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La Comédie Humaine #3
Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées
L’histoire commence lorsque les deux amies ont 17 ans et se termine treize ans plus tard, en 1837. Louise de Chaulieu et Renée de Maucombe ayant toutes deux « étudié » au couvent des Carmélites de Blois, restent proches l’une de l’autre par leur correspondance soutenue. Louise, pour obéir à ses parents, devait en principe se sacrifier pour ses deux frères et devenir religieuse. Mais la jeune fille se cabre, cherche un appui, et le trouve auprès de sa grand-mère qui lui offre sa fortune. Libre, riche, elle fait un mariage d’amour avec un noble Espagnol banni qui lui apporte le bonheur. Ils vivent un amour sans nuage, mais l’hidalgo meurt, laissant une veuve éplorée. Cependant, quatre ans après la mort de son mari, Louise vit de nouveau une magnifique histoire d’amour avec Marie Gaston, homme de lettres plus jeune qu’elle. Par un triste malentendu, Louise soupçonne Marie-Gaston de la tromper. En parallèle, on suit le chemin sans détour de Renée qui soutient la carrière de son mari, s’élève dans l’échelle sociale et s’occupe avec beaucoup de bonheur de ses trois enfants.
216 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1842
68 people are currently reading
2021 people want to read
About the author
Honoré de Balzac
9,539 books4,363 followersFrench writer Honoré de Balzac (born Honoré Balzac), a founder of the realist school of fiction, portrayed the panorama of society in a body of works, known collectively as
La comédie humaine
.
Honoré de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napoléon in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, Émile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Hańska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
Honoré de Balzac authored 19th-century novels and plays. After the fall of Napoléon in 1815, his magnum opus, a sequence of almost a hundred novels and plays, entitled, presents life in the years.
Due to keen observation of fine detail and unfiltered representation, European literature regards Balzac. He features renowned multifaceted, even complex, morally ambiguous, full lesser characters. Character well imbues inanimate objects; the city of Paris, a backdrop, takes on many qualities. He influenced many famous authors, including the novelists Marcel Proust, Émile Zola, Charles John Huffam Dickens, Gustave Flaubert, Henry James, and Jack Kerouac as well as important philosophers, such as Friedrich Engels. Many works of Balzac, made into films, continue to inspire.
An enthusiastic reader and independent thinker as a child, Balzac adapted with trouble to the teaching style of his grammar. His willful nature caused trouble throughout his life and frustrated his ambitions to succeed in the world of business. Balzac finished, and people then apprenticed him as a legal clerk, but after wearying of banal routine, he turned his back on law. He attempted a publisher, printer, businessman, critic, and politician before and during his career. He failed in these efforts From his own experience, he reflects life difficulties and includes scenes.
Possibly due to his intense schedule and from health problems, Balzac suffered throughout his life. Financial and personal drama often strained his relationship with his family, and he lost more than one friend over critical reviews. In 1850, he married Ewelina Hańska, his longtime paramour; five months later, he passed away.
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February 7, 2018
The Memoirs of Two Young Wives by Honoré de Balzac, (Jordan Stump translator) is a 2018 NYRB Classics publication. This book was originally published under the title Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées in 1841.
When NYRB Classics sent out an email announcing the release of this classic epistolary novel, which is not, as the title suggests, a memoir, I was intrigued enough to request a purchase of it for my Overdrive library, which they were kind enough to do.
What an interesting story! Told strictly via letters exchanged between two friends who met while attending a convent school together. They remained friends, throughout their entire lives, despite the very vast differences in the paths their lives took in adulthood.
Renee chose a traditional life, marrying for comfort and companionship, to boost her husband’s morale and confidence, and for the pleasure of motherhood. Although she loves her husband in a way, theirs is not an all consuming love affair.
Louise, lives for love, passion, society, and glamour. She is not in any way tempted by domesticity, nor does she display the slightest maternal instinct. She loves passionately, takes risks, attends social galas, and seems to love every minute of her dramatic life. But, she may pay a heavy toll for her choices.
While each wife regales the other with their ups and downs, heartaches, trials, and triumphs, often urging each other to accept or acknowledge the benefits of the life they have chosen.
The reader will see both sides clearly, and will, without much nudging from the author, decide which wife has made the best choice. Will they come to regret those decisions? Are they secretly envious of each other in big or small ways? Wistful perhaps? Which life would you choose to lead? Renee's or Louise's?
This is a variant on the ‘coming of age’ trope, and while the story is tragic, what really stands out is the bond between Renee and Louise. They often disagree, go through long periods without correspondence, but love each other, despite the obvious chasms between them.
I love my books, and really, really get involved with them on occasion, prompting me to do Google searches or ‘further reading’ if a topic interests me. In this case, I was a little afraid I might be completely out of my element, so I did a little research, and discovered some interesting facts about the book and the author, which was very helpful since I don’t ordinarily read French novels, although it seems I may be the only person on the planet unfamiliar with Balzac.
Originally, this French language epistolary, was serialized in a French newspaper. It was first translated in 1902.
It has been noted that the author did an amazing job of giving these women a voice, writing from the female perspective, with acute sensitivity for a man. He provided social commentary throughout and touched on the various forms of love, romance and marriage.
It is my understanding that compared to Balzac’s most famous work, this one barely made a blip when first published, but now, after taking it out and dusting off, it seems to be a rare and poignant discovery, even if it is not exactly what those familiar with his work are accustomed to.
As for me, with nothing else to compare it to, I was thrilled to discover this ‘lost’ classic and happy to see that is now in digital format.
It is a unique epistolary book, I am happy I took the time and extra effort to obtain. Needless to say, this has been an interesting, and pleasant learning experience for me. Although the story does end on a rather somber note, it does provoke thought and did indeed have me thinking about these two women, both of whom lived life on their own terms, for better or worse.
4 stars
When NYRB Classics sent out an email announcing the release of this classic epistolary novel, which is not, as the title suggests, a memoir, I was intrigued enough to request a purchase of it for my Overdrive library, which they were kind enough to do.
What an interesting story! Told strictly via letters exchanged between two friends who met while attending a convent school together. They remained friends, throughout their entire lives, despite the very vast differences in the paths their lives took in adulthood.
Renee chose a traditional life, marrying for comfort and companionship, to boost her husband’s morale and confidence, and for the pleasure of motherhood. Although she loves her husband in a way, theirs is not an all consuming love affair.
Louise, lives for love, passion, society, and glamour. She is not in any way tempted by domesticity, nor does she display the slightest maternal instinct. She loves passionately, takes risks, attends social galas, and seems to love every minute of her dramatic life. But, she may pay a heavy toll for her choices.
While each wife regales the other with their ups and downs, heartaches, trials, and triumphs, often urging each other to accept or acknowledge the benefits of the life they have chosen.
The reader will see both sides clearly, and will, without much nudging from the author, decide which wife has made the best choice. Will they come to regret those decisions? Are they secretly envious of each other in big or small ways? Wistful perhaps? Which life would you choose to lead? Renee's or Louise's?
This is a variant on the ‘coming of age’ trope, and while the story is tragic, what really stands out is the bond between Renee and Louise. They often disagree, go through long periods without correspondence, but love each other, despite the obvious chasms between them.
I love my books, and really, really get involved with them on occasion, prompting me to do Google searches or ‘further reading’ if a topic interests me. In this case, I was a little afraid I might be completely out of my element, so I did a little research, and discovered some interesting facts about the book and the author, which was very helpful since I don’t ordinarily read French novels, although it seems I may be the only person on the planet unfamiliar with Balzac.
Originally, this French language epistolary, was serialized in a French newspaper. It was first translated in 1902.
It has been noted that the author did an amazing job of giving these women a voice, writing from the female perspective, with acute sensitivity for a man. He provided social commentary throughout and touched on the various forms of love, romance and marriage.
It is my understanding that compared to Balzac’s most famous work, this one barely made a blip when first published, but now, after taking it out and dusting off, it seems to be a rare and poignant discovery, even if it is not exactly what those familiar with his work are accustomed to.
As for me, with nothing else to compare it to, I was thrilled to discover this ‘lost’ classic and happy to see that is now in digital format.
It is a unique epistolary book, I am happy I took the time and extra effort to obtain. Needless to say, this has been an interesting, and pleasant learning experience for me. Although the story does end on a rather somber note, it does provoke thought and did indeed have me thinking about these two women, both of whom lived life on their own terms, for better or worse.
4 stars
October 29, 2019
Two young girlfriends (whose relationship has an almost erotic passion, especially in the early years of their correspondence), Renée de Maucombe and Louise de Chaulieu spend their adolescence at the Blois Carmelite Monastery. It was customary for young girls to receive their education in such monasteries, and often, in order to transfer some of their family wealth into the possession of a brother, they remained there, imprisoned, taking monastic vows.
However, the two girlfriends will return to society, Louise in Paris and Renée in her family's tower in Provence.Their lives take different paths, they have different personalities, yet they are both upper-class women, cultured and ambitious and wish - against all adversities - to maintain control over their lives.
This work is an interesting study of women's social position, their struggle for independence, their interests, goals and dreams.
Αυτό το έργο...
Από τη μία έχει όλα τα τυπικά χαρακτηριστικά ενός γαλλικού επιστολικού μυθιστορήματος του 19ου αιώνα, πομπώδεις εκφράσεις, υπερβολικές συναισθηματικές εξάρσεις, αντιλήψεις περί της γυναικείας αρετής όπου στην εποχή μας δεν μπορεί παρά να θεωρηθούν παρωχημένες, αλλά... ενσωματώνει και όλα εκείνα τα στοιχεία που στην πορεία ανέδειξαν τον ρεαλισμό ως αυτούσιο και γόνιμο λογοτεχνικό είδος. Η ίδια η ιστορία της ζωής των δύο νέων κοριτσιών, όπως εξελίσσεται μέσα σε μια περίπου δεκαετία από τα 1824 έως τα 1835, έχει εξαιρετικό ενδιαφέρον.
Δυο νεαρές φίλες (όπου η σχέση τους έχει ένα πάθος σχεδόν ερωτικό, ειδικά στα πρώτα χρόνια της αλληλογραφίας τους) η Renée de Maucombe και η Louise de Chaulieu περνούν την εφηβεία τους στο καρμελίτικο μοναστήρι του Blois. Ήταν συνηθισμένο οι νέες να παίρνουν την εκπαίδευσή τους σε τέτοια μοναστήρια και συχνά, προκειμένου το μερτικό τους από την οικογενειακή περιουσία να περάσει στην κατοχή κάποιου αδελφού, παρέμεναν εκεί, φυλακισμένες στην ουσία, παίρνοντας μοναστικούς όρκους. Ωστόσο οι δύο φίλες θα επιστρέψουν στην κοινωνία, η Louise στο Παρίσι και η Renée στον οικογενειακό της πύργο στην Προβηγκία.
Η ζωή τους παίρνει διαφορετικούς δρόμους, έχουν αντίθετους χαρακτήρες, ωστόσο είναι και οι δύο γυναίκες που ανήκουν στα ανώτατα κοινωνικά στρώματα, καλλιεργημένες, φιλόδοξες και θέλουν, κόντρα σε όλες τις αντιξοότητες να διατηρήσουν έναν έλεγχο επάνω στις ζωές τους. Το έργο αυτό είναι μια ενδιαφέρουσα σπουδή επάνω στη θέση της γυναίκας, στον αγώνα της για ανεξαρτησία, στα ενδιαφέροντά της, τους στόχους και τα όνειρά της. Σίγουρα θα είχε περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον να δούμε τη θέση και τις αγωνίες των γυναικών που δεν ανήκαν στα κοινωνικά στρώματα των δύο κοριτσιών, των μικροαστών, των εργατριών και των χωρικών, αλλά αυτό φοβάμαι πως δεν είναι κάτι που θα μπορούσε να προσφέρει σε έναν αναγνώστη ο Balzac. Θα έρθει ωστόσο αργότερα ο Zola και θα αναπληρώσει αυτό κενό, δημιουργώντας πολύ ζωντανές και ενδιαφέρουσες ηρωΐδες, χωρίς τίτλους ευγενείας και οικόσημα.
Ωστόσο κι έτσι, ο Balzac καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει πολύ ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες. Η πραγματικότητα εισβάλει στο έργο του, δεν το σαρώνει αλλά του δίνει πνοή. Είναι κάποια πράγματα που όσοι αιώνες κι αν περάσουν, δεν αλλάζουν. Οι αγωνίες και οι ευθύνες της μητρότητας, περιγράφονται με τρόπο αδρό που προκαλεί άλλοτε σύγκίνηση και άλλοτε γέλιο. Μια νεαρή μητέρα που μπορεί να έχει νταντά για να τη βοηθάει, και υπηρέτες, αλλά που ούτε κι αυτή καταφέρνει να ντυθεί ή να χτενιστεί, καθώς έχει να πλύνει και να ντύσει και να ταΐσει τα μωρά της - η σκηνή όπου τα μωρά είναι φρεσκοπλυμένα με τα καθαρά τους ρουχαλάκια και το μπάνιο γεμάτο σαπουνάδες και νερά και παπάκια που επιπλέουν, δεν διαφέρει και πολύ από μια αντίστοιχη σημερινή εικόνα - όποιος έχει μπανιάρει πιτσιρίκια καταλαβαίνει σε τί αναφέρομαι. Όταν η Renée γεννάει το πρώτο της παιδί, ο συγγραφέας περιγράφει σύντομα αλλά χαρακτηριστικά τους πόνους και το βάσανο του τοκετού, αντιδρά βλέποντάς το για πρώτη φορά, ρωτώντας τη μητέρα της:
"Μα αυτό μοιάζει με μαϊμουδάκι, είσαι σίγουρη πως είναι στα αλήθεια παιδί;"
Ο Balzac, υποστήριζε, σε αντίθεση με τους κανόνες και την συνήθεια της εποχής, τον μητρικό θηλασμό μέχρι το πρώτο έτος της ζωής του βρέφους και στο έργο αυτό τονίζει τη σημασία που έχει η ενεργή συμμετοχή της μητέρας στην ανατροφή των παιδιών. Γιατί εκείνα τα χρόνια, οι οικογένειες που είχαν τα οικονομικά μέσα, έστελναν τα βρέφη στην εξοχή να ανατραφούν από τροφούς και μετά σε οικοτροφεία, για να πάρουν την πρώτη τους εκπαίδευση, γεγονός που τα αποξένωνε και τα στιγμάτιζε ψυχικά (είχε και ο ίδιος αντίστοιχη τραυματική εμπειρία, είχε κι αυτός υποφέρει πολύ από αντίστοιχες πρακτικές και μάλιστα αρρώστησε βαριά και παραλίγο να πεθάνει, διότι οι δάσκαλοί του, για να τον τιμωρήσουν για τις μαθητικές του αβλεψίες, τον έκλειναν με τις ώρες σε ένα υπόγειο χώρο τιμωρίας).
Σε αντίθεση με τη Renée της επαρχίας, η Louise αποτελεί την επιτομή της τυπικής ρομαντικής ηρωΐδας που τόσο συχνά απαντάται στη λογοτεχνία της εποχής. Είναι φτιαγμένη για παθιασμένους έρωτες και για τη μεγάλη παριζιάνικη ζωή. Ωραία φορέματα, βόλτες στο Bois de Boulogne, χοροεσπερίδες, ταξίδια στην Ιταλία, βραδιές στην όπερα.
Ο Balzac δεν διστάζει να μιλήσει ευθέως για τα ζητήματα της γυναικείας σεξουαλικότητας, και τονίζει την σημασία που έχει για μία γυναίκα, να συνευρίσκεται ερωτικά, όταν, είναι έτοιμη να το κάνει, κάτι που εξασφαλίζει και για τον υπομονετικό σύντροφό της, την αγάπη της, τη φιλία και την αφοσίωσή της, αλλιώς δεν διαφέρει σε τίποτα από έναν βιασμό με την ευλογία της εκκλησίας και τη συνενοχή της κοινωνίας. Αυτό είναι ένα από τα σπουδαιότερα μηνύματα που περνάει το έργο.
Η γυναίκα εκείνης της εποχής, ειδικά μετά την θέσπιση του Ναπολεόντειου Κώδικα, ήταν εξαιρετικά περιορισμένη, ειδικά μέσα στον γάμο. Όπως λέει σε κάποιο σημείο η μία ηρωΐδα:
"Πριν ήμουν ένα άτομο. Τώρα ένα περιουσιακό στοιχείο".
Το πρόβλημα προέκυπτε κυρίως από δύο ζητήματα:
Η οικογενειακή περιουσία, μετά τη νομοθεσία του Ναπολέοντα, έπρεπε να μοιραστεί ισομερώς σε όλα τα παιδιά της οικογένειας, ασχέτως φύλου και ηλικίας. Αυτό ακούγεται εξαιρετικό. Επειδή όμως οι ευγενείς της εποχής είχαν την συνήθεια να προνοούν πρωτίστως για τα αρσενικά μέλη της οικογένειας, ειδικά για τον πρωτότοκο, για να μην κατακερματιστούν οι περιουσίες τους, οι κοπέλες κατέληγαν συχνά άπροικες, οπότε είτε έπρεπε να περιοριστούν στη μοναστική ζωή είτε, καίτοι είχαν εξαιρετική μόρφωση και ευγενική καταγωγή, δεν μπορούσαν να εξασφαλίσουν έναν - για τα δεδομένα της εποχής πάντα - προσοδοφόρο γάμο.
Εκτός αυτού, μια παντρεμένη γυναίκα δεν είχε σχεδόν κανένα δικαίωμα επάνω στη διαχείριση των οικονομικών της, όλες οι επιλογές της έπρεπε να φιλτράρονται και να εγκρίνονται από τον σύζυγό της. Γι' αυτό και ο Balzac σε πολλά σημεία υπερτονίζει την ανωτερότητα του γυναικείου φύλου και επιμένει πως ένας άνδρας που σέβεται τον εαυτό του και θέλει να επιτύχει στη ζωή του πρέπει να κερδίζει την αγάπη της γυναίκας του, να την υπακούει και να της αφήνει το πηδάλιο και να μην συμπεριφέρεται ως τύραννος. Ωστόσο συμβουλεύει τις γυναίκες να μην το παρακάνουν, διότι αν στερήσουν τον ανδρισμό από τους συντρόφους τους, στο τέλος θα τους εξοντώσουν.
Πολύ - πολύ - πολύ ενδιαφέρον έργο. Θα ήθελα να το διάβαζαν κι άλλοι φίλοι και φίλες, ωστόσο κρατάω μια επιφύλαξη, είναι παλιομοδίτικο ως προς τη γλώσσα και το ύφος του και αυτό κατανοώ πως μπορεί να γίνει εξαιρετικά κουραστικό. Άξιζε ωστόσο που το διαβάσα, το βρήκα απολαυστικό παρά τις αδυναμίες του.
However, the two girlfriends will return to society, Louise in Paris and Renée in her family's tower in Provence.Their lives take different paths, they have different personalities, yet they are both upper-class women, cultured and ambitious and wish - against all adversities - to maintain control over their lives.
This work is an interesting study of women's social position, their struggle for independence, their interests, goals and dreams.
Αυτό το έργο...
Από τη μία έχει όλα τα τυπικά χαρακτηριστικά ενός γαλλικού επιστολικού μυθιστορήματος του 19ου αιώνα, πομπώδεις εκφράσεις, υπερβολικές συναισθηματικές εξάρσεις, αντιλήψεις περί της γυναικείας αρετής όπου στην εποχή μας δεν μπορεί παρά να θεωρηθούν παρωχημένες, αλλά... ενσωματώνει και όλα εκείνα τα στοιχεία που στην πορεία ανέδειξαν τον ρεαλισμό ως αυτούσιο και γόνιμο λογοτεχνικό είδος. Η ίδια η ιστορία της ζωής των δύο νέων κοριτσιών, όπως εξελίσσεται μέσα σε μια περίπου δεκαετία από τα 1824 έως τα 1835, έχει εξαιρετικό ενδιαφέρον.
Δυο νεαρές φίλες (όπου η σχέση τους έχει ένα πάθος σχεδόν ερωτικό, ειδικά στα πρώτα χρόνια της αλληλογραφίας τους) η Renée de Maucombe και η Louise de Chaulieu περνούν την εφηβεία τους στο καρμελίτικο μοναστήρι του Blois. Ήταν συνηθισμένο οι νέες να παίρνουν την εκπαίδευσή τους σε τέτοια μοναστήρια και συχνά, προκειμένου το μερτικό τους από την οικογενειακή περιουσία να περάσει στην κατοχή κάποιου αδελφού, παρέμεναν εκεί, φυλακισμένες στην ουσία, παίρνοντας μοναστικούς όρκους. Ωστόσο οι δύο φίλες θα επιστρέψουν στην κοινωνία, η Louise στο Παρίσι και η Renée στον οικογενειακό της πύργο στην Προβηγκία.
Η ζωή τους παίρνει διαφορετικούς δρόμους, έχουν αντίθετους χαρακτήρες, ωστόσο είναι και οι δύο γυναίκες που ανήκουν στα ανώτατα κοινωνικά στρώματα, καλλιεργημένες, φιλόδοξες και θέλουν, κόντρα σε όλες τις αντιξοότητες να διατηρήσουν έναν έλεγχο επάνω στις ζωές τους. Το έργο αυτό είναι μια ενδιαφέρουσα σπουδή επάνω στη θέση της γυναίκας, στον αγώνα της για ανεξαρτησία, στα ενδιαφέροντά της, τους στόχους και τα όνειρά της. Σίγουρα θα είχε περισσότερο ενδιαφέρον να δούμε τη θέση και τις αγωνίες των γυναικών που δεν ανήκαν στα κοινωνικά στρώματα των δύο κοριτσιών, των μικροαστών, των εργατριών και των χωρικών, αλλά αυτό φοβάμαι πως δεν είναι κάτι που θα μπορούσε να προσφέρει σε έναν αναγνώστη ο Balzac. Θα έρθει ωστόσο αργότερα ο Zola και θα αναπληρώσει αυτό κενό, δημιουργώντας πολύ ζωντανές και ενδιαφέρουσες ηρωΐδες, χωρίς τίτλους ευγενείας και οικόσημα.
Ωστόσο κι έτσι, ο Balzac καταφέρνει να δημιουργήσει πολύ ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες. Η πραγματικότητα εισβάλει στο έργο του, δεν το σαρώνει αλλά του δίνει πνοή. Είναι κάποια πράγματα που όσοι αιώνες κι αν περάσουν, δεν αλλάζουν. Οι αγωνίες και οι ευθύνες της μητρότητας, περιγράφονται με τρόπο αδρό που προκαλεί άλλοτε σύγκίνηση και άλλοτε γέλιο. Μια νεαρή μητέρα που μπορεί να έχει νταντά για να τη βοηθάει, και υπηρέτες, αλλά που ούτε κι αυτή καταφέρνει να ντυθεί ή να χτενιστεί, καθώς έχει να πλύνει και να ντύσει και να ταΐσει τα μωρά της - η σκηνή όπου τα μωρά είναι φρεσκοπλυμένα με τα καθαρά τους ρουχαλάκια και το μπάνιο γεμάτο σαπουνάδες και νερά και παπάκια που επιπλέουν, δεν διαφέρει και πολύ από μια αντίστοιχη σημερινή εικόνα - όποιος έχει μπανιάρει πιτσιρίκια καταλαβαίνει σε τί αναφέρομαι. Όταν η Renée γεννάει το πρώτο της παιδί, ο συγγραφέας περιγράφει σύντομα αλλά χαρακτηριστικά τους πόνους και το βάσανο του τοκετού, αντιδρά βλέποντάς το για πρώτη φορά, ρωτώντας τη μητέρα της:
"Μα αυτό μοιάζει με μαϊμουδάκι, είσαι σίγουρη πως είναι στα αλήθεια παιδί;"
Ο Balzac, υποστήριζε, σε αντίθεση με τους κανόνες και την συνήθεια της εποχής, τον μητρικό θηλασμό μέχρι το πρώτο έτος της ζωής του βρέφους και στο έργο αυτό τονίζει τη σημασία που έχει η ενεργή συμμετοχή της μητέρας στην ανατροφή των παιδιών. Γιατί εκείνα τα χρόνια, οι οικογένειες που είχαν τα οικονομικά μέσα, έστελναν τα βρέφη στην εξοχή να ανατραφούν από τροφούς και μετά σε οικοτροφεία, για να πάρουν την πρώτη τους εκπαίδευση, γεγονός που τα αποξένωνε και τα στιγμάτιζε ψυχικά (είχε και ο ίδιος αντίστοιχη τραυματική εμπειρία, είχε κι αυτός υποφέρει πολύ από αντίστοιχες πρακτικές και μάλιστα αρρώστησε βαριά και παραλίγο να πεθάνει, διότι οι δάσκαλοί του, για να τον τιμωρήσουν για τις μαθητικές του αβλεψίες, τον έκλειναν με τις ώρες σε ένα υπόγειο χώρο τιμωρίας).
Σε αντίθεση με τη Renée της επαρχίας, η Louise αποτελεί την επιτομή της τυπικής ρομαντικής ηρωΐδας που τόσο συχνά απαντάται στη λογοτεχνία της εποχής. Είναι φτιαγμένη για παθιασμένους έρωτες και για τη μεγάλη παριζιάνικη ζωή. Ωραία φορέματα, βόλτες στο Bois de Boulogne, χοροεσπερίδες, ταξίδια στην Ιταλία, βραδιές στην όπερα.
Ο Balzac δεν διστάζει να μιλήσει ευθέως για τα ζητήματα της γυναικείας σεξουαλικότητας, και τονίζει την σημασία που έχει για μία γυναίκα, να συνευρίσκεται ερωτικά, όταν, είναι έτοιμη να το κάνει, κάτι που εξασφαλίζει και για τον υπομονετικό σύντροφό της, την αγάπη της, τη φιλία και την αφοσίωσή της, αλλιώς δεν διαφέρει σε τίποτα από έναν βιασμό με την ευλογία της εκκλησίας και τη συνενοχή της κοινωνίας. Αυτό είναι ένα από τα σπουδαιότερα μηνύματα που περνάει το έργο.
Η γυναίκα εκείνης της εποχής, ειδικά μετά την θέσπιση του Ναπολεόντειου Κώδικα, ήταν εξαιρετικά περιορισμένη, ειδικά μέσα στον γάμο. Όπως λέει σε κάποιο σημείο η μία ηρωΐδα:
"Πριν ήμουν ένα άτομο. Τώρα ένα περιουσιακό στοιχείο".
Το πρόβλημα προέκυπτε κυρίως από δύο ζητήματα:
Η οικογενειακή περιουσία, μετά τη νομοθεσία του Ναπολέοντα, έπρεπε να μοιραστεί ισομερώς σε όλα τα παιδιά της οικογένειας, ασχέτως φύλου και ηλικίας. Αυτό ακούγεται εξαιρετικό. Επειδή όμως οι ευγενείς της εποχής είχαν την συνήθεια να προνοούν πρωτίστως για τα αρσενικά μέλη της οικογένειας, ειδικά για τον πρωτότοκο, για να μην κατακερματιστούν οι περιουσίες τους, οι κοπέλες κατέληγαν συχνά άπροικες, οπότε είτε έπρεπε να περιοριστούν στη μοναστική ζωή είτε, καίτοι είχαν εξαιρετική μόρφωση και ευγενική καταγωγή, δεν μπορούσαν να εξασφαλίσουν έναν - για τα δεδομένα της εποχής πάντα - προσοδοφόρο γάμο.
Εκτός αυτού, μια παντρεμένη γυναίκα δεν είχε σχεδόν κανένα δικαίωμα επάνω στη διαχείριση των οικονομικών της, όλες οι επιλογές της έπρεπε να φιλτράρονται και να εγκρίνονται από τον σύζυγό της. Γι' αυτό και ο Balzac σε πολλά σημεία υπερτονίζει την ανωτερότητα του γυναικείου φύλου και επιμένει πως ένας άνδρας που σέβεται τον εαυτό του και θέλει να επιτύχει στη ζωή του πρέπει να κερδίζει την αγάπη της γυναίκας του, να την υπακούει και να της αφήνει το πηδάλιο και να μην συμπεριφέρεται ως τύραννος. Ωστόσο συμβουλεύει τις γυναίκες να μην το παρακάνουν, διότι αν στερήσουν τον ανδρισμό από τους συντρόφους τους, στο τέλος θα τους εξοντώσουν.
Πολύ - πολύ - πολύ ενδιαφέρον έργο. Θα ήθελα να το διάβαζαν κι άλλοι φίλοι και φίλες, ωστόσο κρατάω μια επιφύλαξη, είναι παλιομοδίτικο ως προς τη γλώσσα και το ύφος του και αυτό κατανοώ πως μπορεί να γίνει εξαιρετικά κουραστικό. Άξιζε ωστόσο που το διαβάσα, το βρήκα απολαυστικό παρά τις αδυναμίες του.
August 16, 2014
Marvellous! I don't usually record the short stories I'm reading from Balzac's Comedie Humaine here on Good Reads, but this one is longer than most and quite intriguing. It's written entirely as letters, mostly between Renee and her friend Louise, and it contrasts Renee's rather prosaic marriage and her love of her children with Louise's two marriages, both based on extraordinary passion. There's a rather melodramatic ending, but still, a satisfying story and one that's a good introduction to Balzac.
August 24, 2017
As the title suggests, this is an epistolary novel. It consists mostly of the letters between two women - Louise and Renee - who were together in a convent and there became lifelong friends. Also included are some letters to/from two of the men in Louise's life.
The women are such a contrast! One is entirely focused on family and responsibility, the other is more selfish and focused on being in love. The letters reveal not only their current lives, but also their outlook on life - and there is a lot of that. If truth be told, I did not especially care for either of these women. I don't need to like the people in my reading to like the novel, but in this case, one of the women was often lecturing the other on the way life should be led. I am of the opinion that there is more than one way to a satisfying life, and being lectured by one who thinks differently doesn't sit well.
Balzac can be depended upon for an ending filled with irony, often sadness. Even anticipating such an ending, I did not see how Balzac was going to accomplish it. Even so, it didn't seem to have the impact of many of his other endings, so I was somewhat disappointed. Still, it is one of Balzac's better offerings, and it comes in at 4-stars, though perhaps toward the bottom of that group.
The women are such a contrast! One is entirely focused on family and responsibility, the other is more selfish and focused on being in love. The letters reveal not only their current lives, but also their outlook on life - and there is a lot of that. If truth be told, I did not especially care for either of these women. I don't need to like the people in my reading to like the novel, but in this case, one of the women was often lecturing the other on the way life should be led. I am of the opinion that there is more than one way to a satisfying life, and being lectured by one who thinks differently doesn't sit well.
Balzac can be depended upon for an ending filled with irony, often sadness. Even anticipating such an ending, I did not see how Balzac was going to accomplish it. Even so, it didn't seem to have the impact of many of his other endings, so I was somewhat disappointed. Still, it is one of Balzac's better offerings, and it comes in at 4-stars, though perhaps toward the bottom of that group.
January 3, 2019
Doubt is a duel fought within the soul, which causes horrid self-inflicted wounds.
This epistolary novel is often dismissed as light melodrama but I was engaged by it as a dialogue on the ambitions of marriage and maternity. The titular brides struggle in terms of maintenance and identity. This is depicted rather objectively in the letters of each protagonist.
Two best friends leave a convent and embark on quests for love and purpose. [a snide Goodreads reviewer in 2019 might scoff at such misogyny] There’s a malice at play in the letters, each questions the utility of the other’s motives. [some would snipe that this anticipates Fanon on the colonized] Should one look for security, hoping love comes later? [Solzhenitsyn by way of Tina Turner/] Should one devote oneself entirely to parenting? What about younger artists? Are they worth marrying?
Alas, it all ends in tears with characters from Lost Illusions making key cameos.
This epistolary novel is often dismissed as light melodrama but I was engaged by it as a dialogue on the ambitions of marriage and maternity. The titular brides struggle in terms of maintenance and identity. This is depicted rather objectively in the letters of each protagonist.
Two best friends leave a convent and embark on quests for love and purpose. [a snide Goodreads reviewer in 2019 might scoff at such misogyny] There’s a malice at play in the letters, each questions the utility of the other’s motives. [some would snipe that this anticipates Fanon on the colonized] Should one look for security, hoping love comes later? [Solzhenitsyn by way of Tina Turner/] Should one devote oneself entirely to parenting? What about younger artists? Are they worth marrying?
Alas, it all ends in tears with characters from Lost Illusions making key cameos.
May 11, 2018
Meringues of words, hyperglycemic curlicues, empty arabesques, syrupy fiorituras. (I thought they stopped writing like this in the 18th century.) If this be the food of love, let me starve.
May 18, 2020
A charming novel that (although have many old-fashioned views) didn't age like as much as many other Classic books.
The first part was witty, enjoyable, utterly lovely. The second part (with more tragic events) lost a bit of charm to me. Nonetheless, it was a brilliant study of characters (society) of his times.
I have been listening to LibriVox audiobook - if you search for an audiobook of this piece - I recommend.
The first part was witty, enjoyable, utterly lovely. The second part (with more tragic events) lost a bit of charm to me. Nonetheless, it was a brilliant study of characters (society) of his times.
I have been listening to LibriVox audiobook - if you search for an audiobook of this piece - I recommend.
January 14, 2018
amazing tale of female friendship in post Napoleonic french and how destiny takes them through different paths in life
longer review to come
longer review to come
February 4, 2022
Not liking this one
August 3, 2024
3,5 ***
Frisse en pittige brievenroman.
Renée en Louise, beiden 18, hebben de kloosterschool verlaten. Renée stapt in een gearrangeerd huwelijk met een 20 jaar oudere man en vestigt zich op een rustig landgoed in de province. Louise gaat in het mondaine Parijs op zoek naar passie en romantiek.
Er worden lange brieven met hun ervaringen over en weer gestuurd.
Kritische blik op het leven van de Franse bourgeoisie, begin 19de eeuw.
Verschenen in 1842 als roman-feuilleton en weerstaat met brio de tand des tijds
Frisse en pittige brievenroman.
Renée en Louise, beiden 18, hebben de kloosterschool verlaten. Renée stapt in een gearrangeerd huwelijk met een 20 jaar oudere man en vestigt zich op een rustig landgoed in de province. Louise gaat in het mondaine Parijs op zoek naar passie en romantiek.
Er worden lange brieven met hun ervaringen over en weer gestuurd.
Kritische blik op het leven van de Franse bourgeoisie, begin 19de eeuw.
Verschenen in 1842 als roman-feuilleton en weerstaat met brio de tand des tijds
December 7, 2018
“..biz kadınların yazgısı hep erkekler eliyle, erkekler için çizilmiyor mu?”
.
Balzac, Louise ile Renee’nin hikayelerini anlatıyor.Manastırda birlikte geçen 9 yıl sonrası evlerine dönen iki kız,bu dostluklarını birbirlerine yazdıkları mektuplar aracılığıyla sürdürüyor. İkisinin düşünceleri ve hayalleri çok farklı..Biri aşksız evliliği imkansız bulsa da diğeri evliliğe toplumsal bir olgu olarak bakıyor sorumluları beraberinde getiren..
.
Karakterlerin yaşadıklarının arka planında kadının dönemin Fransa’sındaki yerini de anlamlandırabiliyoruz. Miras hakkının olmadığı, eşlerinin refahı için tüm fedakarlıkları yapması beklenilen kadınlar..
.
Balzac, kurgusu ve karakterlerin iç dünyalarını açıkça paylaşmasıyla (ve özellikle sonuyla!) keyifli bir okuma sunuyor.
.
“Evlilikte aşk büsbütün rastlantısal bir şeydir, her şeyi yönetecek olan yasayı onun üzerine kurmak olanaksızdır.”
.
Balzac, Louise ile Renee’nin hikayelerini anlatıyor.Manastırda birlikte geçen 9 yıl sonrası evlerine dönen iki kız,bu dostluklarını birbirlerine yazdıkları mektuplar aracılığıyla sürdürüyor. İkisinin düşünceleri ve hayalleri çok farklı..Biri aşksız evliliği imkansız bulsa da diğeri evliliğe toplumsal bir olgu olarak bakıyor sorumluları beraberinde getiren..
.
Karakterlerin yaşadıklarının arka planında kadının dönemin Fransa’sındaki yerini de anlamlandırabiliyoruz. Miras hakkının olmadığı, eşlerinin refahı için tüm fedakarlıkları yapması beklenilen kadınlar..
.
Balzac, kurgusu ve karakterlerin iç dünyalarını açıkça paylaşmasıyla (ve özellikle sonuyla!) keyifli bir okuma sunuyor.
.
“Evlilikte aşk büsbütün rastlantısal bir şeydir, her şeyi yönetecek olan yasayı onun üzerine kurmak olanaksızdır.”
September 23, 2013
every Balzac novel seems to follow the same pattern: a relatively slow beginning picks up more and more as it goes on until, by the time you get to the middle, you suddenly realize you've become so drawn into the novel that you almost forgot the distinction between it and reality, and you continue in this state of confused reality until you reach the end of the novel and Balzac throws in a moral so dated to his time and so far from your own moral compass that you're torn from the reality of the novel and forced to wonder, "why did Balzac freakin do this?" this style is called realism, and Balzac is its unfortunate master. i personally cannot get enough
September 4, 2021
"Letters of Two Brides" is marked as # 11 of The Human Comedy series but my Delphi collection has it before #3, after reading the excerpt before the story from my Delphi Collection of Balzac, I see why they arranged it this way, it was written near 1834-1835, as seen below.
"Published under the title Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées, this is an epistolary novel, which was serialised in the newspaper La Presse in 1841. Dedicated to the French novelist George Sand, the novel grew out of two earlier works which Balzac never completed: Mémoires d’une jeune femme (Memoirs of A Young Woman), which was written in 1834 and Sœur Marie des Anges (Sister Marie des Anges), which was probably written in 1835. In 1840, Balzac informed his future wife Ewelina Hańska that “I am writing an epistolary novel, though I do not know what title to give it, as Soeur Marie des Anges is too long, and that would only apply to the first part.” In June 1841, Balzac wrote again to Mme Hanska: “I have just finished Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées”. The manuscript to which this letter refers is no longer extant."
I am still in love with Balzac's stories and this is indeed a favorite which again he shows us another side of love, friendship and family. Yes, a moral lesson is shown but yet it is not so easy to steer clear faults even with warnings ahead. We are what we are and it can be quite impossible to change or do we really want to go against our nature? Two girls have a soul mate friendship that was fostered during convent life but even though the closeness is not to be severed after each going their separate ways but continuing to keep in touch through their letters. Their relationship gets strained through the twelve years span but it lasts despite their differences in how they view marriage and love. Renee is married but there is no passion, whereas Louise's passion burns too strong. Is passion misplaced in a happy marriage? Can one be happy in a lukewarm feelings towards their mate? It is hard to answer that question because many things are factors but Balzac presents a case of opposite experiences in marriage/love through these two friends. He has such a firm grasp on all that encompasses human behavior.
Balzac mentions Richardson's Clarissa Harlowe and Lovelace many times which always brings a smile to my face, since it is one of my ultimate favorite novels. The common thread is not the males but both are epistolary novels with best friends corresponding about their lives.
There are a couple letters from the male characters, as in Richardson's masterpiece.
I come away from Balzac, thinking about the story and about life.
I did not read this edition but a collection of his work, where my notes and highlights are located. I selected this cover for its art work.
"You know between us two, my part is rather that of reason, yours of imagination: I personify sober duty, you reckless love. It has pleased fate to continue in our lives this contrast in character which was imperceptible to all except ourselves."
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢SPOILER ALERT💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
I wanted Louise to live life with less jealousy but it only grew stronger, which brought her to her death. I was surprised that Gaston's brother's family was that and not his family, since Louise thought it was that and the resemblance to the children. After Felipe's death I thought she would spend more time with Renee's family. I don't think Louise would change to look at passion as not the all of everything. Passion especially extreme can not go on full force, it must diminish over time and could Louise accept this. I agree with Renee, passion is a selfish kind of love and when a marital relationship is just based on that, it seems to be doomed. Another sad ending but perfect and quite memorable.
I liked Renee but had a hard time liking Louise. Renee was so sensible and perceptive about reading Louise and trying her to steer clear of troubles. I felt sorry for Felipe and the way Louise could not respect him more and love him better. Louise's death was truly sad but Felipe was worse, she had wanted to kill herself after thinking badly about Gaston, whereas I don't think Felipe went out of his way to harm herself but Louise wore him down. I was glad Renee's husband was flourishing. I find that Louise's remarks about Renee's life very mean at times, especially regards to Louis keeping a post in government and of the dole, what had Louise done to earn her money, Louis was providing a service and Renee was raising children. Louise's main occupation was pleasure.
Returning home after 9 years absent from her family, she was sent to a convent right before the princess, her grandmother's death. Her grandmother and Renee, her friend to who she writes. She leaves in her grandmother's room and the adjacent rooms where the revolution years ago destroyed and ransacked waiting to be restored. Her parents have not seen her in years and have a cold but warm welcome. Renee is Louise's friend from convent school life. When Renee had left, Louise was thought by her family to take up that life but her wanting to leave was granted by her family. Her grandmother left her a legacy and her father had wanted the money to be given to her second brother to be independence which her father tells of his disappointment. Her mother is very into her own life and there is a lack of love between them. Her mother says they could be friends. Her parents have limited interaction with each other, live their own lives. Louise is getting ready to be presented to society. Louise is disappointed in the ball. Not being noticed but married women have their followers. The men very disappointing on the streets and at the ball. Renee writes of her upcoming marriage that was settled by the parents. The groom was thought dead and his mother died broken hearted but the father who tried to keep him from Napoleon's hands could not and he has returned home a broken man with a little estate thanks to his parents, Renee from a good family will be his bride in the Provinces. Brothers are divided after Felipe has fled his home for political reasons that the King was looking to betray him but his brother will stay and marry Marie. Marie and Fernand love each other. Felipe was to flee to family estate but it was in ruins. He has fled to Paris and teaches English and lives very frugal, thinking of his loss but happy for his brother. Louise wants Renee in Paris not in the country . Louise is now the bell of the ball. Louise's father is to go to Madrid with the King and she will accompany him. They are learning Spanish before they depart with lessons from Felipe. Louise sees something in this not handsome man that causes her alarm and excitement, her father does not like him for he feels a superiority of the young man. Renee is married and looks for a life for her children. Renee is worried about Louise and this Spaniard. Louise finds out that the Spaniard is the Duke exiled and he gave up his post. They both are in love but not declaring to each other. Renee's husband, Louis has improved with the understanding between them. They took the marriage slowly and he loves her immensely but giving her, her independent state. Felipe's brother gives his best wishes and money to him. Felipe sends a letter via Louise's window but she decides to burn it, later she regrets after hearing all he gave up for his brother. Another note is sent but should she reply at the opera by wearing two flowers. Louise is treating Felipe not so nicely at times and ridicules Louis; she is on a high horse that might fall. Renee feels slightly jealous of Louise in her passion. Louise sends a portrait to Felipe. He becomes bolder visting the opera box with an ambassador. Renee feels melancholy because her love is not as Louise's passion. Louise meets Felipe in her garden with her governess near by. Louise sees Felipe passed his tests and she looks for marriage and he goes to her father for permission. Louise and Felipe have a small wedding. Her father was happy to give his consent because Louise gave her inheritance to her brother which makes her father happy. Renee is jealous of Louise's passion and tells her that happiness is coming because of her baby to be is with her. She tells of religion being more important and wants Louise to keep God before her husband. Wishes of the best but she worries about a fall for Louise, unknown. Renee writes to Louise about the baby boy named Armand after Louise. She is invite and is to be Godmother. Renee tells of the happiness of a baby and the change in her husband and father in law who are extremely happy. Louise tells of her brother able to marry and have position because of her help. Louise thinks Paris life has as lot of falseness to it. Louise gives Renee's father in law a noble bearing so the godson will be so too. Louise and Felipe visit Renee but Louise has them leave sooner because of Louise's jealousy. She had seen Felipe looks at mother and child, plus Renee has dark hair which reminds him of his country. Louise is told by Renee, her need to look with Louise is upset by the letter from Renee which gives warnings and shows it to Felipe who has no regrets and loves her, greatness to Felipe and not drag him down. She loves as a lover not as a wife. Armand becomes very ill and doctors are sent but Louise finally has the doctors away and prays to God and her son is recovering. The cause and recovery uncertain. Louise is a little jealous of Marie; Felipe's sister in law but Felipe makes her feel better. Rene gives birth to Jeanne, baby girl. Louise has been married 3 years and no child which has upset her. Louise wonders about Renee's silence. Louis sees Louise in Paris, he is doing well in government and a third child is on the way. Renee talks of a busy life of motherhood. Started out 1826 - 7 years later. Felipe has died; Louise thinks her jealousy killed him and worn him down. Louise has fallen in love at 27 with a man of 23, Marie Gaston. She take over as the servile as Felipe did her. She has paid of Gaston's debts and she has built a home unknown to almost all in the country. She is again jealous and does not want Renee to visit. Gaston tells of his upcoming secret romance and soon to be marriage to his friend, Daniel.Renee is worried about Louise but gives her, her best. Renee's children grow and Louis is doing well but no word from Louise. Louise tells of her happily married life but worries about getting old and losing Gaston's love. Renee tries to get Louise to see her marriage to reality so she does not kill her love. Louise tells of Gaston's trips to Paris and he seems to have an English wife and children. Louise looks to kill herself. Louise has found out that Gaston was helping his brother's widow and his nephews. Louise has taken something to kill herself. Louise can not be saved and we find out about her bringing in her ruin by her actions. Gaston thinks he has not long in this world but will raise his nephews. All Louise's family are present at her death. Louise tells of how she brought her death and all her family is at her bedside. Gaston feels not long in this world and will take care of his nephews.
"Published under the title Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées, this is an epistolary novel, which was serialised in the newspaper La Presse in 1841. Dedicated to the French novelist George Sand, the novel grew out of two earlier works which Balzac never completed: Mémoires d’une jeune femme (Memoirs of A Young Woman), which was written in 1834 and Sœur Marie des Anges (Sister Marie des Anges), which was probably written in 1835. In 1840, Balzac informed his future wife Ewelina Hańska that “I am writing an epistolary novel, though I do not know what title to give it, as Soeur Marie des Anges is too long, and that would only apply to the first part.” In June 1841, Balzac wrote again to Mme Hanska: “I have just finished Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées”. The manuscript to which this letter refers is no longer extant."
I am still in love with Balzac's stories and this is indeed a favorite which again he shows us another side of love, friendship and family. Yes, a moral lesson is shown but yet it is not so easy to steer clear faults even with warnings ahead. We are what we are and it can be quite impossible to change or do we really want to go against our nature? Two girls have a soul mate friendship that was fostered during convent life but even though the closeness is not to be severed after each going their separate ways but continuing to keep in touch through their letters. Their relationship gets strained through the twelve years span but it lasts despite their differences in how they view marriage and love. Renee is married but there is no passion, whereas Louise's passion burns too strong. Is passion misplaced in a happy marriage? Can one be happy in a lukewarm feelings towards their mate? It is hard to answer that question because many things are factors but Balzac presents a case of opposite experiences in marriage/love through these two friends. He has such a firm grasp on all that encompasses human behavior.
Balzac mentions Richardson's Clarissa Harlowe and Lovelace many times which always brings a smile to my face, since it is one of my ultimate favorite novels. The common thread is not the males but both are epistolary novels with best friends corresponding about their lives.
There are a couple letters from the male characters, as in Richardson's masterpiece.
I come away from Balzac, thinking about the story and about life.
I did not read this edition but a collection of his work, where my notes and highlights are located. I selected this cover for its art work.
"You know between us two, my part is rather that of reason, yours of imagination: I personify sober duty, you reckless love. It has pleased fate to continue in our lives this contrast in character which was imperceptible to all except ourselves."
💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢SPOILER ALERT💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢💢
I wanted Louise to live life with less jealousy but it only grew stronger, which brought her to her death. I was surprised that Gaston's brother's family was that and not his family, since Louise thought it was that and the resemblance to the children. After Felipe's death I thought she would spend more time with Renee's family. I don't think Louise would change to look at passion as not the all of everything. Passion especially extreme can not go on full force, it must diminish over time and could Louise accept this. I agree with Renee, passion is a selfish kind of love and when a marital relationship is just based on that, it seems to be doomed. Another sad ending but perfect and quite memorable.
I liked Renee but had a hard time liking Louise. Renee was so sensible and perceptive about reading Louise and trying her to steer clear of troubles. I felt sorry for Felipe and the way Louise could not respect him more and love him better. Louise's death was truly sad but Felipe was worse, she had wanted to kill herself after thinking badly about Gaston, whereas I don't think Felipe went out of his way to harm herself but Louise wore him down. I was glad Renee's husband was flourishing. I find that Louise's remarks about Renee's life very mean at times, especially regards to Louis keeping a post in government and of the dole, what had Louise done to earn her money, Louis was providing a service and Renee was raising children. Louise's main occupation was pleasure.
Returning home after 9 years absent from her family, she was sent to a convent right before the princess, her grandmother's death. Her grandmother and Renee, her friend to who she writes. She leaves in her grandmother's room and the adjacent rooms where the revolution years ago destroyed and ransacked waiting to be restored. Her parents have not seen her in years and have a cold but warm welcome. Renee is Louise's friend from convent school life. When Renee had left, Louise was thought by her family to take up that life but her wanting to leave was granted by her family. Her grandmother left her a legacy and her father had wanted the money to be given to her second brother to be independence which her father tells of his disappointment. Her mother is very into her own life and there is a lack of love between them. Her mother says they could be friends. Her parents have limited interaction with each other, live their own lives. Louise is getting ready to be presented to society. Louise is disappointed in the ball. Not being noticed but married women have their followers. The men very disappointing on the streets and at the ball. Renee writes of her upcoming marriage that was settled by the parents. The groom was thought dead and his mother died broken hearted but the father who tried to keep him from Napoleon's hands could not and he has returned home a broken man with a little estate thanks to his parents, Renee from a good family will be his bride in the Provinces. Brothers are divided after Felipe has fled his home for political reasons that the King was looking to betray him but his brother will stay and marry Marie. Marie and Fernand love each other. Felipe was to flee to family estate but it was in ruins. He has fled to Paris and teaches English and lives very frugal, thinking of his loss but happy for his brother. Louise wants Renee in Paris not in the country . Louise is now the bell of the ball. Louise's father is to go to Madrid with the King and she will accompany him. They are learning Spanish before they depart with lessons from Felipe. Louise sees something in this not handsome man that causes her alarm and excitement, her father does not like him for he feels a superiority of the young man. Renee is married and looks for a life for her children. Renee is worried about Louise and this Spaniard. Louise finds out that the Spaniard is the Duke exiled and he gave up his post. They both are in love but not declaring to each other. Renee's husband, Louis has improved with the understanding between them. They took the marriage slowly and he loves her immensely but giving her, her independent state. Felipe's brother gives his best wishes and money to him. Felipe sends a letter via Louise's window but she decides to burn it, later she regrets after hearing all he gave up for his brother. Another note is sent but should she reply at the opera by wearing two flowers. Louise is treating Felipe not so nicely at times and ridicules Louis; she is on a high horse that might fall. Renee feels slightly jealous of Louise in her passion. Louise sends a portrait to Felipe. He becomes bolder visting the opera box with an ambassador. Renee feels melancholy because her love is not as Louise's passion. Louise meets Felipe in her garden with her governess near by. Louise sees Felipe passed his tests and she looks for marriage and he goes to her father for permission. Louise and Felipe have a small wedding. Her father was happy to give his consent because Louise gave her inheritance to her brother which makes her father happy. Renee is jealous of Louise's passion and tells her that happiness is coming because of her baby to be is with her. She tells of religion being more important and wants Louise to keep God before her husband. Wishes of the best but she worries about a fall for Louise, unknown. Renee writes to Louise about the baby boy named Armand after Louise. She is invite and is to be Godmother. Renee tells of the happiness of a baby and the change in her husband and father in law who are extremely happy. Louise tells of her brother able to marry and have position because of her help. Louise thinks Paris life has as lot of falseness to it. Louise gives Renee's father in law a noble bearing so the godson will be so too. Louise and Felipe visit Renee but Louise has them leave sooner because of Louise's jealousy. She had seen Felipe looks at mother and child, plus Renee has dark hair which reminds him of his country. Louise is told by Renee, her need to look with Louise is upset by the letter from Renee which gives warnings and shows it to Felipe who has no regrets and loves her, greatness to Felipe and not drag him down. She loves as a lover not as a wife. Armand becomes very ill and doctors are sent but Louise finally has the doctors away and prays to God and her son is recovering. The cause and recovery uncertain. Louise is a little jealous of Marie; Felipe's sister in law but Felipe makes her feel better. Rene gives birth to Jeanne, baby girl. Louise has been married 3 years and no child which has upset her. Louise wonders about Renee's silence. Louis sees Louise in Paris, he is doing well in government and a third child is on the way. Renee talks of a busy life of motherhood. Started out 1826 - 7 years later. Felipe has died; Louise thinks her jealousy killed him and worn him down. Louise has fallen in love at 27 with a man of 23, Marie Gaston. She take over as the servile as Felipe did her. She has paid of Gaston's debts and she has built a home unknown to almost all in the country. She is again jealous and does not want Renee to visit. Gaston tells of his upcoming secret romance and soon to be marriage to his friend, Daniel.Renee is worried about Louise but gives her, her best. Renee's children grow and Louis is doing well but no word from Louise. Louise tells of her happily married life but worries about getting old and losing Gaston's love. Renee tries to get Louise to see her marriage to reality so she does not kill her love. Louise tells of Gaston's trips to Paris and he seems to have an English wife and children. Louise looks to kill herself. Louise has found out that Gaston was helping his brother's widow and his nephews. Louise has taken something to kill herself. Louise can not be saved and we find out about her bringing in her ruin by her actions. Gaston thinks he has not long in this world but will raise his nephews. All Louise's family are present at her death. Louise tells of how she brought her death and all her family is at her bedside. Gaston feels not long in this world and will take care of his nephews.
May 6, 2019
I did not have any expectations when I began this book. I was given a copy of this edition Memoirs of Two Young Brides published in 1902 and wanted to read it. This edition was translated by Lady Mary Loyd. After six Chapters I downloaded this edition Letters of Two Brides translated by R. S. Scott. T It is a more modern translation.
I really loved this book. It was not an easy read, and took me quite a while to complete. I had to begin by studying titles of French aristocracy and something of the Bourbons of the time period. The book begins by dropping numerous names in society, government, and fashions in clothing and furnishings. Also, I spent a little time on geography.
Next, the story itself was surprisingly filled with suspense, although it is about love affairs, marriages, and families. The author Balzac amazed me with his comprehension of motherhood. There are sections that seem silly and overblown in the details of romance, but it all makes sense in the end.
Addendum: After having a chance to sleep on it, I had more thoughts on the construction of this novel. Balzac deserves his reputation as a great writer in my opinion. He carefully constructs his characters and they then travel on the inevitable pathways they are cast upon. In this book, he brilliantly explores two sides of every person: the rational vs. the emotional. His device for this exploration is to have two girls as his characters. He actually has them mention on several occasions how they are two parts of one whole person. One represents the rational side of life and is concerned with duty while the other follows her passions even to the point of casting aside family, friends and society for passion. The moral of the story is that passion unchecked leads to its own demise.
I really loved this book. It was not an easy read, and took me quite a while to complete. I had to begin by studying titles of French aristocracy and something of the Bourbons of the time period. The book begins by dropping numerous names in society, government, and fashions in clothing and furnishings. Also, I spent a little time on geography.
Next, the story itself was surprisingly filled with suspense, although it is about love affairs, marriages, and families. The author Balzac amazed me with his comprehension of motherhood. There are sections that seem silly and overblown in the details of romance, but it all makes sense in the end.
Addendum: After having a chance to sleep on it, I had more thoughts on the construction of this novel. Balzac deserves his reputation as a great writer in my opinion. He carefully constructs his characters and they then travel on the inevitable pathways they are cast upon. In this book, he brilliantly explores two sides of every person: the rational vs. the emotional. His device for this exploration is to have two girls as his characters. He actually has them mention on several occasions how they are two parts of one whole person. One represents the rational side of life and is concerned with duty while the other follows her passions even to the point of casting aside family, friends and society for passion. The moral of the story is that passion unchecked leads to its own demise.
May 30, 2024
I was recently involved in organising an event on underselling of women compared to men who have the same skills and background and came into contact with a professor studying the under representation of women artists in paintings and as movie directors. The studies the professor conducts are trying to quantify the effects of movies directed by men on women viewers psychology in general, with interesting findings. Mainly, that the message transmitted in such movies is not conveyed through a men lenses and can impact the self-confidence of women viewers, by, for example, lack of feminine role models who are leaders or appear to be strong and independent. At the end of the day, the ultimate effects can be an under representation of women in managing boards of companies. Even though I am sure this has to do with other factors as tradition, and difference in education in past periods.
Reading this book written by a man telling women experiences kept me wondering how the book would have been different if written by a woman instead. I can’t say Balzac did a bad job per se, but this thought of what if stayed with me throughout the book. I am passionate of 18th and 19th century novels, but not many were written by women. Maybe Jane Austen comes to mind, but her novels are definitely not my style - I prefer the movie adaptations for some reason (mainly because the women in her novels seem only preoccupied with getting married and a bit lame as such).
Leaving this aside, I found this book a bit less engaging compared to Eugenie Grandet of Balzac. The plot could have been more alert. The style is great though, clean and clear, and easy to follow in the original French.
Glad I finished it, but could not say I’d read this again
3.5*
Reading this book written by a man telling women experiences kept me wondering how the book would have been different if written by a woman instead. I can’t say Balzac did a bad job per se, but this thought of what if stayed with me throughout the book. I am passionate of 18th and 19th century novels, but not many were written by women. Maybe Jane Austen comes to mind, but her novels are definitely not my style - I prefer the movie adaptations for some reason (mainly because the women in her novels seem only preoccupied with getting married and a bit lame as such).
Leaving this aside, I found this book a bit less engaging compared to Eugenie Grandet of Balzac. The plot could have been more alert. The style is great though, clean and clear, and easy to follow in the original French.
Glad I finished it, but could not say I’d read this again
3.5*
January 18, 2019
Estou lendo "A Comédia Humana" na ordem e este é o primeiro romance que, de fato, se destaca integralmente -- e não apenas sob certos aspectos ou em certas passagens -- podendo ser lido em separado do conjunto com muito proveito.
Não se enganem pelo título: a história aqui narrada não é água com açúcar para mocinhas, mas sim um embate entre duas visões da vida e a narração das escolhas que cada uma das "jovens esposas" faz e suas respectivas consequências. De quebra, o leitor ainda aprende muito sobre administração de fortunas e sobre a forma como a política é feita, das influências, laços familiares e de amizade que estão por trás de nomeações, demissões, subidas e descidas sociais.
De toda forma, o mundo balzaquiano está aqui apenas insinuado, seja na relação dúbia da mãe de Luísa com seu protegido, seja nas pressões que Renata sofre de sua família e da família de seu marido, dentre outras pequenas passagens que se entremostram de relance por trás das confissões e efusões de sentimentos e pensamentos das duas jovens esposas.
Romance epistolar, está muito bem escrito, sem falhas dignas de menção, sendo exemplo técnico no gênero. A única coisa que me incomodou um pouco foi a virilidade de Renata na expressão de suas ideias. Ela não é bem uma mulher, mas um homem de saias, por vezes. Não obstante, ela se salva como personagem pelas narrativas cruas que faz da maternidade e que, motivos de escândalo para a sociedade parisiense da época, hoje em dia são deliciosos registros da vida privada da nobreza durante a Restauração e o governo liberal dos Bourbon.
Vê-se também um irritante decoro sobre a morte, que torna as passagens um pouco inverossímeis. Mas sobre isso não me alongo mais para não dar spoilers.
Não se enganem pelo título: a história aqui narrada não é água com açúcar para mocinhas, mas sim um embate entre duas visões da vida e a narração das escolhas que cada uma das "jovens esposas" faz e suas respectivas consequências. De quebra, o leitor ainda aprende muito sobre administração de fortunas e sobre a forma como a política é feita, das influências, laços familiares e de amizade que estão por trás de nomeações, demissões, subidas e descidas sociais.
De toda forma, o mundo balzaquiano está aqui apenas insinuado, seja na relação dúbia da mãe de Luísa com seu protegido, seja nas pressões que Renata sofre de sua família e da família de seu marido, dentre outras pequenas passagens que se entremostram de relance por trás das confissões e efusões de sentimentos e pensamentos das duas jovens esposas.
Romance epistolar, está muito bem escrito, sem falhas dignas de menção, sendo exemplo técnico no gênero. A única coisa que me incomodou um pouco foi a virilidade de Renata na expressão de suas ideias. Ela não é bem uma mulher, mas um homem de saias, por vezes. Não obstante, ela se salva como personagem pelas narrativas cruas que faz da maternidade e que, motivos de escândalo para a sociedade parisiense da época, hoje em dia são deliciosos registros da vida privada da nobreza durante a Restauração e o governo liberal dos Bourbon.
Vê-se também um irritante decoro sobre a morte, que torna as passagens um pouco inverossímeis. Mas sobre isso não me alongo mais para não dar spoilers.
April 24, 2014
Before beginning: I have loved Balzac in the past. I enjoy epistolary novels. Looking forward to it as something a little different from what I've been reading lately.
Beginning: Somewhat mystified. Am not sufficiently learned in French cultural literacy. If correct, I surmised that both young women, Louise and Renee, (the novel's main characters) had been placed in convents as young children, for two purposes; 1) education; 2)in hopes that they would remain there so their families could use the girls' individual inheritances to feather the nests of younger sons instead (I guess instead of just stealing it from them blatantly?). For some reason (I'm not bothering to look this up) the law was such that heiresses must basically be put out of the way of needing/wanting their money?
1st Quarter: Still somewhat mystified. If a girl comes out of the convent and wishes to marry, her intended must perjure himself by stating that he received her money, but all the while be willing to marry her without her money (so that it can still go underhandedly to her brother(s)?) That's just a dumb side thought of mine, though. Feel slightly disappointed, with Louise, that Renee has chosen to marry a broken-down old soldier-man (to her, she was seventeen, he forty) that she knew she would never love, but who she accepts, knowing that with him she will have a monetarily comfortable life and the prospect of motherhood, in which she sets all store. Basically, "I can live without loving loving my husband or being loved by him as long as we respect each other, I can make him into a whole man, my ambition can propel him into public greatness, and when we have children they will be my all in all and I will be happy loving them." Louise, the very wealthy socialite, is so disgusted that Renee can live without love. She is longing to ENSLAVE some poor man, to her, that is love. It seems to me that neither the one nor the other knows a whit about love at all.
Half-way through: I'm thinking, "Is this a farce?" I'm also thinking, with Renee, that Louise is the biggest idiot woman I've ever read about. What a fool! Her poor, stupid, WEAK husband....her slave...that her slightest wish is his command an her slightest peeve quells to the point of paleness and tremulousness. How goofy. Renee is a happy mother by this time. I am delighted with her sentiments on motherhood, but not her sentiments on love. She seems to believe that a mutually beneficial marriage, one that includes respect and partnership, can not, at the same time, include LOVE (meaning, to her, physical "passion"). A wife cannot be a wife/mother and a "mistress." Louise, at the same time, is deep in her LOVE (meaning, to her, ONLY physical passion) and she thinks she's so happy. She thinks a relationship where it's not all flowers, perfumes, long nights/late mornings, negliges, and a servile husband isn't worth beans (as in Renee's life). Louise, as it happens, is barren. Renee warns Louise that her sterile, master/slave relationship will end in heartbreak and shipwreck.
Ending thoughts: Obviously interesting enough to finish, if only to laugh at the morbidity and melodrama. Some really nice mother-heart sentiments. Some really warped ideas about the marriage relationship. Is this the reality of Love in France? Or just of that age? Wives are for mothering, but one must needs a mistress for "Love?" Got so disgusted with Louise I wanted to slap her silly. She's so stupid and the men who love her are even more so. I admired Renee for trying to talk some sense into her, but she didn't succeed. The ending was so lamely melodramatic.
It was an interesting read, but not one I'll repeat, although I may keep the notes on the good mothering quotes, which, really, are quite fine. I'll type some of them in later maybe.
Beginning: Somewhat mystified. Am not sufficiently learned in French cultural literacy. If correct, I surmised that both young women, Louise and Renee, (the novel's main characters) had been placed in convents as young children, for two purposes; 1) education; 2)in hopes that they would remain there so their families could use the girls' individual inheritances to feather the nests of younger sons instead (I guess instead of just stealing it from them blatantly?). For some reason (I'm not bothering to look this up) the law was such that heiresses must basically be put out of the way of needing/wanting their money?
1st Quarter: Still somewhat mystified. If a girl comes out of the convent and wishes to marry, her intended must perjure himself by stating that he received her money, but all the while be willing to marry her without her money (so that it can still go underhandedly to her brother(s)?) That's just a dumb side thought of mine, though. Feel slightly disappointed, with Louise, that Renee has chosen to marry a broken-down old soldier-man (to her, she was seventeen, he forty) that she knew she would never love, but who she accepts, knowing that with him she will have a monetarily comfortable life and the prospect of motherhood, in which she sets all store. Basically, "I can live without loving loving my husband or being loved by him as long as we respect each other, I can make him into a whole man, my ambition can propel him into public greatness, and when we have children they will be my all in all and I will be happy loving them." Louise, the very wealthy socialite, is so disgusted that Renee can live without love. She is longing to ENSLAVE some poor man, to her, that is love. It seems to me that neither the one nor the other knows a whit about love at all.
Half-way through: I'm thinking, "Is this a farce?" I'm also thinking, with Renee, that Louise is the biggest idiot woman I've ever read about. What a fool! Her poor, stupid, WEAK husband....her slave...that her slightest wish is his command an her slightest peeve quells to the point of paleness and tremulousness. How goofy. Renee is a happy mother by this time. I am delighted with her sentiments on motherhood, but not her sentiments on love. She seems to believe that a mutually beneficial marriage, one that includes respect and partnership, can not, at the same time, include LOVE (meaning, to her, physical "passion"). A wife cannot be a wife/mother and a "mistress." Louise, at the same time, is deep in her LOVE (meaning, to her, ONLY physical passion) and she thinks she's so happy. She thinks a relationship where it's not all flowers, perfumes, long nights/late mornings, negliges, and a servile husband isn't worth beans (as in Renee's life). Louise, as it happens, is barren. Renee warns Louise that her sterile, master/slave relationship will end in heartbreak and shipwreck.
Ending thoughts: Obviously interesting enough to finish, if only to laugh at the morbidity and melodrama. Some really nice mother-heart sentiments. Some really warped ideas about the marriage relationship. Is this the reality of Love in France? Or just of that age? Wives are for mothering, but one must needs a mistress for "Love?" Got so disgusted with Louise I wanted to slap her silly. She's so stupid and the men who love her are even more so. I admired Renee for trying to talk some sense into her, but she didn't succeed. The ending was so lamely melodramatic.
It was an interesting read, but not one I'll repeat, although I may keep the notes on the good mothering quotes, which, really, are quite fine. I'll type some of them in later maybe.
October 28, 2021
I almost quit several times. The one bride was terribly insecure and her friend was all-wise. The extremes seemed a bit too extreme, making the characters more caricatures than real people. I get what Balzac was trying to do, but it was just too obvious. Maybe I need to take a break from the series.
October 30, 2021
Que des années d'arrêt suffisent pour reculer et admirer l'œuvre à sa guise. D'une part l'habitude de Balzac à moraliser y est toujours présente, même omniprésente: aucune correspondance n'est épargnée. Tantôt le discours y est religieux, tantôt moral. Mais en tout il n'épargne pas au lecteur de puiser dans les idéaux de cette époque.
On se retrouve dans l'intimité d'un fil entre deux jeunes filles à leur sortie du couvent, et on y témoigne la métamorphose de chacune.
Balzac, un peu à la mode de Dostoevski essayé à travers cette invention parvenir à expliquer le pourquoi du comment de la vie quotidienne de deux filles faisant leur début en société l'une à Paris l'autre en Provence.
Si ce n'est que pour les allégories et styles de Balzac, l'œuvre aurait pris une autre tournure moins agréable. Mais en somme la qualité est augmentée puisque justement c'est lui l'auteur. En maître de prose, il a pu faire d'un train train habituel une pièce unique qui reflète une société d'après la révolution.
Une phase de transition pour la société qui se trouve entre l'impératif de s'attacher aux coutumes et de se libérer de celles ci.
On se retrouve dans l'intimité d'un fil entre deux jeunes filles à leur sortie du couvent, et on y témoigne la métamorphose de chacune.
Balzac, un peu à la mode de Dostoevski essayé à travers cette invention parvenir à expliquer le pourquoi du comment de la vie quotidienne de deux filles faisant leur début en société l'une à Paris l'autre en Provence.
Si ce n'est que pour les allégories et styles de Balzac, l'œuvre aurait pris une autre tournure moins agréable. Mais en somme la qualité est augmentée puisque justement c'est lui l'auteur. En maître de prose, il a pu faire d'un train train habituel une pièce unique qui reflète une société d'après la révolution.
Une phase de transition pour la société qui se trouve entre l'impératif de s'attacher aux coutumes et de se libérer de celles ci.
March 5, 2023
Un interesante relato epistolar, dónde estas amigas que parecen contarse sus vidas, en realidad estarían convenciéndose a si mismas que son felices y que llevan la vida que desean. También se percibe la envidia como ingrediente principal.
February 23, 2010
Although this is far from representative of Balzac's best work, it is still fun to read. Here is an author who was pining for his Polish countess for decades writing in a genre which is usually the property of women writers, especially when it is written as a series of letters. All in all, he doesn't do badly at holding our interest.
Picture to yourself the fable of the City Mouse and the Country Mouse. While the Country Mouse (Renee de l'Estorade) enters into a marriage with an older man, she finds her joy in raising a family, which in turn reinforces her love for her husband Louis, who manages to rise over the years in government service.
The City Mouse is Louise de Chaulieu, scion of a noble family, who marries twice during the course of the book: First, to an ungainly but powerful Spanish noble, who unfortunately dies young; and second, to a young author of whom she becomes insanely jealous, leading her to die a rather perfunctory 19th century death of consumption because of exposure to ... morning dew? Hmmm.
What saves the book is Balzac's indefatigable energy as we see him restlessly probing two different aspects of the feminine mind. In the end, Louise suffers the fate described by Sal Mineo in the 1949 film Knock on Any Door: "Live fast, die young, and make a good-looking corpse." Indeed.
Picture to yourself the fable of the City Mouse and the Country Mouse. While the Country Mouse (Renee de l'Estorade) enters into a marriage with an older man, she finds her joy in raising a family, which in turn reinforces her love for her husband Louis, who manages to rise over the years in government service.
The City Mouse is Louise de Chaulieu, scion of a noble family, who marries twice during the course of the book: First, to an ungainly but powerful Spanish noble, who unfortunately dies young; and second, to a young author of whom she becomes insanely jealous, leading her to die a rather perfunctory 19th century death of consumption because of exposure to ... morning dew? Hmmm.
What saves the book is Balzac's indefatigable energy as we see him restlessly probing two different aspects of the feminine mind. In the end, Louise suffers the fate described by Sal Mineo in the 1949 film Knock on Any Door: "Live fast, die young, and make a good-looking corpse." Indeed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 9, 2018
Morris Dickstein writes, in his introduction, that this book is "not exactly a masterpiece." But really it is not even remotely a masterpiece. Balzac excels in writing about external events pushing people in directions they don't want to go. Epistolary novels are good at giving authors a way to focus, instead, on the thoughts of the people being pushed; there's a reason Richardson wrote ever-longer epistolary novels, and Fielding's masterpiece was narrated rather than epistled. Balzac should have stuck with the narration: the two young wives aren't interesting, or smart, or attractive, and that's entirely because Balzac wasn't smart, or attractive, or interesting, when he wasn't narrating the brutality of the nineteenth century in blockish, fist-smashing prose.
I wish Jordan Stump had spent his time translating a better book.
I wish Jordan Stump had spent his time translating a better book.
September 6, 2024
‘Letters of Two Brides,’ (translated by R S Scott), part of the series ‘Scenes from Private Life’ stands out as the reason I enjoy almost any book by Balzac. It does not reflect either the realism or the humanism of other volumes of the ‘The Human Comedy,’ but touches an unexpectedly maudlin note in a dramatic story about sensual and spiritual love within marriage. For that very reason, it seems to spotlight an aspect of Balzac's critical temper not often seen in his writing.
Written as a series of letters between two young girls who continue a friendship born in the convent by correspondence for several years after parting, their lives have only one thing in common – marriage. The wealthy and high-born Armande Louise Marie de Chaulieu is lively and frivolous, attitudes which screen a tempestuous, sensual and extremely jealous nature. Unfortunately, she also has no concept of the nature of deep and abiding love and cannot recognise it when it comes her way not once, but twice. Her friend Renée de Maucombe, neither wealthy nor very high born, leads a much more sedate life in a marriage of convenience, but one in which both partners find lasting happiness in each other and in their children.
Superficially this is a cautionary tale, warning of excessive passion in marriage, impulsive and hysterical demonstrations whether of love or grief or suspicion. In contrast is the quiet, proper duty-bound attitude of the virtuous mother, who seems to be an utter prig. In reality, we cannot help liking the foolish, temperamental girl who is such a poor judge of character, and has so little in command over her feelings that her devoted first husband is driven to death by her accusations and groundless jealousy while her second, though younger and penniless, loves her as deeply, but shows signs of wearying of a possessive, obsessive love.
The question is, why does virtue seem so pompous to Balzac? He seems to prefer an open-hearted and loving girl, however indecorous or unwise she might be. And whatever price she pays. And so do I.
Written as a series of letters between two young girls who continue a friendship born in the convent by correspondence for several years after parting, their lives have only one thing in common – marriage. The wealthy and high-born Armande Louise Marie de Chaulieu is lively and frivolous, attitudes which screen a tempestuous, sensual and extremely jealous nature. Unfortunately, she also has no concept of the nature of deep and abiding love and cannot recognise it when it comes her way not once, but twice. Her friend Renée de Maucombe, neither wealthy nor very high born, leads a much more sedate life in a marriage of convenience, but one in which both partners find lasting happiness in each other and in their children.
Superficially this is a cautionary tale, warning of excessive passion in marriage, impulsive and hysterical demonstrations whether of love or grief or suspicion. In contrast is the quiet, proper duty-bound attitude of the virtuous mother, who seems to be an utter prig. In reality, we cannot help liking the foolish, temperamental girl who is such a poor judge of character, and has so little in command over her feelings that her devoted first husband is driven to death by her accusations and groundless jealousy while her second, though younger and penniless, loves her as deeply, but shows signs of wearying of a possessive, obsessive love.
The question is, why does virtue seem so pompous to Balzac? He seems to prefer an open-hearted and loving girl, however indecorous or unwise she might be. And whatever price she pays. And so do I.
March 3, 2021
Eugenie Grandet, which was so praised for his innocence that the author found detesting it - have a certain relative simplicity and purity, whereas in Jeunes Mariees, Beatrix and Modeste Mignon we are up to our necks in sophistication.
In seinem Essay über Balzac stellt Henry James ein unmittelbar auf jeden Leser wirkendes Erfolgsbuch über die persönliche Heldentat eines schlichten Gemüts drei späteren Romanen gegenüber, in denen es der Autor allzu sehr mit den erzählerischen Feinheiten und literarischen Kreuz- und Querbezügen zum eigenen Schaffen wie zur Weltliteratur übertrieben hat.
Die relativ frühe Position des Briefromans im Zyklus hat mich beim ersten Anlauf auch in die Knie gezwungen, obwohl der erste Brief von Louise de Chaulieu in seiner Gefühlskultur und Beobachtungsgabe so ziemlich alles überragt, was Balzac und viele nach ihm an Prosa geschrieben haben.
Ein junges Mädchen kommt aus der Klosterschule zurück ins Elternhaus und bekommt die Ansage, dass man es gern sehen würde, wenn sie den Schleier nimmt, weil man das Geld für ihre Mitgift dazu braucht, um auch dem zweiten Sohn eine Stellung zu schaffen. Mutter Eleonore ist eine Salonschönheit, die keinen Moment der Muße kennt, da sie sämtliche Energie darauf ver(sch)wendet, stilvoll und wunderschön zu bleiben, um in möglichst vielen Salons zu glänzen, ihr Liebhaber ist der fromme Verseschmied de Canalis (Hauptrolle in Modeste Mignon, wo die Höhen und Tiefen dieser Beziehung aufgearbeitet werden). Louises Vater ist Botschafter in Madrid und sehr darauf angewiesen, dass ihm die Gattin daheim die Position sichert.
Eine Konstellation, der sich Louise bewusst verweigert, ebenso wie einer Klosterkarriere. Denn die großartige Schönheit, die optisch die jüngere Ausgabe ihrer Mutter ist, hat Glück im Unglück: Ein Flüchtling aus den spanischen Bürgerkriegen, ist in die glänzende Schönheit verliebt und verfügt, im weiteren Fortgang der Handlung, auch wieder über einen finanziellen Hintergrund, bei dem sich die Mitgiftfrage nicht weiter stellt. Allerdings leidet das so lange an den Rand gedrängte Mädchen unter einem absoluten Anspruch auf das persönliche Glück, mit dem die rücksichtslose Frau andere Menschen überfordert, zuletzt aber selbst das Opfer eines Missverständnisses wird.
Empfängerin der Briefe und Gegenentwurf als Persönlichkeit ist Klosterschulfreundin Renée, die unscheinbarere Vertraute, die gewisse Schönheiten gerne an sich ziehen. Nach ihrer Rückkehr auf das Gut der Eltern in Südfrankreich, erhält sie den Vorschlag einen Spätheimkehrer aus Napoleons verhängnisvollem Russlandfeldzug zu heiraten, da sich der Besitz ihrer Familie nur durch die finanziell vorteilhafte Verbindung retten lässt. Renée fügt sich der Entscheidung und übernimmt auch die Aufgabe ihren ziemlich traumatisierten Mann, der als Jüngling der Grande Armée zugeführt wurde, und so gut wie keine Bildung genossen hat, in jeder Hinsicht wieder aufzurichten und auf die Anforderungen des Lebens im Frieden einzustellen.
Renées Briefe sind bodenständiger, sie schreibt der Freundin auch von abwegigen kulinarischen Gelüsten während der Schwangerschaft. Parallel dazu arbeitet sie sich in die wirtschaftliche Seite ein und führt den Besitz zu neuer Blüte, Grundlage für den Erfolg ihres Mannes in der Lokalpolitik.
Ihre Versuche, die Freundin zur Vernunft zu bringen, die ihren ersten Mann, den sie schon als Brautwerber immer wieder gern ein wenig gequält hat, gesundheitlich ruiniert, führen zu einem zeitweiligen Zerwürfnis.
Auch der zweite Liebesfrühling von Louise, die es sich nun leisten kann, einen jüngeren Poeten aus der Gesellschaft in ihren Zaubergarten zu ziehen, führt zu keiner echten Wiederannäherung, zumal Renée inzwischen einen Salon in Paris führt, der in anderen Romanen des Zyklus durchaus zugunsten von unverschuldet in Not geratenen Angehörigen des Landadels oder um ihr Erbe betrogenen Waisenmädchen (z.B. Ursule Mirouet) eingreift. Als Louise in selbst verschuldeter Panik ein paar falsche Schlüsse zieht und überromantisch auf die (gefühlt) zu lange Abwesenheit ihres jungen Gatten reagiert, ist Renée in der Stunde der Not zur Stelle.
Fazit: Ein Roman in einer seinerzeit längst überholten Form mit einer klaren Absage an den selbstbezogenen Hedonismus und für das gesellschaftliche Wirken. Dass die Motivationen und Reaktionen der beiden Charaktere so gut nachvollziehbar sind, lässt einen gelegentlichen Ärger über immer wieder die allzu deutliche Tendenz dieses philosophischen Romans hinweg sehen. Natürlich setzt der Autor die empfindsame, aber absolut uneinsichtige Louise vielleicht zuletzt zu sehr ins Unrecht, andererseits ist der Tunnelblick dieser Frau, die eine Abweichung von der Liebesroutine, zu sehr zu Herzen nimmt, absolut stimmig. Louise ist in ihrer absoluten Selbstbezogenheit zwar älter, aber nicht reifer geworden.
Wem die Tendenz nicht passt, sollte ihren ersten Brief trotzdem lesen: ein einfühlsames Meisterwerk der Empfindsamkeit. Zur Epochenbeschreibung aus der Blütezeit des Briefromans passt ganz gut, dass Louise im Bericht von ihrer Heimkehr in die Rokoko-Räumlichkeiten ihrer Großmutter gezogen ist, der sie sich, in jeder Hinsicht näher fühlt als ihr ganz auf gesellschaftlichen Glanz getrimmten Mutter. Ein paar weitere lesenswerte Infos zum Roman und zum Zyklus stehen in der Kommentardiskussion.
In seinem Essay über Balzac stellt Henry James ein unmittelbar auf jeden Leser wirkendes Erfolgsbuch über die persönliche Heldentat eines schlichten Gemüts drei späteren Romanen gegenüber, in denen es der Autor allzu sehr mit den erzählerischen Feinheiten und literarischen Kreuz- und Querbezügen zum eigenen Schaffen wie zur Weltliteratur übertrieben hat.
Die relativ frühe Position des Briefromans im Zyklus hat mich beim ersten Anlauf auch in die Knie gezwungen, obwohl der erste Brief von Louise de Chaulieu in seiner Gefühlskultur und Beobachtungsgabe so ziemlich alles überragt, was Balzac und viele nach ihm an Prosa geschrieben haben.
Ein junges Mädchen kommt aus der Klosterschule zurück ins Elternhaus und bekommt die Ansage, dass man es gern sehen würde, wenn sie den Schleier nimmt, weil man das Geld für ihre Mitgift dazu braucht, um auch dem zweiten Sohn eine Stellung zu schaffen. Mutter Eleonore ist eine Salonschönheit, die keinen Moment der Muße kennt, da sie sämtliche Energie darauf ver(sch)wendet, stilvoll und wunderschön zu bleiben, um in möglichst vielen Salons zu glänzen, ihr Liebhaber ist der fromme Verseschmied de Canalis (Hauptrolle in Modeste Mignon, wo die Höhen und Tiefen dieser Beziehung aufgearbeitet werden). Louises Vater ist Botschafter in Madrid und sehr darauf angewiesen, dass ihm die Gattin daheim die Position sichert.
Eine Konstellation, der sich Louise bewusst verweigert, ebenso wie einer Klosterkarriere. Denn die großartige Schönheit, die optisch die jüngere Ausgabe ihrer Mutter ist, hat Glück im Unglück: Ein Flüchtling aus den spanischen Bürgerkriegen, ist in die glänzende Schönheit verliebt und verfügt, im weiteren Fortgang der Handlung, auch wieder über einen finanziellen Hintergrund, bei dem sich die Mitgiftfrage nicht weiter stellt. Allerdings leidet das so lange an den Rand gedrängte Mädchen unter einem absoluten Anspruch auf das persönliche Glück, mit dem die rücksichtslose Frau andere Menschen überfordert, zuletzt aber selbst das Opfer eines Missverständnisses wird.
Empfängerin der Briefe und Gegenentwurf als Persönlichkeit ist Klosterschulfreundin Renée, die unscheinbarere Vertraute, die gewisse Schönheiten gerne an sich ziehen. Nach ihrer Rückkehr auf das Gut der Eltern in Südfrankreich, erhält sie den Vorschlag einen Spätheimkehrer aus Napoleons verhängnisvollem Russlandfeldzug zu heiraten, da sich der Besitz ihrer Familie nur durch die finanziell vorteilhafte Verbindung retten lässt. Renée fügt sich der Entscheidung und übernimmt auch die Aufgabe ihren ziemlich traumatisierten Mann, der als Jüngling der Grande Armée zugeführt wurde, und so gut wie keine Bildung genossen hat, in jeder Hinsicht wieder aufzurichten und auf die Anforderungen des Lebens im Frieden einzustellen.
Renées Briefe sind bodenständiger, sie schreibt der Freundin auch von abwegigen kulinarischen Gelüsten während der Schwangerschaft. Parallel dazu arbeitet sie sich in die wirtschaftliche Seite ein und führt den Besitz zu neuer Blüte, Grundlage für den Erfolg ihres Mannes in der Lokalpolitik.
Ihre Versuche, die Freundin zur Vernunft zu bringen, die ihren ersten Mann, den sie schon als Brautwerber immer wieder gern ein wenig gequält hat, gesundheitlich ruiniert, führen zu einem zeitweiligen Zerwürfnis.
Auch der zweite Liebesfrühling von Louise, die es sich nun leisten kann, einen jüngeren Poeten aus der Gesellschaft in ihren Zaubergarten zu ziehen, führt zu keiner echten Wiederannäherung, zumal Renée inzwischen einen Salon in Paris führt, der in anderen Romanen des Zyklus durchaus zugunsten von unverschuldet in Not geratenen Angehörigen des Landadels oder um ihr Erbe betrogenen Waisenmädchen (z.B. Ursule Mirouet) eingreift. Als Louise in selbst verschuldeter Panik ein paar falsche Schlüsse zieht und überromantisch auf die (gefühlt) zu lange Abwesenheit ihres jungen Gatten reagiert, ist Renée in der Stunde der Not zur Stelle.
Fazit: Ein Roman in einer seinerzeit längst überholten Form mit einer klaren Absage an den selbstbezogenen Hedonismus und für das gesellschaftliche Wirken. Dass die Motivationen und Reaktionen der beiden Charaktere so gut nachvollziehbar sind, lässt einen gelegentlichen Ärger über immer wieder die allzu deutliche Tendenz dieses philosophischen Romans hinweg sehen. Natürlich setzt der Autor die empfindsame, aber absolut uneinsichtige Louise vielleicht zuletzt zu sehr ins Unrecht, andererseits ist der Tunnelblick dieser Frau, die eine Abweichung von der Liebesroutine, zu sehr zu Herzen nimmt, absolut stimmig. Louise ist in ihrer absoluten Selbstbezogenheit zwar älter, aber nicht reifer geworden.
Wem die Tendenz nicht passt, sollte ihren ersten Brief trotzdem lesen: ein einfühlsames Meisterwerk der Empfindsamkeit. Zur Epochenbeschreibung aus der Blütezeit des Briefromans passt ganz gut, dass Louise im Bericht von ihrer Heimkehr in die Rokoko-Räumlichkeiten ihrer Großmutter gezogen ist, der sie sich, in jeder Hinsicht näher fühlt als ihr ganz auf gesellschaftlichen Glanz getrimmten Mutter. Ein paar weitere lesenswerte Infos zum Roman und zum Zyklus stehen in der Kommentardiskussion.
May 13, 2020
Sort of interesting companion piece to Portrait of a Lady on Fire (except set 100 years later). Romantic friendship & convents & secret feminine worlds are all enough to keep me engaged. And surprisingly so readable and so relatable even over 100 years later? I was constantly earmarking pages that mirrored my own interior monologues or conversations with other women.
February 16, 2018
Çok sevdim ❤️
January 29, 2022
"Şüphe, kendi kendimizle çarpışmadır. Bize müthiş yaralar açar."
October 15, 2019
The thing I enjoy about classics is that there is always a moral to the story, always a concise subject to make you think about. The author of this book centres his story around love, marriage, motherhood, and a woman's role within those three things. It's written with a good dose of philosophical anecdotes from two very different points of view.
Told entirely in letter format, and exactly the potential I thought The Watsons by Jane Austen could have if she had completed it, The Memoirs of Two Young Wives follows two young ladies over the course of their lives. They meet in a convent, become solid friends, and continue their friendship through letters when they are both taken out of the convent to live their drastically separate lives. There friendship is a very close one. They live vicariously through each other by divulging in all secrets and experiences. And they are extremely affectionate to one another.
At first I really enjoyed learning about the girls, but as I got further and further into the story I started to find them... questionable. Which by no means impacted my enjoyment of the story. Louise is a feisty go-getter with a passion for experiencing everything in life and Reneé is quietly ambitious, choosing to make the most of what life deals her. The author describes Louise as a combination of "a small drop of philosophy in a lot of love", and Reneé as a combination of "a small drop of love in a lot philosophy", which is certainly true but speaks nothing of their ability to control their own lives, their families, and their men through scathing tactics and cool calculation. A few words to describe the characters in this book: hypocritical, sickly, brave, manipulate, sappy, vain, cutting, sad, anxious, wise, scathing, unashamed, jealous, philosophical, desperate, and altogether very human. They are morally grey characters you can't help but like.
This was a surprisingly emotional read for me. After reading so many letters from these ladies I'd grown quite attached to them and felt like they were my own sisters, so the ending came as quite a shock. I wasn't expecting a twist. I will forever remember the words death unites as well as separates. Bravo to the author for writing an excellent character driven story filled with plenty of feeling!
Told entirely in letter format, and exactly the potential I thought The Watsons by Jane Austen could have if she had completed it, The Memoirs of Two Young Wives follows two young ladies over the course of their lives. They meet in a convent, become solid friends, and continue their friendship through letters when they are both taken out of the convent to live their drastically separate lives. There friendship is a very close one. They live vicariously through each other by divulging in all secrets and experiences. And they are extremely affectionate to one another.
At first I really enjoyed learning about the girls, but as I got further and further into the story I started to find them... questionable. Which by no means impacted my enjoyment of the story. Louise is a feisty go-getter with a passion for experiencing everything in life and Reneé is quietly ambitious, choosing to make the most of what life deals her. The author describes Louise as a combination of "a small drop of philosophy in a lot of love", and Reneé as a combination of "a small drop of love in a lot philosophy", which is certainly true but speaks nothing of their ability to control their own lives, their families, and their men through scathing tactics and cool calculation. A few words to describe the characters in this book: hypocritical, sickly, brave, manipulate, sappy, vain, cutting, sad, anxious, wise, scathing, unashamed, jealous, philosophical, desperate, and altogether very human. They are morally grey characters you can't help but like.
This was a surprisingly emotional read for me. After reading so many letters from these ladies I'd grown quite attached to them and felt like they were my own sisters, so the ending came as quite a shock. I wasn't expecting a twist. I will forever remember the words death unites as well as separates. Bravo to the author for writing an excellent character driven story filled with plenty of feeling!
December 25, 2018
Completely disagree with Morris Dickstein's opinion of this book as "not exactly a masterpiece". This novel by Balsac, initially understood by me as some sort of 19th century chick-lit (could not have been more wrong!), is a masterful epistolary memoir of two girlfriends. Renee and Louise became friends at the convent, and remain friends until the very end. Their correspondence is unusually frank and open: they share their lives and hopes, and occasionally the claws of these two kittens come out in turn, and after careful consideration and pleas for forgiveness, are drawn in.
The stark choices that Louise and Renee face will determine not only their fortunes, but the fates of their families as well. Both of them are starting out as girls without a dowry, so are at a huge disadvantage in 19th century society, and have to use their wits to marry well. But this is where their paths diverge: Renee, the practical one, realizes that she will have to marry, having initially only respect for her husband, not love and passion; Louise insists on finding a love slave who will cater to her every whim. From time to time, they try to convince each other that their way of life is best. Neither one succeeds.
The book ends with Renee thriving in the midst of her family, and Louise perishing under the weight of her passions, unjustly suspecting her second husband of adultery. As Balzac states, neither of them wins. Renee has never experienced passion in love, and Louise has been eaten alive by her passions.
What is the moral of the story? Choose wisely - but choose what? Life without passions, or passion with no life?
The stark choices that Louise and Renee face will determine not only their fortunes, but the fates of their families as well. Both of them are starting out as girls without a dowry, so are at a huge disadvantage in 19th century society, and have to use their wits to marry well. But this is where their paths diverge: Renee, the practical one, realizes that she will have to marry, having initially only respect for her husband, not love and passion; Louise insists on finding a love slave who will cater to her every whim. From time to time, they try to convince each other that their way of life is best. Neither one succeeds.
The book ends with Renee thriving in the midst of her family, and Louise perishing under the weight of her passions, unjustly suspecting her second husband of adultery. As Balzac states, neither of them wins. Renee has never experienced passion in love, and Louise has been eaten alive by her passions.
What is the moral of the story? Choose wisely - but choose what? Life without passions, or passion with no life?
December 26, 2021
¿A qué puede dedicarse una mujer inteligente, rica y de buena posición si nació hacia 1810 en Francia? A través de una novela epistolar, Balzac explora las muy restringidas alternativas que ofrecen guiarse por los principios del amor apasionado en contraste con los principios del amor sabio, que en la época significaba dedicarse a la familia. Este planteamiento y los principios sociales y morales que guían estas limitadas, chauvinistas y encorsetadas alternativas le resultarán chocantes a muchos lectores contemporáneos. A pesar de los muchos pasajes claramente enmarcados en el más florido e idealizado romanticismo, sea de la trágica pasión romántica sea de una edulcorada maternidad, Balzac es demasiado realista y perspicaz para limitarse a dejarse llevar por las idealizaciones de la época. Chocan y ubican claramente en su época reflexiones de las protagonistas como esta reflexión de Renata, la joven madre:
Balzac termina por “castigar” a Luisa, carga sus tintas contra la mujer que expresa más libremente su sexualidad, aunque esté escondida tras las convenciones de la época y “premia” la monstruosa “sensatez” “de Renata, a quien Luisa irónicamente llama su “doctora en faldas”. Cabe preguntarse por ejemplo, cómo hubiera sido la vida de Luisa si su primer esposo no muere, si hubiera tenido hijos o si su relación con el segundo esposo hubiera incluido la posibilidad de una comunicación sincera y no meramente retórica. Pero también cabe preguntarse que hubiera pasado si Renata no hubiera logrado someter a su hombre, o si no hubiera podido tener hijos o si hubiera sido el esposo de Renata quien falleciera.
La novela comienza muy lentamente y muy inmerso en la moralidad y sentimientos de la época y algunos lectores bien pueden impacientarse con este despliegue inicial y ajeno al punto de abandonar la lectura, otros sucumbirán ante el placer de leer una novela romántica de época pero lo interesante de esta novela de Balzac es que presenta suficientes grietas y ambivalencias en la fachada romántica de la novela como para al menos apuntar a trasfondos psicológicos más ricos y densos.
No es una obra lograda del todo y personalmente me resulta demasiado repetitiva en algunos aspectos, por lo que debatí si calificarla con dos o tres estrellas. A final, como creo poco probable animarme a releerla al futuro me incliné, algo injustamente, a dejarla, muy tentativamente, con dos estrellas.
Tengo treinta años: ya se ha pasado el calor más intenso del día, y lo más difícil del camino ya está hecho. Dentro de algunos años seré vieja, por lo que extraigo una fuerza inmensa de sentimiento de los deberes cumplidos.Para ambas protagonistas el quid de la vida está en como pueden expresarse en una sociedad que no permite que las mujeres se desarrollen plenamente y que espera que vivan a la sombra y tras la mampara de un hombre. Ambas escogen, de manera muy diferente, ser titiriteras. Luisa escoge vivir la vida a través de la una gran pasión que le permite subyugar y reinar sobre un “gran” hombre que se le somete. Luisa es absorbente y en un pasaje sorprendentemente moderna, su amiga Renata, la acusa de devorar a su hombre, de subyugarlo al punto de no dejarle espacio de expresión o voluntad propia. Luisa es una esposa/amante celosa, narcisista y castradora; esto se ve claramente en su segundo matrimonio, en el que termina por secuestrar, aislar y anular a su esposo usando como armas al amor y a su fortuna. Luisa concibe al amor pasional como una relación de dependencia mutua monstruosa que excluye al mundo -hasta le pide a su amiga Renata que no la visite ni le escriba. Renata que es, aparentemente, la voz de la sensatez, repetidamente advierte y reprocha a su amiga Luisa, como por ejemplo cuando se entera que su amiga acaba de casarse por segunda vez:
Mi querida Luisa, he leído y releído tu carta, y cuánto más me penetro de ella, menos veo en ti una mujer que una niña; no has cambiado, y olvidas lo que te he dicho mil veces: el amor es un robo hecho por el estado social al estado natural; es tan efímero en la naturaleza, que los recursos de la sociedad no pueden cambiar su condición primitiva[...] Sustituyendo por sentimientos duraderos la locura fugitiva de la naturaleza, [la sociedad] ha creado la cosa humana más grande: la Familia, base eterna de las sociedades. Ha sacrificado a su obra tanto al hombre como a la mujer […]Renata es tan controladora y dominante como su amiga, se casa con un hombre golpeado por la vida para cincelarlo y moldearlo a su gusto y convertirlo en “pilar”de la sociedad. Planifica y otorga su amor conyugal a cuentagotas, en una inversión de largo plazo y hasta decide a qué se dedicará cada uno de sus hijos; una lectura cuidadosa muestra como también manipula o usa a Luisa para que el marido de Renata reciba las prebendas y cargos que le permitan cumplir con el futuro trazado por Renata. Conciente y fríamente, Renata se sacrifica en aras del matrimonio y así se lo confiesa a su amiga, reiteradamente:
Una vez más te equivocas en la vida. Ser adorada es un tema de muchachita, bueno para algunas primaveras, pero no puede ser el de una mujer esposa y madre […] Yo me acuerdo de que un día, pronto hace catorce años, abracé el sacrificio como un náufrago se aferra al mástil de su navío por desesperación; pero hoy, cuando evoco por el recuerdo mi vida entera, escogería otra vez este sentimiento como el principio de mi vida, pues es el más seguro y el más fecundo de todos. El ejemplo de tu vida, fundad sobre un egoísmo feroz, aunque disimulado por las poesías del corazón, ha fortificado mi resolución.Incluso hay pasajes que describen la relación entre la madre y su bebé y el rol de la mirada que pareciera apuntar hacia ideas sobre el vínculo maternal que desarrollaría un siglo después Melanie Klein.
Balzac termina por “castigar” a Luisa, carga sus tintas contra la mujer que expresa más libremente su sexualidad, aunque esté escondida tras las convenciones de la época y “premia” la monstruosa “sensatez” “de Renata, a quien Luisa irónicamente llama su “doctora en faldas”. Cabe preguntarse por ejemplo, cómo hubiera sido la vida de Luisa si su primer esposo no muere, si hubiera tenido hijos o si su relación con el segundo esposo hubiera incluido la posibilidad de una comunicación sincera y no meramente retórica. Pero también cabe preguntarse que hubiera pasado si Renata no hubiera logrado someter a su hombre, o si no hubiera podido tener hijos o si hubiera sido el esposo de Renata quien falleciera.
La novela comienza muy lentamente y muy inmerso en la moralidad y sentimientos de la época y algunos lectores bien pueden impacientarse con este despliegue inicial y ajeno al punto de abandonar la lectura, otros sucumbirán ante el placer de leer una novela romántica de época pero lo interesante de esta novela de Balzac es que presenta suficientes grietas y ambivalencias en la fachada romántica de la novela como para al menos apuntar a trasfondos psicológicos más ricos y densos.
No es una obra lograda del todo y personalmente me resulta demasiado repetitiva en algunos aspectos, por lo que debatí si calificarla con dos o tres estrellas. A final, como creo poco probable animarme a releerla al futuro me incliné, algo injustamente, a dejarla, muy tentativamente, con dos estrellas.
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