Quote:
Originally Posted by Archaea
Have you read Pardonnez nos offenses, or Forgive our sins. It seems to me a novel which you would enjoy if you have not read it. Set in the thirteenth century France southwest of France. Fascinating view of the mixture of religion, philosophy and mysticism as it were.
The problem with picking several favorite French novels is the sheer volume which have made it into English speaking mainstream. With Russians, we're not being invaded at the same rate.
I can't even name the same number of Spanish language novels and certainly not from Italian or any other language.
Chinese works are interesting that have made it into translation.
So you grew to care about Emma? I found her too self-absorbed and much preferred Anna Karenina to Emmay Bovary, but Flaubert's "le mot juste" makes the French fun to read. I wish I read Russian but alas we'll have to rely upon Mudphud Coug.
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One thing Flaubert does so brilliantly is make the religious and modernists/atheists alike look foolish, and as two sides of the same coin. Tolstoy does much the same thing. Flaubert in Madame Bovary seems more spare and effortless than AK. I think MB must have hugely influenced Tolstoy. In the end Tolstoy is more judgmental of Anna, I think, though he condemns Russian high society no less. Tolstoy has a heavier hand. MB came first but feels more contemporary to me.