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Woman of Letters: Irene Nemirovsky and Suite Francaise
Produced with the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York, and IMEC, the French foundation that holds the Nemirovsky archive, Woman of Letters explores the life of Irene Nemirovsky, author of the million-selling novel Suite Francaise. Born in Kiev in 1903, Nemirovsky immigrated to France during the Russian Revolution. A celebrated Parisian writer between the wars, she died in Auschwitz in 1942.
Compiled with Nemirovsky’s daughter, Denise Epstein, Woman of Letters includes reproductions of more than one hundred photographs, letters, and documents from the family archive. The preface by Museum of Jewish Heritage Director David Marwell and Olivier Corpet addresses the current controversy surrounding accusations that Nemirovsky, though Jewish, wrote earlier works that could be considered anti-Semitic. Woman of Letters includes a translation, by Sandra Smith, of the last short story published in the author’s lifetime, along with notes for Captivity, the unfinished third volume of Suite Francaise. The book will accompany a traveling exhibition, on view at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York through 2008.
The book contains an interview with Denise Epstein by Olivier Corpet; a short story, “The Virgins,” by Irene Nemirovsky; notes for Captivity; and a chronology of the life of Irene Nemirovsky by Olivier Philipponnat and Patrick Lienhardt.
Olivier Corpet is founder and director of IMEC (l’Institut Memoires d l’Edition Contemporaine), the largest nongovernmental literary archive in France.
Garrett White, founder of Five Ties Publishing, is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn. His translations include An Unspeakable Betrayal: Selected Writings of Luis Bunuel.
Compiled with Nemirovsky’s daughter, Denise Epstein, Woman of Letters includes reproductions of more than one hundred photographs, letters, and documents from the family archive. The preface by Museum of Jewish Heritage Director David Marwell and Olivier Corpet addresses the current controversy surrounding accusations that Nemirovsky, though Jewish, wrote earlier works that could be considered anti-Semitic. Woman of Letters includes a translation, by Sandra Smith, of the last short story published in the author’s lifetime, along with notes for Captivity, the unfinished third volume of Suite Francaise. The book will accompany a traveling exhibition, on view at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York through 2008.
The book contains an interview with Denise Epstein by Olivier Corpet; a short story, “The Virgins,” by Irene Nemirovsky; notes for Captivity; and a chronology of the life of Irene Nemirovsky by Olivier Philipponnat and Patrick Lienhardt.
Olivier Corpet is founder and director of IMEC (l’Institut Memoires d l’Edition Contemporaine), the largest nongovernmental literary archive in France.
Garrett White, founder of Five Ties Publishing, is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn. His translations include An Unspeakable Betrayal: Selected Writings of Luis Bunuel.
128 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 2, 2010
Irene Nemirovsky had written only two of the planned five parts of her novel about the invasion and occupation of France by Germany in World War 2 when she was arrested, deported and kllled by the Third Reich. Though her husband was also liquidated, her daughters survived the war, and one of them held onto this manuscript as a memento of her mother.[return][return]Though it's a tragedy that the novel was never completed, what remains is still a masterpiece, which bears comparison with that other great narrative of occupation and resistance, "War and Peace". Nemirovsky portrays the fall of Paris and the first year of the German occupation with clarity and yet also with compassion for her characters, who intersect and interact in unexpected ways. The quality of the characterisation and the writing are both exceptionally good. This novel deserves to go in the must-read category.
January 23, 2021
absolutely riveting to read about the interview with denise epstein.
September 2, 2008
So far this is wonderful!
O my word, one of the most amzing books ever! the stories leave you dying to know more aobut the families you are introduced to, but its then followed by appendices that leave you flabbergasted. READ READ READ!
O my word, one of the most amzing books ever! the stories leave you dying to know more aobut the families you are introduced to, but its then followed by appendices that leave you flabbergasted. READ READ READ!
May 27, 2008
A real page turner. Portrays a very human view of the tragedy of war through a series of short stories woven together.
July 28, 2021
Leo este libro porque no encuentro traducido al español el relato "Las Vírgenes" que aparece en este precioso volumen. "Las Vírgenes" habla del orgullo de una esposa llamada Camille por la convivencia con su marido y su hija de 7 años. Es paradójico que se publicara cuando Nemirovsky estaba bajo arresto y poco antes de ser asesinada, su voz seguía escuchándose aunque la habían amordazado, precisamente cuando más se acordaría de su familia.
Al principio Camille está muy irritada por la infidelidad de su marido y dentro de un ambiente muy acogedor, al calor de una chimenea, al olor de una suculenta sopa y después con un vino con canela en la mano, se desahoga en la casa de tres afectuosas solteronas. Parece que sus pensamientos no van a ir en otra dirección, sin embargo...Me ha gustado mucho que el final cronológico del cuento lo lees a mitad de camino (ver spoiler) , sin que pierda el lector un ápice de interés por seguir hasta un segundo final, más nemirovskiano.
Las tres solteras la intentan consolar consintiendo las afirmaciones de Camille "love is awful, is such a lie" y "I have not chosen solitude" y "my husband dont care about money, cards, wine or women, but he had one passion : change, like a snake sheds its skin". Una es Blanche que piensa que todo es cuestión del destino "something happens that bends our destiny in a certain direction" . La segunda es Marcelle "horrified by her mother´s life: large family, no money" . Y la tercera es la tita Alberte, maestra de escuela, quien confiesa que rechazó la idea de casarse desde que hace años oyó una discusión entre la atribulada y su cruel marido.
Entonces Camille cambia de rumbo en la página 140:" It is not really a question of love", antes avanza página 136 "is passion, desire, instinct"
Al principio Camille está muy irritada por la infidelidad de su marido y dentro de un ambiente muy acogedor, al calor de una chimenea, al olor de una suculenta sopa y después con un vino con canela en la mano, se desahoga en la casa de tres afectuosas solteronas. Parece que sus pensamientos no van a ir en otra dirección, sin embargo...Me ha gustado mucho que el final cronológico del cuento lo lees a mitad de camino (ver spoiler) , sin que pierda el lector un ápice de interés por seguir hasta un segundo final, más nemirovskiano.
Las tres solteras la intentan consolar consintiendo las afirmaciones de Camille "love is awful, is such a lie" y "I have not chosen solitude" y "my husband dont care about money, cards, wine or women, but he had one passion : change, like a snake sheds its skin". Una es Blanche que piensa que todo es cuestión del destino "something happens that bends our destiny in a certain direction" . La segunda es Marcelle "horrified by her mother´s life: large family, no money" . Y la tercera es la tita Alberte, maestra de escuela, quien confiesa que rechazó la idea de casarse desde que hace años oyó una discusión entre la atribulada y su cruel marido.
Entonces Camille cambia de rumbo en la página 140:" It is not really a question of love", antes avanza página 136 "is passion, desire, instinct"
May 1, 2012
"Francuska svita" Irine Nemirovske je vrlo lep roman.
Veoma me dojmio zivot Irine Nemirovske.
Majka je Irinu rodila samo da bi udovoljila bogatom suprugu te je devojcicu odmah nakon rodjenja prezrela i predala dadilji.
Tasta zbog svoje lepote, Irinina majka je smiraj ceznje trazila u vanbracnim avnaturama, satima sedela ispred ogledala vrebajuci eventualne bore,
ne zeleci da prizna sebi kcer adolescentkinju te je Irini naredjivala da se oblaci poput malene skolarke.
Oduvek sama, Irina je odrastala u vapaju za ljubavlju, smiraj duse trazila u knjizevnim delima, i sama je pisala, predano i marljivo.
Razvila je korenitu mrznju prema majci.
Romanesknu tehniku je razvila inspirisuci se Turgenjevim.
Do tancina je poznavala svoje likove.
Kada bi zapocela roman, nije zapisivala samo pricu, vec i razmisljanja koja se cakle u umu, nista nije brisala.
Ispunila bi cele sveske opisujuci fizicki izgled likova, cak i sporednih, opisujuci njihovo detinjstvo, odrastanje, obrazovanje, sve etape zivota.
Tek kada bi svaki lik dovela do briljantnosti, podvlacila bi s dve olovke, jedna crvena, jedna plava, glavne osobine koje treba zadrzati.
Desilo bi se ponekad da izabere svega nekoliko redaka.
Tek tada bi prelazila na uoblicavanje romana.
Ovaj predani nacin rada mi se veoma svideo.
Uoci objave II svetskog rata, Irina sa suprugom i dve kcerke, napusta svoj lepi stan s pogledom na vrt na obali Sene, i odlazi u seoce u oblasti Sona i Loara.
Svakog dana je odlazila u duge setnje, ponekad prelazeci desetine kilometara ne bi li nasla mesto koje ce je nadahnuti. Tek tu bi pisala.
Zajedno s suprugom i kcerkama nosi zutu zvezdu prisivenu na rukavu kaputa.
Tokom 1941-42 god. pocinje rad na romanu Francuska svita, stvara ambiciozno, bremenito delo.
Kao i ranije, prvo pise zabeleske, opsirno belezi likove.
Zeli ispisati roman od hiljadu stranica, nalik simfoniji, u pet delova. Ugleda se na Betovenovu Petu simfoniju.
U julu 1942 godine je uhapsena.
Slutila je da ce njeno delo biti posthumno objavljena te je nekoliko meseci pre hapsenja brizno i marljivo pisala.
Ubijena je u Ausvicu, avgusta 1942 godine.
Irinin suprug u Ausvic je deportovan u novemru iste godine i odmah poslan u gasnu komoru.
Dadilja je dvema devojcicama odsila zute zvezde sa kaputa i odvela decu u Pariz.
Pozvonile su na bakina vrata. Ona je rat provela u raskosi.
Nije im otvorila.
Kada su pobegle, dadilja i devojcice, spakovale su Francusku svitu u poseban kofer.
Skrivajuci se u podrumima, napustenim hodnicima katolickih internata, bolesne, gladne, devojcice su beleznicu-roman sacuvale.
Jedna od dve devojcice postala je urednica u izdavackoj kuci.
Zajedno su odlucile da majcino poslednje delo predaju IMEC-u, institutu koji cuva arhivsku gradju i studije.
Irina svoje delo nije dovrsila, te je roman redigovan tri puta i uoblicen u konacnu verziju.
Roman se sastoji iz dva dela, u prvom Oluja u junu, oslikala je mucan i bolan vitraz ratnog vihora.
Drugi deo, Dolce, vise nalikuje romanu.
U prilozima su Irinine beleske, onaj cudesni proces koji je prethodio svakom njenom delu, i licne prepiske.
Vrlo snazno delo.
Goletna Francuska isibana bicem beznadnog rata i sudbe malih ljudi.
Nijedan rat nije oslobodilacki, samo beznadan. Ovo je jos jedan vrlo bremenit, bolan i blistav prikaz istog.
Veoma me dojmio zivot Irine Nemirovske.
Majka je Irinu rodila samo da bi udovoljila bogatom suprugu te je devojcicu odmah nakon rodjenja prezrela i predala dadilji.
Tasta zbog svoje lepote, Irinina majka je smiraj ceznje trazila u vanbracnim avnaturama, satima sedela ispred ogledala vrebajuci eventualne bore,
ne zeleci da prizna sebi kcer adolescentkinju te je Irini naredjivala da se oblaci poput malene skolarke.
Oduvek sama, Irina je odrastala u vapaju za ljubavlju, smiraj duse trazila u knjizevnim delima, i sama je pisala, predano i marljivo.
Razvila je korenitu mrznju prema majci.
Romanesknu tehniku je razvila inspirisuci se Turgenjevim.
Do tancina je poznavala svoje likove.
Kada bi zapocela roman, nije zapisivala samo pricu, vec i razmisljanja koja se cakle u umu, nista nije brisala.
Ispunila bi cele sveske opisujuci fizicki izgled likova, cak i sporednih, opisujuci njihovo detinjstvo, odrastanje, obrazovanje, sve etape zivota.
Tek kada bi svaki lik dovela do briljantnosti, podvlacila bi s dve olovke, jedna crvena, jedna plava, glavne osobine koje treba zadrzati.
Desilo bi se ponekad da izabere svega nekoliko redaka.
Tek tada bi prelazila na uoblicavanje romana.
Ovaj predani nacin rada mi se veoma svideo.
Uoci objave II svetskog rata, Irina sa suprugom i dve kcerke, napusta svoj lepi stan s pogledom na vrt na obali Sene, i odlazi u seoce u oblasti Sona i Loara.
Svakog dana je odlazila u duge setnje, ponekad prelazeci desetine kilometara ne bi li nasla mesto koje ce je nadahnuti. Tek tu bi pisala.
Zajedno s suprugom i kcerkama nosi zutu zvezdu prisivenu na rukavu kaputa.
Tokom 1941-42 god. pocinje rad na romanu Francuska svita, stvara ambiciozno, bremenito delo.
Kao i ranije, prvo pise zabeleske, opsirno belezi likove.
Zeli ispisati roman od hiljadu stranica, nalik simfoniji, u pet delova. Ugleda se na Betovenovu Petu simfoniju.
U julu 1942 godine je uhapsena.
Slutila je da ce njeno delo biti posthumno objavljena te je nekoliko meseci pre hapsenja brizno i marljivo pisala.
Ubijena je u Ausvicu, avgusta 1942 godine.
Irinin suprug u Ausvic je deportovan u novemru iste godine i odmah poslan u gasnu komoru.
Dadilja je dvema devojcicama odsila zute zvezde sa kaputa i odvela decu u Pariz.
Pozvonile su na bakina vrata. Ona je rat provela u raskosi.
Nije im otvorila.
Kada su pobegle, dadilja i devojcice, spakovale su Francusku svitu u poseban kofer.
Skrivajuci se u podrumima, napustenim hodnicima katolickih internata, bolesne, gladne, devojcice su beleznicu-roman sacuvale.
Jedna od dve devojcice postala je urednica u izdavackoj kuci.
Zajedno su odlucile da majcino poslednje delo predaju IMEC-u, institutu koji cuva arhivsku gradju i studije.
Irina svoje delo nije dovrsila, te je roman redigovan tri puta i uoblicen u konacnu verziju.
Roman se sastoji iz dva dela, u prvom Oluja u junu, oslikala je mucan i bolan vitraz ratnog vihora.
Drugi deo, Dolce, vise nalikuje romanu.
U prilozima su Irinine beleske, onaj cudesni proces koji je prethodio svakom njenom delu, i licne prepiske.
Vrlo snazno delo.
Goletna Francuska isibana bicem beznadnog rata i sudbe malih ljudi.
Nijedan rat nije oslobodilacki, samo beznadan. Ovo je jos jedan vrlo bremenit, bolan i blistav prikaz istog.
November 25, 2012
Woman of Letters: Irene Nemirovsky and Suite Francaise is an excellent resource to have in your personal library. It is a must-have book if you are a reader of Irene Nemirovsky’s work, in my opinion. Even if you aren’t, you will gain historical knowledge from this compilation.
It is a fascinating look at the life and times of a courageous woman, a woman who was a mother, wife, daughter and author, a woman who died of tuberculosis in Auschwitz. It’s historical merits are invaluable. That she was able to have the stamina and courage to pen Suite Francaise is amazing, in itself, under the extreme circumstances that surrounded her.
I highly recommend this poignant and brilliant book to everyone. Woman of Letters: Irene Nemirovsky and Suite Francaise is a book I will hold dear, and one that I am still looking through, fascinated by its contents. I know I will refer back to the pages often.
It is a fascinating look at the life and times of a courageous woman, a woman who was a mother, wife, daughter and author, a woman who died of tuberculosis in Auschwitz. It’s historical merits are invaluable. That she was able to have the stamina and courage to pen Suite Francaise is amazing, in itself, under the extreme circumstances that surrounded her.
I highly recommend this poignant and brilliant book to everyone. Woman of Letters: Irene Nemirovsky and Suite Francaise is a book I will hold dear, and one that I am still looking through, fascinated by its contents. I know I will refer back to the pages often.
July 14, 2012
Essential companion to Suite Francaise. Contains a fascinating and poignant interview with daughter Denise Epstein, a detailed chronology, her last short story, and dozens of family photos. The chronology of her rich life as a very productive and hardworking writer is painful to read, knowing how it ends. Exquisitely designed and produced, too.
* All of the reviewers below seem to be reviewing Suite Francaise, not this book.
* All of the reviewers below seem to be reviewing Suite Francaise, not this book.
July 31, 2008
It's an unfinished novel, but a compeling story. What makes the novel unique and why I read it to begin with is the author never finished the book, she died in a concentration camp prior to the end of WWII. Her daughter(s) finsihed the book using her notes, which are also part of the book. I recommend the book.
June 8, 2011
A brilliant portrayal of peoples' reactions to privation and the way they rationalize their actions. So sad Nemirovsky died before she finished the book, and kudos to her sister who persevered to get it published.
December 3, 2008
I have been struggling with the book for two months, I can't get into it.
June 26, 2008
More info on WWII, you will relive the feelings that conquered people experience
September 20, 2008
So good so far -- French viewpoint of German occupation during WW II. Make sure to read the Appendix when finished to find out about this author who wrote it during the war.
Want to read
November 21, 2010read suite francaise
June 8, 2011
Another War story. Good Book
June 21, 2009
Lovely.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews