Les Justes/The Just Assassins

Author

Albert Camus

Back Cover

“En février 1905, à Moscou, un groupe de terroristes, appartenant au parti socialiste révolutionnaire, organisait un attentat à la bombe contre le grand-duc Serge, oncle du tsar. Cet attenant et les circonstances singulières qui l’ont précédé et suivi font le sujet des Justes. Si extraordinaires que puissent paraître, en effet, certaines des situations de cette pièce, elles sont pourtant historiques. Ceci ne veut pas dire, on le verra d’ailleurs, que Les Justes soient une pièce historique. Mais tous les personnages ont réellement existé et se sont conduits comme je le dis. J’ai seulement tâché à rendre vraisemblable ce qu’il était déjà vrai. 

J’ai même gardé au héros des  Justes, Kaliayev, le nom qu’il a réellement porté. Je ne l’ai pas fait par paresse d’imagination, mais par respect et admiration pour des hommes et des femmes qui, dans la plus impitoyable des tâches, n’ont pas pu guérir de leur cœur. On a fait des progrès depuis, il est vrai, et la haine qui pesait sur ces âmes exceptionnelles comme une intolérable souffrance est devenue un système confortable. Raison de plus pour evoquer ces grandes ombres, leur juste revolte, leur fraternite difficile, les efforts demesures qu’elles firent pour se mettre en accord avec le meurtre – et pour dire ainsi ou est notre fidelite.”

The Just Assassins is a play in five acts which was performed for the first time in 1949. Camus was inspired by a 1905 event where a group of revolutionaries in Russia planned an attack against the Arch Duke who was an uncle to the Russian Tsar. In January 1905, in Moscow, a group of terrorists linked to the revolutionary socialist party organized an attack and the proceeding circumstances are the object of this play.

Our Thoughts

Ça m’étonne que je n’en ai pas lu car mes spécialistes pendant mes études étaient l’histoire russe et la littérature française. Les Justes est une combinaison des deux! Et ça ne prend pas en compte mon intérêt pour les œuvres de Camus.

En 1905 à Moscou, un groupe de terroristes socialistes révolutionnaires organisent un attentat contre le grand-duc. Alors que je comprenais les questions philosophiques évoquées tout au long de la pièce, il était plus difficile pour moi d’en profiter pleinement compte tenu de la façon dont les attenants ont tous marqué la réalité dans chaque pays où j’habitais.  Malgré qu’il couvre beaucoup de mes intérêts, la pièce était vraiment difficile d’en profiter pleinement ou de comprendre la logique présentée à cause de l’expérience vécue. 

While Camus and Russia were my two specialties in undergrad, I never got around to reading this book. I did understand the ideas, philosophy, and logic being presented throughout the piece, but I had a hard time fully embracing the story. Having lived in three countries who have greatly been impacted by terrorist attacks, it was hard for me to truly engage in the discussion of engagement or the shaming of those who chose not to throw a bomb that would kill children and bystanders. Sometimes older works do not work as well as the world moves on and various aspects of life become highly sensitized or completely desensitized.

Genre:

Play

Page Count: 150

There’s Only One Paris

Author

April Lily Heise

Back Cover

“There’s only one Paris, and however hard living here may be, and if it became worse and even harder, [the city does] a world of good.” — Vincent van Gogh. In the midst of a global pandemic, the artist’s words resonate more than ever. Through a series of interconnected stories, we journey to Paris for a glimpse at how it and its residents are adapting to the “new normal.” As we traverse Paris’s 20 arrondissements, we encounter an eclectic cast of characters who must confront a range of new challenges and emotions provoked by Covid-19. By daring to overcome anxiety, loneliness and stubbornness, they find courage, love and—most importantly, hope—exactly what we need in these uncertain times. In the face of adversity, the City of Light always sparkles—and proves it does a world of good.“

Our Thoughts

This book felt like a walk in Paris. I really enjoyed how each arrondissement has its own unique story with flashes of the other characters popping up from time to time. It always made me smile when I made the connection from story to story of main characters becoming side characters in another’s narrative. I can’t choose which is my favorite because each has its own style and flavor to offer (although I do have a least favorite…more on that later). I loved the diversity of the stories in terms of the Parisian story – there was a mix of everything that made this book relatable and truly reflective of the real Paris. Everyone had found their way to this ever changing yet always present city for different reasons and from different backgrounds. It was clear in the historical details, the choice and description of the Paris spots that were highlighted and the genuine admiration of Paris that shines through that this book was written with immense love for a city that has brought so much to so many. I’m not going to lie – it was wild to read about COVID in a fiction. It really struck me as such a marker of time and of this significant event to read about someone thinking about a mask in their handbag or how far someone was standing from them on the metro. Very relatable! Which brings me to the metro and as hinted at my least favorite. However, it isn’t for the reason you may think. I really enjoyed how the Parisian metro weaves its way throughout the entire city and the book in an all too accurate way. I was having such anxiety for the poor chap the entire time!!! It goes to show how much I was living and traveling through this book if I was getting all upset about the metro experience! 

All in all, this was a really cute read. I enjoyed getting to virtually travel to Paris and discover neighborhoods and areas that I didn’t know about. Next time I found myself in Paname I will definitely keep my eye out for a few of the fun tidbits I learned from @jetaimemeneither! “There’s Only One Paris” by April Lily Heist is available in paper book, e-book, and audiobook! 

Genre:

Fiction, Short Stories

Page Count: 346

Episode 25|2 : A Return to my Native Land

Searching for Justice: Proust and the Dreyfus Affair – Les Bookworms

We're back on the Proust train. This episode covers the first chapter of Volume 3 – The Guermantes Way (Le Côté de Guermantes). We focus on the Dreyfus Affair and its role in French society at the time of Proust and today.

1. Searching for Justice: Proust and the Dreyfus Affair 40:50
2. Through the Pages of Time 55:01
3. In Search of Lost Podcasts: Les Bookworms Revival 28:08
4. 2 Down 5 to Go: Reflections on Volume II of Proust 30:07
5. A mix of gumption and courage: Paris memoirs 26:56

Overview

This long surrealist poem uses automatism to convey a very personal message of missing one’s home and a larger cultural message that critiques racism and French colonialism. Due to the stream of consciousness aspect of the poem, it reads somewhere in between poetry and prose but can be a bit tricky to read.  “A Return to my Native Land” has been called the first “grand cri noir” or black cry as it takes the reader on an emotional at times spiritual and perhaps even existential journey of hope and despair. The poem was refused for publication by many French editors, and it was through Andre Breton, a French poet and writer, who met Aime Cesaire while in Martinique, that this poem or in Breton’s words “nothing less than the greatest lyrical monument of our times” was published. 

Country

France and Martinique

Overarching Themes

1. Aime Cesaire
2. Negritude
3. Resentment/Anger of oppression

How does this book question the idea of the Francophonie? (Does it go against the grain? Does it stay stereotypical?) 

Greatly, I hope from our conversation and the themes we chose to highlight it is clear how great of an influence Aime Cesaire had on France throughout his lifetime. He questioned the Francophonie and its core tenants. He exposed the ugly and then worked to fix it.