Φίλοι σε ελαφρήν απόκλιση

by E.M. Forster, Κ.Π. Καβάφης, Κατερίνα Γκίκα (Translator)

Ο Άγγλος μυθιστοριογράφος E.M. Forster και ο Αλεξανδρινός ποιητής Κ.Π. Καβάφης γνωρίστηκαν στην Αλεξάνδρεια, την εποχή που ο Forster εργαζόταν για τον Ερυθρό Σταυρό κατά τον Πρώτο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Η αλληλογραφία που ακολούθησε μεταξύ τους μαρτυρά μια σύνθετη σχέση και αποδεικνύει με συναρπαστικό τρόπο την αδιάπτωτη αποφασιστικότητα του Forster να προωθήσει τον Καβάφη εκδίδοντας το έργο του στα αγγλικά. Οι επιστολές τους συνθέτουν παράλληλα ένα χρονικό της υπολογισμένης άρνησης του Καβάφη να συμπλεύσει πλήρως με τα σχέδια του Forster.

Η ιστορία που μας αφηγείται η αλληλογραφία περιλαμβάνει μερικές από τις μεγαλύτερες προσωπικότητες της λογοτεχνίας του 20ού αιώνα, καθώς στο πρώιμο εγχείρημα του Forster να μεταφραστεί ο Καβάφης συμμετείχαν ο Arnold Toynbee, o T.S. Eliot, ο T.E. Lawrence και ο Leonard Woolf. Ο Forster τελικά πέτυχε να γνωρίσει τον Καβάφη στον αγγλόφωνο κόσμο θέτοντας γερά θεμέλια για την σημερινή παγκόσμια λογοτεχνική φήμη του ποιητή.

Η έκδοση περιλαμβάνει το σύνολο της σωζόμενης αλληλογραφίας Καβάφη-Forster, συσχετιζόμενες επιστολές και αρχειακό φωτογραφικό υλικό.

Genres: Nonfiction

180 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2009

About the author

Edward Morgan Forster, generally published as E.M. Forster, was an English novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is known best for his ironic and well-plotted novels examining class difference and hypocrisy in early 20th-century British society. His humanistic impulse toward understanding and sympathy may be aptly summed up in the epigraph to his 1910 novel Howards End: "Only connect".

He had five novels published in his lifetime, achieving his greatest success with A Passage to India (1924) which takes as its subject the relationship between East and West, seen through the lens of India in the later days of the British Raj.

Forster's views as a secular humanist are at the heart of his work, which often depicts the pursuit of personal connections in spite of the restrictions of contemporary society. He is noted for his use of symbolism as a technique in his novels, and he has been criticised for his attachment to mysticism. His other works include Where Angels Fear to Tread (1905), The Longest Journey (1907), A Room with a View (1908) and Maurice (1971), his posthumously published novel which tells of the coming of age of an explicitly gay male character.

Reviews

[ιφιγένεια παπούλη · Rating 5 out of 5]

[...]
more poems, then.
more poems.
[...]

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting collection of letters between Cavafy and Forster. They had met in Alexandria in the 20s and had a 15 year "lobsided" friendship (Forster seemed more into Cavafy than the other way around). But the friendship was interesting in that because they were both closeted homosexuals who never came out due to the times.

However, what makes the book really interesting is the previously unpublished translations of Cavafy's work in an anthology at the end. Definitely worth looking at for anyone interested in Cavafy and his work.

[rogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's Cavafy! And Forster! Of course this is great stuff, even if Cavafy writes letters like a taciturn clerk and even if most of the letters are about mundane publishing details. There is a great introduction and detailed footnotes (with some treasures buried in them Gibbons-style, like footnote #141), evocative inserts, and an appendix with selections of Cavafy's poetry. And a great little treat in the last few pages just to top things off. Well done, Peter Jeffreys!

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This collections of letters is primarily between E.M. Forster and C.P. Cavafy, regarding the poetry of Cavafy and the Forster's promotion of Cavafy's work and attempt to publish it. Interesting to read the great Greek poet's correspondence about his own work, but not the most interesting collection of letters, and some of the choices of what to include or not include seem a bit odd. Still, worth reading for fans of Cavafy, I should think . . .

[Maher Battuti · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب جميل ككل الكتب التى تبين جوانب غير معروفه للمشهورين من المؤلفين والفنانين . وهى كتب السيرة والسيرة الذاتية والمراسلات .
ويستبين فى هذا الكتاب حرص فورستر على نشر قصائد كفافيس بالإنجليزية ، وقد كان له الفضل فى تعريف القراء بافنجليزية لكفافيس
وقد عرف فورستر الشاعر الإسكندرى حين كان يعمل فى الإسكندرية ، ثم راسله بعد ذلك من إنجلترا

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite "Egyptian" / Grrek-Egyptian poet. The is an interesting read for anyone interested in the Forster - Cavafy connection. The letters in front and poems at back...