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With Stendhal
With Stendhal is a delightful portrait of the nineteenth century French novelist Henri Beyle, better known to us as Stendhal.
Two linked texts, introduced, annotated and translated into English for the first time by multi-award-winning author Simon Leys, illuminate the life and mind of the great writer.
The first piece is a set of impressions and memories written by Stendhal’s famous friend Prosper Mérimée. Several vignettes reveal Stendhal’s character – charismatic, engaging, frenetic, hyper-romantic – accompanied by amusing anecdotes of him duelling, falling in love, and holding forth in the company of friends. The second is by Stendhal himself, a fantasy composed one idle afternoon, near the end of his life and for his own pleasure: a whimsical list of the supernatural powers he wished he possessed.
With Stendhal is a charming, entertaining insight into the character of one of the world’s greatest novelists, written for the enjoyment of all readers.
Two linked texts, introduced, annotated and translated into English for the first time by multi-award-winning author Simon Leys, illuminate the life and mind of the great writer.
The first piece is a set of impressions and memories written by Stendhal’s famous friend Prosper Mérimée. Several vignettes reveal Stendhal’s character – charismatic, engaging, frenetic, hyper-romantic – accompanied by amusing anecdotes of him duelling, falling in love, and holding forth in the company of friends. The second is by Stendhal himself, a fantasy composed one idle afternoon, near the end of his life and for his own pleasure: a whimsical list of the supernatural powers he wished he possessed.
With Stendhal is a charming, entertaining insight into the character of one of the world’s greatest novelists, written for the enjoyment of all readers.
- GenresNonfictionBiography
68 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Prosper Mérimée
1,292 books172 followersProsper Mérimée was a French dramatist, historian, archaeologist, and short story writer. He is perhaps best known for his novella Carmen, which became the basis of Bizet's opera Carmen.
Mérimée loved mysticism, history, and the unusual, and may have been influenced by Charles Nodier (though he did not appreciate his works), the historical fiction popularised by Sir Walter Scott and the cruelty and psychological drama of Aleksandr Pushkin. Many of his stories are mysteries set in foreign places, Spain and Russia being popular sources of inspiration.
In 1834, Mérimée was appointed to the post of inspector-general of historical monuments. He was a born archaeologist, combining linguistic faculty of a very unusual kind with accurate scholarship, with remarkable historical appreciation, and with a sincere love for the arts of design and construction, in the former of which he had some practical skill. In his official capacity he published numerous reports, some of which, with other similar pieces, have been republished in his works.
He was also responsible for several translations of Pushkin and Gogol, when they weren't known in Europe yet.
Mérimée loved mysticism, history, and the unusual, and may have been influenced by Charles Nodier (though he did not appreciate his works), the historical fiction popularised by Sir Walter Scott and the cruelty and psychological drama of Aleksandr Pushkin. Many of his stories are mysteries set in foreign places, Spain and Russia being popular sources of inspiration.
In 1834, Mérimée was appointed to the post of inspector-general of historical monuments. He was a born archaeologist, combining linguistic faculty of a very unusual kind with accurate scholarship, with remarkable historical appreciation, and with a sincere love for the arts of design and construction, in the former of which he had some practical skill. In his official capacity he published numerous reports, some of which, with other similar pieces, have been republished in his works.
He was also responsible for several translations of Pushkin and Gogol, when they weren't known in Europe yet.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
April 5, 2019
"Decía que la vida es corta y que el tiempo perdido en bostezar es irrecuperable. Admiraba mucho esta frase de monsieur de M…: «El mal gusto conduce al crimen»."
Me gustó mucho este libro y está muy bien documentado, anotado y se nota la admiración más allá del academicismo de Simon Leys, el recopilador de este libro. Nos muestra tres textos, "Notas y recuerdos sobre M. Beyle" de Prosper Mérimée, Unas anotaciones (menos de 3 páginas) de George Sand sobre cuando conoció a Stendhal y un texto incomprensible "Privilegios" de Stendhal (salvado de sus apuntes propios).
Por supuesto la reseña biográfica a raíz de la muerte de Stendhal, hecha por su amigo el literato Mérimée, fue lo que más me llamó la atención. Aunque en cierto modo con apuntes negativos sobre la obra del autor y plagado de cierto tinte de superioridad me pareció un excelente relato sobre el concepto de la sociedad de ese entonces sobre Stendhal. El autor de este libro disiente mucho con los pensamientos de Mérimée (hace notar que aunque Mérimée consideraba que Stendhal no llegó a ser un gran escritor, el tiempo valoró más a Stendhal que a Mérimée quien es más olvidado ahora), sin embargo, yo que he leído ampliamente su obra debo decir que sus comentarios sobre todo en la vida sentimental, en la actitud de Stendhal en sociedad (habla por ejemplo de la intención de Stendhal por parecer "malo", grotesco o por valorar de mala manera ciertos caracteres) tienen buena parte de creíble y de excelente perspicacia. Stendhal fue un carácter difícil de descifrar, apasionado en el fondo pero muchas veces cubierto de una careta de cinismo, muchas veces sus juicios eran para impresionar y vaya que lo logra, quizás son simplemente unas pistas para algo más profundo. No concuerdo tanto con el autor en que el juicio de Mérimée sea tan negativo (algunos incluso lo catalogaron como escandaloso). Me gustaron así mismo las notas del autor rebatiendo a Mérimée y agregando valoraciones y datos anecdóticos demasiado interesantes.
En suma, creo que este libro encantaría a cualquiera que guste de Stendhal pues yo he llevado largo tiempo leyendo sus autobiografías pero qué gusto encontrar unas páginas sobre el efecto que produjo en su tiempo visto desde fuera que nunca se puede valorar tan sólo con una autobiografía.
Libros amenos, diferentes y sobrios como éste deberían publicarse más seguido.
Me gustó mucho este libro y está muy bien documentado, anotado y se nota la admiración más allá del academicismo de Simon Leys, el recopilador de este libro. Nos muestra tres textos, "Notas y recuerdos sobre M. Beyle" de Prosper Mérimée, Unas anotaciones (menos de 3 páginas) de George Sand sobre cuando conoció a Stendhal y un texto incomprensible "Privilegios" de Stendhal (salvado de sus apuntes propios).
Por supuesto la reseña biográfica a raíz de la muerte de Stendhal, hecha por su amigo el literato Mérimée, fue lo que más me llamó la atención. Aunque en cierto modo con apuntes negativos sobre la obra del autor y plagado de cierto tinte de superioridad me pareció un excelente relato sobre el concepto de la sociedad de ese entonces sobre Stendhal. El autor de este libro disiente mucho con los pensamientos de Mérimée (hace notar que aunque Mérimée consideraba que Stendhal no llegó a ser un gran escritor, el tiempo valoró más a Stendhal que a Mérimée quien es más olvidado ahora), sin embargo, yo que he leído ampliamente su obra debo decir que sus comentarios sobre todo en la vida sentimental, en la actitud de Stendhal en sociedad (habla por ejemplo de la intención de Stendhal por parecer "malo", grotesco o por valorar de mala manera ciertos caracteres) tienen buena parte de creíble y de excelente perspicacia. Stendhal fue un carácter difícil de descifrar, apasionado en el fondo pero muchas veces cubierto de una careta de cinismo, muchas veces sus juicios eran para impresionar y vaya que lo logra, quizás son simplemente unas pistas para algo más profundo. No concuerdo tanto con el autor en que el juicio de Mérimée sea tan negativo (algunos incluso lo catalogaron como escandaloso). Me gustaron así mismo las notas del autor rebatiendo a Mérimée y agregando valoraciones y datos anecdóticos demasiado interesantes.
En suma, creo que este libro encantaría a cualquiera que guste de Stendhal pues yo he llevado largo tiempo leyendo sus autobiografías pero qué gusto encontrar unas páginas sobre el efecto que produjo en su tiempo visto desde fuera que nunca se puede valorar tan sólo con una autobiografía.
Libros amenos, diferentes y sobrios como éste deberían publicarse más seguido.
December 17, 2016
POST READ:
Long have I harboured deep curiosity about Stendhal's two always on display novels (I believe there are others!!)- The Scarlet and the Black and The Charterhouse of Parma.
The result of reading this small book is that I have finally purchased them.
From being spurned by friend and foe for "lack of style" and having poor sales during his lifetime, (Stendhal's last words ie. those written at the end of his novels were "TO THE HAPPY FEW", acknowledging his few fans and those in the future.) the "few" have now swelled to an Admiring Host.
I'm looking forward both to seeing how justified either camp may be and hoping, naturally, for a GREAT READ!!!!
PRE READ:
We owe much to Simon Leys for this small jewel of a book.
And its Melbourne publisher Black Inc.
Simon Leys is the pen name of the Belgian writer, critic, scholar and novelist, Pierre Ryckmans.He made his name as a sinologist in the 1960's, has a Chinese wife, has translated "The Analects of Confucius" into French and English, and drawn down the wrath of the Chinese Government for his continued political-cultural critique of Maoism and totalitarianism. Due to the efforts of French Maoists he has been banned from China and now lives in Australia. As Susan Sontag said "Lucky Australia that Pierre Ryckmans has chosen to live there."
This present book was only published in 2010.
"With Stendhal" consists of three sections.
Apart from a small excerpt from George Sand's "Histoire de Ma Vie" in which she describes a brief meeting with Stendhal(Henri Beyle) while travelling, the other two sections have NEVER been translated into English and published before.
The first, an account of his 20 year friendship with Stendhal and of his character, opinions and eccentricities, is by Prosper Merimee, author of the 50 page short story "Carmen" of 1845, source of Bizet's opera. Merimee and Sand had a mutually unsatisfying flirtation...so it is a nice little reunion of them all within these covers.
The other section written by Stendhal himself in 1840 about two years before his death, is only a recent discovery and is "a whimsical list of the supernatural powers he would wish to possess."
The superb 1840 portrait of a very healthy looking Stendhal which graces the cover is an oil portrait by Johan Olaf Sodemark.
I photographed it to display on my Refrigerator Gallery.
Long have I harboured deep curiosity about Stendhal's two always on display novels (I believe there are others!!)- The Scarlet and the Black and The Charterhouse of Parma.
The result of reading this small book is that I have finally purchased them.
From being spurned by friend and foe for "lack of style" and having poor sales during his lifetime, (Stendhal's last words ie. those written at the end of his novels were "TO THE HAPPY FEW", acknowledging his few fans and those in the future.) the "few" have now swelled to an Admiring Host.
I'm looking forward both to seeing how justified either camp may be and hoping, naturally, for a GREAT READ!!!!
PRE READ:
We owe much to Simon Leys for this small jewel of a book.
And its Melbourne publisher Black Inc.
Simon Leys is the pen name of the Belgian writer, critic, scholar and novelist, Pierre Ryckmans.He made his name as a sinologist in the 1960's, has a Chinese wife, has translated "The Analects of Confucius" into French and English, and drawn down the wrath of the Chinese Government for his continued political-cultural critique of Maoism and totalitarianism. Due to the efforts of French Maoists he has been banned from China and now lives in Australia. As Susan Sontag said "Lucky Australia that Pierre Ryckmans has chosen to live there."
This present book was only published in 2010.
"With Stendhal" consists of three sections.
Apart from a small excerpt from George Sand's "Histoire de Ma Vie" in which she describes a brief meeting with Stendhal(Henri Beyle) while travelling, the other two sections have NEVER been translated into English and published before.
The first, an account of his 20 year friendship with Stendhal and of his character, opinions and eccentricities, is by Prosper Merimee, author of the 50 page short story "Carmen" of 1845, source of Bizet's opera. Merimee and Sand had a mutually unsatisfying flirtation...so it is a nice little reunion of them all within these covers.
The other section written by Stendhal himself in 1840 about two years before his death, is only a recent discovery and is "a whimsical list of the supernatural powers he would wish to possess."
The superb 1840 portrait of a very healthy looking Stendhal which graces the cover is an oil portrait by Johan Olaf Sodemark.
I photographed it to display on my Refrigerator Gallery.
January 19, 2016
I don’t know much about the economics of publishing, but I’m very glad that there are still independent publishers like Black Inc who think it’s worthwhile to publish little gems like With Stendhal.
...
It seems extraordinary that some of Stendhal’s works hadn’t been translated into English until now. You’d think that he’d have been done to death by PhD students, but in fact Simon Leys (an Australian scholar and academic) is the first to translate the two pieces in this book. The first is a memoir of Stendhal written by his friend Prosper Mérimée. The other is a short piece by Stendhal, a whimsy in which he explores a wish-list of supernatural powers he’d like to have.
Read the rest at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
...
It seems extraordinary that some of Stendhal’s works hadn’t been translated into English until now. You’d think that he’d have been done to death by PhD students, but in fact Simon Leys (an Australian scholar and academic) is the first to translate the two pieces in this book. The first is a memoir of Stendhal written by his friend Prosper Mérimée. The other is a short piece by Stendhal, a whimsy in which he explores a wish-list of supernatural powers he’d like to have.
Read the rest at http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...
November 30, 2022
Este librito de Simon Leys (seudónimo de Pierre Ryckmans), editado por Acantilado, seguramente hará rabiar a más de uno: contiene las impresiones (¿debatibles?, ¿injustas?) que a propósito de Henri Beyle, mejor conocido como Stendhal, vertieron Prosper Mérimée y George Sand. El primero, amigo de Stendhal que estuvo presente en su funeral, se sintió obligado a escribirlas a título póstumo ante la falta de oradores que tuvo dicho evento; el segundo, si bien en realidad «él» se trataba en realidad de Aurore Dupin, consiste apenas de un par de observaciones consignadas en su autobiografía cuando esta narra su huida a Italia al lado de su joven amante, Alfred de Musset. En conjunto, además de las notas aclaratorias e ilustraciones del propio De Musset a ambos textos, el retrato de Stendhal hecho por Mérimée y Sand no rebasa las 60 páginas.
Si a lo anterior sumamos que el volumen cierra con un texto estrafalario (y prácticamente desconocido) del autor de /Rojo y negro/ titulado /Los privilegios/ (suerte de prerrogativas que Stendhal pedía a Dios hacia el final de su vida), muchos han de preguntarse a quién en su sano juicio podría interesarle este panfleto.
Por último, si añadimos el precio que suelen costar los libros de dicha casa editorial, parecería un sinsentido interesarse por una obra semejante: un textito de Stendhal y un par de memorias, casi involuntarias, escritas por dos autores que lo conocieron y que, dicho sea de paso, juzgaron que su peor defecto era que «escribía mal».
Pero Stendhal fue un visionario que supo escribir y anticiparse al gusto literario que no había en su tiempo. Escribió como le habría gustado vivir y su vida fue otra más de sus obras literarias. Escribía «mal» porque no estaba de acuerdo con ceñirse al canon que editores, críticos, y curiosos (con la sola excepción de Balzac) querían imponerle en un s. XIX que no soñaba, ni en sus peores pesadillas de opio, con el sobresalto y la destrucción que asolarían a Europa en el s. XX.
Y solo por eso vale la pena acercarse a Stendhal y su prosa delirante, llena de vida, pasión y vértigo... Así como a todo aquello que otros tengan que decir al respecto.
Si a lo anterior sumamos que el volumen cierra con un texto estrafalario (y prácticamente desconocido) del autor de /Rojo y negro/ titulado /Los privilegios/ (suerte de prerrogativas que Stendhal pedía a Dios hacia el final de su vida), muchos han de preguntarse a quién en su sano juicio podría interesarle este panfleto.
Por último, si añadimos el precio que suelen costar los libros de dicha casa editorial, parecería un sinsentido interesarse por una obra semejante: un textito de Stendhal y un par de memorias, casi involuntarias, escritas por dos autores que lo conocieron y que, dicho sea de paso, juzgaron que su peor defecto era que «escribía mal».
Pero Stendhal fue un visionario que supo escribir y anticiparse al gusto literario que no había en su tiempo. Escribió como le habría gustado vivir y su vida fue otra más de sus obras literarias. Escribía «mal» porque no estaba de acuerdo con ceñirse al canon que editores, críticos, y curiosos (con la sola excepción de Balzac) querían imponerle en un s. XIX que no soñaba, ni en sus peores pesadillas de opio, con el sobresalto y la destrucción que asolarían a Europa en el s. XX.
Y solo por eso vale la pena acercarse a Stendhal y su prosa delirante, llena de vida, pasión y vértigo... Así como a todo aquello que otros tengan que decir al respecto.
September 13, 2020
Charming, slight, and very funny.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews