Four short novels written by the French writer Marguerite Duras between 1955 and 1962 offer a unique exploration of human nature and relationships.

Duras has a remarkable ability to connect strangers within her novels. She brings together men and women from various conditions and places, creating a diverse cast of characters.

Through their conversations, we gain insights into their thoughts about life, emotions, loneliness, and experiences. The dialogue serves as a powerful tool for revealing the interiors of the characters and the changes they undergo.

The stories are both interesting and lovely, with a dialogue that flows like a musical work, converting from tense to smooth and vice versa. Duras' writing style is engaging and captivating, drawing readers into the lives of her characters and making them care about their fates. These short novels are a testament to Duras' talent as a writer and her ability to create complex and nuanced characters through the power of dialogue.

First, it should be noted that these works aren't truly novels but rather novellas. None of them exceed 100 pages in length. I approached reading them in the same way as I do short stories, alternating each one with another read. Even so, I still faced difficulties with certain parts of each story.

In "The Square", a young servant woman is watching a child in the park. A traveling salesman sits on the bench and starts talking to her. The story is almost entirely composed of dialogue. This wouldn't be an issue in itself, except that the person speaking isn't clearly identified. I often got confused and had to go back and re-read until I could figure it out again.

"Moderato Cantabile" begins with a child taking piano lessons. He shows talent but is quite stubborn. His mother simply shrugs her shoulders. One Friday, a scream is heard in the cafe/bar across the street. After the lesson, the mother goes to find out what happened. The child goes out to play while she has a drink. Naturally, a man starts talking to her. Some days, she goes to the bar and meets the man without having been at the music lesson. I really didn't understand why the woman was unhappy at home. However, this was the easiest story to follow among the four.

In "10:30 on a Summer Night", a woman, her husband, a friend, and their young daughter are traveling in Spain. This is yet another instance of a woman drinking. This time, I didn't need to know the reason as it was clear she was an alcoholic. The reader is brought too close to the situation, and I definitely felt uncomfortable. This story had a more developed plot and better characterizations compared to the others.

I'm glad the collection didn't start with "Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas", otherwise I might have given up on it. Mr. Andesmas has purchased a house for his daughter and is waiting for a contractor to arrive and provide an estimate for a terrace. A dog walks by. The contractor's daughter comes to inform Mr. Andesmas that her father will be late. There is a lot of waiting around. And for me, as the reader, there was also a lot of waiting for something to happen, or for more in-depth characterization, for anything at all. Eventually, more is revealed, but rather than being pleased, I was simply relieved that I was reaching the end.

I have enjoyed other books by Duras. Based on those previous experiences, I will likely read more of her works. However, this collection didn't quite meet my expectations. I would like to find a reason to give it a third star, but unfortunately, I just can't. Maybe I wasn't the ideal audience for this particular collection.

As indicated by the title, this book is composed of four novels penned by Marguerite Duras, a renowned French novelist, playwright, screenwriter, essayist, and experimental filmmaker.

The Square

This novella is solely constructed from the dialogue between a young woman and a man, who are strangers until their paths intersect in a public park. Their encounter develops into two parallel streams of consciousness, ruminating on the futility of their lives. At one point, it is explicitly stated, “We really are the lowest of the low.” He is an itinerant vendor of trinkets carried in a suitcase, while she babysits a young boy for an obese woman. This story can be regarded as an exploration into finding the will to persevere in a seemingly worthless life.

Moderato Cantabile

This story delves into the life of a married, wealthy woman and her diverse relationships with her child, a piano teacher, and an unemployed man who idles away his time in a café. Her life descends into scandal, she drinks excessively, and ultimately vomits food from a dinner party. It is a tale of forbidden desire that leads to ruin.

Ten-Thirty on a Summer Night

This long short story, or novella, commences on a dark and stormy night and features two love triangles. One triangle consists of two murdered victims and one fugitive. The other triangle, which is the focus of the book's narrative, involves a French couple, Pierre and Maria, on vacation in Spain with their four-year-old daughter Judith, and a young woman named Clare.

This story prompts me to pose the following four questions:

1. What kind of couple with one child decides to embark on a vacation with a fourth “friend” who happens to be a young and attractive woman?

2. What would drive a woman to take the initiative and assist a murder fugitive in evading the law?

3. Why would her husband go along with her plans once he is informed?

4. Does the outcome of one love triangle foreshadow the direction of the second triangle?

Whatever the answers to these questions may be, our vacationing family ends up in a nightclub in Madrid, watching an entertainer with a “chalky laugh” singing with “loving, languorous, nauseous drunkenness.” These descriptive words were surely carefully chosen by the author as a fitting conclusion to this story. (In fact, the words selected by the author were in French; what I read is an English translation.)

The Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas

This novel is composed of the internal thoughts of a wealthy man who sits on his front porch and gazes down at the local village beside the bay below. As the afternoon progresses, we learn that he is awaiting a contractor to arrive and discuss some improvements to his house. We also discover that the recent purchase of the house and the anticipated improvements are motivated by a desire to please his teenage daughter. (There is no mention of a wife.) The child and the wife of the contractor make appearances during the afternoon, but the story concludes just before the expected arrival of the contractor and the man's daughter. I suppose this story is about the patience of waiting and anticipation.

I started reading this collection of four novellas several months ago.

Yesterday, I finally completed the last one, which is The Afternoon of Mr Andesmas.

During this reading process, I have gradually become a big fan of Marguerite Duras.

Her unique writing style and profound insights into human nature have deeply attracted me.

Now, I am excitedly reading a biography of Marguerite Duras to learn more about her life and创作background.

I believe that through this biography, I can have a better understanding of her works and the inspiration behind them.

I am looking forward to uncovering more secrets and stories about this great writer.

Although I have now read all four of the short novels in this collection, I did it at such a slow pace that I have placed my other three reviews under the first three novels' stand-alone editions.

These reflections, therefore, are solely for the last one, The Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas.

This is yet another work that closely adheres to the techniques of theater writing. It consists of two conversations that unfold over the course of a single afternoon, gradually revealing an evocative portrayal of the place, the characters involved, and a dramatic situation that is entirely played out off-screen, so to speak. I don't wish to delve any deeper into it as it could potentially diminish a little of the joy of the reading-as-exploration that makes such texts function so effectively. Suffice it to say that this last of the four novels in this excellent collection is highly engrossing in its slow revelation and, in the end, quite moving.

Duras writes extremely well about creeping anxiety, people in a state of limbo between certainties, and the near hysteria that such situations can provoke - which, I suppose, is her trademark as an author of both fiction, theater, and film. This particular narrative delves into what I believe is a universal truth that, for dramatic reasons, not many authors touch upon. As I stated in one of my own short stories, some of the most significant events of our lives occur between other people when we are simply not present. The terror and frustration of not being involved in some of the most momentous moments of our own lives is indeed fertile ground for hysteria, feelings of impotence, and alienation, and Mr. Andesmas is a remarkable evocation of such a situation.

Taken all together, these early-mid Duras novels vividly express her remarkable ability to render a kind of charged stillness. In these works, a significant portion of the action, the prime tensions, and the relevances remain off camera or even entirely unexpressed.

Individual reviews can be found under the various book pages. The middle ones are immaculate, while the other two are more or less supporting material, at least relatively speaking.

There are several notable works. "The Square" is an introductory dialogue, "Moderato Cantabile" features unresolved tensions, and "10:30 on a Summer Night" reaches a climax/explosion. "The Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas" is a fadeout.

Actually, I'll provide my brief blurb on Andesmas here. Since I don't think it appears in English translation aside from in this volume. After the somewhat startlingly eventful couple of days encompassed by 10:30, Andesmas is all calm and subtlety. Almost to the point that nothing seems to happen at all. Literally speaking, nothing happens. However, as with most of Duras' works, there appears to be a great deal churning beneath the surface that never gets full expression. It's a contemplation of endings and fadeouts. Even if they are going to slowly end or fade for a long time yet, there is still a point at which the ending begins, and this is it. The extreme minimalism is impressive, but also somewhat less engaging than the other novellas here. I think it probably benefits from inclusion in context with the others. Whereas if I'd just picked up a copy of this alone, I might feel a bit of a letdown. As it is, though, it serves as an effective wind-down.

Novellas truly are a unique form of literature. These four novellas, in particular, are only 250 pages in total. Each of these stories is written in a low-key, understated prose style, almost as if the events are being seen through a bit of a fog. It reminds me of Duras' novel Emily L, which is set entirely in a bar where so much goes unheard, is misheard, or is partly misinterpreted and perhaps even misunderstood, with what is assumed or presumed filling in the gaps.

In The Square, a young man and a young woman engage in conversation in a park. She is a governess, there with her charge, while he is a traveling salesman. Initially, both we and they assume that she is timid and homebound, and he is worldly and daring. However, little by little, we come to realize that the opposite is true.

In Moderato Cantabile, a woman sits waiting while her spoiled, obstinate son takes piano lessons. One day, they hear a commotion in a nearby bar and discover that a murder has been committed - apparently a man killed his lover. This event opens up a new perspective for the woman, and she begins to frequent the bar, trying to learn what happened. She comes dangerously close to leaving behind her dull, loveless life.

In 10:30 on a Sunday Night, a woman, her husband, and child, along with a family friend, spend a night at a hotel. There are hints that their marriage has developed strains. During the night, the woman encounters a man who is on the run from the police for killing his lover. She helps him escape. (Perhaps there's a moral for women here: don't go on a vacation with your husband and bring your drop-dead beautiful girlfriend.)

In The Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas, an elderly man waits in a village for his daughter to return home and for a man to arrive to give him an estimate on remodeling his patio. The contractor's wife arrives before her husband does, and they both realize that their lives will change as the two late arrivals are dancing together in the village.

These are all good stories that are well worth a read.
(Poster pictured is from omerohome.com)

My probably first book from MD is of utmost importance to me.

It represents a significant milestone in my literary journey.

I have poured my heart and soul into this work, spending countless hours researching, writing, and editing.

The process has been both challenging and rewarding, as I have strived to bring my ideas to life in the most engaging and captivating way possible.

I am excited to share this book with the world and hope that it will touch the hearts and minds of readers.

It is my sincere belief that this book has the potential to make a positive impact and contribute to the literary landscape.

I look forward to the feedback and support of my readers as I continue on this exciting adventure.

I'm realizing now that Duras is like the precursor to Elena Ferrante.

The same intensity and sense of obsession that pervade Ferrante's works can also be found in Duras'.

Both writers share the same interest in a set of themes. Duras is deeply interested in betrayal, in the longing that consumes the human heart, in the spaces that exist in between people and emotions, in the allure of the unsaid, of the lack of fulfillment, and in mystery.

These are super moody and gripping stories that draw the reader in and keep them hooked until the very end. I love the visual details she uses.

I think the intro described them as cinematic, which seems extremely apt.

Duras may also be the mater of sexual tension, creating an atmosphere that is both palpable and intoxicating.

Love, in all its complex and multifaceted forms, is another central theme in her works, explored with a depth and sensitivity that is truly remarkable.

Overall, Duras' writing is a powerful and evocative exploration of the human condition, one that continues to resonate with readers today.

I think I reviewed “The Lover” earlier this year, but if not, I did read it in the last two years. That novel was a short passionate love affair in the eclipsing moments of empire (French). This collection is smaller in scope and shape.

The Square

A young woman with a child who comes back during chapter breaks for warm milk, snacks, and eventually to get up and go, shares her views on life and love and the world to a complete stranger she meets in the park. Of the four, this feels so much so tied to the time and the place, so the setting, and cannot and does not want to expand beyond it. The conversations they have are also small, but the situation is one that is so recognizable. It's a moment in which you share a connection with another person, but one that seems destined to fall apart as soon as either of you leaves, knowing that this will never be rekindled or redone.

Moderato Cantabile

This novella deals with a young child learning how to read music, being overly criticized by his music teacher. Then his mother and her friend comment on how unfair the treatment is, but still important because of COURSE he has to learn music someday. This is a nice one because it felt very French and very literature-y and that was nice.

10:30 on a Summer Night – In this story, a murderer involved in several love triangles is hunted down by police and lovers alike.

The Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas – This one starts off with some really funny perspective from a dog but then turns into a much more mundane discussion between a man and a woman.

Over all I did like these stories more than I generally liked The Lover. They offered a different kind of exploration of human nature, relationships, and the little moments that make up our lives. Each story had its own unique charm and style, making the collection a worthwhile read.

Rating these translations is a challenging task due to the fact that they were carried out by multiple people. The translation of The Square is the least accurate. The errors, which are fundamental, commence right from the first sentence. In the original, 'devant' is translated as 'behind' in the English version. The final sentence misrepresents Duras's work by adding the notion that the girl not looking back is regarded as a sign of encouragement by the man. However, in the original, it simply concludes with the woman not looking back. This translation also contains numerous typos, while the others do not. Therefore, it would be highly beneficial if this novel could be republished.

Moderato Cantabile is a significantly better translation (it is also a much simpler text). I read it in parallel, and it was both accurate and read smoothly in English. It is a wonderful novel, beautifully composed.

The last two novels have the same translator, but they are less substantial in the original. So, you can form your own opinions about them.

It is truly marvelous the way in which Duras manages to conjure up a poetic intensity from the simplest of situations. The plot, which could be easily paraphrased, is almost laughably simple. However, the patterning of language and incident is truly masterly. There are intensifiers that are deployed, such as a limited time and place, the intoxication of alcohol, the murder of one's lover, music, and a storm. But all of these are woven in so naturally that they seem to emerge from within the characters themselves, rather than being imposed from without. The man and the girl would find their way to the park bench one afternoon simply because of who they are. The method employed is to bypass psychology and aim straight for the formal, and yet intense, emotion.