| Author |
Nerval, Gérard de, 1808-1855 |
| Commentator |
Lang, Andrew, 1844-1912 |
| Translator |
Page, Lucie (Lucie Elizabeth) |
| Title |
Sylvie: souvenirs du Valois
|
| Note |
Reading ease score: 75.1 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read.
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| Credits |
Produced by Marc D'Hooghe (From images generously made available by the Hathi Trust)
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| Summary |
"Sylvie: Souvenirs du Valois" by Gérard de Nerval is a novel written in the mid-19th century. The narrative revolves around the interplay of love and memory, focusing on the experiences of the protagonist, who reflects on his past relationships with two women: the innocent Sylvie from his childhood and the ethereal Adrienne, an actress whose allure captivates him. Through lyrical prose infused with nostalgia, the work delves into themes of idealized love, lost youth, and the melancholic nature of desire. The opening of the novel paints a vivid picture of the protagonist’s emotional world, as he emerges from a theater immersed in thoughts of an actress he admires. He reflects on a year of unexamined love for her, while also recalling a complex bond with Sylvie, a peasant girl from his youth. The protagonist battles feelings of longing and guilt as memories of Sylvie’s innocence clash with the actress’s enticing presence. Amidst a backdrop of societal changes and a personal crisis of identity, he faces the bittersweet realization that his dreams of love may lead to disillusionment, ultimately laying the groundwork for a poignant exploration of the interplay between fantasy and reality. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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| Language |
English |
| LoC Class |
PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
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| Subject |
French fiction -- Translations into English
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| Subject |
Unrequited love -- Fiction
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| Category |
Text |
| EBook-No. |
40492 |
| Release Date |
Aug 13, 2012 |
| Most Recently Updated |
Apr 3, 2024 |
| Copyright Status |
Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads |
272 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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