Isabelle

André Gide is a very famous French author. He was the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1947. Isabelle was one of his more famous novels and was originally published in 1911. Although this novel was published over 100 years ago, no one in today’s modern world will be confused by the actions and emotions of the characters in the story which are timeless. Certainly the obsessive infatuation of a young man for a beautiful woman, which is the main theme of the book, is a feeling that everyone can relate to.

The story begins in the ruins of an old chateau in Normandy. The narrator of the story, Gérard Lacase, is showing some friends around the property where he was a guest many years earlier as a young university student from Paris. The friends see that he is emotional about the place, and they convince him to tell his story. As mentioned, he becomes infatuated with a woman he sees in a picture. He has an obsessive curiosity to find about more about her and about her family with whom he stayed at the chateau. At the beginning of chapter 1 he says, “I was still not aware of how strongly events can conceal from us what at first looks interesting and how compelling they are to someone who does not know how to resist them.” These are words to keep in mind when reading through the story. The book is rather short, so it does not take a large investment of time, and I am sure that modern readers will find the book to be a good read. Sometimes French novels and films can be rather brutal emotionally, but this tale has a nice ending that leaves the reader with a good feeling despite the emotional ups and downs of some of the characters.

I hope readers enjoy this translation of a famous classic French novel by a Nobel Laureate.


Genre: Historical