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Autumn 2006 E-Text from Project Gutenburg.
Why did I pick this book out of the millions available on Project Gutenburg to read? Why choose Corneille? I honestly can't remember. I don't recognise the name of the author, or the title of the book, beyond having just finished reading it. I have a feeling that I might have been asking around for a famous French author, and someone told me Corneille, so I searched for something of his translated into English. Perhaps it was even Pamela who told me about Corneille. I can't say for certain though.
This was a story, told in verse, of long past times, noble warriors, a princess, religious and political turmoil. -with a love triangle, and a couple conversions to Christianity thrown in. Would this be the old, old definition of a Romance Novel? Romantic novel, perhaps? Regardless of what it might or might not be called, what did I think of it?
I'll start with the easy part: critiquing the translation. It's never easy to translate from verse into verse, but that is what was accomplished here. -and accomplished well. There are but very few places where the meter feels a bit unnatural, or where too many ideas seem to be pressed into one line. A couple of rhyming couplets are used frequently, but even then, not too often to become annoying. On a scale of 10, I would give this translation an 8 or 9. -Realizing that there may have been great, powerful parts that were left out. -But I can't miss what I don't realize was once there.
Now, I still haven't said what I think of this story. I don't know What I think of this story though. One of the obvious topics of discussion is the Religious theme. The central conflict erupts when... the son in law of the governor, and popular favourite converts to Christianity, -making him a target for Persecution from Rome. The aspect which catches the attention of the contemporary audience, (What lovely long words I'm using tonight!) -is the way he flies purposefully to Martyrdom. He's going to leave his highly devoted wife bereft, his people revolting against the governor, and Rome at war with his country, -all so that he can die his Martyr's Death.
He is obsessed with death, mortal sacrifice, and dying for his beliefs. I wonder now if it could be because deep down, he's insecure about his faith; He wants to believe, and wants to be pure in his devotion to God, but feels that there's always a piece of him that's holding back. That would explain his insistence on going to such extremes: If he's going to Die for his beliefs, no one, not even God, could question the completeness of his Faith.
He so often sounded like a member of a Death Cult, a true fanatic that has no fear, respect, or slightest care for anything at all on this earth. He thinks nothing of the consequences to others or himself, saying that all consequences will be taken care of after Death. Torture of self? Good. It will lead to Death. A war in his country? Good. It will lead to Death, (And in his reasoning, a chance for God to bring his preferred out on top. -And if not? Then it's still for the best: all the true believers will be Dead then.) His wife suiciding, out of grief? Good. She'll be dead then, and out of this world of sin.
I found him to become quite disturbing. And then I started to wonder;
Is this writer a Christian, who's trying to show people how strong, how good, and how wonderful pure true Faith can be? Or is he someone against the Christian Dogma, trying to show people how blind, idiotic, and hopeless pure true faith can be? Is he glorifying the title roll, or mocking it?
Partly because he had NO supporters in the book; every one was against him, and tried to make him see sense, I thought that it Must be criticising such blind, narrow-minded Faith. But then at the end, in the last 5 (of 80) pages, two main characters are converted by his martyrdom, and become devoted Christians. -Which quite suggests that the author intended to suggest that even in Death, a true believer will be spreading the word, and doing good.
This is so hard to understand though; the idea that the author could be supporting his determination to get killed for believing what he does. His wife argues SO well for moderation, and for allowing small evils, (pretending for some days not to be Christian,) for the greater good, (going on living, and having a useful, productive life.) Her arguments hardly sound like the author put them there for the purpose of making Polyuecte's belief and faith clearer to the reader. It left me feeling that She was right, and his catch all answer was shallow and meaningless; "It doesn't matter! It's better to Die now! To Die the Death of Faith!"
Is there anything to discuss besides the Religious topic of this book? Not much comes to mind. The character of the wife is hard to believe; She's too good, and strict in her virtues. It's many times over clear that she would NEVER do anything, at all, that anyone could ever consider wrong. Not even saying a dirty word when she's all alone, not even admitting to herself that the sexiest man in the world is good looking. If her father told her that it was impolite to breath while others are in the room, she would suffocate herself without delay. I just couldn't imagine such a character ever existing.
Anyhow, it's an interesting book, because of the religious side, and because of the love/political/religious complications and intercomplications. I'm wondering if the author truly was a strictly faithful Christian, or if this book was a part of his thinking about how foolish some of the dogma is. What views are expressed elsewhere in his writings?