茶花女

by Alexandre Dumas fils

《茶花女》是法国著名作家亚历山大·小仲马的代表作。故事讲述了一个青年人与巴黎上流社会一位交际花曲折凄婉的爱情故事。作品通过一个妓女的爱情悲剧，揭露了法国七月王朝上流社会的糜烂生活。对贵族资产阶级的虚伪道德提出了血泪控诉。在法国文学史上，这是第一次把妓女作为主角的作品。

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Romance, France, French Literature, 19th Century, Historical Fiction

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1848

About the author

Alexandre Dumas (fils) (son) was born in Paris, France, the illegitimate child of Marie-Laure-Catherine Labay (1794-1868), a dressmaker, and novelist Alexandre Dumas. During 1831 his father legally recognized him and ensured that the young Dumas received the best education possible at the Institution Goubaux and the Collège Bourbon. At that time, the law allowed the elder Dumas to take the child away from his mother. Her agony inspired Dumas fils to write about tragic female characters. In almost all of his writings, he emphasized the moral purpose of literature and in his play The Illegitimate Son (1858) he espoused the belief that if a man fathers an illegitimate child then he has an obligation to legitimize the child and marry the woman.

Dumas' paternal great-grandparents were a French nobleman and a Haitian woman. In boarding schools, Dumas fils was constantly taunted by his classmates. These issues all profoundly influenced his thoughts, behaviour, and writing.

During 1844 Dumas moved to Saint-Germain-en-Laye to live with his father. There, he met Marie Duplessis, a young courtesan who would be the inspiration for his romantic novel The Lady of the Camellias. Adapted into a play, it was titled in English (especially in the United States) as Camille and is the basis for Verdi's 1853 opera, La Traviata. Although he admitted that he had done the adaptation because he needed the money, he had a great success with the play. Thus began the career of Dumas fils as a dramatist, which was not only more renowned than that of his father during his lifetime but also dominated the serious French stage for most of the second half of the 19th century. After this, he virtually abandoned writing novels (though his semi-autobiographical L'Affaire Clemenceau (1867) achieved some success).

On 31 December 1864, in Moscow, Dumas married Nadjeschda von Knorring (1826 – April 1895), daughter of Johan Reinhold von Knorring and wife, and widow of Alexander, Prince Naryschkine. The couple had two daughters: Marie-Alexandrine-Henriette Dumas, born 20 November 1860, who married Maurice Lippmann and was the mother of Serge Napoléon Lippmann (1886–1975) and Auguste Alexandre Lippmann (1881–1960); and Jeanine Dumas (3 May 1867–), who married Ernest d' Hauterive (1864–1957), son of George Lecourt d' Hauterive and wife (married in 1861) Léontine de Leusse. After Naryschkine's death, he married in June 1895 Henriette Régnier de La Brière (1851–1934), without issue.

During 1874, he was admitted to the Académie française, and in 1894 he was awarded the Légion d'honneur.

Alexandre Dumas fils died at Marly-le-Roi, Yvelines, on November 27, 1895 and was interred in the Cimetière de Montmartre in Paris. His grave is, perhaps coincidentally, only some 100 metres away from that of Marie Duplessis.

Reviews

[Luís · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I read these novels from a century or more ago, I find myself thinking about how the world has changed so quickly. But then, you can hear the gallop of a horse on the cobblestones of a dark street, and you can still smell the scent of wild gardens at the end of a path on the outskirts of Paris. Young men of good families squander their fathers' money on idle pleasures and can maintain a courtesan with the latter's tacit consent, provided they do not fall in love with her.
This fact is, unfortunately, what happens to Armand, and I will not say poor Armand because it is indeed the beautiful and mocking Marguerite Gautier, praised on all sides but tuberculous, who is too complaining here.
Armand tells us the story of this tumultuous and cursed affair, of the passion that drives him to malicious behavior, but can we say half-forgiven, admitted fault?
This novel has many qualities: chiseled and precise writing that flirts with disheveled romanticism, a refined and ruthless analysis of feelings, and the transformation of the two main characters between the novel's beginning and end. No one knows who to defend or who to protect. Yet I made my choice, and it will be Marguerite, the tragic Marguerite.
Once again, all I have to do is see the film, which features the sublime Isabelle Huppert in the lead role.

[Nayra.Hassan · Rating 3 out of 5]

هي الفتاة التي وقعت على وثيقة العار لذا سيلفظها المجتمع للابد
لا تحاول..وتقول انها بلا اسرة
او تتنحنح..و تقول انها بلا مهنة
او تسعل..وتقول انها بلا خبز
.فللمجتمعات احكامها النهائية في كل مكان و زمان


منذ1840 مر المجتمع الفرنسي بمرحلة وفرة 💰و استقرار أدت لتفشي الخطيئة بشكل لا يصدق..فصارت المرأة مثل العربات و الخيول و كلاب الصيد..مجرد مظهر اجتماعي..فصار الجمال يباع و يشترى..💱حتى حدثت ندرة في العاملات و البياعات و صرن يتباهين بالكونت الذي يرعاهن
..لذا أراد دوماس التحذير من أوضاع شاذة تفشت
و ايضا الكف عن احتقار المرأة خارج نطاق الأسرة
..لكن بالطبع امتلات الرواية بثرثرات و بمبالغات رومانسية تناسب عصرها

الفونسين بليسي🌹البطلة الحقيقية لغادة الكاميليا
يقال ان دوماس كان هو" ارماند" الواقع في حبها و لكني لا أصدق ان والده يفعل هذا

فلنعود لمارجريت فتاة الهوى الأكثر شهرة للابد التي يقع في حبها الشاب الثري بصدق و يفتتح لها بيت
لكنها لا تمتلك النفسية الوضيعة المعتادة لمن هن في مهنتها ..فكانت قادرة على ان تعشق بعنف .. و تؤدي تضحيات غالية 🌼
استحقت عطف البعض
..و رفض البعض
و الخلود في ذاكرة الجميع

[Sophia. · Rating 2 out of 5]

"One of the greatest love stories of all time..."

It's not a love story. It's the romanticized story of a very dysfunctional and disturbing relationship between unstable Marguerite and deeply idiotic and vicious Armand.

Armand is by far one of the most infuriating narrators I've ever had the misfortune to read about. He never loves Marguerite : throughout the book, he's obsessed with the idea of owning her, which is completely different. He "falls in love" with her seconds after seeing her for the first time, although she does not display any likable quality beside being beautiful. On the contrary, she's even quite vain, cruel, and, at dinner, vulgar and childish (throws the piano partition across the room because she can't get it right). I did pity Marguerite at the end, but only because she was dying young, alone and in pain; for the entirety of the book, she does nothing but show an unstable, unlikable and shallow personality.

Armand is just as bad, though: that very first night, he proclaims his eternal love to her, although he has JUST met her and doesn't actually know anything about her or her personality. Therefore, his easy tears and words of love hold literally no value - love builds over time, not overnight, and it is precisely his immaturity that actually drove them to their doom.

Later on, the fact that he was unable to guess that Marguerite had sacrificed herself by meeting with his father in secret while it was so, so, blatantly obvious was maddening. He's an idiot... and a mean one at that.

The way he treated her after she left him is where it went downhill for me. Instead of seeking an explanation, instead of communicating or being forgiving (again: he should have known why she did what she did, it was OBVIOUS), he turned so completely psycho on her I could not believe it. How can you claim to love someone so much yet take so much pleasure in trying to destroy them? He picked the one woman he knew would hurt her the most; slept with her out of sheer viciousness and arranged it all so Marguerite would know.

The pleasure he took in causing her pain in public, in humiliating her, in savoring each instant he saw her weaken or leave a party because she could not bear to see them together, disgusted me and I was so angry that he kept saying that deep down, he still loved her. No, asshole. You don't and you never have: that is not how you treat someone you love.

Prudence was the only character who ever made sense in the entire book, the only one who understood the maddening shortcomings of their characters, their motivations, and the depth (or lack thereof) of their bond. Her monologues were incredibly accurate and always fascinating to read - too bad nobody ever bothered to actually listen to her.

The entire "love" story was nothing short of abusive. The only redeeming quality of the book lies in the exceptionally beautiful way it is written. Dumas' writing is godly and it reads like poetry. It's engaging, gripping, beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed every sentence. The French language is, in this book, at its finest.

[Petra X · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens to the pretty girl who trades off her looks for money when she is past her sell-by date? Then she has to hope the man who always loved her will stump up the cash she needs so badly despite her constant rejection when she was at the top of the game and judged him too poor to supply her with the luxuries she felt entitled to.

And hope he doesn't mind that she says she loves him only now she's desperate. Nor mind the sickness that has ravaged her body and destroyed her beauty, putting her out of work and losing her the gilded place in society and the envy, if not respect, of the women she never failed to lord it over?

Does being feckless go with the job of being a whore? Did none of them ever think of putting something by? Or is this just a literary device by the male authors who were looking to entertain rather than enlighten?

It does seem to be a preoccupation of French authors, the beautiful woman who used her looks to gain social stature and wealth, but in the end fell and got her comeupance as the whore she was deserved. The book was quite good and similar to Zola's Nana in many ways, although, good storytellers as they were, neither Dumas Papa or Dumas Fils were in Zola's league.

Rewritten Nov 23rd 2019

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Once I had a little dog who used to look at me with sad eyes when I coughed: he was the only living creature I have ever loved."

[Lena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I never thought I would love a book with a theme like that so much.But I did.Such a beautiful,heart-breaking love story.Truly sad and realistic.I found the writing style truly mesmerizing, not at all austere on the contrary very easy to read.The way the story is built,in rewind, made me incredibly curious to find out more about this story.The scene in the cemetery where Armando sees the corpse of Margarita is one of the most powerful ones in literature.Pretty amazing and horrifying.The characters?Wow!The way the author analyzes their misdemeanors,thoughts and feelings makes you think that they are real people and although this story concerns predicaments hard to find nowadays the philosophical deductions can be applied today.Some of the best quotes ever.

[Agir(آگِر) · Rating 3 out of 5]

یک گردنبند هرزه
در برابر چشم همه
لباس را بالا کشید و فریاد زد:
من فقط تن خود را می‌فروشم
تنها تن خود را و بس
اما می‌بینم همین جا
هستند کسانی که
تن کوهستان و
تن دشت و بوستان و
تن آفتاب و باران را
فروخته‌اند و با وقاحت تمام
بر صندلی شرافت این سرزمین تکیه زده‌اند

شیرکو بیکس


"در مورد این کتاب گفته شده که بعد نوشتن کتاب، بیشتر زنان اشراف زاده پاریسی برا الکساندر دوما(پسر) گل فرستادند"

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish people could still express themselves the way they do in the classics.
After I got a few chapters in, I really couldn't put this book down, which is unusual for me, for the genre. The story is such a train wreck of emotion and life that that must be why it pulls the heartstrings of so many people. It is all so raw.
I liked the author's choice to make it a story told by Armond after the fact, so he was remembering it exactly, but could see it all in a big picture view, the beginning, and what and how things were leading to the end. He wasn't stuck in the middle of the emotion somewhere.
I loved that it wasn't simple and sweet, but love and jealousy and anger and fear and anguish are all balled up and spurted out.
I read something that talked about how people were worried, at the time, that this would promote the "kept woman" way of life, or of men seeking after them. The narrator (and hence, the author) are very careful to explain that they don't believe this to be typical behavior but that was a very exceptional woman. I found that amusing and wish that if there must be 'bad', that the 'bad' of our day was as pretty and clean as the 'bad' of theirs.

[Sawsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

غريب أمر الحب بكل أحواله
غادة الكاميليا.. قصة حب وحلم محكية بأسلوب جميل وسلس
رواية من كلاسيكيات الأدب الفرنسي للكاتب الكسندر دوما الابن
وتظل الضغوط والأحكام المجتمعية سواء صائبة أو خاطئة
لها أثر قوي في تشكيل القواعد والحدود في الحياة العامة للمجتمع

[Axl Oswaldo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book I read in January 2021

¿Hace cuánto tiempo un libro no me había hecho estar a punto del llanto? Honestamente no lo recuerdo, pero con esta novela he tenido que parar en algunas partes (sobre todo hacia el final) para continuar leyendo, ya que el sentimiento me ganaba.

La historia de Marguerite Gautier y Armand Duval es tan bella y triste a la vez, está tan cargada de emociones que logras sentir lo que cada uno de ellos siente, y eres testigo del desarrollo y crecimiento de su relación.

No está de más decir que esta novela me ha encantado en su totalidad; desde sus personajes, la trama, la forma de estar narrada, y por qué no decirlo, el final. Y claro, por mencionar algo más, su inicio es de los que seguramente recordaré hasta de memoria:

“En mi opinión, no se pueden crear personajes sino después de haber estudiado mucho a los hombres, del mismo modo que no se puede hablar una lengua sino se la ha aprendido seriamente.
Como todavía no he llegado a la edad de inventar, me limito a relatar.”

¡Ampliamente recomendable!

[tania (semi-active) · Rating 3 out of 5]

if 2 + 2 = 4
then impulsiveness + dense mc = disaster

[Simona B · Rating 4 out of 5]

“When she had gone, I was frightened at the solitude in which she left me.”

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really wonderful book. Powerful, engaging, interesting, beautiful.

[Amaranta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Era da tanto che non leggevo un super classico così toccante!
“Essere amato da una fanciulla casta, rivelarle per primo lo strano mistero
dell’amore, è certo una grande felicità, ma è la cosa più semplice del mondo.
Impadronirsi di un cuore non abituato agli assedi, è come entrare in una città aperta
e senza difese.
Ma essere veramente amati da una cortigiana, è una vittoria ben diversamente
difficile. In loro il corpo ha logorato l’anima, i sensi hanno bruciato il cuore, il vizio
ha corazzato i sentimenti. Le parole che si rivolgono loro, esse le conoscono da un
pezzo, conoscono i mezzi che si adoperano, e l’amore stesso che ispirano, esse
l’hanno venduto. Amano per mestiere, non per slancio. Sono protette dai loro calcoli
meglio di quanto una vergine non sia protetta da sua madre e dalle mura del
convento; e così hanno inventato la parola “Capriccio” per definire quegli amori non venali che si concedono di tanto in tanto come riposo, come scusa, o come consolazione: simili in questo a quegli usurai che strozzano mille persone e che credono di riscattarsi prestando una volta mille franchi a qualche povero diavolo che muore di fame, senza pretendere interessi e senza chiedere la ricevuta.


E’ il narratore che in prima persona ci racconta la storia della signora delle camelie, così come casualmente ne venne a conoscenza e come lasciò un’impronta sulla sua esistenza.
“Marguerite era bella, ma se così tanto scalpore suscita la vita stravagante di quelle donne, altrettanto poco ne suscita la loro morte. Sono stelle che tramontano così come sorsero, senza fulgore”.
Il racconto segue il filo dei ricordi del giovane Armand Duval, dopo la morte della donna, descrivendo il sentimento forte, febbrile che si impossessò di lui, dal momento in cui la vide per la prima volta, fino al momento della sua morte.
Quella della cortigiana non è una vita facile. La si sceglie per svariati motivi, come se non se ne potesse fare a meno ma logora il fisico come il cuore, ne è ben cosciente Marguerite: “ Sono stanca, insomma, di veder sempre gente che viene a chiedermi la stessa cosa, che mi offre denaro e con questo crede di essere a posto. Se quelle che intraprendono il nostro vergognoso mestiere sapessero di che cosa si tratta, preferirebbero diventare cameriere. Ma no; l’ambizione di avere vestiti, carrozze, gioielli, ci travolge; si crede a quello che si sente dire, perché la prostituzione ha una sua fede, e a poco a poco ci si logora il cuore, il corpo, la bellezza; si è irritate come bestie feroci, disprezzate come paria, circondate solo da gente che prende sempre più di quanto non dia, e un bel giorno si crepa come cani, dopo aver rovinato gli altri e se stesse”.
E Duval è per Marguerite il riscatto da una vita spenta, anche se trascorsa sotto i riflettori dei migliori teatri di Parigi, fra vestiti, pizzi, trine, carrozze e feste. Duval è per lei quel briciolo di amore che nessuno le ha mai concesso per se stessa, per la donna che rimane quando tutte le luci sono spente, per quegli occhi scintillanti di febbre, per quelle labbra che stillano gocce di sangue come fossero il prezzo da pagare per questi sprazzi d’amore rubati alla vita.
E lei stessa sa di non potersi più salvare, ma ha ancora una speranza di salvare chi ama. Sacrificarsi per il suo Amore è l’unica cosa certa e giusta che può fare. E la fa.
La sua vita dissoluta è un tendersi verso l’unico atto d’amore cosciente che la aspetta, e la salva.
Marguerite è il simbolo della bellezza, della caducità delle cose del mondo, del fiorire e dello sfiorire al tempo stesso, del Tempo che passa, della Morte che incombe. Marguerite è Vita e Morte insieme, è Bene e Male!
Il libro è un memento, alla condizione della donna, tanto spesso schiacciata dalle convenzioni sociali , dall’amor proprio, dal potere; un grido di compassione verso i reietti della società, tanto spesso lucenti in vita quanto bui un secondo dopo che abbiano chiuso gli occhi e dimenticati per sempre, una corruzione dell’animo che si espande come la peste, senza nessuna pietà per chi soffre da solo.
Struggenti le parole d’amore che l’autore riserva alla protagonista. E ancora più belle quelle rivolte a Lei, quella che tutto guarda e che sempre rimane impassibile, crogiolandosi nella sua meravigliosa Bellezza dalle mille forme: Parigi!

[sAmAnE · Rating 4 out of 5]

داستان کلاسیک یک عشق نافرجام، من کتاب رو خیلی دوست داشتم و ترجمه‌ی خوب و روانش باعث شد دو روزه بخونم. پایان فوق‌العاده تلخ

[Yani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Qué librazo. Reúne todas las condiciones que debe tener un libro para dejarme con un humor particular (tristeza, enojo o lo que sea): una buena historia, escritura impecable, personajes vibrantes y un final medianamente impredecible. Alexandre Dumas (no confundir con el padre, el autor de Los tres mosqueteros ) se luce, casi que se pavonea, con este libro. Y es que, a pesar de que la historia parecía ponerse pesada por momentos, había algo que no me permitía quejarme. Realmente me interesaba lo que estaba pasando en ese amor exagerado, destructivo, entre Armando Duval y Margarita Gautier.

Esto es un relato enmarcado en un prólogo que pretende señalarnos que la protagonista fue real y que los acontecimientos no lo son menos. Luego empieza el relato, ya con las identidades “falsas”, de un hombre que asiste a la subasta de las pertenencias de una cortesana que acababa de morir, Margarita Gautier. Se interesa por un libro que lleva una dedicatoria y lo compra. Poco después, el hombre que escribió la dedicatoria con puño y letra, Armando Duval, se aparece en su casa pidiéndole el libro. Lo bueno es que estos dos hombres van a entablar una amistad y Armando le narrará largamente al otro hombre cómo fue su relación con dicha mujer.

Él se enamoró de una cortesana: el sufrimiento estaba garantizado. Pero la trama no va a carecer de celos, de angustias, de espionaje, ya que Armando está obsesionado con ella y Margarita, que distingue muy bien entre quién está a su lado porque le conviene y quién es sincero, le hará las cosas un poco difíciles. Es una historia trágica porque ya desde el inicio el lector se entera de que Margarita murió y de que ellos estaban distanciados.

No tengo ninguna queja sobre el estilo de escritura. Tanto el hombre que empieza el relato como Armando son narradores que están muy bien construidos, son distinguibles y tienen un vocabulario sencillo, que no molesta a nadie. Dumas supo poner en Armando las palabras adecuadas para contar su desgracia (la de perder a la mujer amada por situaciones ajenas) y el libro fluye. Si se vuelve pesado en algunos pasajes, es por los reiterados lamentos y deducciones de enamorado (un enamorado que, por cierto, en varias ocasiones es desagradable).

En cuanto a los personajes, son los típicos de las novelas francesas del siglo XIX: pasionales, movidos por intereses propios, violentos y nunca se sabe de qué trabajan. Armando se recibió de abogado, por ejemplo, pero vive de una renta anual porque no ejerce. La razón de su vida parece girar en torno a Margarita en cuanto la ve y aunque lo primero que consigue de ella es un desaire, insiste. Al principio sentí simpatía por él (me pareció un pobre tipo que no tenía otra cosa que hacer que perseguir a una cortesana), pero a medida que su “amor” crecía, dejó de caerme bien, ya que hace comentarios y cosas condenables a mis ojos. Por otro lado, Margarita es una mujer insoportable, joven, irónica y que desdeña a quienes le pagan el teatro (por así decirlo) que irá revelando su corazón a medida que avanza la relación. Creo que el crecimiento del personaje femenino, así como el derrumbamiento de Armando, están muy bien logrados. Los demás personajes secundarios ayudan a hacer esto o aquello en la trama y en algunos momentos hasta son consejeros de los otros, a pesar de moverse en zonas grises.

La dama de las camelias no termina bien, pero el camino hacia el final se disfruta. No faltan las intrigas ni los planteos de amantes ni las fiebres súbitas, así que resulta entretenido (mientras no se vuelva repetitivo). Es un gran libro, escrito de una forma bellísima, que trata de dar cierto mensaje moral con toda la sutileza que puede. Personalmente no me molestó y creo que algunas cosas son ciertas. Y quién mejor que Dumas para expresarse, ya que el libro está inspirado en su propia experiencia y juega con la realidad de una manera envidiable.


Reseña en Clásico Desorden

[Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

غادة الكاميليا وجمال غادة الكاميليا . روايه تخرجك من مزاج سئ وواقع اسود . روايه تضحك وتبكيك . تسعدك وتحزنك . روايه تمثل البساطه والعنف . تمثل الحلم والواقع . كل ذلك واكثر فى خليط مميز يسحرك ويجبرك على السمو والعظمه . شعور رائع بعد قرائتها

غادة الكامليا هي من تلك الروايات التي تستحق وصف (الرواية الطفرة) ففيها ترى قصة فريدة في حينها , وتندمج فيها وتعشقها , هي رواية عن الحب , عن ذلك الشعور اللإرادي الذي ينتابنا تجاه أشخاص قد لا تربطنا بهم أي صلة , هي رواية تحبها وتحب شخوصها.

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve decided to make it a goal to read one classic a month in 2023, and I’m glad I decided to really dig into ‘The Lady of the Camellias’! A book that you absolutely should get lost in the minutiae of. If I showed you my weathered and beaten copy from being in my backpack for so many weeks you wouldn’t believe the number of tabs and highlights throughout the pages. Not a romance novel.. but not not a romance novel..? I truly think we can classify this classic as a study of romantic behavior.

P.S. It’s hard to really rate classics IMO, so I’m rating this one purely on how much I enjoyed it and how much I connected to the characters!

A SHORT PREVIEW:
At its core, ‘The Lady of the Camellias’ (TLOTC) is the story of an all too self-aware but vapid Parisian courtesan being loved by a man who alternates between wanting to possess her and obsessing over her. We’re thrown into the world of beautiful people with too much money and masochistic tendencies finding out what attraction really means beyond the ennui of daily life.

THOUGHTS:
- When it comes to the classics, I think everyone is going to pick out the parts that are the most meaningful to them and what makes these tales truly ‘classic’. However, there are some ideas and elements that particularly stuck out to me as good life lessons and studies in human behavior.
- The first lesson that I picked up from TLOTC – pay attention to how people treat others in life and then posthumously. Very early into the book, it was probably the first time I’ve really seen a book of old talk about it. Everyone now kind of throws shade and put’s things out there as soon as they notice it… but there is an elegance to Alexandre Dumas’s 19th-century version of calling people out for what is essentially ‘busybodying’.
- People that we think are one thing in life, that the world has placed in one very limited box, are often far more complex. No one is ‘just’ an electrician, a teacher, or even a courtesan. They have a whole world going on inside that’d maybe good, interesting, noble etc. that we know nothing about. It’s always been far too easy to label people in polite society as one-dimensional without ever knowing what really makes them – them. In the case of Margeurite, she had more nobility in her actions than probably most realized, but that was often overlooked because of what she was.

CHARACTER BUILDING:
- Marguerite Gautier: Made out to initially be such a vapid creature of whimsical wants and a peculiar affection for camellias.. I found that there was so much more to her motivations beyond that vain mask. Her character is perhaps the first time I’ve read a woman’s character be so openly critical of the way men interact with women they want to possess. She also speaks with far more intelligence than I think we’re led to believe a courtesan normally would?
- Armand: Really, he is probably one of the silliest MMC’s I’ve ever read about. So many of his motivations just seem like what we would call today ‘simping’ lol I can find no better way to describe it. (Most certainly not my kind of man.. I’m more of a Rhysand from ACOTAR, Mr.Darcy, Thor from the first two movies kind of gal!!)
- Alexandre Dumas: Sometimes I forgot that he wrote this novel while also included himself in the tale. His character throughout presents an interesting study in the role we see ourselves playing in the lives of others? He cast himself as a fairy godmother/angel of mercy type which I find interesting. Obviously we don’t know how much of this story is true..

HISTORICAL NOTES:
The woman in the novel Marguerite is based on a real-life figure: Marie Duplessis, who was a courtesan in Paris in the 19th century. This work inspired operas and movies alike, many of which are famous today! La Traviata by Verde (which means ‘The Fallen Woman’ in Italian), the musical Moulin Rouge! and many other movies.

FAVORITE QUOTE(s):
There really are SO many that I think it’s best if I limit it to 3 of my favorites and then have you read it! 🖤
- “he [God] had permitted her to die in luxury and beauty, before old age set in, that first death of courtesans.”
- ‘…the sort of witticisms that a certain segment of society finds charming but will always sully the mouth of the person who speaks them…’
- ‘Any man of twenty-five may achieve the victory of making her [a young virginal woman] fall in love with him whenever he wishes. To see the truth of this, just look at how they surround young girls with surveillance and ramparts!....But to be truly loved by a courtesan, that is a much harder won victory.’

NOTES:
- TWs: This book is based on the life of a courtesan.. which is a fancy word for upscale pr0stitute.
- Setting: Paris, France in the 19th century
- Feminist Read: Explores a woman’s worth beyond titles and roles allowed to them in this time period. Remember that this is before Marie Curie was even allowed to attend university, even though she was absolutely brilliant before women were allowed to vote in many Western societies, and only just a little before women were even allowed to divorce their god-awful husbands!

[Tessa Nadir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Povestea de dragoste dintre Violetta si Alfredo ma induioseaza. Dupa cum se stie, pentru creatia sa, Verdi s-a inspirat din romanul "Dama cu camelii" a lui Dumas fiul, care infatiseaza tumultoasa si trista poveste a lui Marguerite Gautier, o curtezana celebra si frumoasa cu modestul avocat de familie buna Armand Duval.
Acesta este un roman de moravuri si prezinta conditia femeii intretinute la Paris, ce traia in mare lux bucurandu-se de celebritate ca marile figuri aristocrate, actritele ori divele.
Printre marii autori care au abordat acest subiect se mai numara si Victor Hugo ("Marion Delorme"), Musset ("Bernerette"), Alexandre Dumas ("Fernande") sau Balzac ("Stralucirea si suferintele curtezanelor").
Aici avem insa si o fina observatie psihologica asupra sentimentelor si trairilor acestor femei, exprimandu-se o oarecare mila pentru ele, in loc de judecata si dispret.
Romanul debuteaza cu o imagine cutremuratoare, de o mare tristete, in care dupa moartea lui Marguerite, creditorii ii scot la licitatie bunurile si toata lumea se inghesuie sa priveasca si sa judece lucrusoarele intime ale fostei curtezane. Acestea provoaca mare senzatie, mai ales ca unele dintre ele au blazonul sau initialele domnilor care le-au daruit.
Armand Duval poarta o iubire pura pentru Marguerite, desi el stie ca ea apartine altor barbati. Indisponibilitatea ei sentimentala este mai atragatoare si in ciuda faptului ca trupul ei ii este disponibil, inima ei este ferecata. Ea insa ajunge sa il iubeasca cu adevarat dar destinul se va impotrivi fericirii lor.
Marguerite este denumita 'dama cu camelii' pentru ca in fiecare seara se duce la teatru si timp de 25 de seri poarta o camelie alba iar 5 zile una rosie.
Textul atinge sensibilitatea cititorului fiind plin de invataturi si aforisme astfel ca am selectat mai jos cateva dintre ele:
"A birui o inima neobisnuita cu atacuri, e ca si cum ai intra intr-un oras deschis, lipsit de garnizoana. [...] A fi iubit insa de o curtezana e o victorie mult mai diferita."
"...femeii care n-a invatat prin educatie ce este binele, Dumnezeu ii deschide doua cai care o pot readuce pe drumul drept: suferinta si iubirea."
"Ce poate fi mai trist decat batranetea viciului, mai cu seama la o femeie?"
"Dar cei care o iubisera pe Marguerite erau nenumarati, iar cei pe care-i iubise ea inca nu puteau fi numarati."
"Exista barbati gata sa-si iroseasca toata viata si care nu obtin nimic de la noi, exista altii care ne poseda in schimbul unui buchet de flori. Inima noastra are capricii - e singura ei distractie si singura scuza."

[Lea · Rating 5 out of 5]

La Dame aux Camélias is a beautiful novel about the tragic character of Marguerite, inspired by women that Alexandre Dumas fils knew in real life and his own tragedy of losing his mother very young. He was an illegitimate child of Marie-Laure-Catherine Labay and novelist Alexandre Dumas. His father took him very young from his mother because the law allowed that, which inspired him to write about tragic female characters.

Marguerite is a tragic, vulnerable and heroic character we follow through her life in Paris where she works as a courtesan, her love with the main man character, and eventually her agony and death by tuberculosis.

Marguerite was the character that I really loved and found very deep and realistic and I could understand her in her suffering very well. In the beginning, she was closed- hearted to the love of men, because of awareness about the most hidden motives and complexity of men's selfishness. She was very smart and could read others intentions very well, she knew the man's heart and refused to lie to herself in any way. I find her clear-sightedness quite refreshing, especially in the hypocritical, self-deceiving and self-righteous world.

“Then,” continued Marguerite, “you were the only person before whom it seemed to me, from the first, that I could think and speak freely. All those who come about women like me have an interest in calculating their slightest words, in thinking of the consequences of their most insignificant actions. Naturally we have no friends. We have selfish lovers who spend their fortunes, riot on us, as they say, but on their own vanity. For these people we have to be merry when they are merry, well when they want to sup, sceptics like themselves. We are not allowed to have hearts, under penalty of being hooted down and of ruining our credit.”

On the surface, she looks vain and craves materialistic things, but a romance with Armand reveals her idealistic and unselfish hidden nature and thirst for empathy and intimacy.

“Because when you saw me spitting blood you took my hand; because you wept; because you are the only human being who has ever pitied me. I am going to say a mad thing to you: I once had a little dog who looked at me with a sad look when I coughed; that is the only creature I ever loved. When he died I cried more than when my mother died. It is true that for twelve years of her life she used to beat me. Well, I loved you all at once, as much as my dog. If men knew what they can have for a tear, they would be better loved and we should be less ruinous to them.”


In the first real conversation with Armand, Marguerite shows her opinion about the love of men based on her past experiences and what does she seeks in her lover that is very hard to find.

“But I forewarn you I must be free to do as I please, without giving you the slightest details what I do. I have long wished for a young lover, who should be young and not self-willed, loving without distrust, loved without claiming the right to it. I have never found one. Men, instead of being satisfied in obtaining for a long time what they scarcely hoped to obtain once, exact from their mistresses a full account of the present, the past, and even the future. As they get accustomed to her, they want to rule her, and the more one gives them the more exacting they become. If I decide now on taking a new lover, he must have three very rare qualities: he must be confiding, submissive, and discreet.”


The contrast of Marguerite love for Amando was his love for her, that we can even debate in calling love, rather infatuation and selfish obsession. I usually not on board for stereotypical opinions about the major differences between men and women on topics of love and sexuality, but this story can start a great conversation about the problems of the immaturity of some men when it comes to romance. Indeed Marguerite showed immeasurably greater maturity than Armando.

“You are right,” I said, letting my head sink on her knees; “but I love you madly.”
“Well, my friend, you must either love me a little less or understand me a little better. ”

Some people could think that this is a story about impossible love because of outside circumstances, but the story shows us that great loves are not killed by outside situation and other people, but buy inside matters of selfishness, lack of understanding and communication. Armand great love turned to hate when he thought it was no longer reciprocated and showed that his ego was more important to him that Marguerite. He became obsessed with revenge and hurt Maurgerite in every way possible. In his later guilt and redemption he admits:

“Oh, how petty and vile is man when he is wounded in one of his narrow passions!”

Some could say that suffering she endured was her path of redemption for her as society viewed immoral life, but for me, this story uncovers greater ideas. From someone outside life, we can see the thing that is truly important and that is the person's heart. As we can see in the story someone flaws, wrong ways and sins don't determine or decrease their goodness or their ability to love whole-heartedly as Marguerite did. In the state when she is continuously hurt, mocked and humiliated by Armand, her love stays strong as a rock.

“You are good, your soul has generosity unknown to many women who perhaps despise you, and are less worthy than you.”

I really like the idea of the opening our eyes and hearts for all people, despite their moral choices on which we don't need to agree to respect and love them because in the end true virtues are hidden deeply and often people are much more than they seem. I would like to finish off with this quote that sums up the main spirit behind this book that made me love it so much.

“Here is Christianity with its marvellous parable of the Prodigal Son to teach us indulgence and pardon. Jesus was full of love for souls wounded by the passions of men; he loved to bind up their wounds and to find in those very wounds the balm which should heal them. Thus he said to the Magdalen: "Much shall be forgiven thee because thou hast loved much," a sublimity of pardon which can only have called forth a sublime faith.

Why do we make ourselves more strict than Christ? Why, holding obstinately to the opinions of the world, which hardens itself in order that it may be thought strong, do we reject, as it rejects, souls bleeding at wounds by which, like a sick man's bad blood, the evil of their past may be healed, if only a friendly hand is stretched out to lave them and set them in the convalescence of the heart?”

[حسام عادل · Rating 4 out of 5]

" لابد أننا ارتكبنا الكثير من الآثام قبل أن نُولد.. أو أننا سننعم بالكثير من السعادة بعد أن نموت.. وإلا ما احتوت الحياة كل هذا العذاب وهذه الآلام "
إلى مرغريت جوتييه، التي عاشت بغيًّا وماتت قديسة
15.08.2019

[Merna · Rating 2 out of 5]

The oxford world's classics edition of this novel said in the opening introduction that 'this has never been a novel for which persons of taste and discernment have been able to confess outright enthusiasm.'

As much I dislike oxford for that very pretentious and frank statement; I can't fully disagree.

Now, I'm definitely not a person of good 'taste' and 'discernment' or whatever that may mean. All I know is that when I read stuff like this: "Am I not your slave, your dog? Do with me what you will. Take me, I am yours."

Then I want to barf. It's certainly not my type of romance. It's a rather plain story with an overbearing excess of sentiment and sweetness. It also has insta-love which I cannot stand.

The story follows a young man named Armand and the courtesan, Marguerite Gautier, whom he falls madly in love with. Of course complications abound in their relationship which makes it difficult for them to be together. For Armand, it's to do with the fact that he wants her to be his lover, not merely his mistress, which would have been considerably bad for his image since she's essentially a high-class prostitute, but Armand doesn't care about that because his madly obsessed and infatuated with her. For Marguerite, it's the fact she's can't simply give up her extravagant life for Armand, who is not all that rich. She spends money so outlandishly that's she in debt even though she gets huge amounts of money from her other lovers.

I would think that if someone said that they can't love you because you don't have enough money to spend on them then you would know it's time to simply move on. But it doesn't convince the love-sick hero for he's just too enamoured by her. And for what reason? I seriously have no clue. There's nothing interesting about her. She comes off as quite selfish. And it's not like Armand doesn't realise that she spends money recklessly. He says so himself, "She was one of those women who never consider the countless amusements of which their life is made can be a serious financial drain." Armand also notes that she had 'men spend more on flowers than would be needed to enable a whole family to live without care.'

Maybe, I am misinterpreting the story. I know this story was intended to make you sympathetic to courtesans, but I only came out thinking how these courtesans need to better handle their finances and maybe lay out a budget plan along the way.

[Maritina Mela · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5

The lady with camellias is the classic tale of a prostitute who falls in love and decides to leave her past behind, in order to be with the only man she loves for real, even though everything seems to be against that love story.
Written by Alexandre Dumas fils during the 19th century, it is said that this has some autobiographical elements in it. And boy, if that's actually the case, I do feel sorry for the author and the woman he fell in love with.

To be honest, I kinda expected to enjoy this more than I did, given the fact that everyone raves about it and one of my favorite movies (Moulin Rouge) is based on it.

But see, I wouldn't call it bad either. The story itself is interesting and the characters, at times, seem complex.

But as expected, there were parts of it that I didn't like.
I wasn't a fan of the dialogue, which seemed too formal for me. I also wasn't a fan of the protagonist telling us over and over how in love him and Marguerite were but not quite showing it. Plus, the way he treated Marguerite after they had broken up, was inexcusable.

Another thing I didn't like, had to do with the characters of Pridance and Arman's father not being acknowledged as the manipulators they were. Well, Pridance actually was but the latter was not. He went to extreme lengths to break the pair apart and I don't care how many times Marguerite said that he is a good man, I have my reasons to disagree.

I also don't know how to feel about the way the author talks about prostitutes, because he seems to go back and forth in defending them, because most of them were forced into that way of life and vilifying them by calling them immoral and ungrateful...

Overall, my feelings towards this book are a bit lukewarm, but obviously, I have no reason to apologize, since this is my opinion and my opinion alone.

If you made it this far, congratulations! Writing this review felt a bit weird. I feel like my writing skills have gone a little rusty and it feels like it's been ages since the last time I posted a book review...
As always, 'til next time, take care :) :) :)

[Libros Prestados · Rating 3 out of 5]

Un folletín clásico entretenido, cuyo factor de drama y relato moralizante ha quedado desdibujado por el paso del tiempo. Sinceramente, el mayor drama es que Margarita se enamora de Armando, que es más tonto que mandado hacer por encargo. El drama es considerar que ella es la que tiene problemas morales y debe ser "salvada", cuando Armando merece un ladrillazo directo contra la cara.

Es fácil de leer y hasta divertido (incluso teniendo en cuenta que Armando tiene el cociente intelectual de una mata de habichuelas), uno de esos clásicos que es tal vez más famoso de lo que debería por su calidad literaria, que tal vez solo haya llegado hasta nosotros por su adaptación operística, pero cuya lectura ayuda a comprender una sociedad parisina del siglo XIX que tapaba bajo una moralidad opresiva una hipocresía del tamaño de Júpiter.

[Haniye · Rating 4 out of 5]

واقعا بهترین کلاسیکی بود که تا حالا خوندم!!!!😍
صد صفحه اولش واقعا واسم جذابیتی نداشت و نقطه ای که علاقه من به داستان شروع شد حول و حوش صفحه ۱۰۰ تا ۱۰۲ بود و اونجا تازه یکم جذاب شد قضیه.
واقعا فکر نمیکردم هیچوقت یه اثر کلاسیک رو با علاقه دنبال کنم. اما بالاخره بعد از سر بالایی با شیب تند صد صفحه اول، بالاخره ماجرا افتاد تو سرازیری و جذاب شد 😊
شاید کلاسیک ها میخوان بهم بگن که اگه باهام صبوری کنی و راه بیای منم چیزای خوبی واست نگه داشتم و شاید بتونیم با هم خوب کنار بیاییم 😊
یه ستاره هم کم کردم بخاطر صد صفحه اول که جون کندم تا گذشت😄

[Zaphirenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

B.R.A.CE. 2018 Ένα βιβλίο πάνω από 100 ετών

Φοβάμαι πως δεν είναι από τα κλασικά που θα μου μείνουν, δυστυχώς είναι από εκείνα τα βιβλία που και να μην τα διαβάσει κανείς δεν θα έχει χάσει κάτι ιδιαίτερο.

Μια πόρνη - η Μαργκερίτ Γκοτιέ, γνωστή κυρίως ως "η κυρία με τις καμέλιες", λόγω της συνήθειάς της να κρατά πάντα ένα μπουκέτο λευκές καμέλιες, εκτός από πέντε μέρες του μήνα που κρατάει κόκκινες (if you know what Dumas means) - γνωρίζει τον αληθινό έρωτα στα μάτια του νεαρού Αρμάνδου και οι δυο τους αντιμετωπίζουν τις προκαταλήψεις τις δικές τους αλλά και των γύρω τους, τη ζήλεια που δημιουργεί η αγάπη που αναδύεται από τον αγοραίο έρωτα και την υποκρισία και τα κοινωνικά ταμπού της εποχής (που, παραδόξως, στο βιβλίο παρουσιάζονται αρκετά ήπια, αλλά ίσως για αυτό φταίει το γεγονός ότι διαδραματίζεται στο Παρίσι).

Μια ρομαντική ιστορία λοιπόν, ευχάριστη στην ανάγνωση και απλή, αλλά δεν εντυπωσιάστηκα και σε καμία περίπτωση δε θεωρώ ότι είναι απαραίτητο να διαβαστεί.

[Wissal H · Rating 4 out of 5]

مـارجريـت .. عشيقة أكبر الأغنياء و عاشقة زهور الكاميلـيــا !

عاشت حياة صاخبة و بكل رفاهية يملؤها الترف واللامبالاة !

كانت مشهورة في وسطها بالجميلة مرافقة رجال من الطبقة النبيلة و من الطبقة الأرستقراطية !
عاشت بغيا مومسا كما كان يقال عنها و الكل يعلم ذالك ، وقعت في الحب و عاشت قصة حب حزينة و قصيرة العمر كعمرها تماما فقد فارقت الحياة في عمر الزهور بسبب مرض فتك بصحتها العليلة و انتهت حياتها ولم يحضر جنازتها إلاّ رجلان حبيبها الشاب و الكهل الذي إعتبرها كإبنته المتوفاة في بادءئ الأمر و تحولت لمرافقته بعد ذالك.


(عاشت مومسا و ماتت قديسة )


هذا آخر ما قيل عنها قبل دفنها


رواية حزينة من روائع الأدب الكلاسيكي العالمي الذي أعشقه حد الجنون و لا أمل منه إطلاقا !

[Georgiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

O carte despre sacrificiu, iubire și prejudecăți foarte bine scrisă.
Îmi doresc mult ca la un moment dat să o recitesc, dar dacă încă îmi amintesc povestea după 12 ani de la citirea ei, pot spune că o recomand, foarte mult mi-a plăcut.

[پیمان عَلُو · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flower For Flower
‏Flower For Flower



( یوهان سباستین باخ را پلی می‌کند... )

“عیسی مرحم انسان‌های زخم‌خورده و دردمند بود.
لویی فردینان سلین پزشک فقرا.

سِلا محضردار دهاتی‌های کاستیل وآدمکشان اکسترامادورا بود.

مالاپارته همدم تهیدست و تیره روز ترین مردم ناپال.
سیمون دوبوار مدافع زنان.
امیل زولا اسم یک فاحشه را برای رمانش انتخاب کرد .



{«حضرت عیسی...»}


حضرت عیسی به گمراهان راه‌هایی را نشان می‌داد که آدمی را از مسیر بدی به خوبی می‌رساند.
و به آنها می‌فهماند که چنین کاری بسیار دشوار است.
اما ممکن است...

شاید تا به حال اسم “مریم‌مجدلیه” به گوش‌هایتان خورده‌باشد،زن تن فروش و بسیار زیبایی که یک روز مردم شهر به دنبال او می‌افتند تا او را سنگسار کنند،
این زن فرار می‌کند فرار می‌کند تا اینکه به عیسی مسیح می‌رسد حضرت عیسی جریان را از او وهم از مردم می‌پرسد و مرد می‌گویند بخاطر گناهانی که انجام داده باید سنگسار شود...
حضرت مسیح می‌گوید بله سنگسار شود اما ...
اما اولین سنگ را کسی بزن که گناهی نکرده باشد.
« انجیل‌یوحنا_باب هشتم_آیات ۱/۱۱»
و این زن یکی از یاران حضرت عیسی میشود و حتی حضرت عیسی درمورد این زن می‌گوید:
تو بخشیده خواهی شد،زیرا بیش از دیگران با دوست داشتن انس گرفته ای.



Flower For Flower
‏Flower For Flower




الکساندر دوما فرزند‌ نا مشروعی‌که در ۲۴ سالگی اولین رمان خود یعنی این شاهکار ادبی را می‌نویسد‌...

شاهکاری که روایت مادام کاملیاست زن جوان و دافی‌روستایی که در کوچه خیابان های شانز‌لیزه
در عین تسلیم شدن به فساد و هرزگی روحش با طراوت و دست نخورده بود.زنی عاشق،فداکار،درست.
تکرار میکنم الکساندر دوما در ۲۴ سالگی این شاهکار ادبی را می‌نویسد.


{جرات‌نوشتن این رمان...}


«خاطره»
در سال ۱۳۹۹ یک دختر جنده در کوچه‌ی ما زندگی می‌کند...چند روز قبل به من سلام داد،از ترس اینکه مبادا کسی مرا با او دیده باشد فرار کردم...»
و الکساندر دوما تقریبا در سن من اما در قرن 9
در مورد زنی روسپی نوشت و از او دفاع کرد که حتی بعد از مرگ این زنان هم مردم نمی‌خواهند جسد این زنان را در گورستان های خود ببینند.
زنانی که روزی مثل خورشید میدرخشند و عاقبت در خاموشی،درخشش خود را از دست می‌دهند.




براستی چه کسی حق قضاوت در مورد دیگران را به ما داده؟




Flower For Flower
‏Flower For Flower

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars for the audio version.

10/12/20. Update: After discussing this novel with others in book club I want to add here that everyone found the book to be melodramatic and I was the only one to listen to the book. So, perhaps the narrator did not add extra melodrama.


The Lady of the Camelias is a French romantic tragedy published in 1848 by Alexandre Dumas, fils, the 23 year old son of Alexandre Dumas. This is a story very much of it’s time, raising the issue of the narrow choices available to women and the necessity of their financial dependence on men and the tragedy that can befall women due to this dependence. The narrator of the audio version told the story in a very melodramatic style. I am not sure if the novel was written so dramatically or not but most of the time the narrator's tone was over the top (which pulled me out of the story and had me checking how many chapters were left). I found this very annoying since the story itself provides more than enough melodrama.

Marguerite is a beautiful courtesan called the lady of the camelias because she wears a red camelia when she is menstruating and unavailable to her lovers and a white camelia when she is available. She is a “kept woman” by a elderly rich man until Arnaud arrives on the scene and the two fall in love. Arnaud falls rapturously in love at first sight due to her beauty, while Marguerite is more cautious and practical, needing to be sure that her expenses will be paid. Arnaud has little money compared to the man who currently pays her bills. Thus begins the doomed love affair. The ups and downs of the relationship are full of love, happiness, jealousy and pathos. The ending is very moving,.

It is easy to see why this dramatic and moving story became the basis for many plays, movies and operas, eg. La Traviata by Verdi.