Sylvain Reynard's Blog, page 44
July 5, 2011
Literature - John Donne
Professor Gabriel Emerson is a professor of literature. He’s a Dante specialist, but like most literature professors he’s widely read in many different languages. (He’s proud of this, of course, but freely admits his deadly sin of pride in addition to the other six.)
[For an excellent article on C.S. Lewis’ use of the Seven Deadly Sins in the seven volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia, click here.]
In the novel “Gabriel’s Inferno,” there is a scene in which Professor Emerson remembers the metaphysical poetry of John Donne, which he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. (Magdalen was also the college of C.S. Lewis and some say that the stone figures in the cloister quadrangle were the inspiration for the stone figures in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.)
http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2011/07...
Literature - John Donne
Professor Gabriel Emerson is a professor of literature. He's a Dante specialist, but like most literature professors he's widely read in many different languages. (He's proud of this, of course, but freely admits his deadly sin of pride in addition to the other six.)
[For an excellent article on C.S. Lewis' use of the Seven Deadly Sins in the seven volumes of The Chronicles of Narnia, click here.]
In the novel "Gabriel's Inferno," there is a scene in which Professor Emerson remembers the metaphysical poetry of John Donne, which he studied at Magdalen College, Oxford. (Magdalen was also the college of C.S. Lewis and some say that the stone figures in the cloister quadrangle were the inspiration for the stone figures in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe.)
[To see the stone figures, click here. Then click in the centre of the Cloister Quadrangle, , and zoom into the row of windows facing you. The figures are hovering over the arches above the ivy.]
John Donne (1572-1631) was an English poet. He secretly married seventeen-year-old Anne More in 1601. Anne's family was furious and had Donne thrown into prison. Years later, he became a chaplain in the Anglican Church and was widely known as a gifted preacher. In 1621, he was appointed Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London, a position that he held until his death. There is a memorial to Donne in St. Paul's, that survived the Great Fire of London in 1666 with only a little scorching. (Rather like Donne, himself, who survived the scorching of prison and public disapproval over his marriage.)
The poem that Gabriel calls to mind is John Donne's "The Flea" and it's an example of a metaphysical poem:
"MARK but this flea, and mark in this,
How little that which thou deniest me is ;
It suck'd me first, and now sucks thee,
And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.
Thou know'st that this cannot be said
A sin, nor shame, nor loss of maidenhead ;
Yet this enjoys before it woo,
And pamper'd swells with one blood made of two ;
And this, alas ! is more than we would do.
O stay, three lives in one flea spare,
Where we almost, yea, more than married are.
This flea is you and I, and this
Our marriage bed, and marriage temple is.
Though parents grudge, and you, we're met,
And cloister'd in these living walls of jet.
Though use make you apt to kill me,
Let not to that self-murder added be,
And sacrilege, three sins in killing three.
Cruel and sudden, hast thou since
Purpled thy nail in blood of innocence?
Wherein could this flea guilty be,
Except in that drop which it suck'd from thee?
Yet thou triumph'st, and say'st that thou
Find'st not thyself nor me the weaker now.
'Tis true ; then learn how false fears be ;
Just so much honour, when thou yield'st to me,
Will waste, as this flea's death took life from thee."
You probably have your own ideas about what the poem is about and whether or not you find it creepy. I welcome your comments below.
The poem is widely considered to contain a conversation between a man and his potential female lover, who is a virgin. She is denying him her virginity, and he is arguing that her virginity is inconsequential, using the flea as a conceit. Within the poem, sex (and its attendant discomfort, risks and ramifications), is considered to be as innocuous as a flea bite.
In fact, the man argues, the mingling of the blood of the two potential lovers in the body of the flea is a kind of intercourse that has occurred already. He holds up this example to persuade the virgin and perhaps to berate her, pointing out that the flea does more than she.
The poem is seductive but the seduction is intellectual and not physical. Yes, the man plays on the woman's bodily desires, but it is her mind and her conscience that he is arguing with. He does so by downplaying her worries and concerns, attempting to convince her that those impediments are too small to stop them.
In "Gabriel's Inferno," The Professor wars with himself as he contemplates the poem and the moral dilemma before him occasioned by the virtuous graduate student, Julianne Mitchell. Like Donne, Gabriel allows himself to use reason to consider the path his bodily desires wish to explore and the exquisite delights that her figure holds for him …
but I won't spoil the story by telling you what he does next …
Thank you for reading,
SR
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July 4, 2011
Announcements - Amazon Ranking
Happy 4th of July.
Happy Monday.
"Gabriel's Inferno" is #24 on Amazon's Top Rated Contemporary Romance Kindle ebooks.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/di...
Scorching Book Reviews has voted "Gabriel's Inferno" its Standout Novel of June.
http://scorchingbookreviews.blogspot....
Thank you for your support.
All the best,
SR
http://www.sylvainreynard.com/2011/07...
Announcement - Amazon Ranking
Happy 4th of July.
Happy Monday.
"Gabriel's Inferno" is #24 on Amazon's Top Rated Contemporary Romance Kindle ebooks.
Scorching Book Reviews has voted "Gabriel's Inferno" its Standout Novel of June.
Thank you for your support.
All the best, SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
PS. I'll be posting tomorrow on John Donne's poem "The Flea."
June 28, 2011
Grendel and his Relatives
There is a scene in “Gabriel’s Inferno” in which Professor Emerson accompanies two young women (one of whom is his sister) to a club in Toronto. As their host, he realizes that he will not be able to indulge himself in his usual sins for an evening. Instead of the hunter, he becomes the protector. Ever the professor of literature, he muses on the fact that he will have to play the part of Beowulf, prepared to slay Grendel and his relatives if they threaten his precious charges.
It's surprising, perhaps, that someone who is convinced he is irredeemably evil views himself as a Beowulf rather than a Grendel, at least in this scene...
www.sylvainreynard.com
June 27, 2011
Literature - "Beowulf"
Dear Everyone,
There is a scene in "Gabriel's Inferno" in which Professor Emerson accompanies two young women (one of whom is his sister) to a club in Toronto. As their host, he realizes that he will not be able to indulge himself in his usual sins, at least for an evening. Instead of the hunter, he becomes the protector. Ever the professor of literature, he muses on the fact that he will have to play the part of Beowulf, prepared to slay Grendel and his relatives if they threaten his precious charges.
It's surprising, perhaps, that someone who is convinced he is irredeemably evil views himself as a Beowulf rather than a Grendel, at least in this scene.
(Whether he is or not is for the readers to judge for themselves.)
Beowulf is the name of a hero and also of an Old English epic poem that dates from around 800 AD. Although the poem is written in Old English, it isn't set in Britain nor is it about Angles or Saxons. The poem is Scandinavian, combining mythical elements with historical persons, along with references to Christianity. For example, the monster Grendel is described as a descendant of Cain, son of Adam, who slew his brother Abel.
Cain's story – and what God says and does to him – is interesting in itself. You can read it here from Genesis 4 of the Hebrew Bible.
Here is how Grendel is described in Beowulf:
Grendel this monster grim was called,
march-riever mighty, in moorland living,
in fen and fastness; fief of the giants
the hapless wight a while had kept
since the Creator his exile doomed.
On kin of Cain was the killing avenged
by sovran God for slaughtered Abel.
Ill fared his feud, and far was he driven,
for the slaughter's sake, from sight of men.
Of Cain awoke all that woful breed,
Etins and elves and evil-spirits,
as well as the giants that warred with God
weary while: but their wage was paid them!
Notice that the offspring of Cain (who was a human being) include elves, evil spirits, and Etins, which are a kind of giant.
In the poem, Grendel threatens the warriors of Hrothgar, King of the Danes. None of Hrothgar's men seem to be able to kill the monster, so Beowulf, who is a Geat, rises to the challenge. His act is both courageous and honourable as he is repaying a service to Hrothgar, who aided his father.
Grendel does not fare very well in his confrontation with Beowulf. There's also an interesting bit about Beowulf's magical sword (and it's lack of magical effect). Beowulf also battles Grendel's mother, who takes up her son's revenge. (This narrative twist provides all kinds of fodder for discussion, Freudian and otherwise.) The third part of the poem describes Beowulf's battle with a dragon.
Interestingly enough, J.R.R. Tolkien had a lively interest in Beowulf. He wrote at least two essays on the subject, which you can find included in this volume. You can also find a short piece comparing Tolkien's characters with Beowulf here and here. (Is an Ent an Etin?)
To read the full text of Beowulf, click here.
All the best and thanks for reading,
SR
PS. If you're looking for a place to discuss "Gabriel's Inferno," you can always do so on Goodreads or on Facebook or Twitter. Links to reviews of the novel have been posted on my website.
ETA: I was contacted by a very kind reader who is translating Beowulf into modern English. Like me, he admires Seamus Heaney's translation. You can follow Gareth Jones' translation and commentary here.
June 21, 2011
Friendship and Tolkien
Friendship is one of the relationships that figures prominently in “Gabriel’s Inferno.” Julia and Rachel are friends, Paul and Julia are friends, Professor Emerson appears to be friends with Katherine Picton, the villains of the story (seen and unseen) used to be friends with some of the other characters …
Friendship is a kind of love, but it’s a love that is asexual and chaste. Friendship reminds us that human beings can love each other deeply without that love being sexual or romantic...
www.sylvainreynard.com
Literature - "The Lord of the Rings"
Friendship is a kind of love, but it's a love that is asexual and chaste. Friendship reminds us that human beings can love each other deeply without that love being sexual or romantic.
In my story, Julia muses about what she is willing to do for the man who stole her heart when she was young. An analogy is drawn in her mind to the friendship between Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins in J.R.R. Tolkien's trilogy The Lord of the Rings .
If you're searching western literature for examples of friendship, there are many examples to choose from. But there's something about the friendship between Sam and Frodo that typifies what a great friendship can be. While Frodo is usually considered to be the hero of the trilogy, it is Sam who is the shining example of a good friend. He is loyal and constant. He shows tremendous fortitude and courage. His character qualities are tested and tried over and over again, but Sam's commitment to his friend persists, despite conflict and fatigue and the inevitable personality changes that Frodo experiences as the ring-bearer. On several occasions, Sam could have abandoned his friend to finish the quest alone. But he didn't.
There are many reasons to read Tolkien's Rings trilogy. One of them should be because it provides a thought-provoking presentation of true friendship. Another would be because it unashamedly presents goodness and evil in stark terms. Few novels in the twenty-first century do that. Nevertheless, the trilogy also presents the way good creatures can be seduced and lured into evil.(It's possible that there are a hobbit and elf or two in my story. See if you can pick them out)
As I mentioned in my previous post, I've been honoured to be nominated on Goodreads list of Best Break Out Authors Novels. If you have a moment, you can vote for your favourites here. All the best and thanks for reading,SR. www.sylvainreynard.com TwitterFacebookGoodreads PS. If you see a review of my work somewhere and you'd like to tell me about it, please email me here. Thank you. I should also mention that I endeavour to reply to every email, although sometimes it takes me a few days.
June 18, 2011
Goodreads Nomination
I have good news.
I have been nominated for Goodreads' Best Break Out Author Novels' contest. I don't know who nominated me, but I am grateful to that person. Thank you.
You can vote for your favourites here: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/10886.Best_Break_Out_Author_Novels_
I'm sure you'll recognize a number of authors and book titles.
I also want to thank all the readers who have shared "Gabriel's Inferno" with their friends, their relatives, and their book clubs. Thank you. It's truly a compliment to be recommended by you.
All the best and thanks for reading,SR
www.sylvainreynard.comTwitterFacebook
June 14, 2011
Literature - "The Book of Common Prayer"
Sex and love form important themes in my novel, "Gabriel's Inferno." The theme is developed through dialogue, events, the lives of the characters and even through a university lecture or two. My characters and the characters in the various pieces of literature mentioned in the story take different views on these topics.
Sometimes sex and love are separate considerations, sometimes they are unified. Sometimes sex is viewed as a gift to give someone else, sometimes it's viewed as something taken from another person for one's own benefit and pleasure. Sometimes sex is a way of exerting power or control over another person, sometimes it's a way of asserting vulnerability and connectedness. Without offering spoilers, I'll simply point out that the various voices in the novel express what I take to to be both typical and atypical approaches to the vexed questions of sex and love.
(Parenthetically it should be noted that although sex is a theme of my story, it isn't the entire story. Readers have had varying reactions to that fact!)
Those familiar with Anglicanism and Thomas Cranmer's "Book of Common Prayer," (BCP) are no doubt familiar with the wedding vows used in Anglican weddings. Those vows have changed, as has the BCP. Nevertheless, the old words include an insight that I think provides an interesting way of viewing sex. This insight is included in "Gabriel's Inferno" as part of a discussion between two of the characters.
Here is the part of the marriage vows from the 1662 version of the BCP,
"Then shall they again loose their hands; and the Man shall give unto the Woman a Ring, laying the same upon the book with the accustomed duty to the Priest and Clerk. And the Priest, taking the Ring, shall deliver it unto the Man, to put it upon the fourth finger of the Woman's left hand. And the Man holding the Ring there, and taught by the Priest, shall say,
ITH this ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen."Although the language has changed in recent versions of the BCP, such that "with my body I thee worship" is no longer a vow made from husband to wife, some Anglican couples (and priests) include the language anyway.
But what does it mean for the husband to vow to worship his wife with his body?
An early commentary by Dr. Anthony Sparrow argues that there are two meanings to this phrase. First, that the husband is indicating that the wife will be his legal wife and not his mistress or concubine. Thus, she will be given the benefits of his property and her offspring will be his legitimate children. Second, the idea of "worship" in this context is that of "honour." The husband vows to honour his wife.
I'm sure Sparrow's commentary has some merit. But the plain meaning of the text seems to indicate something else, as Bishop Paul Marshall argues. To use one's body to worship another in the context of marriage, seems to refer to sex. And not simply "having sex," but "making love." The idea here is that through physical intimacy, the husband affirms his love and respect (and honour) for his wife. He gives to her; he doesn't take from her. Viewing sex as an act of worship of another person takes the self-centredness out of it. Sex becomes something other than personal physical gratification (although physical pleasure is important); it becomes other-centred. Notice that the vow was made from husband to wife and not the reverse.
Why?
But there is something else behind these words that is not mentioned by either Sparrow or Marshall, and that is the connection between sex and the divine. In some religious traditions, sex is a means of worshipping a deity. In Greek and Roman times, for example, one could engage in sexual acts with temple prostitutes as a means of worshipping a particular god or goddess. But I'm not talking about that.
I'm referring to the the way in which sex transports a human being into something overwhelming and ecstatic and I'm suggesting that this transport offers a glimpse of the divine. It's possible that this idea is captured by Cranmer's vow. The act of worshipping another with one's body, such that one is giving and not taking, such that one is other-centred, provides a context in which one can experience what it would be like to be loved completely and unreservedly. What it would be like to experience the satisfaction of all one's deepest longings. What it would be like to have pleasure, bliss and happiness not just for an instant, but for eternity. In Cranmer's context (as in Dante's), this eternity would be had in the presence of God. Perhaps sex (when done in a worshipful way) is a glimpse, a shadow of what it would be to bask in the glory of God in Paradise, like Dante and Beatrice. As Dante expresses in his Paradiso , the universe is held together by love...
I know many of you have been wondering about the sequel to "Gabriel's Inferno." The sequel is in progress, but I don't have a release date yet. When the release date is set by the publisher, we'll be able to announce it here, on Twitter and on Facebook. Thank you for your continued support. It's much appreciated.
All the best and thanks for reading,SR
www.sylvainreynard.com
(For an interesting piece on Dante's Paradiso click here.)
