about. The characters behave just as it can be predicted in the reality. Paradigms? Not really but common sense.
Indeed recommended if you feel enthralled with the study of the common-sense love.
Indeed recommended if you feel enthralled with the study of the common-sense love.
November 26, 2022
George Sand'dan okuduğum ilk eser Lavinia. Can Kısa Klasiklerde görüp çok merak ediyordum, kütüphanede de karşılaşınca okumadan edemedim, iyi ki de alıp okumuşum, dedirtti. Gerçekten beğendim.
Lavinia 2 ayrı öyküden oluşuyor. Lavinia ve Markiz.
Lavinia, 10 yıl once biten bir ilişki üzerine 2 kişinin bir araya gelmesini ve güçlü bir kadın karakterini anlatıyor.
Markiz ise, yıllar önce yaşanan ama devamına eremeyen bir aşkı anlatıyor.
İlk okumaya başladığımda bir erkek yazar ne kadar güzel anlatmış bir kadının duygularını dedim ki, George Sand aslında bir kadınmış. Açıkçası Lavinia benim açık ara favori kısa öyküm oldu. Çok güzeldi, bir kadının bu şekilde durması,hayatın ve sosyal çevrenin, kadınlara yüklediği bu değerler güzel şekilde yansıtılmış. Yazardan başka eserler de okumaya devam etmek istiyorum. Herkese tavsiye ederim, keyifli okumalar ‼️♥️
Lavinia 2 ayrı öyküden oluşuyor. Lavinia ve Markiz.
Lavinia, 10 yıl once biten bir ilişki üzerine 2 kişinin bir araya gelmesini ve güçlü bir kadın karakterini anlatıyor.
Markiz ise, yıllar önce yaşanan ama devamına eremeyen bir aşkı anlatıyor.
İlk okumaya başladığımda bir erkek yazar ne kadar güzel anlatmış bir kadının duygularını dedim ki, George Sand aslında bir kadınmış. Açıkçası Lavinia benim açık ara favori kısa öyküm oldu. Çok güzeldi, bir kadının bu şekilde durması,hayatın ve sosyal çevrenin, kadınlara yüklediği bu değerler güzel şekilde yansıtılmış. Yazardan başka eserler de okumaya devam etmek istiyorum. Herkese tavsiye ederim, keyifli okumalar ‼️♥️
February 8, 2022
Lionel es un seductor que está a punto de sentar cabeza y casarse con una joven a la que dice amar, pero de la que se da a entender que quiere especialmente por su dinero. Y, cuando se haya en esa situación, su buen amigo Henry le dice que su prima, Lavinia, una chica a la que Lionel sedujo años atrás, le pide que le devuelva las cartas de amor que le escribió ahora que va a casarse con otra mujer. Así pues, a Lionel no le queda más remedio que escabullirse de su prometida y visitar a Lavinia en compañía de Henry.
Esta es la premisa de la que partimos en esta novela corta, una trama sencilla, ya que el punto fuerte son el retrato de la sociedad de la época y el carisma de los personajes.
A pesar de que seguimos la historia de Lionel, el personaje principal es Lavinia, quien da nombre a la obra, y quien ofrece su contrapunto. Así, mientras Lionel es un hombre que siempre ha podido hacer lo que ha querido sin ningún tipo de consecuencias, Lavinia ha sufrido el rechazo social de su entorno por el simple motivo de haberse enamorado de un hombre que la abandonó. Esta dicotomía sobre lo que supone ser una mujer a la hora de la falta de libertades es determinante en la obra, en especial de cara el final.
Además del final, debo decir que lo que más me gusta de la obra es el estilo de la escritora, el cual encuentro muy fluido pero muy bonito al mismo tiempo.
SPOILER A PARTIR DE ESTE PUNTO
Retomando el tema de las diferencias que establece la sociedad entre hombres y mujeres, se pueden apreciar las repercusiones que tiene esta discriminación en las acciones de Lavinia. Lavinia, que ha sufrido rechazo durante años por el simple hecho de enamorarse, se ve imposibilitada para aceptar cualquier propuesta de matrimonio. Sí, esas propuestas salvarían su reputación, pero ella elige la libertad antes que el amor, y los viajes antes que la familia.
Y, por el contrario, podemos ver que para Lionel, sus acciones nunca tienen consecuencias negativas. En el relato se puede ver que ha habido otras "Lavinias" en su vida, a las cuales también abandonó, pero no por ello debe rendir cuentas. La única consecuencia negativa que sufre es el rechazo de Lavinia cuando, por celos, trata de recuperarla. No obstante, ese "amor renovado" le dura el tiempo justo que tarda en volver con su prometida para ser feliz a costa de su dinero.
Esta es la premisa de la que partimos en esta novela corta, una trama sencilla, ya que el punto fuerte son el retrato de la sociedad de la época y el carisma de los personajes.
A pesar de que seguimos la historia de Lionel, el personaje principal es Lavinia, quien da nombre a la obra, y quien ofrece su contrapunto. Así, mientras Lionel es un hombre que siempre ha podido hacer lo que ha querido sin ningún tipo de consecuencias, Lavinia ha sufrido el rechazo social de su entorno por el simple motivo de haberse enamorado de un hombre que la abandonó. Esta dicotomía sobre lo que supone ser una mujer a la hora de la falta de libertades es determinante en la obra, en especial de cara el final.
Además del final, debo decir que lo que más me gusta de la obra es el estilo de la escritora, el cual encuentro muy fluido pero muy bonito al mismo tiempo.
SPOILER A PARTIR DE ESTE PUNTO
Retomando el tema de las diferencias que establece la sociedad entre hombres y mujeres, se pueden apreciar las repercusiones que tiene esta discriminación en las acciones de Lavinia. Lavinia, que ha sufrido rechazo durante años por el simple hecho de enamorarse, se ve imposibilitada para aceptar cualquier propuesta de matrimonio. Sí, esas propuestas salvarían su reputación, pero ella elige la libertad antes que el amor, y los viajes antes que la familia.
Y, por el contrario, podemos ver que para Lionel, sus acciones nunca tienen consecuencias negativas. En el relato se puede ver que ha habido otras "Lavinias" en su vida, a las cuales también abandonó, pero no por ello debe rendir cuentas. La única consecuencia negativa que sufre es el rechazo de Lavinia cuando, por celos, trata de recuperarla. No obstante, ese "amor renovado" le dura el tiempo justo que tarda en volver con su prometida para ser feliz a costa de su dinero.
April 25, 2019
This novelette (it's a very small book) was published in 1976 by Shameless Hussy Press, a 2nd wave feminist small press that published at least one of the other books by George Sand that I've collected.
Spoilers:
This book describes gorgeous scenery in the Pyranees and displays George Sand's skillful ability to write about relationships. It's no romance... except perhaps a "bad romance."
"This woman who has been so decried for her youthful errors, is surrounded henceforth by a stouter rampart than virtue--distrust."
--from _Lavinia_ by George Sand
Spoilers:
This book describes gorgeous scenery in the Pyranees and displays George Sand's skillful ability to write about relationships. It's no romance... except perhaps a "bad romance."
"This woman who has been so decried for her youthful errors, is surrounded henceforth by a stouter rampart than virtue--distrust."
--from _Lavinia_ by George Sand
May 9, 2024
Wow. I guess it's my fault for not expecting much from the books I read for university, but holy shit. I felt trapped from the first line, and couldn't put it down until the very end. It's so revolutionary reading this from a woman of her century, through a protagonist whose power is never once questioned. This short novel had me sitting in the edge of my seat, rooting for no one but Lavinia to follow her heart only. Definitely a must read.
September 23, 2012
Autentica, super realista, me encantó.
October 2, 2024
saai is geen argument, maar dit was oersaai.
"In Sir Lionel’s eyes, he was the most formidable rival a man could possibly have to face;..."
oftwel, je vindt hem gewoon sexy, Lionel.
"In Sir Lionel’s eyes, he was the most formidable rival a man could possibly have to face;..."
oftwel, je vindt hem gewoon sexy, Lionel.
May 8, 2019
I have wanted to read George Sand since I first discovered Ellen Moers’ Literary Women in 1980. 39 years passed, and I finally read her!
This was surprisingly enjoyable. After a bit of a slow start, possibly typical of the 19th C, the story romped along quite breezily. It read to me like a cabinet piece, like a play. I could imagine it staged in one room, with hidden emotions surging to the surface and being repressed again, with the dramatic tension between passion and sense, society and self — to be resolved with a cynically weary air. There is Romanticism too in the craggy mountainscape, gushing waters and sublime thunder and lightning.
We have a woman between two men, a man between two women. The drama is explored with nuance and worldliness; nobody is “blamed”; nobody is exonerated; and she remains very much herself.
Format: Kindle freebie. I read this translated into German from the original French.
Read for the Reading Women 2019 challenge, rubric “translated; pre-1945”.
Bonus: the novella shares a name with my sister. :-)
This was surprisingly enjoyable. After a bit of a slow start, possibly typical of the 19th C, the story romped along quite breezily. It read to me like a cabinet piece, like a play. I could imagine it staged in one room, with hidden emotions surging to the surface and being repressed again, with the dramatic tension between passion and sense, society and self — to be resolved with a cynically weary air. There is Romanticism too in the craggy mountainscape, gushing waters and sublime thunder and lightning.
We have a woman between two men, a man between two women. The drama is explored with nuance and worldliness; nobody is “blamed”; nobody is exonerated; and she remains very much herself.
Format: Kindle freebie. I read this translated into German from the original French.
Read for the Reading Women 2019 challenge, rubric “translated; pre-1945”.
Bonus: the novella shares a name with my sister. :-)
September 21, 2025
But, monsieur, you must know that I have been able to profit by the stern lessons of my own destiny; that I am on my guard today against my own heart and against another’s. I know that it is not always in a man’s power to keep his oaths, and that whatever he obtains he misuses. That being so, monsieur, do not hope to move me. I am invulnerable. This woman who has been so decried for her youthful errors, is surrounded henceforth by a stouter rampart than virtue – distrust.
September 2, 2018
I found this in the little free library that my health club has in the locker room. I didn't realize that Alta, a poet I have admired for years, had published translations of George Sand in her Shameless Hussy Press. Not hers alone, of course, but largely hers. I know very little about George Sand. I gobbled down this odd little romance and now I want to learn more about everything.
April 3, 2022
Absolutely loved it. Although it is a really short novel, the characters were well constructed and they showed a lot of depth. This story had some very interesting dissertations on morality and honor, and Sand's beautiful style makes them stand out even more.
May 13, 2017
Lavinia bittiğinde 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟, ama Markiz bunu 4 yıldıza çektirdi. Olsun be. Ah! Lavinia'yı tanırım. Bu da onun muzipliği!
May 3, 2018
Excellent, concise and ahead of its time. A phenomenal glimpse into the mind of the author herself.
December 28, 2023
Lavinia werd door Balzac ‘une petite perle’ genoemd. Een verhaal over een jonge weduwe die haar eigen leven bepaalt in het Pyreneese berglandschap. Een weerspiegeling van Sands gedachtengoed.
March 28, 2025
Novela corta. La escuché en audio libro en YT, canal “La voz que te cuenta”
Me encantó el final del libro que hace una conclusión muy ad hoc a los derechos de las mujeres.
Esta autora de principios de los años 1800 me sorprende gratamente precisamente por su mentalidad adelantada a su época. Iertwmente, mujeres como ella fueron abriendo camino poco a poco en el mundo.
Algunas frases que me gustaron:
** “El amor propio es un consejero tan extraño que, gracias a él, a menudo caemos en contradicciones con nosotros mismos.”
** “Me ofrecéis un nombre, un rango, una fortuna; creéis que un gran brillo en el mundo es una gran seducción para una mujer, Oh, no, no para aquella que lo conoce y lo desprecia como yo.”
Me encantó el final del libro que hace una conclusión muy ad hoc a los derechos de las mujeres.
Esta autora de principios de los años 1800 me sorprende gratamente precisamente por su mentalidad adelantada a su época. Iertwmente, mujeres como ella fueron abriendo camino poco a poco en el mundo.
Algunas frases que me gustaron:
** “El amor propio es un consejero tan extraño que, gracias a él, a menudo caemos en contradicciones con nosotros mismos.”
** “Me ofrecéis un nombre, un rango, una fortuna; creéis que un gran brillo en el mundo es una gran seducción para una mujer, Oh, no, no para aquella que lo conoce y lo desprecia como yo.”
January 3, 2023
Me ha gustado. Una historia corta pero que dice mucho.
Personalmente he quedado encantado con Lavinia, y me hubiese gustado conocer más sobre su carácter y pensar, sin embargo, pienso que eso la hace llamativa. Me gusta la creación de este personaje decidido por su felicidad antes que vivir el amor romántico.
Personalmente he quedado encantado con Lavinia, y me hubiese gustado conocer más sobre su carácter y pensar, sin embargo, pienso que eso la hace llamativa. Me gusta la creación de este personaje decidido por su felicidad antes que vivir el amor romántico.
July 12, 2024
George Sand, gerçek adıyla Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin, 19. yüzyıl Fransız edebiyatının önemli yazarlarından. Eserlerini bir erkek ismi kullanarak yayınlamış. Tabiki nedenini tahmin etmek güç değil. Dönemin toplumsal normlarına ve cinsiyet rollerine meydan okuyan kadın karekterleriyle meşhur. Bu kitap “Lavinia” ve “Markiz” isminde iki novelladan oluşuyor. Kesinlikle döneminin ilerisinde hikayeler. Zaten çok uzun da olmadıkları için bir oturuşta okuyacağınız cinsten.
January 29, 2026
inanamıyorum; bu kitabın 200 sene önce yazılmış olduğuna gerçekten inanamıyorum. acıklı bir aşk hikâyesi okuyacağımı sanırken, karşıma kadın uyanışını merkeze alan ve erkeği arzu nesnesi konumuna yerleştiren son derece cesur bir metin çıktı. zamanının çok ötesinde, hatta bugün bile radikal sayılabilecek bir bakış açısı var. çok çok çok sevdim ve büyük bir saygıyla okudum.
August 13, 2021
George Sand’in ilginç bir hayat hikayesi var, bana biraz Lou Salome’yi anımsatıyor. Dönemine göre cesur giyim tarzı, sigara içmesi, ulu orta yaşadığı aşklar, Chopin gibi ünlü sevgililer vesaire… Dişil-eril enerji arasında kurduğu denge de ayrıca ilham verici. Feminizmi reddetmesi, bir erkek ismiyle yazması ama cinselliğinin de sonuna kadar tadını çıkarması gibi… Bütün bunlar 19. yüzyıl Paris çevresine göre bile aşırı denebilecek özellikler.
Lavinia’yı da başarılı buldum ben. Belki kendi çapımda romantik hikayelere, varoluşsal çözümlemelere olan düşkünlüğümden, bilemiyorum, aradığımı 100 sayfacıktan oluşan iki öyküde de bulabildim ve bu da hoşuma gitti. Lavinia da güzel ama sanırım favorim Markiz. Bizde Kürk Mantolu Madonna ve Sevmek Zamanı’nda karşılığını bulan bir öykü. Derin, trajik, tutkulu ama hayat işte, hiçbir zaman sonuç değişmez, George Sand de dahil bu konuda bir çözüm üretebilen olmadı :)
Lavinia’yı da başarılı buldum ben. Belki kendi çapımda romantik hikayelere, varoluşsal çözümlemelere olan düşkünlüğümden, bilemiyorum, aradığımı 100 sayfacıktan oluşan iki öyküde de bulabildim ve bu da hoşuma gitti. Lavinia da güzel ama sanırım favorim Markiz. Bizde Kürk Mantolu Madonna ve Sevmek Zamanı’nda karşılığını bulan bir öykü. Derin, trajik, tutkulu ama hayat işte, hiçbir zaman sonuç değişmez, George Sand de dahil bu konuda bir çözüm üretebilen olmadı :)
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