A Living Lie

A Living Lie

CHAPTER I. A Provincial Corner of Paris II. Simple Souls III. A Lover and a Snob IV. The 'Sigisbe' V. The Dawn of Love VI. An Observer's Logic VII. The Face of a Madonna VIII. The Other Side of the Picture IX. An Actress in Real Life X. In the Toils XI. Declarations XII. Cruel to be Kind XIII. At Home XIV. Happy Days XV. Colette's Spite XVI. The Story of a Suspicion XVII. Proofs XVIII. The Happiest of the Four XIX. All or Nothing XX. The Abb Taconet In the first place, you must let me thank you for having undertaken the task of introducing 'Mensonges' to the English-reading public; and also express the hope that this novel, which is no longer new, may not cause a recurrence of that misconception which too often arises when a work written in and for a Latin country is suddenly transplanted to Anglo-Saxon soil. One of the most grievous results of such misconception, and one which French writersI speak from experiencefeel most keenly, is the reproach of immorality. Balzac spent a lifetime in defending himself against that charge; so it was with Flaubert; so it is with Emile Zola. I well remember how hurt I felt myself when, in the course of an action brought some ten years since against a publishing firm in Londonwho had, by the way, issued a translation of the work without my permission'Un Crime d'Amour' was harshly spoken of by one of your judges. Not only then, but on many occasions, have I had an opportunity of remarking that the English regard the novelist's art from a standpoint differing entirely from that taken up by French writers. That difference is well worth dwelling upon here, for the problem it raises is neither more nor less than the problem of the whole art of novel-writing. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 65887
Author: Bourget, Paul
Release Date: Jul 21, 2021
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Translator: De Villiers, J. A. J. (John Abraham Jacob), 1863-1931