Je ne parle pas français

by Katherine Mansfield, Nihal Yeğinobalı (Translator)

Hem zaten ben bir şeylerin yakasını bırakamayan, peşlerinden koşup bağıran insanları hiç çekemem. Bir şey elden gittiyse gitti demektir. Sona ermiş, bitmiştir. O zaman bırakın gitsin! Görmezden gelin onu, eğer avunmaya ihtiyacınız varsa, yitirilen şeylerin asla geri gelmediğini düşünerek avutun kendinizi: Gelse bile yeni bir şeydir artık, her seferinde yeni, başka bir şeydir. Elinizden çıktığı anda değişime uğramıştır. İnanın, rüzgârda peşinden koştuğunuz şapka için bile geçerlidir bu; ki üstünkörü söylemiyorum bunu, derinlemesine konuşarak söylüyorum...

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, School

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Kathleen Mansfield Murry (née Beauchamp) was a prominent New Zealand modernist writer of short fiction who wrote under the pen name of Katherine Mansfield.

Katherine Mansfield is widely considered one of the best short story writers of her period. A number of her works, including "Miss Brill", "Prelude", "The Garden Party", "The Doll's House", and later works such as "The Fly", are frequently collected in short story anthologies. Mansfield also proved ahead of her time in her adoration of Russian playwright and short story writer Anton Chekhov, and incorporated some of his themes and techniques into her writing.

Katherine Mansfield was part of a "new dawn" in English literature with T.S. Eliot, James Joyce and Virginia Woolf. She was associated with the brilliant group of writers who made the London of the period the centre of the literary world.

Nevertheless, Mansfield was a New Zealand writer - she could not have written as she did had she not gone to live in England and France, but she could not have done her best work if she had not had firm roots in her native land. She used her memories in her writing from the beginning, people, the places, even the colloquial speech of the country form the fabric of much of her best work.

Mansfield's stories were the first of significance in English to be written without a conventional plot. Supplanting the strictly structured plots of her predecessors in the genre (Edgar Allan Poe, Rudyard Kipling, H. G. Wells), Mansfield concentrated on one moment, a crisis or a turning point, rather than on a sequence of events. The plot is secondary to mood and characters. The stories are innovative in many other ways. They feature simple things - a doll's house or a charwoman. Her imagery, frequently from nature, flowers, wind and colours, set the scene with which readers can identify easily.

Themes too are universal: human isolation, the questioning of traditional roles of men and women in society, the conflict between love and disillusionment, idealism and reality, beauty and ugliness, joy and suffering, and the inevitability of these paradoxes. Oblique narration (influenced by Chekhov but certainly developed by Mansfield) includes the use of symbolism - the doll's house lamp, the fly, the pear tree - hinting at the hidden layers of meaning. Suggestion and implication replace direct detail.

Reviews

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of Raoul Duquette, a true Parisian, he calls himself. He is a writer, sort of, but mostly gets by with his good looks and his polite Manners, especially with the women. He is one of Mansfield's most unusual characters, in the comic sense, and his antics had me chuckling through the entire story.

[Flo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have made it a rule of my life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy, and no one who intends to be a writer can afford to indulge in it. You can't get it into shape, you can't build on it; it's only good for wallowing in.

It is a waste of energy. And you can build on it, writer.

My adventure with Marguerite Burnat-Provins’ book led me to this controversial and thought-provoking – elements that not always go hand in hand – short story written by Katherine Mansfield and published in 1920. This is the deceptively simple story of Raoul Duquette, a French writer who’s not a writer and spends much time at a café where he remembers his friend Dick, a man who’s not a man and that later reappears with his girlfriend Mouse, a woman who also defies the boundaries of ambiguity.

The story deals with different themes such as abuse, prostitution, homosexuality, selfishness and cynicism, toxic relationships with mothers... all in less than 100 pages. An intriguing and meaty piece of writing that scandalized some people in the early 20th century and was altered and republished in Mansfield’s Bliss & Other Stories, a decision she later didn’t agree with. Naturally, I looked for the original text and greatly enjoyed it.



June 10, 18
* Later on my blog.

[madii ੈ✩ ♡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

lost me when she started talking about the dead cat's tongue.

[Classic reverie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I decided on reading the next Katherine Mansfield story from the collection of her works in my Kindle, which was "Je Ne Parle Pas Francais". Having just read "Prelude" which to me I enjoyed much more because it was easier to understand. In this short story I had to use all my mind to figure certain things out yet even then many things were unclear to me. This story has a lot of stream of consciousness with a story about Raoul Duquette, a Frenchman and his English friend Dick Harmon.

Raoul is sitting in a Cafe remembering his friend and also commenting mostly on life as he has lived and seen it. It is a very dark view with both irreligious ideas, prostitution, child abuse, homosexuality (which is not clearly defined to the relationship with him and his friend) and his commenting on people.


He comes to the moment that was his "Je ne parle pas francais" or so he called it and does he step in an act or does he refrain?



"Do you believe that every place has its hour of the day when it really does come alive? That’s not exactly what I mean. It’s more like this. There does seem to be a moment when you realize that, quite by accident, you happen to have come on to the stage at exactly the moment you were expected. Everything is arranged for you—waiting for you. Ah, master of the situation! You fill with important breath. And at the same time you smile, secretly, slyly, because Life seems to be opposed to granting you these entrances, seems indeed to be engaged in snatching them from you and making them impossible, keeping you in the wings until it is too late"


I was wondering how I would rate this because my rating system is simple, I give 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 stars to a read worth my attention and less for not worth my time. The story recovered itself at the last third after Mouse enters at the station. I actually found the story surrounding his friend and Mouse very interesting and actually pretty wonderful.


The story in short- A writer ponders on a moment in his life and his reaction to it, while sitting in a Cafe.




I will definitely read Mansfield again but must remember that even a short story of hers might take me longer to read and not expect a speedy read but that is good because one should use their brain!










****spoiler alert***

Raoul finds his friend Dick, altered as he comes off the train with Mouse. I could not figure this one out. He must not be altered to a medical sickness but must be something emotional as related to his mother. Mouse it seems quite not what Raoul suspects and I wonder if the picture he shows us is indeed his mother.

[Ioulia Ilvanidou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

[Boadicea · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable tongue-in-cheek short story which has an autobiographical element with the French writer modelled on the "little corporal", featured in "An Indiscreet Journey", Francis Carco; 'Dick Harmon' modelled on her husband, John Middleton Murry; and 'Mouse', the author.
It offers a total of 3 short scenes, and gently lampoons the Parisian who's focussed on his sexual awakening and experiences whilst cultivating a friendship with the Englishman, who's reputedly researching modern French literature. There's a whiff of homosexuality, a plethora of racial stereotypes & some engaging eccentric characteristics which makes for an odd, but still appealing, story about an abandoned fiancée in Paris. Yet, despite the heartbreak, there's humour and wit with the Parisian social and cultural environment being cleverly captured in print.

[Hilal Yavuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

can yayınlarının lacivert klasikler serisinden mizah dolu kısacık bir roman. bu yazarla karşılaştığıma sevindim.

[olive · Rating 1 out of 5]

kathy needs to cALM. DOWN.

[Brona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Je ne Parle pas Français, or I Do Not Speak French was written in early 1918 and published in Bliss and other stories (1920).

There is a rather long and complicated story about the publication of this particular short story. It started life as a pamphlet published by Heron Press, which was run by John Middleton Murry (Katherine's husband at the time) and his brother, Richard Arthur Murry. They produced only 100 copies of the story in this format. The press was situated in the home of Murry and Mansfield in Hampstead Heath. Of the 100 copies, 20 were damaged. From the 80 left over, about 60 were sent out to reviewers in early 1920.

Anthony Alpers (The Life of Katherine Mansfield |1980) writes that "this little private-press edition in which it first appeared is very rare... Few know the story in its intended form."

The December 1920 Constable publication of Bliss and other stories, contains an edited version of Je ne Parle pas Français. Apparently the end of the story in the original is rather different.

Raoul is apparently based on Mansfield's lover Francis Carco, a man with whom she had a brief affair with in 1915. Alpers claims that Mansfield is referring to Carco's cynical attitude towards love and sex via Raoul.

Her story An Indiscreet Journey (1915) is also based on her journey through the war zone to spend four nights with Carco in Eastern France.

I wonder if Mansfield was writing a homage to Carco's style of writing or did she think that Carco was gay but didn't know it, bisexual or was this her dig at a failed lover? Either way, Raoul is about as camp as you get in 1918 literature. And a not very pleasant fellow. I suspect the affair did not end well (I hope to know more when the bio about Mansfield that I've ordered finally arrives).
Full review here - http://bronasbooks.blogspot.com/2020/...

[Samet Demirel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Feminist bir yazarın kaleminden çıkmış, erkek ve kadın ilişkilerini ele alan, 19. yy döneminde erkeklerin kadınlar hakkındaki genel görüşlerini yansıtan bir öykü.

Farklılık isteyen okurlar için farklı bir bakış kazandırması açısından şans verilebilir.

[Emre · Rating 4 out of 5]

Çeviri çok kötü, hatta yanlış. Metin anlamını kaybediyor, anlaşılmıyor. O yüzden kesinlikle satın almayın. Bu nasıl rezillik anlamadım.

[taetann · Rating 1 out of 5]

maybe next time Katherine, don't

[Arzu Onuklu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katherine Mansfield yakın zamanda peş peşe öykülerini okudum ve kesinlikle Çehov'u andırdı gene bir durum öyküsüydü Raoul adlı karakterin bir kafede gördüğü "Fransızca Bilmiyorum" yazısından kendi yaşanmışlığına yol aldık. Insanları seyahat çantalarına benzetmesini ve yerin bir "anı" olduğunu açıklamasını sevdim.

[Alexia Petrovski · Rating 2 out of 5]

What is going on

[luchiya · Rating 1 out of 5]

very boring

[Simal Tahmaz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Soo weirdd

[Vaso · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 αστέρια

[Anna Baboura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ένα βιβλίο «σφηνάκι» που ενώ γράφτηκε (περίπου) έναν αιώνα πριν, είναι τόσο επίκαιρο. Ομοφυλοφιλία, κακοποιητικές σχέσεις, φιλοδοξία.
Απλή, έξυπνη γραφή.

[Sweet Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

[Maëllys · Rating 3 out of 5]

le gars m'a un peu perdue quand il a commencé à parler de bébé chat mort babyyyyy what the fuck

[Cevizin_kitaplari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacivert klasiklerden bu ay Fransızca bilmiyorum kitabını okudum. İsmi oldukça değişik değil mi bir kitaba konulası değil sanki. Mansfield'in elimde birkaç eseri olsa da daha henüz hiçbirini okumadım bu yazardan okuduğum ilk kitap.
Raoul, küçük bir kafede etrafındaki insanları gözlemliyor. Kafe sahibi madamdan garsona hareketlerini anlatırken bir yandan günlük olaylar hakkında da konuşuyor. Yazar olmadan önce ilk bekar evini kurduğu andan itibaren anlatmaya başlıyor. Kurduğu ilişkileri hiç ilk başlatan kişi olmamış, İngilizler hakkında yazıyor, Ve kafede yan masada bulduğu bir kağıt üzerinde "Fransızca bilmiyorum" yazısından sonra geçmişe doğru gidiyoruz. İngiliz yazar arkadaşı Dick ile ilk karşılaşması sonrasında gelişenleri anlatıyor. Bu kısımlarda metinde çeviriden kaynaklandığını diündüğüm saçma kısımlar vardı. Geçişler belirsiz. Ortam tam verilmemiş. Mesela dick'in yanındaki kadına hitaben konuşuyor ancak ortam oluşturulurken bir kadından haberdar edilmiyoruz. Sonraki paragraf ise sanki kadın yine orda yokmuş gibi devam ediyor. Tamamıyla bir delinin bölük pörçük anlattıklarını okuyor gibiyiz. Daha sonra Dick Mouse isimli ingiliz kadını terk ediyor. Kadının aon sözü ise "fransızca bilmiyorum".
Metnin oyobiyografik özellikte olduğu söyleniyor. Gereksiz bir okumaydı. Tavsiye etmiyorum.

[Oğulcan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sanki poşet bir arkadaşım yanıma gelmiş ve durmadan boş atıyor, ben de durmasını söylemediğim için 16 sayfa kadar saçmalıyor. Şu an 17’nci sayfadayım. Yarın okumaya devam etmek niyetindeyim ama ortadan ikiye ayırasım var.

[Ecem Çakır · Rating 4 out of 5]

in a patriarchal society, men and their lives are It is a striking story that is about the subject of the man's eyes, should be read

[Daisy Hargreaves · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wacky

[Marta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about Raoul, a Parisian who thinks a little too high of himself.

[emma *ੈ✩‧₊˚ · Rating 3 out of 5]

ok honestly i liked the start but i ended up so lost by the end. raoul and his dead kitten tongues are iconic 👸

[Eren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Arka arkaya girdiğim Lacivert Klasikler maratonunda bu ay benim için son durak Katherine Mansfield'ın Fransızca Bilmiyorum eseri oldu. Adını İş Bankası Modern Klasikleri'nden duysam da daha önce hiç okumadığım bir yazardı kendisi. Fakat kitap isimlerinden kaynaklı kendisini okumayı istiyordum, nedense merak ettiren bir yazardı kendisini bana. Bu vesileyle bu seriden de okuduğum 18. kitap Katherine Mansfield'dan bir kitap oldu. Yazarla tanışma fırsatı bulduğum bu kitabı okurken açıkçası beklediğim şeylerden farklı şeyler elde ettim, olumlu da olumsuz da olsa bir şeyler çıkardım.

Fransızca Bilmiyorum kitabı tek bir öyküden oluşuyor, novella da diyebiliriz belki hatta. Genelde bu seride hep 2-3 öykü derlemesi kitaplar basılır ya, alışmışız. Fakat bunun gibi tek öyküden oluşan kitaplar da var. Ana karakterimiz kendi halinde yaşayan genç bir adam ve edebiyata merak salmış birisi. Bu genç yaşında yalnız bir hayat yaşarken bir yandan da hayallerinin peşinden gidebilmek için yazarlığına devam ediyor. Bazen bir kafede oturup insanları gözlemliyor ve ilham gelip yazıyor, bazen sokaklarda geziniyor ama yazıyor sürekli. Yazan biri olarak da en büyük isteği tabii ki keşfedilip kitaplarının basılması. Nitekim yolları Dick adında zengin bir adamla kesişiyor. Yazarlığına inanılmaz bir katkısı olan Dick'in, kahramanımıza bir sürü kitabını bastırması vesilesini de okuyoruz. Ama bu ikili arasında sadece iş arkadaşlığı yok, birbirlerinin hayatına girdikçe yakın arkadaş da oluyorlar ve daha sonra bu ikisinin, özellikle Dick'in, problemli hayatını okuyoruz. Annesiyle olan ilişkisi, kadınlarla olan ilişkileri, karakterimizle aralarındaki diyaloglar; aslında garip bir karakter Dick. Ne yaptığını bilmiyor, ya da biliyor ama şaşkınlıktan ne yapacağını şaşırmış gibi hareket ediyor. Belki de problemlerinden kaçış sebebiyle böyle şeylere başvuruyor. Nitekim garip birisi olduğı gerçeği net. Biz de bu karakterlerin diyaloglarını, aralarındaki iletişimi okuyoruz.

Katherine Mansfield, yeni tanıştığım bir yazardı ama şunu net söylemeliyim ki, klasik ve modern klasik yazarları arasında dilini en beğendiğim yazarlar arasına bir kitapla bile girdi. O kadar akıcı ve açık bir anlatımı vardı ki, sanki yıllar öncenin yazımı değil de günümüz yazımları gibiydi. Ayrıca kitabın mizahi yönü de vardı zaten, böyle olunca okuması daha keyifli oluyor. Çeviri de ayrı güzeldi tabii, Nihal Yeğinobalı temiz bir iş çıkarmış zira o dönemde kullanılan bu dili bu şekilde çevirebilmek büyük başarı. Yazarın dilini bu kadar beğenmişken, akıcı bulmuşken maalesef ki kitabın içeriğini sevemedim. Yani, ne anlatıcak tam şuraya odaklanacak diye umuyorum. Şak! Bambaşka bir şeye odaklanıyor yazar. Anlatılan şey üstün körü biraz karakter psikolojisine inmek gibiydi ama bunu başarılı yapamamış bence yazar. Anlatılan konuda pek bir şey yoktu zaten, neden böyle bir konuda bir eser kaleme almış anlamadım bu yüzden. Muhtemelen Dick karakterine yoğunlaştırıp sonlara doğru, bizim onun psikolojik durumuna dahil olmamızı, onu anlamamızı bekliyor ama karakter de güzel lanse edilememişti ki zaten, karmakarışık bir karakterdi ama biraz realistti aslında. Böyle tipler gerçek hayatta da var. Bu yüzden yine de çok göze batmıyor ama hikayenin konusu gerçekten çok boş geldi bana. Eğer yazarın dili güzel olmasaydı çok kurtaramazdı belki ama bu haliyle en azından ortalama bir okuma gerçekleştirdiğimi düşünüyorum.

Yazarın dilini çok beğendim ve bundan sonraki Lacivert Klasik de ondan bir kitap olacak. Dili çok güzel ama bu öyküyle bunu biraz boşa harcamış gibi geldi, yoksa bu kalemle çok güzel eserler yazmıştır diye tahmin ediyorum.

[Φώτης Καραμπεσίνης · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ο πρωταγωνιστής του διηγήματος της Mansfield ξεκινάει την πρωτοπρόσωπη αφήγησή του με αρνήσεις «Δεν ξέρω…», «Δεν πιστεύω…», «Μη φανταστείτε…». Κι όντως ο αναγνώστης δεν ξέρει και μάλλον δεν πολυπιστεύει τον μονόλογο του ανθρώπου αυτού που αυτοπροσδιορίζεται ως γέννημα θρέμμα Γάλλος και λογοτέχνης, μολονότι οι ιδιότητες τίθενται εν αμφιβόλω κατά τη διάρκεια της αφήγησης. Εντούτοις, κι ας προτρέπει να μην το πράξουν, είναι απαραίτητο οι αναγνώστες να χρησιμοποιήσουν τη φαντασία τους, προκειμένου να συμπληρώσουν τα κενά της αφήγησης που είναι επί τούτω αρκετά (επιτείνοντας την απόλαυση του ενεργητικού αναγνώστη).

Το εξαιρετικό αυτό μικρό δείγμα Μοντερνισμού αποτελεί τον άριστα δομημένο μονόλογο ενός αναξιόπιστου αφηγητή - όχι, δεν υπάρχει καμία αντίφαση σ’ αυτό, δεδομένου ότι η συγγραφέας δομεί το υλικό της με αξιοθαύμαστο τρόπο. Αλαζόνας και υπερφίαλος, κινείται στις παρυφές του πολιτισμένου Παρισιού, σε χώρους που δεν συνάδουν με την εικόνα που επιθυμεί να παρουσιάσει, συναναστρεφόμενος με άτομα τα οποία, αν δεν περιγράφει με μελανά χρώματα, σίγουρα κρίνει ως ανάξιά του.

Η κρίσιμη καμπή στην αφήγηση θα έρθει τη στιγμή που ενόσω βρίσκεται στο καφέ-στέκι του θα ανασύρει ένα χαρτί με μια πρόταση: «Δεν ομιλώ γαλλικά». Τότε ξεκινά ουσιαστικά η αφήγηση ή η ανάμνηση – δύσκολο να διακρίνει κάποιος. Η συγκεκριμένη πρόταση στα γαλλικά είναι εκείνη που γεννά όσα έπονται υπό μορφή διήγησης ή είναι απλά το κλειδί που ξεκλείδωσε όσα έλαβαν χώρα στο παρελθόν; Σε κάθε περίπτωση ο άντρας εκείνη τη στιγμή αποκτά υπόσταση («Το όνομά μου είναι Ραούλ Ντικέτ. Είμαι 26 χρονών και Παριζιάνος) και ιστορία, δηλαδή παρελθόν, το οποίο ξεκινά να αφηγείται με τη χαρακτηριστική του υπεροπτική χάρη και χιούμορ.

Για αρχή, το παιδικό του παρελθόν κρύβει μια ιστορία κακοποίησης, την οποία ακολουθεί ένα χρονικό άλμα που μας οδηγεί στο πρόσφατο παρελθόν του. Μαθαίνουμε ότι είναι συγγραφέας επιτυχημένων και σοβαρών βιβλίων, τα οποία σε αντιστοιχία με την ατμόσφαιρα του έργου, φέρουν δυσοίωνους τίτλους. Στη συνέχεια θα γνωρίσει έναν Άγγλο, τον Ντικ, με τον οποίο θα συνδεθεί με στενή φιλία, η οποία θα λάβει ασαφείς διαστάσεις εξάρτησης – μία ακόμη αμφισημία, σεξουαλικής φύσης, όπως συμβαίνει εξάλλου σε όλο το διήγημα που αμφιταλαντεύεται δίχως να διαυγάζει όσο προχωρά η πλοκή.

Θα ακολουθήσει η νεαρή κοπέλα, φίλη του Ντικ, που δεν ομιλεί τη γαλλική –μια ακόμα παρερμηνεία εν μέσω άλλων πολλών-, με το απωθητικό υποκοριστικό «Ποντικάκι», η οποία θα συγκινήσει ερωτικά τον αμφιβόλου ερωτικής ταυτότητας ήρωά μας. Όταν ο Ντικ επανέλθει στα πάτρια για παιδαριώδη λόγο (αδυνατεί να προδώσει τη μητέρα του προδίδοντας την ερωμένη του), ο Παριζιάνος μας δεν θα αναλάβει τον ρόλο του κι απλά θα εξαφανιστεί στο ψέμα (ή την πραγματικότητα, εξαρτάται την οπτική γωνία) του, επιστρέφοντας στο γνωστό του στέκι, όπου από λογοτέχνης μετατρέπεται στην προτελευταία παράγραφο σε μαστροπό-παραχαράκτη της αλήθειας.

Η αφήγηση θα κλείσει κάπου εκεί. Ο αναγνώστης κατανοεί εν τέλει ότι όσα διάβασε είναι μυθοπλασία, ένα ψέμα μέσα σε ένα άλλο ψέμα, το οποίο βεβαίως περιέχει ψήγματα αλήθειας ώστε να γίνει αποδεκτό. Ακριβώς δηλαδή όπως συμβαίνει όποτε η ζωή μετατρέπεται σε τέχνη ή όταν η τέχνη περιγελά τη ζωή.

[Stylianos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ο κεντρικός ήρωας, αφηγητής μας -κι εν δυνάμει συγγραφέας- Ραούλ Ντικέτ, αναπολεί, από ένα παρισινό καφέ, καθοριστικά γεγονότα της ζωής του, σε μια πρωτοφανή αφήγηση εν τέλη αποδόμησης του ίδιου του του εαυτού.

Ο Ραούλ έχει δηλώσει ότι ποτέ δεν ασχολείται με τετελεσμένα γεγονότα, ότι ποτέ δεν ανασκαλεύει το παρελθόν. Μία και μόνο φράση όμως, τον ταξιδεύει εκεί, γεννώντας του συναισθήματα που θα τον οδηγήσουν στη μεγαλύτερη κατάθεση ψυχής, αλλά και ασυνάρτητων σκέψεων και γεγονότων, εξίσου. Μια αφήγηση που μοιάζει να στρέφεται γύρω από τους άλλους, μιας και ο αφηγητής δεν θέλει να μιλήσει για τον εαυτό του, αλλά εν τέλει αποκαλύπτει πολύ περισσότερα για τον ίδιο.

Στο «Je ne parlais pas français», η Mansfield αξιοποιεί τον ιδιόρρυθμο χαρακτήρα του αφηγητή και τον χώρο που της δίνει στο κείμενο η ελευθερία των σκέψεών του, για να εκφράσει τον κεντρικό προβληματισμό του διηγήματος: υπάρχει εν τέλει η ατομική συγκεκριμένη και καθορισμένη ατομική ταυτότητα, ή το πρόσωπο είναι ένα διασπασμένο υποκείμενο σε ποικίλους εξωγενείς παράγοντες χαμένο μέσα στον δαίδαλο της γλώσσας και της υποκειμενικότητας; Η απάντηση μάλλον έρχεται ήδη από τους ισχυρισμούς του κεντρικού ήρωα για τη μη ύπαρξη της ανθρώπινης ψυχής αλλά και τη παρομοίωση των ατόμων με άδειες βαλίτσες οι οποίες γεμίζουν όσο ταξιδεύουν εδώ κι εκεί.

Ένα διήγημα με μοντερνιστικές τεχνικές, όπως η πρωτοπρόσωπη αφήγηση, ο εσωτερικός μονόλογος, και το καυστικό χιούμορ του αφηγητή, οι οποίες δεν πετυχαίνουν όμως απαραίτητα.

Η αφήγηση, με τους εσωτερικούς μονολόγους που θυμίζουν παιδικό Ντοστογιέφσκι είναι υπερβολικά ρευστή και χαώδης, αφού από ασυνάρτητες σκέψεις για διαδικαστικά θέματα του ξενοδοχείου ή το προσωπικό παρελθόν του, ο αφηγητής φτάνει στο (μάλλον) κεντρικό θέμα του συμβάντος με τον φίλο του Ντικ Χάρμον και επιστρέφει σε κάτι ξανά ρευστό κι ίσως άσχετο με τη προηγούμενη ιστορία. Εάν ήθελα να γίνω τόσο εριστικός στη κριτική μου όσο κι ο κεντρικός ήρωας, θα έλεγα πως je ne parlais pas français aussi, αφού παρά τα βαθύτερα νοήματα, όσον αφορά τις τυχαίες αναφορές, λίγα κατάλαβα. Τρία γενναιόδωρα αστέρια.

[Cevizin_kitaplari · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lacivert klasiklerden bu ay Fransızca bilmiyorum kitabını okudum. İsmi oldukça değişik değil mi bir kitaba konulası değil sanki. Mansfield'in elimde birkaç eseri olsa da daha henüz hiçbirini okumadım bu yazardan okuduğum ilk kitap.
Raoul, küçük bir kafede etrafındaki insanları gözlemliyor. Kafe sahibi madamdan garsona hareketlerini anlatırken bir yandan günlük olaylar hakkında da konuşuyor. Yazar olmadan önce ilk bekar evini kurduğu andan itibaren anlatmaya başlıyor. Kurduğu ilişkileri hiç ilk başlatan kişi olmamış, İngilizler hakkında yazıyor, Ve kafede yan masada bulduğu bir kağıt üzerinde "Fransızca bilmiyorum" yazısından sonra geçmişe doğru gidiyoruz. İngiliz yazar arkadaşı Dick ile ilk karşılaşması sonrasında gelişenleri anlatıyor. Bu kısımlarda metinde çeviriden kaynaklandığını diündüğüm saçma kısımlar vardı. Geçişler belirsiz. Ortam tam verilmemiş. Mesela dick'in yanındaki kadına hitaben konuşuyor ancak ortam oluşturulurken bir kadından haberdar edilmiyoruz. Sonraki paragraf ise sanki kadın yine orda yokmuş gibi devam ediyor. Tamamıyla bir delinin bölük pörçük anlattıklarını okuyor gibiyiz. Daha sonra Dick Mouse isimli ingiliz kadını terk ediyor. Kadının aon sözü ise "fransızca bilmiyorum".
Metnin oyobiyografik özellikte olduğu söyleniyor. Gereksiz bir okumaydı. Tavsiye etmiyorum.