Irene Nemirovsky: Her Life And Works

by Jonathan Weiss

On July 13, 1942, French gendarmes arrested Irène Némirovsky in southern Burgundy. She was deported to Auschwitz where she died on August 19. Who was this woman, author of more than a dozen popular novels and more than thirty short stories, whose posthumous novel, Suite Française , won France's prestigious Renaudot prize in 2004? Born in Russia to wealthy parents, Irène Némirovsky immigrated to Paris in 1919. Although she was Jewish, she consorted with authors and politicians on the extreme right, some of whom were openly anti-Semitic. She was sure that these friends would protect her from deportation after the Nazis invaded France. Instead, they abandoned her. Yet she never lost faith in France, even after she was refused French nationality. In this fascinating biography, Jonathan Weiss analyzes the discrepancy between Némirovsky's real and imagined identities, and explores a literary work that revisits in a unique way Jewish identity, exile, betrayal, and the solidarity of a persecuted people.

Genres: Biography Memoir, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 7, 2006

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came across a couple of Irène Némirovsky's novels (Suite Française and All Our Worldly Goods) at a local thrift store, and curious that a Russian-sounding name would write a French novel, I took to my phone and Google to find out more. Her life story and the manner in which Suite Française came to be was fascinating. And so, I became somewhat obsessed with the writings of Irène Némirovsky.

This is the second book about Némirovsky's life which I have read (the other being The Life of Irene Nemirovsky: 1903-1942), both of which were excellently researched; both of which complement each other nicely. This volume, while considerably smaller, seems to analyze her writing a bit more than the former. (I found it interesting that this book's author is an American, but he wrote this in French, which was then translated to English.)

So, so very much of what is known about Némirovsky is due to the stewardship of her writings and correspondence by her eldest daughter, Denise Epstein. (Némirovshy's younger daughter, Élisabeth Gille, has written a fictional biography of her mother, Mirador: Dreamed Memories of Irene Nemirovsky by Her Daughter.)

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

After reading all of Irene Nemirovsky's books that I could get in English, I really wanted to know more about her - and then came across Jonathan's Weiss' biography.

My feeling is that the book would have been made a lot stronger by withholding the judgment of whether Irene knew herself to be Jewish / French / Slavic, and whether she was "Jewish enough", i.e., whether some of her writings bore an antisemitic undertone --- I would let the reader decide that. Her works speak for themselves, and the reader will have the final word.

I strongly feel that Nemirovsky's *vision* was not at its strongest when its object was too close to her heart / her surroundings - which is what happened in "Wine of Solitude". I find her writing to be much stronger, her observations more precise, the pictures better painted and the language more beautiful in books dealing with French subjects ("Suite Francaise" unsurpassed of course, "Fire in the Blood", "All Our Worldly Goods", and "The Fires of Autumn", and "Dimanche" - a short story, but wonderful nevertheless). France was truly the country of her heart, and all the more painful it must have been for her to realize in summer of 1942 that she became a persona non grata, a stranger in the place she considered her home for many years, if not most of her life.

[El · Rating 2 out of 5]

Irene Nemirovsky, a Russian-born Jewish writer, moved to France and converted to Catholicism in 1939. Jonathan Weiss explores these decisions and how they affected her writing. He discusses whether she sympathized with the Jewish plight, especially during the war, or if she wrote as if from an outsider's perspective as a way of embracing her new Catholicism or of trying to understand Judaism. Despite her conversion and her attempts to fit into a French society as a Catholic, she was taken to Auschwitz in the early stages (her husband was not taken until later, so he stayed behind and campaigned for her release which was never realized), though died from typhus at 39 years old before she could be executed. Her two daughters survived and were taken in by other families when Irene's husband was captured, and through their help Weiss was able to write a biography about this woman.

I have not read any of Irene's books. When the library was cleaned out of everything I found this one book and decided to read the Whys and Hows about this writer before delving into her fiction. Weiss was able to portray Irene's life in as much detail as possible (her daughters were young when she died) through the use of letters and Irene's notebooks, but a lot of it was his supposition.

Alternately a biography of Irene's life, Weiss spent considerable time writing about her writing as well, dissecting her novels and hypothesizing about her intentions surrounding her characters' religions or other beliefs.

A lot of it was too much guesswork for me to really embrace. Maybe I will feel differently after reading Irene's own books. Despite Weiss's attempt at writing an extensive biography about this woman who died at too young an age, he was not able to achieve what it could have been. It has not turned me off from wanting to read Irene's books - in fact, Weiss was able to portray her as a very lovely, very active, and very charming woman. I am excited to meet her through her books.

[Marlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very readable overview of Nemirovsky's life and fate but the book was focused primarily on her literary output with her life discussed in terms of its influence on her work. A particular frustration I felt was that the author mentions interviewing Nemirovsky's surviving daughter, whose memories of her mother and the war years were vivid, and yet doesn't really include any of the daughter's insights into this work. Perhaps he felt that the story of how Suite Francaise came to be saved and eventually published has been sufficiently covered elsewhere, but I felt Nemirovsky's final and most famous work was, oddly, given rather short shrift.

[Martha Curtis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jonathan Weiss has attempted to define Nemeirovsky's through her works. Even the book contains only 173 pages it took me a long time to read it. The book contains copious notes and felt obliged to read them all. Many of the notes refer to letters written to or from Nemirosky, her daughter Denise and her husband Michel. I have read Nemirovsky's Suite Francaise and Fire In The Blood. After Weiss's book I will read other of Nemirovsy's novels.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little sluggish at times and more literary criticsm of Nemirovsky looking at racism, trying to determine if it existed by looking at her works. Would've liked more detail about her life rather than trying to figure out her thoughts and feelings.

[David · Rating 2 out of 5]

Short literary biography examining Irene N's works, especially in relation to "Jewishness."

OK, maybe 2.5 stars, but it contained some noticeable factual errors, which REALLY sours me on a book.

For comparison, see "The Life of Irene Nemirovsky," by Philipponna & Lienhardt -- a better book.

[Peg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The fascinating, but sad, biography of the author of Suite Francaise.