My fashion illustration of the day + book review / Moja modna ilustracija dana + ogled knjige ( Le Diable au corps) 6.12.2016

This morning I read an amazing novel. Le Diable au corps (translated as The Devil In the Flesh) is a novel by Raymond Radiquet. Believe it or not, this was by first book by this French writer. I don't think I even heard of him before, which is odd, but well, it happens. In his time, Raymond was quite a celebrity and he is still considered as one of the important French writers of that period. Did I like this novel? Quite frankly, I loved it. I just couldn't put this novel down. I must have read it an hour or so. I got up a bit more earlier this morning so I actually had time to read it with my morning coffee (it is not a very long novel but still it is amazing how easy it was to find one's self glued to those pages). Perhaps I should make it a habit, getting up more early so I can read more. 

Jutros sam pročitala divan roman. Đavo u tijelu  (naslov izvornika Le Diable au corps) je roman Raymonda Radiqueta. Vjerovali ili ne, ovo je moj prvi roman ovoga pisca. Mislim da nikad prije nisam čula za njega, što je neobično, ali događa se. U svoje vrijeme Raymond je bio zvijezda, a i danas se smatra jednim od važnih francuskih pisaca toga vremena. Je li mi se svidio ovaj roman? Veoma. Jednostavno ga nisam mogla odložiti. Sigurno sam ga pročitala u sat ili tako nešto. Jutros sam ustala malo ranije tako da sam ga mogla pročitati uz jutarnju kavu ( to nije dugačak roman, ali opet nevjerovatno je koliko se je lako jednostavno zalijepiti se za stranice). Možda bi mi to trebala biti nova navika, ustajati rano da mogu više čitati. 

Raymond was born in 1903 and died in 1923, when he was only 20 years old. I suppose that his premature departure might have had something to do with the high sales of this novel, but if this book is anything to go by, he really was an amazingly talented writer.  This novel tells a story about a sixteen year old that falls in love and has an affair with a married woman (who is nineteen herself so in a way she is still a girl too). The story is set in the time of the first world war and it was published shortly after it. It caused a scandal when it was published, which makes me think of this book (which was also considered shocking at its time). However, I doubt that this novel would raise any eyebrows today.  There are no explicit or graphic scenes in the novel  but it does talk about adultery quite openly.  Is it a bit reminiscent of Anna Karenina? I would say yes, the female protagonist does make me think of Anna for more reasons than one. Anyhow, I do recommend this novel. 

Raymond je rođen 1903. a umro je 1923. godine. kada je imao samo 20 godina. Pretpostavljam da  je njegov prerani odlazak potpomogao prodaju romana, ali sudeći po ovoj knjizi, doista je bio nevjerovatno talentiran pisac. Ovaj roman priča priču šestaestogodišnjega mladića koji se zaljubljuje i ima vezu s udanom ženom (mada se i nju može nazvati djevojkom jer joj je tek devetnaest godina).  Priča je smještena u vrijeme prvoga svjetskoga rata, a  izdana je nedugo nakon rata, izazivajući skandal po objavljivanju (što me podsjeća na ovaj roman). No, mislim da danas ovaj roman i ne bi izazvao čuđenje. Nema nikakvih eksplicitnih ili napadnih scena u njemu. Istina, priča o preljubu na otvoren način. Podsjeća li na Anu Kareninu? Rekla bi da, ženski glavi lik me na više načina podsjeća na nju. U svakom slučaju, preporučila bi ovaj roman. 

“Facing death calmly is praiseworthy only if one faces it alone. Death together is no longer death, even for unbelievers. The source of sorrows lies not in leaving life, but in leaving that which gives it meaning. When love is our whole life, what difference is there between living together and dying together ?”

“Is the selfishness of children really so different from our own? During the summer in the country we curse the rain, while the farmers are crying out for it.”

“The flavour of that first kiss disappointed me, like fruit you taste for the first time. It's not in new things that we experience the greatest pleasure, but in habit.”

“To contemplate death calmly only makes sense if we do it alone. Death as a couple isn’t death, not even for unbelievers. What distresses us is not losing life, but losing what gives it meaning. When a loved one is our life, what difference is there between living together and dying together?”

“My love made everything more complex. Just as I misinterpreted the things that Marthe said, thinking I was giving them deeper meaning, I analysed her silences. Perhaps I’d always been mistaken; a certain impact, which can’t be described, tells us we’ve hit the nail on the head. My joys, my fears were more intense. Lying beside her, a desire to be alone in my own bed at home would unexpectedly seize hold of me, make me see how unbearable life together would be. Yet I couldn’t imagine living without Marthe. I was beginning to undergo the punishment for adultery...."

“Talora succede che questa somiglianza morale si estenda al piano fisico. Sguardo, andatura: più volte degli sconosciuti ci scambiarono per fratello e sorella. Ci sono infatti in noi germi di somiglianza che è poi l’amore a sviluppare. Un gesto, un’inflessione della voce tradiscono prima o poi anche gli amanti più accorti.
Se è vero che il cuore ha ragioni che la ragione non conosce, ciò accade perché quest’ultima è meno ragionevole del nostro cuore. Probabilmente siamo tutti dei Narcisi che amano e detestano la propria immagine, ma a cui qualunque altra è indifferente. È proprio questo istinto della somiglianza a guidarci nella vita, gridandoci “alt!” davanti a un paesaggio, a una donna o a una poesia. Possiamo ammirarne altri, ma non sentiamo la medesima scossa. L’istinto della somiglianza è l’unica linea di condotta che non sia artificiale. Tuttavia in società solo gli spiriti volgari sembreranno non peccare contro la morale, inseguendo sempre lo stesso tipo.”

What does this novel have to do with my painting of the day? Well, nothing really. I just wanted to share this recommendation. I might write a longer review soon. My illustration is actually inspired by an outfit that I wore many Summers ago. Is it a case of Summer Nostalgia? I don't think so. I'm happy that it is Autumn. I even don't mind the cold weather we're been having. Perhaps it will even help us get rid of all those nasty viruses that have been going around. That's me. Always an optimist. At least when it comes to short term plans

Kakve veze roman ima s mojom ilustracijom dana? Pa zapravo nikakve. Samo sam htjela podijeliti ovu preporuku. Možda napišem i duži ogled uskoro. Moja ilustracija je zapravo nadahnuta odjevnom kombinacijom koju sam nosila prije dosta ljeta. Je li u pitanju nostalgija za ljetom? Mislim da nije. Drago mi je što je jesen. Čak mi ne smeta ni hladnije vrijeme. Možda nam pomogne da se riješimo svih tih ružnih virusa koji se vrte uokolo. To sam ja. Vječni optimist. Barem što se tiče kratkoročnih planova.