Marguerite yourcenar and the phallacy of indifference. Marguerite yourcenar instantly assumes command of our imagination in her novel the abyss. A novel like marguerite yourcenars memoirs of hadrian undeniably transports the reader back to the time of hadrian, but it does not relate the progress of his life exactly the way it was. We met in paris, grace frick and margueritte yourcenar fusac. Marguerite yourcenar was a belgian novelist and essayist born in brussels, belgium, who. After the abyss, yourcenars most important project was a threevolume biography of her familybasically, it is another historical novelwith the overall title le labyrinthe du. Marguerite yourcenars novel of sixteenth century europe is, like memoirs of hadrian, essentially a meditation on the nature and condition of man. Its narrative centers on the life and death of zeno, a physician, philosopher. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author.
Find films and movies featuring marguerite yourcenar on allmovie. The book was published in france in 1968 and was met with immediate popular interest as well as critical acclaim, obtaining the prix femina with. Marguerite yourcenar was born on june 8, 1903, and baptized marguerite antoinette ghislaine. As such, her account was affected by the changes that. Essays and criticism on marguerite yourcenar, including the works memoirs of hadrian, the abyss, an obscure man magills survey of world literature. Lacking a patrimony, bastard son that he is, zeno is born into a mercantile flemish family in 1510, raised by a. Marguerite yourcenar was born on june 8, 1903 in brussels, belgium. Yourcenars memoirs of hadrian 1951 is, for a scattered audience, a surreptitious touchstone. The princeton writings of the reverend jonathan townley crane by thomas a.
The abyss, like the memoirs of hadrian, brings an era back to life. The stage is the counterreformation and late renaissance, and the protagonist is zeno, a. Marguerite yourcenar is currently considered a single author. Alexis 1929 by marguerite yourcenar it was with alexis that, in 1928, marguerite yourcenar began her career as a novelist. Marguerite yourcenar marguerite yourcenar poems poem. Marguerite yourcenar french novelist, poet, essayist, dramatist, world traveller, and translator marguerite yourcenar 19031987 was the first woman elected to the french academy 1. Marguerite yourcenar by fischerz, released 04 january 1992. Marguerite yourcenar movies and filmography allmovie. The abyss by marguerite yourcenar fantastic fiction. Memories of marguerite yourcenar surface syracuse university. The first woman elected 1980 to the prestigious french academy, yourcenar moved to the united states in 1939, became an american citizen in 1947. Zeno is an unusual character for these times, i suppose for any times actually, a person intent on finding his own truth and of undefined religious belonging.
It was with alexis that, in 1928, marguerite yourcenar began her career as a novelist. Marguerite yourcenar 8 june 1903 17 december 1987 was a belgianborn french novelist and essayist. At first glance, the works of marguerite yourcenar seem far removed from any specifically female or feminist preoccupation and the author herself vigorously affirms the universality of her writing. Marguerite yourcenar worked with full consciousness and deep knowledge in the. Zenon, the hero of the abyss, is much closer to the author as he shares with her the passion for the unknown countries of the soul and the spirit. The rupture of established notions is a great crack in the heart of. Its the latter man, zeno, who becomes one of the most unusual heroes in modern novels. Marguerite yourcenars novel the memoirs of hadrian is a plotless masterpiece that captivates readers with the quality of the emperors thought and powers of observation. Her mother died ten days later from complications from giving birth. Crayencour was educated at home in french flanders and spent much of her early. One is looking for worldly pleasures, the other for something more serious. The abyss work by yourcenar britannica encyclopedia britannica.
The abyss by marguerite yourcenar the 2356th greatest. The abyss book by marguerite yourcenar thriftbooks. Marshall, marguerite yourcenar gave to the syracuse university library several early inscribed. She died on december 17, 1987 in mount desert island, maine, usa. Marshall, professor emerita of english, 31 syracuse university marguerite yourcenar, alchemist by rhoda lerman, novelist 51 a legacy for stephen crane. Yourcenar discusses zenos enlightenment perspective and the concept of l. Hear an excerpt from the abyss describing his laboratory. The book remains one of the stellar literary debuts of the century. Complete dustjacket description 1976 fsg hardcover edition. Yourcenar has created a moving meditation on the relationship between pleasure and love. The abyss, an imaginary biography of a 16thcentury. The abyss is a 1968 novel by the belgianfrench writer marguerite yourcenar. But unlike the hadrian it is direct narrative, and is somber, even bitter in tone, portraying the struggle of a free mind in highly troubled times.
Opus nigrum the abyss, an old alchemic formula for the masterpiece which also symbolizes the evidence of the spirit in its process of liberation, is the title selected by marguerite yourcenar to outline the life of zenon, a character inspired by the german chemist paracelso, the spanish doctor miguel servet, the italian philosopher tommaso. Nouvelles orientales how wangfo was saved markos smile the milk of death the last love of prince genji the man who loved the nereids our ladyoftheswallows aphrodissia, the widow kali beheaded the end of marko kraljevic the sadness of cornelius berg postscript. Open library is an initiative of the internet archive, a 501c3 nonprofit, building a digital library of internet sites and other cultural artifacts in digital form. Loeuvre au noir is taken from a marguerite yourcenar novel, and shows the austerity she was famous for. We met in paris is the double biography of grace frick, companion of marguerite yourcenar and of yourcenar herself by joan e. Marguerite yourcenar, novelist, essayist, and shortstory writer who became the first woman to be elected to the academie francaise french academy, an exclusive literary institution with a membership limited to 40.
Her father took her to montnoir in the french flanders, where she was brought up and educated at home. The abyss is a remarkable study of two men in early sixteenth century europe. Yourcenar traces the mans intellectual growth against the background of a europe whose collective mind. The abyss marguerite yourcenar novel project gutenberg. The abyss, an imaginary biography of a 16thcentury alchemist and scholar. Yourcenar synonyms, yourcenar pronunciation, yourcenar translation, english dictionary definition of yourcenar. Among yourcenar s other works are the short stories collected in nouvelles orientales 1938. July 2, 1984 originally written in 1928, never before translated into english, this slim first novel by french womanofletters yourcenar a coin in nine hands, fires, memoirs of hadrian is a long letter of farewellconfession from a young homosexual husband to his pious, sweet young wife of three years. The abyss is one of the two books that haunted marguerite yourcenar during her whole life, the other one being the famous memoirs of hadrian. Gullason, professor ofenglish, 55 university of rhode island. Everyday low prices on a huge range of new releases and classic fiction. Almost before we know it, the author establishes a scene a road.
The younger, sixteenyearold henry maximilian, has set out to become a. Most critics of marguerite yourcenar largely ignore the existence of the complex network. Almost before we know it the author establishes a scene and time, and engages us in the fate of two cousins. The abyss is a more awkward and problematical book whose greatest excitements work against some of its qualities as a novel. Marguerite yourcenar world literature analysis essay. It cannot, because yourcenar was not a roman scribe. Yourcenar article about yourcenar by the free dictionary. Yourcenar definition of yourcenar by the free dictionary.
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