Konsuela

Consuelo, et, La Comtesse de Rudolstadt #1

by George Sand

A novel of musical life set in the 18th century. The story of Consuelo, a Gypsy singer, and her adventures in Venice, Austria and Bohemia, narrated by the most eminent of French female writers.

Sand was a prolific (nearly 60 novels) writer who shocked Paris with her own sexual escapades, but in her writing dealt with the serious issues of her time and was identified with the Romantic literary movement. Sand's strong, independent women characters would win her both the adoration of many other writers (mostly women) and the wrath of many reviewers (mostly men). She and her characters are enthusiastic, outspoken, sententious, with a bold manifesto of women's independence and a legitimate claim to emotional and sexual fulfillment. She was unique in her approach as a woman who refused to trivialize her craft because of her gender. Sand became known more for her eccentric lifestyle and love affairs with famous contemporaries, such as Alfred de Musset and Frederic Chopin, than her career as a writer.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, France, French Literature, Historical Fiction, Romance, Historical

810 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1841

About the author

Amantine 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.

Reviews

[nastya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I must’ve borrowed this book from somebody in my teenage years. I don’t know from whom, I even asked my childhood friend if it was her. And I devoured and adored it. And then the ending was unsatisfying and I remember my heart was broken but back then I didn’t have internet and didn’t know it had a sequel!

I read it a few years later. But then I remember saving some pocket money and finally buying my own copy of Consuelo! And taking it with me on my trip to the seaside with a friend (it was Kyrylivka, currently occupied by russians btw). I took it to the beach and then we went into the sea and we were robbed! I don’t remember what they’ve stolen, it must've been my mobile phone and maybe some money… Who cares, they stole my book! And I haven’t even read! Bastards!

So then in the evening we returned to the beach to check trash cans because I hoped that those jerks would take what they could sell and throw other things away. Why would they even need my book, they obviously can’t read. But no luck. And that was the story of my failed re-read of this one 10-13 years ago maybe? Anyways it was in russian, so good riddance!

So that’s the story of how I got to this long overdue re-read, this time in Ukrainian. I really hope I won’t be visited by the suck fairy *fingers crossed*

Two weeks later:
Ok, I finished. I’m tired. I’m slain. It was awesome!
Where do I even begin to describe this mammoth?
This novel was serialized and it explains sometimes very episodic nature of the second half, especially, but I thought it was sewn together beautifully.
Ok, no, let’s go to the beginning. You can clearly split this book into 4 parts.

First one is a romantic story of young chaste love, jealousy and betrayal under the skies of Venice. Here Consuelo is the most angel-like, a genius singer and daughter of the road, she’s learning to become a professional artist and debuting on stage.

Second part is a gothic fairy tale that takes place in the forested mountains of Bohemia, where Consuelo meets a beautiful not-of-this-world melancholy prince who is either mad or has supernatural powers (or both) and tends to disappear for long periods of time. This is an obvious inverse of the Sleeping Beauty tale mixed with an East of the sun and West of the moon. Here Consuelo’s task is to save him. Then temptation from the former life comes into her life and she flees.

Here she learns Czech history, Hussite wars that are definitely presented here as a fight of oppressed people of the land against the powerful forein empire and also as a class struggle and socialist utopia. The unfairness of some people having it all just because of their birthright (Albert, our prince, wants to donate everything to the poor. He’s in conflict with his other aristocratic family members) and other people who have nothing but feel more free and unburdened (Consuelo and her late mother). Also rejection of catholicism that is equated with oppression.

Third part is a road trip with episodic adventures when Consuelo, dressed in the young man’s clothes, with a new musically gifted friend, intends to get to Vienna where her teacher and father figure resides. Bandits, ambushes and unexpected meetings follow.

Fourth part is Consuelo trying to build her career as an artist and to debut at the court of Maria Theresa. The questions of what it means to be a real artist and necessity to navigate intrigues and play games to get ahead make Consuelo doubt her desire for this life of the performer.

And the most over the top tragic final chapters where our beautiful prince dies of broken heart or does he?

This book is just pure fun, extremely bingeable, Sand is an incredible storyteller and she keeps control over her cast of characters and their stories keep resolving without anybody having to be shipped off to Australia out of nowhere. The constant change of scenery, juggling different genres makes it always fresh. When she’s writing a gothic story, for example, she’s self aware and mockingly compares her writing to Ann Radcliffe’s. Messing with fairy tales.

This book has a sequel that was published immediately after, so they both tell one long story. I can only imagine how disappointed I was to finish this book ages ago and not knowing their story is not over. It must’ve been very unsatisfying.

Ceux de nos lecteurs qui se sont par trop fatigués à suivre Consuelo parmi tant de périls et d'aventures, peuvent maintenant se reposer. Ceux, moins nombreux sans doute, qui se sentent encore quelque courage, apprendront dans un prochain roman, la suite de ses pérégrinations, et ce qui advint du comte Albert après sa mort.

I’m on it, I'm not that tired after all!

Some famous fans:
Charlotte Bronte:

Charlotte Bronte's correspondence provides the following references to George Sand. In 1848, responding to the literary advice of G.H. Lewes, Miss Bronte said:
Now I can understand admiration of George Sand; for though I never saw any of her works which I admired throughout (even "Consuelo", which is the best, or the best that I have read, appears to me to couple strange extravagance with wondrous excellence), yet she has a grasp of mind which, if I cannot fully comprehend, I can very deeply respect: she is sagacious and profound; Miss Austen is only shrewd and observant....What I call - what I will bend to, as a great artist, then - cannot be destitute of the divine gift. But by poetry, I am sure, you understand something different to what I do, as you do by "sentiment". It is poetry, as I comprehend the word, which elevates that masculine George Sand, and makes out of something coarse something godlike.
Two years later, again to Lewes, she voices these opinions:
Truly - I like George Sand better. Fantastic, fanatical, unpractical enthusiast as she often is - far from truthful as are many of her views of Life - misled as she is apt to be by her feelings - George Sand has a better nature than M. de Balzac - her brain is larger - her heart warmer than his. The "Lettres d'un Voyageur" are full of the writer's self, and I never felt so strongly as in the perusal of this work - that most of her very faults spring from the excess of her good qualities; it is this excess which has often hurried her into difficulty, which has prepared for her enduring regret. But - I believe - her mind is of that order which disastrous experience teaches without weakening or too much disheartening, and in that case - the longer she lives the better she will grow. A hopeful point in all her writings is the
scarcity of false French sentiment - I wish I could say its absence - but the weed flourishes here and there in the "Lettres".


Walt Whitman:

Asked if he[Walt Whitman] did not admire Rosalind, Portia, and other favourite heroines—
"No, I think Consuelo far superior to any of Shakespeare's heroines." He added that he relied upon translations, for he could not read French with any enjoyment. Did he think the worse of George Sand for the latitude she took in the relation of marriage?
"No," he replied unhesitatingly, "the finest teachers in life, the most artistic, are the darkest; it is necessary for an artist to see everything—to go to the depths of life. I don't regret anything about George Sand; her very frailties were the result of her good qualities. She was impatient of the goody-good; she wanted something freer."
Yet another favourite chapter of his in 'Consuelo' was the one where Hayden and Consuelo, having set forth on their travels, she disguised as a boy, come to the canon's garden by moonlight, and there, beneath his window among the flowers and the cool dew, pout forth sweet music—Consuelo singing in her rich pure contralto voice, and Hadyn skillfully accompanying her with his violin. They are both tired and belated; it is with them a question of no song, no supper. They hope by the former to touch the heart of the canon, and in this they succeed, for he invites them in, giving them supper and a night's lodging.

[Mary Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a spectacular book for me but maybe no one else anywhere will read with great pleasure 816 pages of lively adventures of an 18th century opera singer! She has a wonderfully independent, modest and gracious temperament, and wanders from Venice through a gothic Bohemia to the Vienna of Maria Theresa on her path. Historical musicians and other artists appear as characters, e.g. Haydn, Porpora, Metastasio. Highly recommended to fans of 19th century nnovels!

[Begona Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't remember what made me pick up this mammoth of a book. Maybe George Sand was mentioned in my French lessons as a teenager and subconsciously made me choose it. And I don't regret it, even after taking me a month to finish and putting it down several times to read other books.



It is a delightful book. Full of interesting events, ranging from the scandals and maliciousness of the opera world to the consequences of war, passing through the supernatural. It a tour of Europe and it's different peoples and usages. All all this done with easy and with amazing characters.



Consuelo is a wonderful character. She is quite stereotypical in the sense that every man she meets falls head over heels in love with her, and as every heroine she is so goodhearted that even Christ has a problem keeping up with her. But on the other hand she is exceptional because she dresses as a man (reflecting what George Sand herself did), is an emancipated woman earning her own living, not actively searching for a husband and not fainting every five minutes.



What probably stops me giving it 5 stars is that I am not overly interested in classical music, that I read in French (don't ask why: moment of transitory madness) and the Count. I find him deeply annoying. If he had stayed as mad as when we first find him I probably would have understood him dying in the end and he would have cut a romantic character. As he stands he is rather pathetic, the completely antithesis of Consuelo. Why would she consider giving up her career for him?

[Writerlibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consuelo along with La Comtesse de Rudolstadt are among my favourite nineteen century novels. It's George Sand's masterpiece and bizarrely they were the books she wrote in the worst of times, always on the run, always on deadline. Writing in the dead of night, after all the visitors were asleep, sitting in her little cupboard, writing, writing until 4 am, sending the pages barely edited to Paris from Nohant to be published in the paper. Consuelo started out as a novel about music, opera and Venice. It gives the reader a wonderful view of the time, the people who had power and how a diva was made. But it went sideways because Sand needed money, because she was an amazingly curious writer and she became enamoured with Bohemia, its history, its legends. And Consuelo took a turn for the gothic and dramatic with her lead character on the road with a very young Haydn finding refuge in a very mysterious castle.

There's a star cross love story, a dramatic ending, a wonderful, wonderful female lead, a mysterious, gothic lead male character full of angst, music, mysticism all mixed to form an operatic kinda novel.

I still love it to pieces.

[NatalyaVqs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one was my favorite during years of adolescence. I love how she follows him into the grotto and how he catches her singing and then feverishly trying to jump out the window. I skipped a lot of the historical Chech ruminatings that he was so obsessed on. Still think its one of the most powerful love stories with lots of interesting plot twists. I love her character - so passive, yet so determined and strong. All the family members in the castle were very endearing, especially in that they came around in the end. The sequel was too weird, masons and all, not nearly as good as this book.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just arrived from France through BM.

This book starts as a "nouvelle venitienne" where Consuelo is good to singing. After that, the author changes the scenery to a castle in Boheme, then to Vienna (at the relevant time when Haydn debuted) and then to Berlin under the reign of Frederic.

This huge book was written as a serial book and sometimes we loose track on the main story.

This sequel is La Comtesse de Rudolstadt.

[Soko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Орчуулга нь юутай тансаг, ямар ч алдаагүй, зохиолын өгүүлэмж нь цогц ийм номыг уншаагүй уджээ. Дахин хэвлэгдэж олонд хүрээсэй. Бичлэгийн маяг надад нөлөөлөөд би ч хэзээдээ бичиж байгаагүй уран яруу тайлбар бичиж байгаагаас харвал энэ ном намайг хөнгөн дэвэргэн бодолд умбуулжээ…
2 дэвтэр болгон монгол хэлнээ Амар орчуулагчийн хичээл зүтгэлээр бидэнд хүрчээ. Уйдаамгүй сонирхол татахуйц тус номонд Консуэло хэмээх дууч бүсгүйн тухай өгүүлнэ. Уран цэцэн бичлэгийн хэвийг эх хэлнээ буулгахдаа ямар ч алдаа мадаггүй, яруу шигтгэмэл үгнүүдээр төлөөлүүлсэн нь ном унших үед таныг мөнхүү татна.
Жишээ нь: ууртайгаас тэнэг нь давсан, аюултайгаасаа хорон санаа нь давсан… гэх мэт тансаг орчуулгатай. Жорж Санд зохиолчийн “Индиан хүүхэн” номыг мөн Амар орчуулагч орчуулсан гэх тайлбарыг уншаад тэр номыг ч бас олж уншихаар сэтгэл шулуудав.


…Эмээгийнхээ хэллэгийг эргэн сануулсан 2 үг номноо дурдагдсан нь ай, бурхан гурван эрдэнэ… бас туужуу гэсэн үгс байлаа. Аль ч номноос уншиж байгаагүй, бас хүүхэд насны дурсамж сэргээж эмээгээ хоёронтоо саналаа…

[Marina C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not everyone can dare to read a 800-pages long novel about a singer from the 18th century. But since I have a special predilection towards historical books (especially those about the middle Ages), I couldn't leave this book unread.
The novel is very absorbing and addictive; especially the second part of the novel stunned me with the veracity and vivid descriptions of the sensual and sensitive worlds of the characters.
Even if the book doesn't have a strong moralistic aspect or special genius in it, it still made me a better person thanks to its light, honest, pure, and rightful characters.

I look forward to reading the continuation in Sand's next novel.

[Eugenia Podkuyko · Rating 2 out of 5]

Колись цей роман був у списку до прочитання на моєму курсі зарубіжної літератури. Я рада, що тоді до нього не взялася, адже втратила б багато дорогоцінного часу на підготовку до заліку.

По-перше, головна героїня, Консуело, виявилася ідеальною дівчиною за оцінкою авторки. Вона скромна, приязна та набожна, і це робить її нудною. Їй все вдається, усі її суперники врешті-решт зазнають невдачі перед лицем її чеснот, лиходії схиляють перед нею голову. До всього Консуело бракує здорового глузду: коли їй повідомляють про психічне захворювання одного молодого графа, вона схильна романтизувати та ідеалізувати цей стан.

По-друге, у всесвіті цього роману якимось чином існує паранормальне, хоча твір не позиціонує себе як містичний. Авторка стверджує, що існують попередні життя та екстрасенси та наділяє одного з провідних персонажів надприродними силами.

Сюжет тягнеться й тягнеться, і я змушена була знайомитися з нескінченною низкою нових героїв. А от фіналу, за іронією долі, приділено дуже мало сторінок.

Можна читати, лише якщо під рукою немає взагалі нічого, включно з мобільним інтернетом.

[Kinga · Rating 2 out of 5]

Phew. That was an extremely long ride.

I tried very hard to find a reason why I should give this book at least 3 stars, but unfortunately it did not happen. I never thought I would dislike a novel just because it was too long; I always felt that length was a very superficial and silly reason to base a judgement on a book, and I never understood readers who complained about it. Now I can see that so far I have been fortunate enough to meet only greatly written tomes, where you don't even notice how long they are while reading them. This is not the case with Consuelo by George Sand.

This book - perhaps following the era's hip tradition - is practically an essay novel; the story itself is almost merely a reason for Sand to write (really) long passages on the meaning of art, religion, history, whatnot. These parts usually manifest themselves as lengthy monologues by one of the characters (generally one of the main ones), and they go on and on and on for multiple pages. Quite often they enunciate these extensive essays out of nowhere, with no connection to the story and the events whatsoever, frequently interrupting the narrative. (At one point, we, the readers have to crawl through a gazillion pages of the history of the Hussite movement and the Bohemian Reformation, and in the end the 'presenter' asks his listener, the heroine, 'I hope I haven't bored you too much'; at which point I started to scream, 'Oh, yes, you son-of-a-b...., you have, you have!') Added to this, the actual content of these parts, the thoughts and ideas they convey are very dated and incredibly naive (naive as in 'silly').

If all this weren't enough to throw the book down, George Sand's writing style would surely make you do so. Her bombastic rants are essentially unbearable to read through without rolling your eyes or laughing out loudly (and not with delight, let me assure you). To say that she is melodramatically sentimental, is a strong, strong understatement.

That said, the story itself would not be too bad (hence my 2 stars and not just one), and in spite of the completely idiotic and silly heroine you do want to know (up to a certain point) what is happening to her and her environment; but in order to learn that you need to chew down 800+ exhausting, tedious and tiresome pages. If an editor cut out at least third (or more) of the novel, and just leave the story line, this book would be a decent read. In this form though, it is on its well-deserved way to become a forgotten classic.

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this first time when i was 11 or 12, i think.
Re-read it now and still think it is good.
In many ways it written so lovely, it is very naive sometimes and the characters are so oblivious to the world's darker side.
Lovely read.

[Erika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grāmata, kas tā garlaikoja, ka mocīju, mocīju, bet tā arī nespēju to izlasīt līdz galam.

[Moira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Snažím si urovnat myšlenky. Bolí mě hlava. Jsem zahlcena dojmy. Tak se to pokusím vzít od začátku.

Část příběhu, který se odehrával v Benátkách, nejspíše zapůsobil na mou romantickou dušenku. Zamilovala jsem si jej a přestože tuším, že je to právě naopak, považuju tu část, z mého pohledu, za nejpovedenější. Anzoletto byl jednoduše postava, která měla něco do sebe a i mistr Porpora se mi tam zdál "milejší". Snad jen Consuela mi neseděla, byla zakřiknutá, nebo spíše až moc důvěřivá, jako dítě. A možná že ta její nevinnost a naprostá absence sobeckosti společně s ušlápnutou pokorou udělalo z té části takový sladkobolný úsek.

Příběh se pak přelil do jiné části. Z počárku jsem si myslela, že automaticky, nijak drasticky či "křiklavě". Teď s odstupoem se mi to zdá trochu razící, avšak... takové příběhy mají být, ne? Překvapivé. :) Skoro je mi líto říct, že se mi ta číst moc nelíbila. Byla znovu perfektně propracovaná, avšak trošku mimo mou ligu. Probírala se tam témata, kterým ani nemůžu porozumět. Avšak... avšak přečetla jsem to a zas 'tolik' se nenudila. A to se mi bohužel dost často u starších knih stává. To je také fakt, který by neměl zůstat opomenutý. Na dobu, kdy byla kniha napsaná, je to určitě obdivuhodný příběh. Nejsem si jistá, kdy začala ženská emancipace a kdy se začali uznávat "volnější vztahy", ale tuším, že v té době to zas tolik "podporované" nebylo.

Poslední etapa knihy (možná by se dala rozdělit na dvě), podobnější první, mě už spíše unavovala. Přesto jsem trpělivě a nedočkavě ubíhala ke konci. Možná mě zklamal. Asi jsem čekala něco jiného. (A asi je mi z něj smutno. Možná jsem stále ještě v šoku, protože zbytek 'mě' stále dobíhá, zanechán v polovině knižky, když jsem tak hořečnatě spěchala ke konci.. :):

Kniha se četla dobře, byla pěkná, postavy byly jednoduše perfektní. "Nečekaně" na mě zapůsobil nejvíce Anzoletto, byl opravdu zářivá postava, kterou vás Sandová donutila si zamilovat a poté jí začít opovrhovat. Chjo.
Popravdě, dnes neznám žádného člověka podobného Consuele v první, druhé i třetí části knihy. Osobně určitě ne. A možná to jí dodává tu tajemnost, to jí dodalo to 'více', díky kterému mě příběh strhl. Jsem opravdu ráda, že jsem na knihu narazila. :)
(Asi už vím, proč mě tak bolí hlava. Někdy Sandová psala moc složitá a zdlouhavá souvětí. Děkuju pěkně.)

[Надежда Сикарева · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is as good as a classical literature can be, in the way it is good. When judging the books like that you should mention a few points and remember that the mentality and the purpose of writing differed from today's.

So I would say that I liked this book, I gave 5 stars to it because it shows the problems of women, their life and, moreover, from the point of view of a singer, a girl with casual appearance but perfect voice.

I liked the plot and the main character, but I am not sure if I want to read it once again. Not because the book was bad, but because it is the book to-be red but not to be re-read, at least for me.

[Steve Gordon]

Simply brilliant. In Consuelo, Sand examines the relationship between music, religious fervor, love, and insanity, among other things, whilst tossing in numerous fascinating historical figures from the 18th century. And even at the end of 800 pages, you feel as though you could keep on reading the young Porporina's adventures for another 10,000 pages. Thankfully there's a sequel!

[Andreas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no recollection what prompted me to pick up this behemoth, which one would be tempted to call overly florid and verbose if it didn't kick so much ass. A complex story, well-developed characters, plenty of romance and intrigue—it all makes for a marvelously enjoyable read.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Music, mysteries and love. For me this story equals to Gone with the Wind - complicated love story, a fantasy set in historic events. Epic! If you love history and believable mysteries, and haven' t read this - well worth reading! Plus it qualifies as classic ;)

[Seinka · Rating 2 out of 5]

Les premiers chapitres sont geniaux mais quelque part au milieu du livre l'histoire est devenue bizarre. C'est dommage car le style d'ecriture est magnifique.

[Salomé]

Un bien long roman qui mêle la vie, les rumeurs et les coulisses hypocrites du monde de la musique ; une rencontre au carrefour du gothique et du religieux ; des mésaventures lors d’un voyage déguisée en homme.

Si les parties très portées sur la religion m’ont moins intéressée, j’ai beaucoup aimé le reste. C’est un roman conséquent mais subdivisé en plusieurs « arcs », chacun ayant ses personnages, ses secrets, ses mouvements de pouvoir et d’obstacles à surmonter pour notre héroïne. J’ai apprécié voir le développement de Consuelo, sa capacité à garder son intégrité tout en étant intelligente et indépendante. Sa rencontre avec Joseph Haydn et leurs mésaventures jusqu’à Vienne sont géniales à lire. C’est à ce moment-là que Consuelo se révèle ingénieuse et approche au plus près d’une véritable indépendance. Parce que malheureusement, une femme à cette époque est la plus libre lorsqu’elle devient veuve ou lorsqu’elle se déguise en homme…

Toujours aussi heureuse de découvrir toute l’œuvre de George Sand, je continuerai à lire chacun de ces livres. Je suis d’ailleurs surprise (et triste) que les œuvres de cette autrice ne soient pas tant lues dans la booktube/bookstagram sphères…

Oh ! Attention par contre aux remarques antisémites et racistes de notre bien-aimée George Sand…

[Irene Grynyk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Найперше, треба розуміти, який саме твір ви читаєте - порівнювати "Консуело" з, наприклад, "Графом Монте-Крісто" просто помилково. На фоні ж з сучасною ж літературою порівняння виглядатиме навіть смішним. "Консуело" - продукт свого часу.

Я вперше прочитала цей роман в підлітковому віці, і от багато років по тому вирішила перечитати і сформувати свою думку вже як доросла людина.

Найперше, що мушу зазначити, те, що колись молоде серце вважало романтикою, зараз виглядає справжнім божевіллям (і я не говорю про хворобу Альберта). Консуело поводиться дуже безрозсудно, слідуючи за нестабільним чоловіком по печерах та лісах, вірячи його дивним промовам та ще дивнішим передбаченням. Я намагалась весь час поставити діагноз бідному Альберту, але так як я не маю медичної освіти, то мої припущення зійшлись або на щизофренії або на біполярному розладі.
Ще більше мене здивував той факт, що насправді дівчина не любила Альберта, хоча автор ніби намагалась і свою героїню, і нас переконати в протилежному. Але чесно, важко плюбити когось, якщо ти думаєш, що ця людина вбивця.

Ще більшою дурістю була чиста та наївна любов до Порпори, людини, яка мало що взагалі цінувала Консуело. Він використовував її талант як іграшку, граючись з долею дівчини, яка ітак нічого не мала. Та при найменшій можливості стати кимось (чи на сцені, чи через шлюб), він вставляв їй палки в колеса.

Така дитяча поведінка часом злила мене, як читачку, завжди світла та безневинна Консуело ( яка ні разу не зробилась нічого поганого) дещо нервувала. Але знову ж, видно, що Жорж Санд планувала свою героїню саме так, а не інакше. Сучасному читачу це здається досить штучним, але роман писався в 19 столітті.

Важко звісно ж оминути сотні сторінок філософських та релігійних міркувань, вони справді досить цікаві та прогресивні для свого часу. Дивує, як авторці дали опублікувати такі єритичні думки.

Загалом, це дуже цікавий інтелектуальний роман, який паралельно може бути дещо нудним та специфічним.

[Ligita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es izlasīju tikai pirmo grāmatu (no divām). Otro vismaz pagaidām nelasīšu. Laba valoda (labs tulkojums), vēsturiskais fons, izteiksmīgi tēli, bet kopumā viss velkas tik lēni un smagnēji, ka man bija grūti noturēt uzmanību. Laikam esmu pārāk moderns cilvēks, kuram vajag dinamiskāku virzību, ne tik lielus apcerējumus, kuriem principā nebija lielas nozīmes, tik vien, kā iejusties atmosfērā. Bet tā jau novērtēju autores lielo darbu.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. I wish I could have found an edition with fewer typos/errors in translation (the paperback I read was not the edition pictured here with the red cover), but enjoyed it immensely. The characters leap off the page, and now I guess I have to track down the sequel!

[Олександра Рижкова · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я прочитала!!! Місяць читала))) Мені сподобалось, бо я люблю класику. Потрібна тепер 2 книжка, але не впевнена, що вона є в українському перекладі

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un ouvrage impressionnant pour l'époque et toujours autant d'actualité

[Hélène · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce fut une belle lecture.
Consuelo est une jeune vénitienne, orpheline, d'origine gitane, cantatrice comme le monde n'en a pas entendu jusque là. Elle représente l'ART et la VERTU en lettres majuscules. Guidée par le beau, le bon et le vrai, elle se fraie un chemin à elle alors qu'elle côtoie de grands artistes, des têtes couronnées, des méchants, des ambitieux. Elle est parfois exaspérante de bonté, mais c'est le seul personnage qui porte à certains moments du doute, des conflits intérieurs notamment par rapport à sa vie amoureuse et à sa vie professionnelle.
Les autres personnages , beaucoup moins nuancés, me rappelaient les personnages de conte, tout blancs, ou noirs. La plupart sont embourbés dans des enjeux narcissiques qui me les ont rendus antipathiques.
Que dire de l'intrigue sans trop en dévoiler? Consuelo doit fuir Venise et est confiée par son maître de musique à une noble famille allemande. Albert, le fils est plutôt illuminé. Il entretient un rapport obsessionnel avec des esprits de leaders religieux qui ont mené à un schisme, une rupture avec le catholicisme. Bien sûr, il tombe amoureux de Consuelo...Cette dernière quitte le château et part rejoindre son maître à Vienne où elle croit pouvoir réfléchir tranquillement à la relation qu'elle souhaite établir avec Albert. Oh! Illusion...
Les lieux du roman sont également intéressants: la Venise de la romance, de la chaleur et de la légèreté, le sombre du château allemand et les cavernes qui reflètent bien les enjeux mystiques d'Albert, la route qui mène à Vienne, territoire de bien des dangers, et finalement Vienne, ville de représentations qui introduit la question du vrai et du faux.
George Sand écrit de manière vive, alerte, ce qui convient bien à la publication en feuilleton de la publication originale. Elle parsème le texte d'adresses à ses lectrices qui sont charmantes, parfois franchement drôles. Elle se permet une critique intéressante de la religion, des milieux artistiques, de la condition féminine, de l'organisation du pouvoir dans la vie civile. La fin est décevante, plutôt mièvre.

[Yulia Lutskaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't believe that i managed to finish this book. After each 100 pages i thought that maybe now something interesting would happen... but no, it wouldn't. Maybe i started to read it with wrong expectations in the first place: i thought that a woman with such complicated and diverse love life as George Sand would reflect her life and thoughts in this book. Instead the main character is too virtuous, any thing she does or says is very pious and never negative (do this kind of people even exist?) And all other characters are too simple, too: bad people are always bad and jealous, and never think a single nice thought. Every man falls for the main character, each time she sings she sings better than ever before, and never fails... So plain.

The author describes some real people such as kings and musicians who live during the time in which the plot is set (17th century). But each time she introduces these characters it feels a bit irrelevant and boring.

And there are serious parts which are supposed to be about "meaning of life". But these are so chaotic and mixed with the history, mystery, religion that the whole thing doesn't make any sense.

The only not-banal thing about Consuelo is that she is a feminist: she doesn't look for a rich husband to support her in life. At the same time, she is not eager to build a successful career as well (obviously because she is too virtuous for the dirty artistic world). She doesn't care about money at all, in a emphatic manner, so it is a mystery how she manages to be fed and dressed nicely during the whole book.

[Asya Shestopal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Моє знайомство із Жорж Санд
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Почалося з цієї книги.
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І можу сказати точно: воно продовжиться.
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Книга має 800 сторінок, (по правді, там такий дрібненький шрифт, що по-нормальному мало б бути 2 томи по 800 🤷‍♀️) але сюжет не затягнутий, не хочеться "перемотати".
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Розповідається про дівчину на ім'я Консуело (логічно). У неї нічого немає: ні багатства, ні родини, ні прізвища. Лише талант. З самого дитинства вона мріє співати на великій сцені.
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(Я їй навіть трішки заздрю. Люди все життя себе шукають а тут таке 😏)
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І от мрія майже здійснилась. Аж тут починаються проблеми: заздрісники, пліткарі, зрадливий наречений. Все це змушує дівчину тікати з рідної Іспанії до Чехії.
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Взагалі, чеська частина роману мені подобається найбільше. Тут і не надто відомі факти з історії країни, і романтична лінія, і купа загадок. Містика на межі божевілля чи то божевілля на межі містики.
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Місцями сюжет нагадував інший класичний твір, який я просто обожнюю - Джейн Ейр Шарлотти Бронте. Але тут суть трішки інша. Вибір дівчини між кар'єрою і особистим життям - думаю, тема актуальна і сьогодні.
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І так, приємний бонус: після прочитання може з'явитися інтерес до класичної музики. Захочете послухати симфонію чи подивитись оперу - не дивуйтесь.

[Trounin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Не нужно обладать привлекательной внешностью, чтобы добиться успеха в жизни. Необходимо лишь одно — прекрасный беллетрист, способный найти положительные моменты и добиться лучшего из возможных результатов. И, конечно, для этого нужно быть литературным персонажем, чья сущность окружена романтизмом: иначе ничего не получится. Бесполезно сетовать на судьбу и взывать к помощи высшей сущности — в подобном случае придётся горевать и испытывать мучения. Поэтому (лишь поэтому) читатель искренне радуется за сиротку Консуэло, взращенную на благодатной почве, бегавшую от удачи и обретшую истинное счастье. В любом другом случае ей с её устремлениями обязательно было бы от чего страдать.

(c) Trounin

[Helen Cranberry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Если кратко, то - понравилось, но продолжения не хочу. Мне по душе образ Консуэло, всю книгу я ей сопереживала, порой была шокирована, в некоторых особо мистических моментах волосы вставали дыбом.. Но под конец я устала от этой книги. все-таки не так просто погрузиться в ту жизнь, тем более, что классическая, духовная и оперная музыка мало меня интересуют. тем не менее, книга очаровательна, как и сама Консуэло.

[Tanya Porodzinskaya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Буду читать продолжение! Интригующая, затейливая история, от которой в итоге чтения получаешь совсем не то, чего ожидаешь. Консуэло - это такая невинность и чистота, которых, наверное не существует, и это может вызвать недоверие к автору и произведению. Но эта проникнутость идеализмом отнюдь не помешала роману стать гениальным, полным чувственности и приключений.