I read it in French and I don't think it's better than in English, based on the excerpts Henry read in his videos. I think you get the feel for this book just as well in the original or in the translation. This one didn't really work for me, but at least I can check Gide off my list of French classic authors to read.
This has been an interesting read along! There were some moments of absolute gems in this novel but I liked the phrase “formidable erosions of contour” Forster uses in his review. I see what Gide was doing with combining the truth in art and truth in life- but I am not sure it left me feeling resolved in either. Maybe that was the point. Perhaps this is a book Gide intended everyone to read at least twice.
I really didn’t like this one. It was just too weird!
Perhaps it is better in French.
But I enjoyed exposure to this novelist who won the Nobel prize in his day.
I read it in French and I don't think it's better than in English, based on the excerpts Henry read in his videos. I think you get the feel for this book just as well in the original or in the translation. This one didn't really work for me, but at least I can check Gide off my list of French classic authors to read.
This has been an interesting read along! There were some moments of absolute gems in this novel but I liked the phrase “formidable erosions of contour” Forster uses in his review. I see what Gide was doing with combining the truth in art and truth in life- but I am not sure it left me feeling resolved in either. Maybe that was the point. Perhaps this is a book Gide intended everyone to read at least twice.
I found it a very challenging read and the end very shocking but I did find the different sources and ideas about writing really interesting.