As I was beginning to re-read this book,

I suddenly had a realization. It dawned on me that the book was written in the passé simple.

This particular tense in French can sometimes be a bit of a challenge to understand and work with.

It has its own set of rules and conjugations that one needs to master.

And here I was, about to embark on a re-reading of a book written in this tense.

My initial reaction was a bit of a "Boo."

I wasn't overly thrilled about having to grapple with the passé simple again.

But then, I thought to myself, maybe this would be a good opportunity to brush up on my French grammar and get a better understanding of this tense.

So, with a bit of determination, I continued on with my re-reading, ready to face the challenges that the passé simple might present.

I didn't understand a thing.

It was as if the words were in a foreign language that I had never encountered before.

Every sentence seemed to be a jumble of letters and sounds that made no sense to me.

I tried to listen carefully, but it was all in vain.

My mind was completely blank, and I had no idea what was being said.

I felt frustrated and confused, as if I was lost in a world of my own.

It was a strange and uncomfortable feeling, and I just wanted to escape from it.

But I knew that I had to stay and try to make sense of it all.

So I took a deep breath and focused my attention, hoping that something would click and I would finally understand.

But unfortunately, that moment never came, and I was left with a feeling of complete bewilderment.

L’hauré de tornar a llegir. It's a book that has truly captured my heart. The reason I love it so much is that the entire story hinges on that one moment.
I'm left in a state of uncertainty, not knowing if something will happen or not. But I'm already so exposed, just 1cm away from the lips of the other. The anticipation is nerve-wracking.
Moreover, it's incredibly sexy. It's set by the sea, in France, with a café, a married woman, in the 60s, during the nouvelle vague era.
However, at this moment, I don't completely understand it, and that's okay. I know that with each reread, I'll discover new layers and meanings.
This book has a charm that keeps pulling me back, and I can't wait to explore it further.

Moderato Cantabile (published by Τόπος in 2017) is perhaps Marguerite Duras' best book. Two strangers to each other, embroiled in their personal dramas, step into it and try to control their desires for life.

You can remember it forever. Moderato will say measuredly, and cantabile will say singing, it's easy.

Measuredly, like the life of Anna Desbaresdes. Anna is married to a rich entrepreneur about whom we don't learn much; together they have a young boy. Mother and son are the characters with whom Duras will paint the literary canvas.

Together they go to the other side of the provincial town where the boy takes piano lessons. During these lessons, Anna watches him with great intensity. Neither the child seems to love what he is doing, but this does not affect his mother or his teacher. The obligation prevails.

The strict teacher asks various questions about Debussy's Moderato Cantabile sonatina, but the child doesn't seem to know what what he is studying means, and no matter how they turn the conversation, he doesn't answer correctly... He may be doing it on purpose, since he doesn't seem to want to play the role of the good student.

However, during one lesson, a sudden event will force them to interrupt it. Right below the teacher's house, there is a café where it seems that a crime of passion has just been committed; a man has just killed his lover.

Shocked by the event, and with the great curiosity to learn all the details of the horrible crime, Anna will visit the café with her son and there she will meet Sobren, a former worker from her husband's factory. Two people from completely different worlds will come closer, with the backdrop of a strange crime of passion.

Why did the man take the life of his lover? What was he thinking when he did it? Was it true that she asked for it herself?

By exploring the darkest thoughts of a murderer, they explore together their own deepest thoughts, in an acquaintance that will develop into a game of recognition, acceptance of the other and of their most hidden desires.

Continued > https://www.vintagestories.gr/moderat...

Books are full of feelings and delicacies as if they were not created by any being.
The book has erased and ambiguous images of a woman's life, her son, and a man who rarely speaks of himself.
The sound of the factory whistle that reaches the woman's ear creates a stressful space.
It seems that the writer does not want to speak directly and clearly about what is in his mind.
All the dialogues between the woman and the man that are rewritten and replaced are ordinary and simple, but until a guest comes to the woman's house, which, in my opinion, forms the whole story in that part. And it can also be one of the most effective parts of the book.
The feeling that was the most colorful in the story was boredom and hopelessness. The more I read, the more I thought that the hopelessness and boredom of the characters in the story were only up to that point, but it still existed and all the characters lived with it, and in the end, the only way to escape boredom for them was love, which also remained unfulfilled in the end.
The style of the book was new and novel, and in my opinion, it had a good connection with the reader. The book had a strange space but was full of feelings and tenderness.

Still wandering in its silence...

This phrase seems to convey a sense of mystery and tranquility. It makes one wonder what lies within this silence. Is it a place, a state of mind, or something else entirely?

The word "wandering" implies a lack of direction or purpose, yet there is a certain beauty in this aimlessness. It allows for exploration and discovery, as one meanders through the unknown.

"Parfait!" which means perfect in French, adds an element of surprise and delight. It suggests that within this silence, there is something truly wonderful to be found.

Perhaps this silence is a refuge from the chaos and noise of the outside world. A place where one can find peace and solitude, and reconnect with oneself.

Or maybe it is a source of inspiration, a place where ideas and creativity can flourish.

In any case, the phrase "Still wandering in its silence... Parfait!" invites us to embrace the unknown and discover the beauty and perfection that lies within.

I was listening to the Diabelli Sonatine while reading this book. What a contrast - the music evokes joy, while the characters... moderato, like slow steps during a walk along the boulevard. I imagine a distant noise in this calm. And the landlady, who, like us, observes without saying a word (or hardly), surely doesn't understand (like us, by the way), and judges them despite herself, just like us. I'm suspicious of Chauvin, I don't know why, but his fixation makes me uncomfortable; I have a desire to protect Anne Desbaresdes. That being said, it's ironic, because Anne, for her part, must first be protected from herself. New things are discovered after each chapter, each movement, and the most wonderful thing is what they don't say. However, we remain hungry - there is so much to say but they prefer to repeat what we have already heard. Such is the beauty of this novel: it is never finished, there is no definitive end.

The novel you are reading makes you feel that everything is a meaningful image of itself.

There is a woman and a little boy, a man who rarely says anything about himself, and the sound of the factory whistle that reaches the woman's ears no matter where she is.

There is a distance between what the writer says and what the reader reads. It seems that the writer does not want to speak directly, accurately, and clearly about what is in his mind.

The narration progresses simply and straightforwardly until the chapter of the evening meal begins. That chapter is like a crack, a gorge that must be passed through carefully.

And probably an important part of the quality of the novel must be found briefly and compactly in this chapter. With that strange etiquette and descriptions that turn eating into something mysterious and the woman who raises everything at the end.

For me, the world of distant novels is always strange. It's as if you are watching a beautiful image from a distance, and it is not going to become clearer as you get closer.

You have to find that transparent meaning yourself from within this very image.

Muted romance where the two don't engage in sexual intercourse is my absolute favorite genre. Coppola based the film "Lost in Translation" off this very novella. Now, I have come to know what Bob whispers to Charlotte.

It reminds me so much of Joyce's "The Dead". It is so bare and yet so intentional. All you can truly see lies between the lines. Moreover, it can be considered feminist, right? With its ambiguity, oppressed wives, and dinner parties.

"The Lover" presents a lot more on the table, and it really pays off. "Moderato cantabile" is like the product of a creative writing workshop, being both careful and clever.

I would rate it 3 and a half stars.

This slim novel by Marguerite Duras is a profound exploration of slow-burning tension and the captivating allure of obsessions.

Anne Desbaresdes is with her son during his piano lesson when a blood-curdling scream pierces the air from the café beneath the piano teacher's apartment. Later, she discovers that a woman has been brutally murdered by a man in a crime of passion. Anne becomes utterly fixated on this story, frequently visiting the café and forging a strange and rather eerie relationship with a man named Chauvin, who also witnessed the grisly aftermath of the murder.

Over the course of several days, Anne and Chauvin immerse themselves deeper and deeper into the narrative of the murder, vividly imagining the complex relationship between the man and the woman. The so-called "action" is confined to this daily descent into obsessive imagination. However, Duras masterfully fills the spaces surrounding Anne and Chauvin with rich and tactile descriptions.

We can envision the vibrant colors of the sun setting outside the café, hear the sounds of the bustling waterfront and the men as they finish their work for the evening, and smell the sweet fragrance of the magnolia flowers outside Anne's house. The sense of foreboding that gradually builds between Anne and Chauvin is mirrored in the world around them.

The "slobbering wet sand" and the crane hovering menacingly in the sky over the town, with "teeth like those of a hungry beast gripping its prey," add to the palpable atmosphere of unease.

The relationship between Anne and Chauvin can also be interpreted as a commentary on class and sex. Anne is a woman of the middle class, while Chauvin is an unemployed member of the working class. As they engage more deeply in their strange and obsessive interplay, the formality of Anne's life is increasingly at risk. Tangential characters pass judgment on Anne's behavior, a judgment that Chauvin somehow eludes.

Although this may seem a little outdated, it functions effectively within the context established here. Subtext abounds on every page, making this short book not an especially easy read. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly worth the effort.

**"A Review of 'littérature et art I' and Marguerite Duras"**

I had to read the book "littérature et art I" for the French literature and art course, so I had it in my hands for about a month. I can't say it dragged on exactly because as we progressed in the context of literature and cinema, we analyzed and dissected the first three parts in detail in class. In fact, we even wrote separate analyses for the first two parts. Although it was a bit challenging, I, a cinema novice, gradually adapted to the situation and the subject.

Marguerite Duras is one of the enchanting representatives of the "nouveau roman" which has been translated into Turkish as the "new novel" trend. We can also see her in cinema as both a screenwriter and a director. There are opinions that she hated cinema as a writer because of the poor adaptations of her works, and also that she was involved with cinema to change it. Which one is exactly right is unknown, but it is a fact that Duras has a place in both cinema and literature. The reason for this, so to speak, is her ability to fuse the two arts in one pot.

From the day the Lumière brothers showed the first cinema screening in a café in Paris until today, what some have said is sought throughout human history, the "moving image" that bases its origin on cave paintings has entered our lives. Humanity quickly adapted to the novelty it brought at the beginning because cinema was like our own brain... like the reflection of a system that thinks with images rather than words.

However, on the other hand, reading, which is a laborious task, started to be difficult for the reader to focus on a page for minutes and follow the words and long descriptions. Thus, "cinema" gradually entered into the forms of writing.
If you have heard the comment "it was like a film" from many people who read the book, don't be surprised. Because this is truly, "a book like a film".
Since I had to write an essay and analysis on the book, I have a lot to say about it, but not all of it can fit here. So I will quickly talk about the basic things. Many readers see it as a meaningless or even a difficult work, but the reason for this is their lack of knowledge of the writing technique/style. I will dwell on this a bit.
If I describe Duras, the book, and the style in the simplest way,

the author approaches the work like a film, lacking description and depiction. What a camera can record at that moment is what is in front of you. You are aware of as much as the light/sun illuminates. No one clearly expresses their emotions, there are certain symbols that will help you understand the book, and you need to read by following them.

While writing my analysis, I may go through this again and put the text in a more organized form because I found that I wrote it very spontaneously and beautifully. For now, I will state this only for those who have read/will read the book:

The name of the male character is Chauvin and its French pronunciation is in the form of ʃovɛ̃; however, the pronunciation of this word is the same as the adjective phrase written as chaud vin and the meaning is hot wine.

After this information, I don't know who won't become a fan of Duras...

I have to do my homework, I'm going

The first book of Duras that I read, and more will come!

It was truly an eye-opening experience. Duras' writing style is so unique and captivating. Her words seem to flow like a river, carrying the reader along with the story. The characters she creates are vivid and real, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their lives.

As I turned the pages, I was completely immersed in the world she had crafted. I could feel the emotions of the characters, their joys and sorrows, as if I was right there with them. The story itself was engaging and thought-provoking, leaving me with a lot to think about long after I had finished reading.

I can't wait to explore more of Duras' works. I know that each one will be a new adventure, filled with beautiful prose and unforgettable characters. I highly recommend her books to anyone who loves good literature.