Como el agua que fluye

by Marguerite Yourcenar, Emma Calatayud (Translator)

La escritora de brillante madurez se enfrenta a la joven autora de veinte años: una trilogía de relatos aparecidos en 1935 bajo el título La mort conduit l'attelage germinaría, con el paso de los años, en nuevas formas narrativas. De uno de los relatos surgiría Opus Nigrum; de los otros dos Como el agua que fluye, último título, hasta la fecha, de Marguerite Yourcenar.
Tres relatos de la gran escritora que tienen por marco la Europa del siglo XVII, a la que Jean D'Ormesson dedicó, en su discurso de respuesta en la Academia Francesa, las siguientes palabras: «Si hubiera que caracterizar con una sola palabra el conjunto de su obra, no lo dudaría un momento: Yourcenar o el saber, naturalmente. Yourcenar o la serenidad, sin duda. Pero sobre todo, Yourcenar o la altura, Yourcenar o la elevación».

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Romance, France, Historical Fiction, French Literature, Belgium

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1982

About the author

Marguerite Yourcenar, original name Marguerite de Crayencour, was a french novelist, essayist, poet and short-story writer who became the first woman to be elected to the Académie Française (French Academy), an exclusive literary institution with a membership limited to 40.
She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1947. The name “Yourcenar” is an imperfect anagram of her original name, “Crayencour.”

Yourcenar’s literary works are notable for their rigorously classical style, their erudition, and their psychological subtlety. In her most important books she re-creates past eras and personages, meditating thereby on human destiny, morality, and power. Her masterpiece is Mémoires d'Hadrien, a historical novel constituting the fictionalized memoirs of that 2nd-century Roman emperor. Her works were translated by the American Grace Frick, Yourcenar’s secretary and life companion.
Yourcenar was also a literary critic and translator.

Reviews

[Valeriu Gherghel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Revizuiri și rescrieri ale unor povestiri din tinerețe. De citit neapărat...

1. Pentru că îmi plac povestirile istorice, care arată că oamenii rămîn mereu aceiași, la fel de neînsemnați și la fel de plini de țîfnă.
2. Pentru că „Un om obscur” și „O dimineață frumoasă” mi-au adus aminte de atmosfera melancolică din Piatra filosofală” / „L'Œuvre au noir.
3. Pentru că „Anna, soror...” (unde cronicarul prezintă legătura incestuoasă dintre Miguel și Anna, frate și soră) mi-a amintit nu numai de romanul lui Thomas Mann Alesul (dar, mai ales, de el), ci și de romanul lui Ian McEwan, Grădina de ciment.
4. Pentru că opiniile unui om simplu și umil (ca Nathanael) cu privire la deșertăciunea vieții nu sînt mai prejos decît părerile unui savant (aici Leo Belmonte). Și pentru că părerile unui savant cu privire la zădărnicia vieții nu valorează absolut nimic.
5. Pentru că pot oferi aceste fraze de la finele povestirii „Un om obscur”:

„Cunoscuse plăceri de care nimănui nu părea să-i pese, ca plăcerea de a mesteca un firicel de iarbă. Nu fusese niciodată nici bogat, nici vestit; nu-şi dorise nicicînd să fie... Dar, la drept vorbind, cine era cel pe care-l socotea drept el însuşi? De unde apăruse?... Jur-împrejuru-i vedea marea, pîcla, soarele şi ploaia şi animalele din văzduh, din apă şi din landă; trăia şi murea aidoma animalelor acelora. Era de ajuns. Nimeni nu avea să-şi mai amintească de el, cum nimeni nu-şi mai amintea de gîngăniile din vara trecută...”.

[Luís · Rating 4 out of 5]

We gathered three novels into one book.

1st. Anna, Soror.
It is a magnificent love story set in Naples in the 17th century, between a brother and a sister. One finds redemption in death, while the other sees it in faithfulness.
This long story is a work of youth written in a short time. The style is simple, crystal clear, and has no frills. Bare.
I experienced great pleasure in this reading, far from being harmless, giving rise to the elevation of transgression itself, provided that Grace lights the way.
2nd. An Obscure Man
Nathanaël, a man without disdain, with a clear mind, suffers his life more than he guides it, and his death, forgotten by the world between sea and dunes, is undoubtedly one of the most moving ever written. Marguerite Yourcenar tells us this time that the destiny of a man who participates in the discoveries and revolutions of his time is only an extra. From the New World to the printing press, Nathanël, a disillusioned humanist, draws his life between the natural and the artificial—a book to store next to the significant works of Yourcenar. Nathanaël is behind Zeno, and his silhouette will obsess us for a long time.
3rd. A Beautiful Morning
The style is pleasant, and the pen is beautiful. Unfortunately, history does not leave an unforgettable memory.

[Martin Iguaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marguerite Yourcenar es uno de esos autores que me hacen lamentar que no haya escrito más. Que no haya veinte, treinta libros de su autoría. Su prosa es sensible, sutil, rica en vocabulario, refinada. Lo mismo denota su técnica de escritura: reescribía una y otra vez sus relatos, los revisaba mucho... eso se nota en los cuentos que forman parte de este libro, han tenido una cuidada edición. Recomendable para cualquiera interesado en la autora de "Memorias de Adriano".

[Smith Winston · Rating 3 out of 5]

2-2.5/4/2

[Magda S · Rating 4 out of 5]

Το βιβλίο αποτελείται από δύο διηγήματα: το πρώτο, "Ένας αφανής άνθρωπος¨", είναι εκτενές - περίπου 100 σελίδες- και έχει ως πρωταγωνιστή τον Ναθαναήλ. Το δεύτερο, "Ένα ωραίο πρωινό", είναι σύντομο -20 σελίδες- και πρωταγωνιστεί ο Λάζαρος, ο γιός του Ναθαναήλ.

Στο πρώτο διήγημα περιγράφεται η ζωή του Ναθαναήλ μέχρι και τον θάνατό του. Στον ίδιο θα τύχουν διάφορα ασυνήθιστα και στενάχωρα/δραματικά γεγονότα, ωστόσο σε όλη τη διάρκεια παραμένει ήπιος, απλός, ένας καθημερινός άνθρωπος ή -όπως είναι και ο τίτλος- ένας αφανής άνθρωπος.
Είναι αλήθεια βέβαια ότι σε κάποια σημεία του διηγήματος αυτού, ακριβώς λόγω του χαρακτήρα του ήρωα, ήθελα να προχωρήσει η ιστορία, σαν μου έλειπε κάτι, σαν να ήθελα να συμβεί κάτι παραπάνω. Ωστόσο, είναι πολύ ωραίο και ταιριαστό με τον ήρωα το τελευταίο κεφάλαιο του διηγήματος.

Στο δεύτερο διήγημα παρουσιάζεται μια μέρα ουσιαστικά του Λάζαρου, γιου του Ναθαναήλ, ο οποίος αποφασίζει να ακολουθήσει έναν περιοδεύοντα θίασο ηθοποιών όταν είναι ακόμη παιδί. Έχει πολύ μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον η αφήγηση στο σημείο που φαντάζεται πώς θα είναι ως ηθοποιός, ότι θα μπορεί να ενσαρκώνει τα πάντα, να είναι αγόρι και κορίτσι, μικρός και μεγάλος, πλούσιος και ζητιάνος κ.ο.κ.

Το μεγαλύτερο θετικό στοιχείο για μένα και στα δύο διηγήματα είναι η γλώσσα που χρησιμοποιεί η Γιουρσενάρ. Η χρήση της γλώσσας μού φάνηκε ενδιαφέρουσα, το ύφος και οι περιγραφές είναι πετυχημένα και έχουν έντονη λυρικότητα, χωρίς ωστόσο να κουράζουν με πολλές λεπτομέρειες και περιττά στοιχεία. Η λυρικότητα, δηλαδή, μόνο προσέδιδε στο κείμενο, δεν αφαιρούσε τίποτα.

[notgettingenough · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read together in Seville with Candide.

http://alittleteaalittlechat.wordpres...

[César Ojeda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Era de esos a quienes el placer, lejos de entristecer después, sosiega, y hallan en él un renacer del gusto por la vida."

[Stela · Rating 4 out of 5]

De fapt am ascultat cele trei nuvele ale volumului, nu le-am citit, dar înregistrarea pe care o am nu spune nici cine citește, nici din ce ediție, așa că nu mi-am mai bătut capul să înregistrez o altă copie pe GR.

[Blixen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I racconti, nel complesso tre, sono dei romanzi brevi ambientati tra la fine del Cinquecento e il Seicento tra l'Italia e le Province Unite. Al di là delle storie, la seconda mi è piaciuta meno, la narrazione è perfetta.
Per la Yourcenar vale la massima di Čechov per cui “Non c’è ferro che possa trafiggere il cuore con più forza di un punto messo al posto giusto.”
Ogni parola sembra cesellata nella carta, è un'isola di significato:

Per un attimo il suo corpo, ben lavato, gli sembrava intatto, persino bello, partecipe con tutte le sue fibre alla felicità del mattino.

Gli amori appaiono compassati, ma al contempo vibrano di passione. Uno dei personaggi, Nathanael, una notte sogna la donna amata, si eccita al solo pensiero di spogliarla e vederla tremare di passione, poi d'un tratto si sente in colpa per questo pensiero peccaminoso, ha paura di offenderla:

Poi, pensava che ogni creatura umana entra senza saperlo nei sogni amorosi di quelli che la incontrano o la circondano e che, nonostante l'oscurità o la miseria, l'età o la bruttezza di chi desidera da un lato, e la timidezza o il pudore dell'oggetto desiderato dall'altro, o i suoi particolari desideri, che si rivolgono forse a qualcun altro, ognuno di noi è in tal modo aperto e dato a tutti.

E' sconvolgente con quanta grazia riesca ad esprimere pensieri così profondi.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wandering in the streets of Louise, in Brussels, I came across this little cosy garden dedicated to Marguerite Yourcenar.
I entered in and got lost among her words written down on the pavement: «Nous en savons moins sur les routes et le but d'une vie d'homme que sur ses migrations l'oiseau»…. Brussels is a city of atmospheres… and the ambience of that tiny garden is just magical!
Well, I decided to read something written by the author who inspired that place, sure that I would have find some of the sensations that the place itself gave me every time I was there! And for sure I did!
I started with this book which is made by 3 short stories… generally I don’t enjoy short stories that much, but these are an exceptions. They immerge you in a far world of passions and sorrow between Italy and Holland in the XVI century. Once again, a book of atmosphere, like the city where she was born.

[Alex Sarll]

Three very early works, revised to various extents very late, and the only Yourcenar I've read not to be translated by her great love, Grace Frick. For whatever combination of these reasons, or another altogether, the first and longest story, 'An Obscure Man', mostly didn't click for me. Maybe it's just that an author normally so devoted to "a local reality...strictly tied to a place and time" has, as she admits in an afterword, cheated in certain details. Still, it's better than most historical novelists would ever manage, and its brief sequel 'A Lovely Morning' is sustained by a single delirious moment at its heart. Finally there is 'Anna, Soror...' which feels much more Yourcenar - a perfect encapsulation of a moment and a place, animated above all by love.

[Isabella Villegas Correa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dilaté mucho esta lectura. Su tiempo, el del libro, no parecía sintonizarse con el mío.
La prosa de Yourcenar, no obstante, es como siempre impecable. El libro recoge tres relatos largos (o novelas cortas) escritos en etapas tempranas de su carrera literaria; en ellos se intuyen obsesiones que resurgen una y otra vez en la obra de la autora. Leerla es siempre embarcarse en un viaje en el tiempo: escrutar a través de la lente de conciencias individuales un paisaje, una escenografía, un espíritu del tiempo.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book collects three novellas (two long, one short) by the celebrated author Ms. Marguerite Yourcenar. They are remarkable even in the English translation. Each is richly written with full use of the five senses, attention to detail and human emotions. They appeal to one’s sense of imagination and adventure. While not breaking that implicit promise of showing us other places and other times, they bring us face-to-face with universal human thoughts and desires. Her characters are people: people you might have met under different circumstances or you might yet meet in the 21st century.

Allow me a brief spoiler-laden observation:


They are very well crafted stories and that is no accident. For, after reading them, there is a set of detailed postfaces describing how each was first written decades earlier and then re-written and re-written with intermediate versions published until these final versions were released in 1982. I have nothing against and author taking a story or idea and re-using it. It often happens that a short story later serves as the basis for (or introduction to) a novel. In this case, Madame Yourcenar followed a path similar to that of J.R.R. Tolkien in how ideas and characters were worked on and changed and revised to fit different backgrounds. But, unlike Tolkien, she revisited these as she grew older to meet her own changing viewpoint (not to flesh out the history of a self-contained and internally consistent fictional world). In both cases, the end result is very, very good.

I read this collection because of another Goodreader’s comments on Candide and the suggestion that I should try “An Obscure Man”. It was both excellent observations and advice. Of course, I am not doing myself any favors writing these thoughts a good 7 or 8 weeks after actually finishing the stories. But I’ll try to recapture the impressions that I had about each.

An Obscure Man

This is the first and one might easily claim most important story. Indeed it has strong parallels to Candide, but it also has strong contrasts. The protagonist, Nathaniel (Nathanael), has a life that encompasses many places, many trades, and many people. Like Candide (like most of us), he is an everyman who stumbles through the events that occur whether big or small. He strives to improve himself and his lot and although he makes progress at times, it is a very crooked path for each step forward there are the same or more going sideways and backwards.

As I began his tale I watched for similarities to Voltaire’s story, but later let myself relax and settle into the story. I want to avoid giving away too much, but Nathaniel sifts through the beliefs that he and those around him hold. While he never comes out with a definite statement (“We must all cultivate our garden”) like Candide, he does draw inferences about his world and those around him. He has a degree of education (from reading) that many commoners would not have and that gives him perspective to compare the (his) modern world to that of the historic (Greeks and Roman). But even with this advantage, he often misjudges people to a degree of absurdity. He wants to ascribe good intentions to those around him even when they are clearly cheating, lying, and defrauding him. It’s as if his ability to see the “macro” blinds him to the “micro”.

I’m not truly doing this story justice, but one should not think of it as a clone of Candide or any other story. The motivations of the author are certainly different: Voltaire chose to parody and lampoon the philosophical beliefs (optimism) that he thought were absurd and leading the world into idiocy. Ms. Yourcenar may also desire to show the fallacy of our philosophies, but this is more about exposing the frailty of our lives and how we carry ourselves in the world. She writes in a sterner way. One that might chide us for enjoying the lunacy we encounter just as much as she would for letting our emotions overcome us when lives treats us harshly. Both protagonists have their lives shaped by chance, but hers has it overrunning his freedom of choice more explicitly I think.

Another difference in these two tales is that An Obscure Man opens with the death of Nathaniel and how little notice it attracted; just like his birth had done. This mortality closes off the story (she returns to his dying in the last pages) in a way that Voltaire never did. When we leave Candide, he and his commune are living their lives maybe a bit more plainly now, but with no sense that they will be interrupted from their labors or thoughts any time soon.

*** 4.0 to 4.5 ***

A Lovely Morning

This very short tale is about Nathaniel’s son Lazarus. Lazarus is a very imaginative lad and his surroundings (an inn) promote his fancies. He is sheltered in the inn, but he is also exposed to the musings of those who live complex lives; at times on the periphery of society and at other times in the middle of it. His secret mentor is an aged actor and from him he learns to perform, emote, and see the world as nothing more than another kind of play. In the end he chooses to go off to join a troupe as they go to their next performance.

To make another parallel to Tolkien, like the One Ring linking The Hobbit to The Lord of The Rings, Nathaniel’s son is the link between “An Obscure Man” and “A Lovely Morning”. In all other respects the tone and style of the stories are completely different. It is an interesting contrast and shows the depth of the author’s ability.

*** 3.0 ***

Anna, Soror…

The final tale takes us far away from the home of Rembrandt and puts us in Spanish-controlled Italy. We join the household of the Governor of Naples. We live with his wife, his son, and his daughter as they develop in age and emotion. The reader is never at much doubt as to where the story is taking us, but we go along willingly. The writing reflects the deep passion that the characters have; the phrasing is blunter and more powerful. As the story plays out we feel that we know both the city and the characters intimately. It ends as it only can. Death and resignation certainly, but there is more and that is left to the imagination of the nuns and the reader.

*** 3.0 ***

Wrap-up:

I had not read any of the author’s works before this and perhaps it is not representative of her other works. But I’d guess that her prose and ideas are just as powerfully drawn as they were here. This is not the first time that Goodreads has been the source of my reading and I hope not the last. It is always easy when it falls in your “comfort zone” and riskier if you stray outside that. This is a strong book that deserves to be read by anyone who loves good writing.

I’m on the fence about my rating. I think that it is at least a 3.5 and may be a 4.0, but I also feel that it should be at least that high after all of the re-writing. Consider it a 3.5 rounded up to 4.0. But, please read it yourself and find out how you would rank it.

[Graciosa Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como a Água que Corre contém três novelas, escritas em períodos diferentes e um posfácio para cada uma delas. Nestes, a autora fornece informações importantes que elucidam o leitor sobre determinados aspectos que motivaram a sua escrita e as subsequentes alterações. Por exemplo, ficámos sabedores de que “Anna, Soror...”, a primeira novela” é uma obra de juventude e que inicialmente foi escrita para ser um romance, um longo romance. Todas as novelas foram várias vezes alteradas e reeditadas. “Outros pormenores houve, bem entendido, que foram omitidos, acrescentados ou mudados.” (p. 185)
A autora esclarece que o título atribuído a esta recolha representa a imagem de “um rio, ou por vezes da torrente, ora lamacenta ora límpida, que é a vida.” (p. 165) Eu acrescentaria que o título representa também a mestria da sua escrita, do seu estilo. As palavras fluem naturalmente ao ritmo do rio, do tempo, da vida e o leitor fica rendido à beleza da narrativa.

Gostei sobretudo da segunda novela, “Um Homem Obscuro”, que nos apresenta as aventuras de Natanael, um rapaz simples, de índole transparente, tal como a água que corre, que se dá bem com qualquer pessoa apesar da existência de diferenças: “Apesar da diferença de cor, entendera-se bem com o mestiço; apesar da religião, que ela aliás não praticava, fora Sarai uma mulher como outra qualquer, também havia ladras baptizadas, (…)” (p. 132) Natanael é daqueles que pensam, que questionam, e aproveitam as ocasiões boas que a vida lhes apresenta, mantendo sempre a sua independência.

A terceira novela, mais curta, “Uma Bela Manhã” dá continuidade à segunda, e narra uma parte da vida de Lázaro, filho de Natanael e da prostituta Sarai. O pequeno Lázaro, que nunca conheceu seu pai, “não tinha limites, e bem podia sorrir amigavelmente ao seu próprio reflexo…”(p. 155) partiu com uma companhia de teatro, livre, para realizar um sonho “nessa sensação de ser tantas pessoas ao mesmo tempo, a viverem tantas aventuras” (p. 155) Nisso, sem o saber, era igual ao pai.

Para concluir, e citando de novo a autora que no segundo posfácio refere, “Toda a obra literária é assim feita de um misto de visão, lembrança e acto, de noções e de informações recebidas, no decorrer de uma vida, através da palavra ou dos livros, e de resquícios da nossa própria existência.” (p. 180). Só posso acrescentar que esta recolha de Marguerite Yourcenar espelha maravilhosamente a sua forma de encarar a obra literária. Nela, tudo flui como a água que corre e a obra-prima emerge e transporta o leitor na sua corrente ora calma ora impetuosa.

[Leo sosa]

incredibile come marguerite yourcenar non abbia mai scritto una brutta pagina

un uomo oscuro è un capolavoro

[Giovanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro bellissimo,da legger d'un fiato,senza una sbavatura,ricco di spunti di riflessione,mai banale.La Yourcenar ancora una volta riesce a toccare argomenti delicati con una sensibilità unica,senza mai cadere nella banalità o nella volgarità ,o moralismo o pietismo che sia. Con quel suo modo elegante e chiaro di scrivere e di esprimere anche i concetti più sottili,ci aiuta a sviscerare e affrontare di volta in volta ,in ogni sua opera,temi sempre difficili da trattare. Per me un'autrice unica.

[Raquel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Depois das "memórias de Adriano" e a "obra ao negro", parece que fica tudo por dizer. Contudo, os contos são bonitos e o livro é leve, perfeito para uma leitura ocasional num lugar bonito. A linguagem é elegante, cada palavra foi cuidadosamente escolhida pela Autora para nos fazer sonhar.

[Emanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como a novela "Um Homem Obscuro" leva 6 estrelas, faz média.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume consists of three novellas which express the human condition. All are set in the late Renaissance.

The first: "An obscure man" concerns a Dutch boy, Nathanael, who lives in England with his family. After he thinks he's murdered someone, he runs off to sea. We see him living in New France after he's been shipwrecked there.. After four years he returns as a man to England where all is changed from before; to Holland; and finally to Friesia. The writing is beautiful and evocative. Mme. Yourcenar expresses this man's inner life superbly. Her descriptions are poetic. This is the longest, and perhaps most important of the three novellas.

The second: "A lovely morning" concerns Nathanael's son, Lazarus, a few years later. Trained as an actor, the boy runs off on "a lovely morning" with a troupe of travelling players. He is hoping to play Shakespeare's Rosalind. Straight narrative, this is a character study of the boy.

The third: "Anna, soror..." concerns Anna, daughter of a Spanish nobleman, the Governor of Naples. It also concerns her brother, Miguel, and follows the lives and emotions of all three. Mme. Yourcenar's descriptions placed me right in the palaces and convents of Renaissance Italy and Europe; they were gorgeous and sensuous.

I really liked these beautiful classic stories. I feel Nathanael is as well-drawn as Hadrian in Memoirs of Hadrian. Highly recommended for all who love atmospheric stories in times gone by.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three short novellas, each told with a quiet, masterful voice. An Obscure Man tells of the life of a 17th century Dutchman, with a compelling attention to detail and a perfect counterpart to Marta Morazzoni's Girl In A Turban.

[Paula M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yourcenar é exímia a recriar épocas e ambientes. Os três contos integrados neste livro provam isso mesmo, apesar de os ter escrito ainda jovem.
Para quem nunca leu uma obra de Yourcenar este livro pode servir de introdução às suas obras maiores.

[W.B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a classic. Ineffably beautiful. An unfilmable movie.

[Bleak Mouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another title unwebbed from dusty shelves.

Perfectly splendid fictions which perfectly inhabit their historical worlds.

[Joana Oliveira · Rating 1 out of 5]

I simply can't read this, it's too boring for me to be honest and I don't really get the point of these plots. I couldn't even finish the second novella.

[María Alcalde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marguerite Yourcenar escribió en 1935 tres relatos ambientados en la Europa del siglo XVII, A la manera del Greco, A la manera de Durero y A la manera de Rembrandt, los cuales no llegaron a ser publicados. En 1979 la autora se enfrentó nuevamente a ellos decidiendo reescribirlos. Así surgió "Ana Soror", "Un hombre oscuro" (germen del que surgió "Opus Nigrum") y "Una hermosa mañana".


Solo puedo decir que ojalá la muerte me encuentre con un libro de Yourcenar bajo el brazo, así, quizás, pueda enfrentarme con la serenidad y plenitud necesarias, como agua que fluye hacia la inmensidad del mar.

[Angélica María · Rating 4 out of 5]

Con este libro termino un recorrido que emprendí hace meses con esta autora, comencé con Memorias de Adriano, Opus Nigrum, los cuentos completos... En fin, he disfrutado tanto de su narrativa que temo no poder comprender la magistralidad que se presenta en esta obra.
De los tres relatos que componen este libro, sin duda, prefiero el de Ana Soror, es elegante, sensible con el lector y además, toca un tema poco abordado en la literatura y en la vida.
Les recomiendo muchísimo leer esta autora.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my favorite Yourcenar (can anything compare to Memoirs of Hadrian?), but it is still masterful, because she is a genius. Her particular gift for inhabiting the psyches of historical figures is preserved here with a straightforward sense of joy and clarity.

[Simon Villa Jaramillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo que más disfrute es que la escritora nos cuenta la historia de cómo y por que escribió esas historias, es como que ella te mete en su mente y en las vivencias y los autores que la inspiraron a escribir estos tres cuentos, con palabras complejas e hilos profundos, que implicaban una profunda inmersión en el texto.

[Dianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

An Obscure Man is exquisite. It is a story I hope to read many times over. A Lovely Morning was lovely but oh so short. Couldn't we learn more about Lazarus' life as an actor. Of course, Yourcenar has set us up to imagine it. Anna, soro...left me cold. Too many historical and literary references and I believe when you add an inscription in Latin which is important to the story you might want to translate it for those of us whose H.S. Latin is long part of our past.
A quote that set me back as I am one of us who read, read, read: "To read books was like swigging brandy: it was a way of numbing oneself into not being there."

[Iosiv Basarab · Rating 3 out of 5]

these stories were fine, however, they ended before really starting, so reading this book left me rather frustrated (than satisfied), hence the rating.. otherwise, the stories are well written (what else to expect from such a monumental author?), intriguing and puzzling