For Malia and Sasha - Proust Rather than Astérix Comics!
"The
Sarkozys brought the daughters of the president of the United States some Astérix comic books. One may wonder if the
adventures of these 'Indomitable Gauls who hold out against the invader' will
be to the liking of Malia and Sasha. Were there no other books to offer them
that would have embodied French genius?"
A character from the French comic book series Asterix: Was this a gift that will instill in the Obama daughters, a sense of French genius?
He looked so happy, our president,
the other night at the White House! He looked funny, almost relaxed. The total
opposite of the nervous and brittle Sarkozy we're used to seeing on this side
of the Atlantic. True, we were far from all the usual French annoyances. No
revolt from the UMP deputies, no debate over the tax shield, no lessons to be
learned from the regional elections - no, nothing but important issues like
Iran, the Near East, French-American relations … nothing but weighty, serious topics.
The American president,
basking in the glow of his success over the health reform, played the card of
regained entente
cordiale[rediscovered harmony]. This is classic for Fifth Republic
presidents: when things go wrong in our country, let’s travel the world to try
and restore some political strength.
After a brief press
conference [watch below], it was time for "the" dinner in the
“private” residence of the Obama couple. A total black-out on this one: no
pictures whatsoever; and even the menu was kept secret. One detail, however,
was revealed by the Elysée:
the Sarkozys brought the daughters of the president of the United States some Astérix comic books. [The
series follows the exploits of a village of ancient Gauls as they resist Roman
occupation in the first century BC.]. It was a nice but debatable choice. Let us
hope that our head of state didn’t choose those entitled “The Battle of the
Chiefs,” the “The Discord” or “Caesar’s Gift.” One may wonder
if the adventures of these “indomitable Gauls who hold out against the invader”
will be to the liking of Malia and Sasha (11 and 8 years old). Were there no
other books to offer them that would have embodied French genius?
French
President Nicolas Sarkozy and President Barack
From Goscinny, the author of Asterix,
and despite the similarities in name, Le Petit Nicolas would perhaps
have been more sensible. … And if by chance in the years to come the Sarkozys
were to return to the White House, they might consider, In Search of Lost
Time. In the introduction to the gorgeous Swann’s Way edition, published
by GF Flammarion (2009, 692 pages, €7.30), American writer Daniel Mendelsohn
explains why he so loves Proust.
French novelist and essayist Marcel Proust, 1871-1922: His novel In Search of Lost Time had a termendous impact on Western literature.
“I was 20 and in my second
year of classic letters at the University of Virginia,” recalls the author of The
Lost: A Search for Six of Six Million(winner of the 2007 Prix Médicis).
With Jenny, a friend from Greece, he decided to read Swann’s Way aloud, at
the pace of a few pages a day. “It was as if lightning struck after the first
few lines," Mendelsohn said. As soon as Jenny started reading, I was struck
with a sense of gratitude, and I knew that this was a book that would stay with
me all my life.”
Posted
by WORLDMEETS.US
In the very interesting
article entitled, Proust Rediscovered in the latest issue of the Littéraire
Magazine, Antoine Compagnon wrote: “One must read Proust - quickly, but also
slowly, laughing but sometimes crying, with a grain of salt, but also with very
serious intent. Reading In Search of Lost Time, but also other novels,
helps writers become authors of this life.” We all should read (or reread) In
Search of Lost Time.
[Editor's Note: Proust's In
Search of Lost Time is known for introducing the idea of involuntary memory,
in which cues encountered in everyday life evoke recollections of the past
without conscious effort.]
