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iona8's review against another edition
« O petite âme, est-ce qu'il était possible que je vous visse sans que je vous aimasse ? »
leelulah's review against another edition
5.0
Yes, it might have more biblical intertextuality than you think for the year it was published in. Besides belonging to the expression of the catholic beliefs from the author, it has a lot to do with the fact that the characters live in the middle ages.
The story of Violaine and her family is displayed through the book. Violaine is the oldest daugher of Anne and Elisabeth Vercont. She has a sister, Mara and a fiancé, Jacques Hurdy.
In this play of 4 acts, we see how in her aspiration of sanctity, Violaine kisses a leprous man (Pierre de Craon) that turned out to be a church builder, which tried to forced her. She forgives him and kisses him in the face. Her sister sees the scene without listening to the rest of the context, which was a discussion about sanctity and full of envy, since she wanted to marry Jacques, thinks her sister has cheated on her fiancé.
Mara convinces her mother to talk to Violaine, so she can be persuaded of not marrying Jacques.
As a consequence of this, Violaine has leprosy, and feels that the only way to be completely honest with her future husband is to tell him that she's sick. He immediatly assumes that she has been unfaithful and shows no mercy, no doubt in leaving her.
Violaine decides to leave the house to "go on a trip" and her father decides to go away, in a peregrination to Jerusalem. He lends every property to Jacques.
Years go by and Anne is not back from his mission, Elisabeth dies.
With Violaine out of the scene, Mara seems to get what she wanted until her daughter dies, and since it's a well known rumor that Violaine has a special communication with God and is a saint, she wants him to ressurect the baby but her sister refuses.
After insistance and a proof of Mara's faith, Violaine is finally able to produce the miracle, and the little baby's eyes change to a deep blue color, which was Violaine's. Jacques distrusts her wife and knows that Violaine cured her. Mara kills her sister in a clear analogy with the biblical episode of Abel and Cain, except that the end varies a little because she's forgiven when she confesses her crime.
The alternate ending features some slight differences. The symbolism of Pierre de Craon being cured, and his name being Pierre, same as Pete, the rock of the church, the way in which he refers to his work as "an Eve of stone extracted from his side in the dream of pain" does not only refer Genesis but to the episode of Jesus and the spear, that took place as he was being tortured in the Cross.
Violaine and Pierre, both leprouses, find a way to be excluded from the world yet care for it, and approach sanctity, even though it's clear that Violaine seems much more free from fault since the beginning and Pierre de Craon takes the illness as a punishment from his lust. It was a common belief that this health issue was a product of lust, something as divine punishment.
Mara is unloved in appareance due to her envious, selfish behaviour but in the end she's forgiven. Jacques searches for what's fair and in the end he discovers he has misjudged the protagonist of this story. Anne Vercont, even when he's one of the most faithful characters, won't be the same when he comes back from Jersualen, being the one that calls to forgive the sins and go on, being the one that loses both his daughter and wife, because of events that develop when he's away.
Only Violaine remains as pure as ever, as image of Mary.
The story of Violaine and her family is displayed through the book. Violaine is the oldest daugher of Anne and Elisabeth Vercont. She has a sister, Mara and a fiancé, Jacques Hurdy.
In this play of 4 acts, we see how in her aspiration of sanctity, Violaine kisses a leprous man (Pierre de Craon) that turned out to be a church builder, which tried to forced her. She forgives him and kisses him in the face. Her sister sees the scene without listening to the rest of the context, which was a discussion about sanctity and full of envy, since she wanted to marry Jacques, thinks her sister has cheated on her fiancé.
Mara convinces her mother to talk to Violaine, so she can be persuaded of not marrying Jacques.
As a consequence of this, Violaine has leprosy, and feels that the only way to be completely honest with her future husband is to tell him that she's sick. He immediatly assumes that she has been unfaithful and shows no mercy, no doubt in leaving her.
Violaine decides to leave the house to "go on a trip" and her father decides to go away, in a peregrination to Jerusalem. He lends every property to Jacques.
Years go by and Anne is not back from his mission, Elisabeth dies.
With Violaine out of the scene, Mara seems to get what she wanted until her daughter dies, and since it's a well known rumor that Violaine has a special communication with God and is a saint, she wants him to ressurect the baby but her sister refuses.
After insistance and a proof of Mara's faith, Violaine is finally able to produce the miracle, and the little baby's eyes change to a deep blue color, which was Violaine's. Jacques distrusts her wife and knows that Violaine cured her. Mara kills her sister in a clear analogy with the biblical episode of Abel and Cain, except that the end varies a little because she's forgiven when she confesses her crime.
The alternate ending features some slight differences. The symbolism of Pierre de Craon being cured, and his name being Pierre, same as Pete, the rock of the church, the way in which he refers to his work as "an Eve of stone extracted from his side in the dream of pain" does not only refer Genesis but to the episode of Jesus and the spear, that took place as he was being tortured in the Cross.
Violaine and Pierre, both leprouses, find a way to be excluded from the world yet care for it, and approach sanctity, even though it's clear that Violaine seems much more free from fault since the beginning and Pierre de Craon takes the illness as a punishment from his lust. It was a common belief that this health issue was a product of lust, something as divine punishment.
Mara is unloved in appareance due to her envious, selfish behaviour but in the end she's forgiven. Jacques searches for what's fair and in the end he discovers he has misjudged the protagonist of this story. Anne Vercont, even when he's one of the most faithful characters, won't be the same when he comes back from Jersualen, being the one that calls to forgive the sins and go on, being the one that loses both his daughter and wife, because of events that develop when he's away.
Only Violaine remains as pure as ever, as image of Mary.
twinofarabella's review against another edition
2.0
« L'annnonce faite à Marie » est indéniablement le chef d'iœuvre de Paul Claudel.
En général, je n'aime pas les livres qui traitent des sujets religieux mais celui-ci m'a plu beaucoup. Même si notre pauvre Violaine n'est pas coupable, elle souffre trop. Je crois que son personnage représente la pureté, dans tous les sens. Elle pardonne à tous néanmoins ils ne le méritent pas.
Le personnage de Mara est peut-être une représentation de tous les maux dans ce monde parce qu'il n y a aucune action postive faite de sa part.
Je suis un peu déçue par Jacques parce qu'il n'a pas réussi à comprendre et accepter Violaine telle quelle elle était.
Le message qu'on peut tirer de cette histoire c'est qu'on doit pardonner à tous le monde et à nous-mêmes pour pouvoir vivre paisiblement ou pour avoir une âme tranquille.
En général, je n'aime pas les livres qui traitent des sujets religieux mais celui-ci m'a plu beaucoup. Même si notre pauvre Violaine n'est pas coupable, elle souffre trop. Je crois que son personnage représente la pureté, dans tous les sens. Elle pardonne à tous néanmoins ils ne le méritent pas.
Le personnage de Mara est peut-être une représentation de tous les maux dans ce monde parce qu'il n y a aucune action postive faite de sa part.
Je suis un peu déçue par Jacques parce qu'il n'a pas réussi à comprendre et accepter Violaine telle quelle elle était.
Le message qu'on peut tirer de cette histoire c'est qu'on doit pardonner à tous le monde et à nous-mêmes pour pouvoir vivre paisiblement ou pour avoir une âme tranquille.
lemonade_lover's review against another edition
3.0
What did I read?!? Seriously it felt like me and the people who wrote the synopsis read almost different books. Either way Mara is a legend, fave character from this book.
*I had to bump my rating because I realized that it was pretty interesting
*I had to bump my rating because I realized that it was pretty interesting