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The Marquis. Laura Auricchio. Sybille Bedford. Selina Hastings. Pages from the Goncourt Journals. Jules de Goncourt and Edmond de Goncourt. My Battle Against Hitler. John Henry Crosby and Dietrich von Hildebrand. Martin Luther. Lyndal Roper. Memoirs of Montparnasse. John Glassco. Living My Life. Emma Goldman. The Girl Who Loved Camellias. Julie Kavanagh. Hons and Rebels. Jessica Mitford. Dressed for a Dance in the Snow. Monika Zgustova. Nina Berberova. Frederick the Great. Nancy Mitford. Down Below. Leonora Carrington. A Life of Her Own. Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions 5 80, 4. Chateaubriand gives a superb narrative of the major events of his life - which spanned the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Era and the uneasy period that led up to the Revolution of Europe No current Talk conversations about this book. I was expecting to find this book interesting as a historical source, but was surprised to love it as literature. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Memoirs from Beyond the Grave. References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English None. The most enjoyable, glamorous and gripping of all 19th-century autobiographies - a tumultuous account of France hit by wave after wave of revolutions Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb is the greatest and most influential of all French autobiographies - an extraordinary, highly entertaining account of a uniquely adventurous and frenzied life. No library descriptions found. He recalls playing games on the beaches of Saint-Malo, wandering in the woods near his father's castle in Combourg, hunting with King Louis XVI at Versailles, witnessing the first heads carried on pikes through the streets of Paris, meeting with George Washington in Philadelphia, and falling hopelessly in love with a young woman named Charlotte in the small Suffolk town of Bungay. The volume ends with Chateaubriand's return to France after eight years of exile in England. In this new edition the first unabridged translation of any portion of the Memoirs to be published in more than a century , Chateaubriand emerges as a writer of great wit and clarity, a self-deprecating egoist whose meditations on the meaning of history, memory, and morality are leavened with a mixture of high whimsy and memorable gloom. Mmoires d'outre-tombe , his Memoirs from Beyond the Grave , is at once sublime literature, brilliant history seen by a fiercely intelligent eye- witness, and a self-portrait of a remarkable and complex man. Chateaubriand is one of that worldly, intellectually -restless literary set, including Goethe and Byron, who may be said to have founded and developed the wider European Romantic movement, granting it social relevance and gaining it an extensive European and North American audience. Kline, "What distinguishes [ Memoirs from Beyond the Grave ] Indeed, it is the lyricism and intimacy of his language, convincingly translated here by Alex Andriesse, that made Chateaubriand a precursor of French Romanticism. Beyond the sumptuous language and aphoristic compression, it is his ability to engage with, and even surmount, contradiction that proves most resonant. His elastic prose It makes for immensely satisfying reading. The echoes of Chateaubriand in so much existentialist literature of the 20th century suggest that for all his difficulty finding congenial company among his contemporaries, in a longer perspective he becomes a figure we can all be intimate with. The old viscount could write one hell of a sentence. It's an incredible book. Chateaubriand's Memoirs from Beyond the Grave (book review) - PopMatters

Testamentary Preface Book I Childhood Book II Boyhood Book V Revolution Book VI To America Book X Exile in England Chateaubriand is one of that worldly, intellectually-restless literary set, including Goethe and Byron, who may be said to have founded and developed the wider European Romantic movement, granting it social relevance and gaining it an extensive European and North American audience. But it is the humane, charming, fallible, private individual who endears himself to the reader in these pages. His many loves and friendships, his admiration for the brilliant women he knew, his warm interpretation of religion, and his conciliatory politics, all add to the vision of a great human being, in the French humanist tradition of Montaigne. Living through the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Empire, the Bourbon Restoration, and the subsequent July Monarchy, dying during the Revolution of , he was witness to an endlessly dramatic and fiercely contested period of history. His interpretation of that history is as a man of faith and a staunch proponent of constitutional Monarchy, yet with visible Republican sympathies and, for his time, a remarkable lack of bigotry. His autobiography here is a valuable corrective to a dogmatic view of that history often propounded by pro-Republican or pro-Napoleonic writings. Once encountered Chateaubriand is unforgettable, and the Memoirs deserve much wider literary and historical recognition. They have suffered from an unmerited neglect, due to their extent, and the previous lack of a complete English translation, a lack which is here remedied, the work being further enriched by over six hundred illustrations, and a fully detailed index. Illustrations have been sourced from the public domain collections of various galleries and books considered public domain in the US due to pre publication dates. Digital scans of the latter have been released into the public domain by a variety of institutions through the Flickr Commons portal. So it's clever, pretentious he could be! View all 3 comments. Chateaubriand's style is not that of Racine, it is that of the Prophet. Jan 19, Fazackerly Toast rated it it was amazing Shelves: memoirs , foreign-language , biography. One of those books that you internalise and stays with you. His childhood! His forbidding father pacing the room from the fire to the end plunged in darkness, in silence! Those encounters with Napoleon. That occasion when the Napoleonic army crosses the river into Russia and he hears music, like in Antony and Cleopatra, the god of war whom he loved now leaving him. Second half was really good too, focuses on Napoleon a lot, almost a mini biography of Napoleon Bonaparte. Francois Chateaubriand was a cool guy. I like him. We would have been friends. We have a similar haircut. Mar 25, Marc rated it liked it Shelves: french-literature , romantics. Typical the work of a large 'ego' looking for justification; more than any other this book has strong romantic traits. Chateaubriand is a liberal in his principles freedom is central , but clearly conservative in politics his option for monarchy ; perhaps that explains his isolation as a historical person. The most beautiful pages treat about Napoleon, the passages on his own public actions are less readable. This still is a remarkable historical document! To hunt down View 1 comment. Jun 21, Mia marked it as to-read Shelves: own-but-have-not-read. Whoops, turns out I dont know French. But someday I might. Im keeping this little book around for that day. For an understanding of the romantic temperament that shaped so much midth century European literature, art and music, Chateaubriand's "Memoirs from beyond the Tomb" is a good place to start. The title itself envisions a writer, now nothing more than dust, speaking from beyond the grave--a reminder to us, I suppose, of where we will soon enough be in case we need a reminder! A common enough perspective, I suppose, but the living author who has become a dead author, in this case For an understanding of the romantic temperament that shaped so much midth century European literature, art and music, Chateaubriand's "Memoirs from beyond the Tomb" is a good place to start. A common enough perspective, I suppose, but the living author who has become a dead author, in this case Chateaubriand, repeatedly contemplates his future death as preferable to his melancholy, unhappy life. No number of good moments, it seems compensates for the general melancholy of mortality, at least in the eyes of the genuine romantic. But this book is much more than just a monument to the Romantic Movement. Chateaubriand, born only twenty days after Napoleon and seeing himself as somehow linked to the complex conqueror, writes of the march to Moscow and back, as well as many other Napoleonic adventures, with great shrewdness and real ambivalence. His account becomes a rich history of his own age; a history told from the perspective of a royalist with, I am sure he would insist, genuine democratic tendencies. A rewarding, important, and at times beautifully written book. Has anyone read Penguin edition, Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb , which includes selections from across C's complete memoirs. I'm trying to decide where to start, and if NYRB edition has "must-read" passages omitted in Penguin ed.? Chateaubriand's Memoirs are nothing short of sublime. Oh, what a life. Who would say that the fatherly figure of French Romanticism had also been, besides an acclaimed writer, a child full of hopes and expectations; a charismatic soldier with a very vivid military career on the wrong side of history; a cool-headed politician loyal to the crown; a forcefully exiled traveler and probably a food enthusiast as well, isn't there a steak dish bearing his name? This man lived through the great late 18th century revolution, through the rise to power and downfall of Napoleon Bonaparte, through the uncertainties of the July revolution of He also met George Washington, hunted with Native Americans, worked as a French ambassador in England, among many other equally fascinanting adventures. Yes, as you can deduce, Chateaubriand led a life filled with excitement. His incredibly poetic autobiography, where the thoughts of Chateaubriand the youthful character freely mingle with those of Chateaubriand the aged memoirist, is an ageless testament to his years on Earth. By the end of book ten, the author questions the validity of his genius: Is it even certain that I have real talent: a talent worth all the sacrifices of my life? Will I survive my tomb? And if I do live beyond the grave, given the transformations that are now taking place, in a world changed and occupied by entirely different things, will there be a public to hear me? Will I not be a man of another time, unintelligible to the new generations? Will my ideas, my feelings, my very style not seem boring and old-fashioned to a sneering posterity? Will my shade be able to say, as Virgil's did to Dante: Poeta fui e cantai? If only in death I could console you, dearest friend. Feb 16, Elenora rated it really liked it. A very smart man with a sharp quill. Probably one of my first literary love. I fancied the man who'd written such things, lived such a life. Damn he's got some ego, but mostly well deserved. His memoirs are an amazing glimpse in the life and politics of some of the richest and most turbulent decades of french history. Jan 28, D rated it liked it. Literally "Memoirs from Beyond the Grave" is an autobiography in 42 volumes. The version I read had volumes , covering life and travels from April to September , revised in December One of the all time great autobiographical memoirs. Up there with Samuel Pepys. This is just the first volume in an excellent new translations. One of my most enjoyable reads in years. Im so sad Ive finished this book. Its one I definitely know Ill go back to. Chateaubriands vulnerable, fluid prose is incredible. He was a writer, soldier, diplomat, emigre He was witness to the beginnings of the French Revolution and the violence and anarchy that defined the crumbling of a society. He endured heartbreaking loss of family and friends. The book is definitely filled with arcana like the long lists of names of his contemporaries 4. The man certainly knows how to tell a story - the premise being living through the birth of America, the French Revolution, Napoleon's rise and fall, and finally the last gasps of the monarchy in France. It's a little funny to hear him talk so much about a love of liberty contra Napoleon just after he denounced the Terror which spilt the blood of his family in the name of liberty. As a thinker he's not so interesting - just a standard reactionary who believes it is good to be well off and religious and those less well off should grit their teeth and bear it. Like a great dinner conversation via a time machine. Chateaubriand's life straddled a very changing world, in his native France as well as the New World. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of growing up in St. His passages describing America just after the Revolutionary War, in particular his accounts of visiting with Native Americans, were also very entertaining and unique. A great read for history Like a great dinner conversation via a time machine. A great read for history lovers and an obviously important book in the development of French literature. Apr 10, Geert rated it did not like it. Extremely overrated: memoirs of an old guy who repaints himself larger than life and nicely removes anything conspicious. Maybe it says something about the french soul if this is termed a masterpiece? Jun 06, Marianne rated it it was ok. I felt like I belonged in the Tombe after reading this ponderous book. Aug 20, Stosch rated it liked it Shelves: french. Apocryphally, when Zou Enlai was asked in about the effects of the French Revolution, he replied: "Too early to say. Chateaubriand, the French writer and romantic, lived through the times and left a compendious memoir, and presumably is an interesting source. I had to get this Penguin edition of 'selections', as it is Apocryphally, when Zou Enlai was asked in about the effects of the French Revolution, he replied: "Too early to say. I had to get this Penguin edition of 'selections', as it is the only reasonable priced commonly available edition of his work in print. There seems to be a more recent NYRB-Classics edition of the complete work, but it is expensive and hard to find. This book is about page selection from his whole text, and thankfully it appears whole chapters have been taken from the full text without any reduction, only many of the chapters have been left out. I think the chapters concerning with events in France pertaining to the Revolution, and time of Napolean has been included. The ones not included are majorly the ones about his travels abroad in the Levant and other places. Chateaubriand though misses out witnessing most of the events of the revolution directly since he is out of France for a large portion of the time. Almost at the breaking out of the revolution, he sets out on a futile adventure in search of the North-West Passage in North America. In America, he is not really impressed by the young republic. There he meets George Washington briefly, later that interview would provide him material to compare Napolean with Washington, unfavourably to the former. The tumult of the revolution soon starts to affect his own family who were feudal lords of some standing. Later he joins the army in exile fighting to overthrow the revolution. Soon though he is injured and escapes to England, where he makes a beginning in his literary career. The most dramatic and shocking episodes of the Reign of Terror, the period of extreme violence and fanaticism, he views from a distance. His own sister and mother end up in prison. However, once the Napolean seizes power, there is a brief respite in the tumult, and Chateaubriand returns to France. From now on, Napolean seems his central focus. Though there was a period in which Napolean and Chateaubriand seemed polite acquaintances with a degree of respect between them, as Napolean by turns, became more illiberal, and more on the path to despotism, the gulf between them widens, till it reached a point where they are almost enemies. Chateaubriand's writing is more impactful when he is narrating the time of Napolean. He has seen the man at close, and understood his genius as well as the flaws in his character. The staggering military feats of the Napolean from Italy, Austria, and on the path to Russia is astounding. That a single man could muster enough force of personality to bring down the edifices of long-established European monarchies, over such vast geographies and peoples seems something beyond human. Memoirs from beyond the grave : (Book, ) []

Search for a book to add a reference. We take abuse seriously in our discussion boards. Only flag comments that clearly need our attention. As a general rule we do not censor any content on the site. The only content we will consider removing is spam, slanderous attacks on other members, or extremely offensive content eg. We will not remove any content for bad language alone, or being critical of a particular book. NYRB Classics. Group Home Bookshelf Discussions. Events Photos Videos. Invite People Members Polls. The ones not included are majorly the ones about his travels abroad in the Levant and other places. Chateaubriand though misses out witnessing most of the events of the revolution directly since he is out of France for a large portion of the time. Almost at the breaking out of the revolution, he sets out on a futile adventure in search of the North-West Passage in North America. In America, he is not really impressed by the young republic. There he meets George Washington briefly, later that interview would provide him material to compare Napolean with Washington, unfavourably to the former. The tumult of the revolution soon starts to affect his own family who were feudal lords of some standing. Later he joins the army in exile fighting to overthrow the revolution. Soon though he is injured and escapes to England, where he makes a beginning in his literary career. The most dramatic and shocking episodes of the Reign of Terror, the period of extreme violence and fanaticism, he views from a distance. His own sister and mother end up in prison. However, once the Napolean seizes power, there is a brief respite in the tumult, and Chateaubriand returns to France. From now on, Napolean seems his central focus. Though there was a period in which Napolean and Chateaubriand seemed polite acquaintances with a degree of respect between them, as Napolean by turns, became more illiberal, and more on the path to despotism, the gulf between them widens, till it reached a point where they are almost enemies. Chateaubriand's writing is more impactful when he is narrating the time of Napolean. He has seen the man at close, and understood his genius as well as the flaws in his character. The staggering military feats of the Napolean from Italy, Austria, and on the path to Russia is astounding. That a single man could muster enough force of personality to bring down the edifices of long-established European monarchies, over such vast geographies and peoples seems something beyond human. But soon enough he is faced with adversity. The campaign in Russia turns out to be a tragedy for the Grand Armee in their long retreat. A few of the most elaborate chapters are of the Napoleans two banishments. First to Elba an island off the Italian coast. Then one of the most romantic passages in history unfolds: his" Days", when Napolean made a daring escape from Elba, lands on the French coast, and marches on to Paris to reclaim the mantle. This again calls the opposing European powers back to war with France, culminating in the final battle of Waterloo where Napolean, by the turn of events stood defeated. He is then sent on his final and permanent exile on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Chateaubriand has a moving, and reflective chapter on Napoleon's life and eventual death in St Helena. Chateaubriand writes: "I have explored the seas of the Old World and the New, and trodden the soil of the four quarters of the globe. After sleeping in the cabins of the Iroquois and the tents of Arabs, in the wigwams of Hurons and the remains of Athens, Jerusalem, Memphis, Carthage, and Granada, in the homes of Greeks, Turks and Moors and among forests and ruins; after wearing the bearskin cloak of the savage and the silk caftan of the Mameluke, and after enduring poverty, hunger, thirst, and exile, I have taken my place, as a minister and ambassador, trimmed with gold lace and plastered with ribbons and decorations, at the table of kings, at the festivities of princes and princesses, only to fall more into indigence and to taste prison life. I was expecting to find this book interesting as a historical source, but was surprised to love it as literature. Even in translation two centuries later, Chateaubriand has a felicity with language that oozes through the page belying his early disclaimer that he is not one for wit. These memoirs are full of well-turned phrases and surprisingly self-aware observations from Chateaubriand's full life, which included a childhood growing up in a castle with a distant father, an irresolute young I was expecting to find this book interesting as a historical source, but was surprised to love it as literature. Even in translation two centuries later, Chateaubriand has a felicity with language that oozes through the page — belying his early disclaimer that he is not one for wit. These memoirs are full of well-turned phrases and surprisingly self-aware observations from Chateaubriand's full life, which included a childhood growing up in a castle with a distant father, an irresolute young adulthood that included a sojourn exploring America a sort of 18th Century "gap year" , fame as a best-selling author and a denouement as a statesman and diplomat. Even the less exciting bits, such as Chateaubriand's childhood, are highly readable, while his character study of Napoleon is incisive if not wholly reliable. My only complaints have to do with the apparent abridgment of this Penguin translation not advertised at all on the physical copy. There are obvious gaps in the narrative — his pilgrimage to the Holy Land is constantly referenced but never actually described; the treatment of his diplomatic service under the Restoration is frustratingly vague; even his coverage of Napoleon, the meaty center of the book, covers only three major incidents from Bonaparte's reign in depth. I'm sure the original version would seem interminably long today, so some abridgment was surely necessary, but it's best to go in with an understanding of the Penguin edition as a snapshot of a larger work. It's a testament to Chateaubriand's sparkling prose that I wanted more. This memoir feels less like any other and more like a narrative of a character from Peace and War novel by L Tolstoy. From his aristocratic childhood in Saint Malo, to his explorer adventures in US and Canada, his return as a soldier to the camps of Germany, his exile to England, opposition to Bonaparte and finally embassador life. Beautifully written, thought provoking, and interesting life story of a complex individual. I highly recommended the book. It is seldom that a major historical figure is also a great writer. Chateaubriand was both and not only he describes the turbulent events of the French Revolution and the following era, but was one shaping many of those events. Let us not forget, however, that first of all Chateaubriand was great romantic writer and the "Memories" is much more than a history book or an autobiography. Especially beautiful are the chapters describing his childhood and youth and his travels to America. We see here It is seldom that a major historical figure is also a great writer. While in his novels the fiction and reality are mixed, in his "Memories" it is only the reality, painted however with the brush of a great romantic writer. A fascinating reading for the lover of both history and of literature and an important original source. The memoir of Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand is one that makes events that one reads in history come alive as one who sees first hand. Living in Saint-Melo. Then living in his father's castle in Combourg. One of his schoolmates later tries to assassinate Napoleon, there is a story that should be written. Witnessing the first eruptions of the French Revolution. As he flees to England. Then on to America where he meets George The memoir of Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand is one that makes events that one reads in history come alive as one who sees first hand. Then on to America where he meets George Washington. Then travels to the United States border with Canada then later back to France. And to England. The memoir is filled with ancient texts and descriptive narratives "No day has ever followed night, nor night ever followed dawn, that has not heard the sound of weeping mingled with the mournful wailings, attendants of death and dark funerals. Here is the account by a man who lived through some of the most turbulent , yet fascinating times in France's history. I'm giving it 5 stars for the writing and a style which clearly influenced Marcel Proust. I don't think I'm really qualified to judge the work further because I'm not a historian of the period. Also, it is not exactly a complete autobiography in the normal sense. But he was there and he lived Here is the account by a man who lived through some of the most turbulent , yet fascinating times in France's history. But he was there and he lived it. Unfortunately I really struggled to get through this. I enjoyed the account of the first part of his life but got really bogged down when Napoleon enters the scene. Chateaubriand writes in a curiously oblique and contradictory style, and its difficult to know how he feels about any of the events he describes. In fact he tells you very little about what he actually did - I learned more from just looking at Wikipedia. Overall I found this tedious and a disappointment. Jan 05, Glaubert Fustave rated it really liked it. No current Talk conversations about this book. I was expecting to find this book interesting as a historical source, but was surprised to love it as literature. You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data. Memoirs from Beyond the Grave. References to this work on external resources. Wikipedia in English None. The most enjoyable, glamorous and gripping of all 19th-century autobiographies - a tumultuous account of France hit by wave after wave of revolutions Memoirs from Beyond the Tomb is the greatest and most influential of all French autobiographies - an extraordinary, highly entertaining account of a uniquely adventurous and frenzied life. No library descriptions found. Book description. Haiku summary. Add to Your books. Add to wishlist. Quick Links Amazon. Amazon Kindle 0 editions.

Memoirs from Beyond the Grave – New York Review Books

The version I read had volumes , covering life and travels from April to September , revised in December One of the all time great autobiographical memoirs. Up there with Samuel Pepys. This is just the first volume in an excellent new translations. One of my most enjoyable reads in years. Im so sad Ive finished this book. Its one I definitely know Ill go back to. Chateaubriands vulnerable, fluid prose is incredible. He was a writer, soldier, diplomat, emigre He was witness to the beginnings of the French Revolution and the violence and anarchy that defined the crumbling of a society. He endured heartbreaking loss of family and friends. The book is definitely filled with arcana like the long lists of names of his contemporaries 4. The man certainly knows how to tell a story - the premise being living through the birth of America, the French Revolution, Napoleon's rise and fall, and finally the last gasps of the monarchy in France. It's a little funny to hear him talk so much about a love of liberty contra Napoleon just after he denounced the Terror which spilt the blood of his family in the name of liberty. As a thinker he's not so interesting - just a standard reactionary who believes it is good to be well off and religious and those less well off should grit their teeth and bear it. Like a great dinner conversation via a time machine. Chateaubriand's life straddled a very changing world, in his native France as well as the New World. I especially enjoyed his descriptions of growing up in St. His passages describing America just after the Revolutionary War, in particular his accounts of visiting with Native Americans, were also very entertaining and unique. A great read for history Like a great dinner conversation via a time machine. A great read for history lovers and an obviously important book in the development of French literature. Apr 10, Geert rated it did not like it. Extremely overrated: memoirs of an old guy who repaints himself larger than life and nicely removes anything conspicious. Maybe it says something about the french soul if this is termed a masterpiece? Jun 06, Marianne rated it it was ok. I felt like I belonged in the Tombe after reading this ponderous book. Aug 20, Stosch rated it liked it Shelves: french. Apocryphally, when Zou Enlai was asked in about the effects of the French Revolution, he replied: "Too early to say. Chateaubriand, the French writer and romantic, lived through the times and left a compendious memoir, and presumably is an interesting source. I had to get this Penguin edition of 'selections', as it is Apocryphally, when Zou Enlai was asked in about the effects of the French Revolution, he replied: "Too early to say. I had to get this Penguin edition of 'selections', as it is the only reasonable priced commonly available edition of his work in print. There seems to be a more recent NYRB-Classics edition of the complete work, but it is expensive and hard to find. This book is about page selection from his whole text, and thankfully it appears whole chapters have been taken from the full text without any reduction, only many of the chapters have been left out. I think the chapters concerning with events in France pertaining to the Revolution, and time of Napolean has been included. The ones not included are majorly the ones about his travels abroad in the Levant and other places. Chateaubriand though misses out witnessing most of the events of the revolution directly since he is out of France for a large portion of the time. Almost at the breaking out of the revolution, he sets out on a futile adventure in search of the North-West Passage in North America. In America, he is not really impressed by the young republic. There he meets George Washington briefly, later that interview would provide him material to compare Napolean with Washington, unfavourably to the former. The tumult of the revolution soon starts to affect his own family who were feudal lords of some standing. Later he joins the army in exile fighting to overthrow the revolution. Soon though he is injured and escapes to England, where he makes a beginning in his literary career. The most dramatic and shocking episodes of the Reign of Terror, the period of extreme violence and fanaticism, he views from a distance. His own sister and mother end up in prison. However, once the Napolean seizes power, there is a brief respite in the tumult, and Chateaubriand returns to France. From now on, Napolean seems his central focus. Though there was a period in which Napolean and Chateaubriand seemed polite acquaintances with a degree of respect between them, as Napolean by turns, became more illiberal, and more on the path to despotism, the gulf between them widens, till it reached a point where they are almost enemies. Chateaubriand's writing is more impactful when he is narrating the time of Napolean. He has seen the man at close, and understood his genius as well as the flaws in his character. The staggering military feats of the Napolean from Italy, Austria, and on the path to Russia is astounding. That a single man could muster enough force of personality to bring down the edifices of long-established European monarchies, over such vast geographies and peoples seems something beyond human. But soon enough he is faced with adversity. The campaign in Russia turns out to be a tragedy for the Grand Armee in their long retreat. A few of the most elaborate chapters are of the Napoleans two banishments. First to Elba an island off the Italian coast. Then one of the most romantic passages in history unfolds: his" Days", when Napolean made a daring escape from Elba, lands on the French coast, and marches on to Paris to reclaim the mantle. This again calls the opposing European powers back to war with France, culminating in the final battle of Waterloo where Napolean, by the turn of events stood defeated. He is then sent on his final and permanent exile on the island of St. Helena in the South Atlantic. Chateaubriand has a moving, and reflective chapter on Napoleon's life and eventual death in St Helena. Chateaubriand writes: "I have explored the seas of the Old World and the New, and trodden the soil of the four quarters of the globe. After sleeping in the cabins of the Iroquois and the tents of Arabs, in the wigwams of Hurons and the remains of Athens, Jerusalem, Memphis, Carthage, and Granada, in the homes of Greeks, Turks and Moors and among forests and ruins; after wearing the bearskin cloak of the savage and the silk caftan of the Mameluke, and after enduring poverty, hunger, thirst, and exile, I have taken my place, as a minister and ambassador, trimmed with gold lace and plastered with ribbons and decorations, at the table of kings, at the festivities of princes and princesses, only to fall more into indigence and to taste prison life. I was expecting to find this book interesting as a historical source, but was surprised to love it as literature. Even in translation two centuries later, Chateaubriand has a felicity with language that oozes through the page belying his early disclaimer that he is not one for wit. These memoirs are full of well-turned phrases and surprisingly self-aware observations from Chateaubriand's full life, which included a childhood growing up in a castle with a distant father, an irresolute young I was expecting to find this book interesting as a historical source, but was surprised to love it as literature. Even in translation two centuries later, Chateaubriand has a felicity with language that oozes through the page — belying his early disclaimer that he is not one for wit. These memoirs are full of well-turned phrases and surprisingly self-aware observations from Chateaubriand's full life, which included a childhood growing up in a castle with a distant father, an irresolute young adulthood that included a sojourn exploring America a sort of 18th Century "gap year" , fame as a best-selling author and a denouement as a statesman and diplomat. Even the less exciting bits, such as Chateaubriand's childhood, are highly readable, while his character study of Napoleon is incisive if not wholly reliable. My only complaints have to do with the apparent abridgment of this Penguin translation not advertised at all on the physical copy. There are obvious gaps in the narrative — his pilgrimage to the Holy Land is constantly referenced but never actually described; the treatment of his diplomatic service under the Restoration is frustratingly vague; even his coverage of Napoleon, the meaty center of the book, covers only three major incidents from Bonaparte's reign in depth. I'm sure the original version would seem interminably long today, so some abridgment was surely necessary, but it's best to go in with an understanding of the Penguin edition as a snapshot of a larger work. It's a testament to Chateaubriand's sparkling prose that I wanted more. Find a copy in the library Finding libraries that hold this item Reviews User-contributed reviews Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. Be the first. Add a review and share your thoughts with other readers. France -- History -- Consulate and First Empire, Napoleon -- I -- Emperor of the French -- Napoleon -- I, -- Emperor of the French, -- Authors, French -- 19th century -- Biography. Linked Data More info about Linked Data. Livre WorldCat is the world's largest library catalog, helping you find library materials online. Remember me on this computer. Cancel Forgot your password? New York Review Books classics. Print book : Biography : English View all editions and formats. Napoleon -- I, -- Emperor of the French, -- -- Contemporaries. View all subjects. User lists Similar Items. Home About Help Search. Even in translation two centuries later, Chateaubriand has a felicity with language that oozes through the page — belying his early disclaimer that he is not one for wit. These memoirs are full of well-turned phrases and surprisingly self-aware observations from Chateaubriand's full life, which included a childhood growing up in a castle with a distant father, an irresolute young adulthood that included a sojourn exploring America a sort of 18th Century "gap year" , fame as a best-selling author and a denouement as a statesman and diplomat. Even the less exciting bits, such as Chateaubriand's childhood, are highly readable, while his character study of Napoleon is incisive if not wholly reliable. My only complaints have to do with the apparent abridgment of this Penguin translation not advertised at all on the physical copy. There are obvious gaps in the narrative — his pilgrimage to the Holy Land is constantly referenced but never actually described; the treatment of his diplomatic service under the Restoration is frustratingly vague; even his coverage of Napoleon, the meaty center of the book, covers only three major incidents from Bonaparte's reign in depth. I'm sure the original version would seem interminably long today, so some abridgment was surely necessary, but it's best to go in with an understanding of the Penguin edition as a snapshot of a larger work. It's a testament to Chateaubriand's sparkling prose that I wanted more. Home Groups Talk More Zeitgeist. I Agree This site uses cookies to deliver our services, improve performance, for analytics, and if not signed in for advertising. Your use of the site and services is subject to these policies and terms. Members Reviews Popularity Average rating Mentions 5 80, 4. Chateaubriand gives a superb narrative of the major events of his life - which spanned the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Era and the uneasy period that led up to the Revolution of Europe No current Talk conversations about this book.

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