George Sand: Writing for Her Life

by Isabelle Hoog Naginski

Sand was a prolific writer of nearly 60 novels who dealt with the serious issues of her time and was identified with the Romantic literary movement. Yet serious study of her works is lacking, for Sand became known more for her eccentric lifestyle and love affairs with famous contemporaries, i.e., Alfred de Musset and Frederic Chopin, than her career as a writer. Moreover, she was unique in her approach as a woman who refused to trivialize her craft because of her gender. The author of this critical study sets the record straight, belatedly bestowing upon Sand the academic acclaim that is long past due. Through extensive analysis of her principal works, she delineates her progression from mal du siecle pessimism to utopian optimism and from diagnosing society's ills to prescribing a cure for them. The author (French, Russian, and comparative literature, Tufts Univ.) has aptly illuminated Sand's unique narrative approach and has opened the door for further examination of her works.

Genres: Biography

296 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1991

Reviews

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I not only assigned this book to my students in the George Sand seminar I taught this semester, I even bought them used copies so they would not have to go through the hassle of the purchases. It was an expense well worth it, because Naginksi helps the reader every step of the way make sense through great textual analyses AND provide the detailed literary history that also enriches the understanding AND also offers an evident mastery of the critical corpus. It's great to be in the same field with this eminent scholar.