Alexandre Dumas

Marciano Guerrero

Marymarc Translations

During 1844 Dumas met Marie Duplessis, a Young courtesan who supposedly was the inspiration for his novel The Lady of the Camellias (La Dame aux camélias). Of course the heroine's name was changed to Marguerite Gautier. The novel was later adapted into a play, and it was titled Camille in English. This same play became the basis for Verdi's opera, La Traviata. Although the intrigues, overall plot, and denouement may be easy to guess, the narrating voices hold the story in complete suspense to the bitter end. The acts of both, helpers and principals, advance relentlessly as told by four different narrators: an unnamed voice (presumably the author's), Armand Duval, Marguerite Gautier, and Juliet Duprat (a friend). La Dame aux camellias is a timeless story that will continue to captivate readers for many generations to come.

The Lady of the Camelias

La Dame Aux Camelias

Immanuel Kant

Kant felt that his Critique of Pure Reason by its depth and span of treatment was inaccessible to many of his readers, and therefore misunderstood. Therefore, he wrote his Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics, a kind of introductory primer.Both the Critique and the Prolegomena assert that we cannot know the things in themselves, but only the things as they appear to us. Did Kant achieve his goal of writing a primer? To some extent, yes. For serious students of epistemology, however, one must go beyond the primer and actually read the Critique. Although Kant attempted to simplify and popularize the ideas he had expressed in the Critique, it appears that he just wrote a shorter version of it—it isn't simple or easy to grasp because Kant's style of writing is elevated and he didn't change it for the Prolegomena.

In Contemporary American English

Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics

Moliere

It is possible that Moliere wanted to avoid a contentious treatment of his new play, The Misanthrope, given the banning that Tartuffe had experienced for its criticism of the church hypocrisy. Therefore, he presented in The Misanthrope a mild comedy of superficial manners of the French aristocracy. Yet, the comedy was engaging enough to satirize adult flaws in human relationships.Despite the lack of action, adventure, and suspense, the play manages to present the audience the quirks and tics of individual characters rather than types or classes. A few characters achieve roundness, allowing readers and audiences to peek into their inner springs. Alceste, Célimène, and Philinte are ambivalent and multidimensional enough in their behavior as to keep the public guessing what their fates will be. Although Alceste —the Misanthrope— is constant in his rejection of friends, and even the world in general, his heart yearns for love. At one point, Alceste wishes to run away and live in a remote place, but not in solitude, since he wants Célimène to accompany him. From this we can conclude that what ails Alceste is ennui—he is sick of the tedious people in his circle. In the end we realize that he is more of a misfit or an eccentric than a misanthrope.

Moliere's Plays - The Misanthrope

Abbé Prévost

Abbe Post

Manon Lescaut (1893), inspired Italian composer Giacomo Puccini to compose the opera by the same name.Set in France and Louisiana in the early 18th century, more than a story about Manon, the story is about the blind devotion the hero, the Chevalier des Grieux, developed for his lover—the gorgeous young woman, Manon Lescaut. Of a noble wealthy family and with a fine education Des Grieux gives it all up when he meets Manon Lescaut. In Paris the young lovers enjoy a life of ups and downs because of financial pressures. While Des Grieux is content with living a simple life, Manon has an obsession with expensive taste and luxury exacerbated by a congenital fear of poverty. Manon Lescaut (1893), inspired Italian composer Giacomo Puccini to compose the opera by the same name.All the elements of a thriller —suspense, mystery, narrow escapes, action, intrigue, etc.— are all present, making the prose athletic, robust, taking the reader on a non-stop galloping ride from beginning to end.

Manon Lescaut

The religious Madame Pernelle decides to leave her son Orgon's house because she finds their behavior immoral and decadent. Damis (her grandson) is a brat, and her granddaughter Mariane, a weakling. Moliere puts in Madame Pernelle's mouth the now famous saying about 'still waters' — “Good-luck! Grand-daughter, you play the prude, and to look at you, butter would not melt in your mouth. But still waters run deep, as the saying goes. And I do not like your clever doings at all.”In contrast, she sees the new houseguest, Tartuffe, as an admirable character. Tartuffe has been invited to stay by the house's master Orgon, who is very much taken in by Tartuffe's deep piety. Contrary to what the master believes, the rest of the family sees Tartuffe to be a fraud and a liar. The servant Dorine and the others discuss how they might convince Orgon that Tartuffe is manipulating him.As the play progresses, we see that Tartuffe's exterior conduct and rhetoric has great influence on Orgon—the master of the household. In short, Tartuffe leads Orgon “by the nose.” The close association jeopardizes the tranquility of the house: Mariane —in love with Valere— is now pressed by her father top marry Tartuffe.But Dorine (the servant) has a plan. She wants Elmire to control Tartuffe, since it is clear that he lusts after her. Tartuffe, alone with Elmire, takes some liberties, which confirms what Dorine suspected. When Damis and Elmire inform Orgon about Tartuffe's liberties, Orgon refuses to believe the accusation. What is even more ironic, he names Tartuffe his heir; not only that: he even shares a grave political secret with him.To prove that Tartuffe is a hypocrite and lecherous man who has made sexual advances to her, Elmire lures Tartuffe into a sexual encounter; an act that takes place within Orgon's hidden presence.Seeing Tartuffe's less than pious and less than noble conduct, Orgon turns him out of the house. Tartuffe leaves, but not without threating Orgon with taking away all his property, and landing him in jail. Tartuffe carries out his threat and a court official —Monsieur Loyal—, appears to confiscate the property and enforce a warrant for Orgon's arrest.But, a police officer of the King arrives with Tartuffe. The resolution is quite surprising as the police officer suddenly arrests Tartuffe, explaining that the King knew about the hypocrite's record.

Marymarc Translations

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