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3.57 AVERAGE
3.57 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was equal parts good and bad for me. There were certain parts that were romantic, humorous and entertaining, and others where I genuinely had no idea what was going on. I think in order to truly understand and appreciate this book, you need quite a comprehensive knowledge of French history (or just to be French in the first place). Frédéric misses out on every opportunity ever put before him in favour of romance, which appears noble on the surface until he has to face the consequences. I liked all the characters and their development, even if parts of the story were either truly dull or just went over my head. Regardless, I was rushing to finish it and move on.
It's hard to know if I liked Flaubert's writing style, because I can never know if the translation truly reflects it unless I struggle through the original French. I was a bit put off by some of the translation choices at the beginning, but I eventually got used to the style.
It's hard to know if I liked Flaubert's writing style, because I can never know if the translation truly reflects it unless I struggle through the original French. I was a bit put off by some of the translation choices at the beginning, but I eventually got used to the style.
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Bisogna dimenticarsi tutti gli altri romanzi dell'ottocento che si sono letti per apprezzare questo. Per tutta la prima parte mi sono chiesta cosa me ne fregasse della vita di una persona così banale come Frédéric, poi cambia tutta la prospettiva nella lettura e capisci che Flaubert era un genio.
Tutti i suoi personaggi parlano in continuazione, esibendo una eloquenza superficiale e una totale mancanza di valori. Frédéric non riesce a combinare niente della sua vita, vive questo amore immaginato, un po' come la vita dei libri di Emma Bovary, quando si avvicina troppo alle persone vede tutti i loro difetti e si disamora.
Tutti i suoi personaggi parlano in continuazione, esibendo una eloquenza superficiale e una totale mancanza di valori. Frédéric non riesce a combinare niente della sua vita, vive questo amore immaginato, un po' come la vita dei libri di Emma Bovary, quando si avvicina troppo alle persone vede tutti i loro difetti e si disamora.
Frederic meets Madame Arnoux on a ship and falls in love, no matter that she's married. He has affairs and engagements in the years that follow, though always pursuing Mme Arnoux. There are a lot of money making schemes, moves to promote his societal standing, and the French Revolution is in there somewhere, too.
Henry James thought this book was dreary. I don't know that James and I see things the same way most of the time, but I might agree with him on this one. There's so much of the same activities, over and over, and they seem to mean so little. I don't think marriage meant anything other than, for some, a political move, like royal marriages or treaties between nations. It was a different time, I know, but ugh... for the amount of love and passion that's discussed, it didn't exist in this novel.
Food: oatmeal. Bland, lumpy, and you just need to get through it and on to the next meal.
Henry James thought this book was dreary. I don't know that James and I see things the same way most of the time, but I might agree with him on this one. There's so much of the same activities, over and over, and they seem to mean so little. I don't think marriage meant anything other than, for some, a political move, like royal marriages or treaties between nations. It was a different time, I know, but ugh... for the amount of love and passion that's discussed, it didn't exist in this novel.
Food: oatmeal. Bland, lumpy, and you just need to get through it and on to the next meal.
با خواندن مقدمۀ آقای سحابی انتظار این را داشتم که با اثری کلاسیک روبرو نباشم؛ اما هیچوقت فکرش را هم نمیکردم که اثری از نویسندۀ کتاب مادام بوواری، تا این حد متفاوت باشد؛ منظورم از لحاظ توصیفات دقیق و چند صفحه ای یا تشبیهات زیبا و بدیع نیست! بکارگیری این موارد در کنار زیبایی که به اثر میدهد، برای نویسنده ای چون آقای فلوبر عادیست هرچند که در این کتاب اثری استعاره های بی نظیر نیست؛ آنچه کتاب را بنظرم بسیار جذاب میکند، داستان تکان دهندۀ آن است! نه به این معنی که قرار است در داستان اتفاق خاصی بیفتد، بلکه عملاً نشان میدهد قرار نیست هیچ اتفاقی بیفتد ( که همین تکان دهنده است) و زندگی یک آدم شکست خوردۀ احساساتیِ در بند حوادثِ حال را، بدون دید آینده نگرانه، با تفکراتی پوچ و دوستدار تجملات و ظاهرسازی که در آخر به هیچ چیزی جز خود هیچ نمیرسد، نشان میدهد؛ یک نیمچه بورژوازی که مانند بسیاری دیگر خود نمیداند از زندگی چه میخواهد، لحظه ای سرشار از نفرت، ناامیدی و افکار ساختار شکنانه است، اما چند لحظه بعد با وقوع اتفاقی بیخود ناگهان سرشار از امید، عشق و آرزو میشود تا جایی که آرزوی وزیر شدن یا نمایندۀ مجلس شدن را در سر میپروراند! اما جالب آن است که وقتی وارد بطن داستان شدیم، نویسنده کاری میکند که همین شخصیت اصلی احساس همدردی و نزدیکی میکنیم؛ به گونه ای که به فردریک مورو( ضد قهرمان داستان یا همان کاراکتر اصلی) حق های غیر معقولی که از آن خود میپندارد را میدهیم و هنگامی که در اثر حادثه ای بیخود از فردی کینه به دل میگیرد به او همدل میشویم و بیست صفحه بعد هنگام آشتی با همان کاراکتر خوشحال میشویم! بنظر من زیباترین قسمت، فصل آخر داستان بود. هنگامی که نویسنده فردریک را نشان میدهد درحالی که حدود بیست سال پیرتر شده اما در برخورد با معشوقش نشان میدهد از اینکه زندگیش را به هیچ و پوچ، در خیال معشوقی که از آن کس دیگری بود گذرانده حس خاصی (منظورم پشیمانی یا افسوس یا احساساتی این چنین است) جز عشق کامل به معشوق نمیکند و انگار نه انگار چه فرصت هایی را از دست داد! با دوست قدیمی اش به مرور خاطرات میپردازد و باهم به این نتیجه میرسند که «بهترین چیزی که در زندگی نصیبشان شده» رفتن به نشمه خانه ای در دوران دبیرستان بوده که باز هم از ترس از آنجا نیز فرار کردند! همین مسئله نیز به خودی خود نشان میدهد که در زندگی چیزی کسب نکرده و چگونه فرصت های طلایی زندگی را از دست داده است. به همین دلیل بود که در ابتدا گفتم داستان این کتاب چقدر تکان دهنده است!
challenging
slow-paced