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ellies_92's review
5.0
Forse il libro più bello che abbia letto.
Mi ha regalato profonde massime su cui riflettere, riuscendo a descrivere la profondità dei sentimenti umani attraverso l'amore impossibile di una giovane coppia innamorata.
Straziante, mi ha commossa in più punti ma nulla mi avrebbe mai preparata al pianto che mi ha strappato il finale (seppur già sapevo come sarebbe andata!).
Marguerite è uno dei personaggi letterrari che ho amato più finora: questo libro ci apre il mondo emotivo di una cortigiana attraverso una rappresentazione straordinaria per l'epoca in cui è stato scritto, senza discostarsi mai dalla morale cristiana di cui è impregnata la società dell'epoca, partendo dal narratore e Armand stessi.
Dumas figlio ha saputo dare una voce distinta al narratore e Armand, e la sua penna ha creato personaggi credibili, anche quelli meno esplorati.
L'amore di Armand è passionale, geloso e adolescenziale mentre Marguerite ha un'universo emotivo di tutt'altro spessore; difatti nel capitolo XV quando gli espone i suoi sentimenti lo fa apparire ancora più piccolo messo a confronto con l'intelligenza emotiva da lei dimostrata.
Mi ha regalato profonde massime su cui riflettere, riuscendo a descrivere la profondità dei sentimenti umani attraverso l'amore impossibile di una giovane coppia innamorata.
Straziante, mi ha commossa in più punti ma nulla mi avrebbe mai preparata al pianto che mi ha strappato il finale (seppur già sapevo come sarebbe andata!).
Marguerite è uno dei personaggi letterrari che ho amato più finora: questo libro ci apre il mondo emotivo di una cortigiana attraverso una rappresentazione straordinaria per l'epoca in cui è stato scritto, senza discostarsi mai dalla morale cristiana di cui è impregnata la società dell'epoca, partendo dal narratore e Armand stessi.
Dumas figlio ha saputo dare una voce distinta al narratore e Armand, e la sua penna ha creato personaggi credibili, anche quelli meno esplorati.
L'amore di Armand è passionale, geloso e adolescenziale mentre Marguerite ha un'universo emotivo di tutt'altro spessore; difatti nel capitolo XV quando gli espone i suoi sentimenti lo fa apparire ancora più piccolo messo a confronto con l'intelligenza emotiva da lei dimostrata.
thymussilvestris's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
zuzia_dowejko's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
miss_merna's review against another edition
2.0
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.
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.
chiara_dose's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, and Misogyny
ninni83's review against another edition
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
crinela0998's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
mgitelman8's review against another edition
3.0
A tragic love story with a side of time period-appropriate misogyny