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meike01's review against another edition
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
vaporization's review against another edition
3.0
Read D'Alembert's Dream. Oddly comical. Heavily erotic.
Diderot must have written this to justify his attraction to goats.
Diderot must have written this to justify his attraction to goats.
generalheff's review against another edition
2.0
Full disclosure: this is a review only of the first work in this book - Rameau’s Nephew. To have claimed the venerated status of Goodreads ‘read’ with only 125 of 237 pages read is, I’m aware, deceptive. But as I purchased this book only because I couldn’t find a Rameau’s Nephew exclusive edition should, I hope, mitigate some of the mendaciousness of my claim.
On to the review. Rameau’s Nephew is a dialogue by famed encyclopaedist Denis Diderot. In it, we hear a discussion between Rameau and the author - Mr Philosopher to Rameau. The discussion itself, in a Paris chess cafe, is mildly amusing as it goes. The younger Rameau (a real person, son of a real composer) is an inveterate scrounger, proudly living off the largess of others.
The book is Rameau’s description of his life, couched in his highly materialistic philosophy. In essence: man should get rich in order to be able to enjoy the material (read: sensuous) pleasures of this world. The book is at its best when Rameau is diving into descriptions of his work as a quasi-professional sycophant, running errands for the great and good of Paris in the hope for a seat at their table. He tells us of the great flatterers who he emulates and admires.
A particularly memorable sequence sees him describe the less pleasant sides of his job - it’s not all free dinners of course. This includes procuring parts for untalented actress-patrons of his. Not only must he demean himself by inveigling upon the playwrights to put these hacks in their plays, but he must then attend the shows as well:
“I had to make my solitary claps resound, make everybody look at me, sometimes steal the hisses from the actress herself and hear them whispering round me: ‘It’s one of the lackeys of the chap who sleeps with her; why won’t the wretch shut up?’ … All I could do was to pass a few sarcastic remarks in order to cover up the absurdity of my solitary applause … You must admit that you need a powerful incentive to brave the whole assembled public in this way, and that each of these ordeals was worth more than half a crown.”
Interspersed among these tales of his craft, we are treated to Rameau jumping up and belting out whole arias or orchestral works - taking on all the parts at once somehow - much to the amusement of passers-by. These brief interludes offer a useful breakup of the action and counterweight to Rameau’s monologues. Indeed, Diderot (the writer’s) tendency to use himself simply as a foil for Rameau’s stories and ‘outrageous’ views is one of the key issues in the book. There is no real sense of ‘dialogue’ here - just a madman raving. A more balanced discussion with a better-rounded-out Diderot character would have made this a little more compelling.
As it is, the work tends towards the sententious. Diderot (both character and author) is a man who values reason and cool judgement. Whether Rameau represents his flirtation with a more hedonistic, base lifestyle that Diderot never could adopt or is meant as a straight inculpation of that lifestyle is unclear. What is clear is that the framing of lots of Rameau’s views as risqué is clearly a product of the time. Much of what the eccentric nephew says will be seen as anything but shocking today. Throw in a shedload of highly specific references to contemporary Parisians and you have a book that might well be important for Diderot fans but is fairly irrelevant read for the modern, non-specialist reader.
On to the review. Rameau’s Nephew is a dialogue by famed encyclopaedist Denis Diderot. In it, we hear a discussion between Rameau and the author - Mr Philosopher to Rameau. The discussion itself, in a Paris chess cafe, is mildly amusing as it goes. The younger Rameau (a real person, son of a real composer) is an inveterate scrounger, proudly living off the largess of others.
The book is Rameau’s description of his life, couched in his highly materialistic philosophy. In essence: man should get rich in order to be able to enjoy the material (read: sensuous) pleasures of this world. The book is at its best when Rameau is diving into descriptions of his work as a quasi-professional sycophant, running errands for the great and good of Paris in the hope for a seat at their table. He tells us of the great flatterers who he emulates and admires.
A particularly memorable sequence sees him describe the less pleasant sides of his job - it’s not all free dinners of course. This includes procuring parts for untalented actress-patrons of his. Not only must he demean himself by inveigling upon the playwrights to put these hacks in their plays, but he must then attend the shows as well:
“I had to make my solitary claps resound, make everybody look at me, sometimes steal the hisses from the actress herself and hear them whispering round me: ‘It’s one of the lackeys of the chap who sleeps with her; why won’t the wretch shut up?’ … All I could do was to pass a few sarcastic remarks in order to cover up the absurdity of my solitary applause … You must admit that you need a powerful incentive to brave the whole assembled public in this way, and that each of these ordeals was worth more than half a crown.”
Interspersed among these tales of his craft, we are treated to Rameau jumping up and belting out whole arias or orchestral works - taking on all the parts at once somehow - much to the amusement of passers-by. These brief interludes offer a useful breakup of the action and counterweight to Rameau’s monologues. Indeed, Diderot (the writer’s) tendency to use himself simply as a foil for Rameau’s stories and ‘outrageous’ views is one of the key issues in the book. There is no real sense of ‘dialogue’ here - just a madman raving. A more balanced discussion with a better-rounded-out Diderot character would have made this a little more compelling.
As it is, the work tends towards the sententious. Diderot (both character and author) is a man who values reason and cool judgement. Whether Rameau represents his flirtation with a more hedonistic, base lifestyle that Diderot never could adopt or is meant as a straight inculpation of that lifestyle is unclear. What is clear is that the framing of lots of Rameau’s views as risqué is clearly a product of the time. Much of what the eccentric nephew says will be seen as anything but shocking today. Throw in a shedload of highly specific references to contemporary Parisians and you have a book that might well be important for Diderot fans but is fairly irrelevant read for the modern, non-specialist reader.
zmb's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
bibliobethreads's review against another edition
2.0
I wasn't sure what I was going to make of this book but I found parts of it incredibly interesting, particularly the more philosphical statements. The rest of it however, just wasn't my bag, but I can understand why others would enjoy it.
watoozi's review against another edition
4.0
Entertaining and instructive, as The Philosopher (Me) would have liked.
7uther's review against another edition
3.0
Just read the Rameau's Nephew half. Interesting piece. The style was difficult to follow at times, but for a piece this old it was very well and approach-ably written.
nikkivrc's review against another edition
3.0
Rameau's Nephew: 4 stars.
This conversation is really incredibly interesting, because not only does it bring up important moral questions, it also offers us a great insight into 18th-century French society. Many artists, politicians, actresses etc that were famous back then are mentioned, and I just love seeing these people through the eyes of someone who lived at the same time. Also, Rameau is one of my favourite composers, so hurrah for the title.
D'Alembert's Dream: 2 stars.
Discussion of physics and biology - I'm not even going to pretend I understood half of it.
This conversation is really incredibly interesting, because not only does it bring up important moral questions, it also offers us a great insight into 18th-century French society. Many artists, politicians, actresses etc that were famous back then are mentioned, and I just love seeing these people through the eyes of someone who lived at the same time. Also, Rameau is one of my favourite composers, so hurrah for the title.
D'Alembert's Dream: 2 stars.
Discussion of physics and biology - I'm not even going to pretend I understood half of it.