Cuentos orientales

by Marguerite Yourcenar, Emma Calatayud (Translator)

En los Cuentos orientales que hoy presentamos aquí, escritos en los diez años que precedieron a la guerra mundial y recopilados por primera vez en 1938, la atración por el Oriente se revela de una manera clara y determinante. De China a Grecia, de los Balcanes al Japón, estos cuentos acompañan al viajero como otras tantas claves de una música especialísima, procedente de un mundo distinto.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, France, Classics, Literature, French Literature, Fantasy

165 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1938

About the author

Marguerite Yourcenar, original name Marguerite de Crayencour, was a french novelist, essayist, poet and short-story writer who became the first woman to be elected to the Académie Française (French Academy), an exclusive literary institution with a membership limited to 40.
She became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1947. The name “Yourcenar” is an imperfect anagram of her original name, “Crayencour.”

Yourcenar’s literary works are notable for their rigorously classical style, their erudition, and their psychological subtlety. In her most important books she re-creates past eras and personages, meditating thereby on human destiny, morality, and power. Her masterpiece is Mémoires d'Hadrien, a historical novel constituting the fictionalized memoirs of that 2nd-century Roman emperor. Her works were translated by the American Grace Frick, Yourcenar’s secretary and life companion.
Yourcenar was also a literary critic and translator.

Reviews

[Ilse · Rating 4 out of 5]

”Tell me another story, old friend,” Philip said, dropping heavily into a chair. "I need both a whiskey and a story told beside the sea-the most beautiful and the least true of all stories imaginable.”



Set in Greece, the Balkans, China, Japan, India (and Amsterdam), these ten short stories by Marguerite Yourcenar (1903-1987), first published in 1938 and written in a period in which she was strongly focussed on Greece, come across as remarkably cool and sensuous at the same time. They are inspired by or based on folktales, myths, ballads and legends. It are retellings, ‘transcriptions’, as well as analogously-shaped creations of her own imagination paying homage to those ancient tales and myths. Our-Lady-of-the-Swallows was inspired by the name of a chapel; The Last Love of Prince Genji is an epilogue to Lady Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji – showing fan fiction isn’t exclusively a 21th century phenomenon.

I do not complain of a fate I share with flowers, with insects, even with stars. In a universe where everything passes like a dream, one would do wrong to stay forever. I do not fret that things, beings, and hearts are short-lived, since one part of their beauty is made of that misfortune. What upsets me, is that they are unique. Before, the certainty of receiving in every instance of my life a revelation that would never happen again composed the majority of my secret pleasures; now, I die in shame like some privileged fool who could have been the only witness to a sublime celebration that one throws only once. (…) Other women will flower, as sweetly-smiling as those that I loved, but their smiles will be different, and the seed of beauty which was my passion will be displaced in their amber cheeks no more thick than an atom. Other hearts will break under the weight of an unbearable love, but their tears will not be our tears. Hands moist with desire will continue to join under flowering almond trees, but the same shower of petals does not fall twice upon the same human happiness



(Illustration to the tale The last love of Prince Genji by Abdallah Benanteur (1931-2017))

Some of the tales are dreamlike, meditative and flowery; all depict men and particularly women which are still close to nature – the presence of the sea in most stories as a primal and eternal force a significant reminder of the origin of life. Bodily fluids – tears, blood, milk – flow abundantly. Most of the tales are remarkably violent and bloody, depicting scenes of a gruelling cruelty – think of torture, mutilation, lots of killing, decapitation, heads on stakes.

As indicated by the title “Oriental Tales” the stories are imbibed with a painterly fascination for the east, for which Yourcenar points to Byron and Delacroix as an inspiration. The stories are canvasses on which Yourcenar explores strong human passions and the dramatic acts they inspire; betrayal, revenge, salvation, self-sacrifice, delirium, desire, love and hate, life and death, presented in a peculiar blending in which religion, superstition and the mythic merge. It is a mystic, wild and mythic world, still populated by goddesses of the woods, nymphs (The Man Who Loved the Nereids) and heroes. Women are depicted as a killing as well as protective force of nature, sensual and shrewd, benevolent and vindictive, giving and taking life, as ‘good’ and as ‘bad’ mothers (The Milk of Death).



The collection is dedicated to Andreas Embirikos, the Greek poet, communist and psychoanalyst who was a friend and a travel companion to Yourcenar when she voyaged to Greece in the 1930s.

While at a first read, these pieces struck me as elegantly written, often cruel tales, smooth and hard like a polished stone, a second read made me appreciate them more, revealing more cohesion and unity in their themes. The second time around showed Yourcenar’s skilful use of mirror effects, circularity (the first and the last story focussing on a painter), modular interplay with recurring components and character typologies and the pivoting of her storytelling on contrasts, the chromatic intensity of Yourcenar’s prose and a gradual shift in the tone and mood, almost indiscernible growing more bitter and melancholic nearing the closing story of the collection.

Perhaps readers who are (unlike me) familiar with the sources Yourcenar took inspiration from would criticize these tales as an outdated blend of chinoiserie, Indomania, Japonism, romantic orientalism, cultural appropriation; in the vein of the titular story of Yourcenar’s A Blue Tale and Other Stories, I thought it another fascinating feat of Marguerite Yourcenar’s storytelling prowess sprouting from her relentless curiosity and studiousness, in which the reader might already recognize some contemplations on impending death foreshadowing her portrayals of Hadrian (Memoirs of Hadrian ) and Zeno (L'Œuvre au noir).




• "How Wang-Fô Was Saved" (*****)
• "Marko's Smile" (***½)
• "The Milk of Death"(***)
• "The Last Love of Prince Genji"(*****)
• "The Man Who Loved the Nereids"(***½)
• "Our Lady-of-the-Swallows" (****)
• "Aphrodissia, the Widow"(***½)
• "Kali Beheaded" (**)
• "The End of Marko Kraljevic"(***)
• "The Sadness of Cornelius Berg"(***½)

(All paintings by Abdallah Benanteur)

[Valeriu Gherghel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cîteva povestiri par direct inspirate de Borges, deși nu au cum: nu cred că Yourcenar auzise de Borges cînd a compus aceste fantezii narative. Cîteva sînt re-scrieri ale unor legende balcanice: legenda podului Arta, a edificiului în care e zidită o femeie, pentru a căpăta viață și a dura.

În treacăt fie spus, și legenda meșterului Manole face parte din această serie.

Alte povestiri sînt fantezii biografice în stilul lui Marcel Schwob, ale cărui Vies imaginaires din 1896 l-au influențat și pe Borges: sfîrșitul vieții lui Genji, de pildă, despre care doamna Murasaki Shikibu nu spune (în romanul ei, tradus - parțial - de Angela Hondru și publicat în 2017 la Polirom) un singur cuvînt.

Genji în pragul morții: „Nu mai am mult, spuse el anevoie. Nu mă plîng de o soartă pe care o împărtăşesc cu florile, cu insectele, cu stelele. Într-un univers în care toate se irosesc ca un vis, dorinţa nemuririi n-ar fi cuviincioasă...”.

Înțelept ar fi să privim și noi moartea cu seninătatea lui Genji...

[Luís · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work is a beautiful piece of writing by Marguerite Yourcenar.
The ten short stories in this sharp opus are not alike or of equal interest (for me, anyway). If I had to remember only one, it would be the first, "How Wang-Fô Was Saved." It is a tale; besides, as far as I remember, there is a version for children. It is beautiful, poetic, and profound. It is a great ambition to introduce beautiful texts (yet not obscure) to children—something to feed their imagination.
I recommend this reading.

[Metodi Markov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Прекрасно-жестоки в истиността и фантазиите си миниатюри, способни да запленят читателя и да го накарат да съзерцава внезапно избуялите от текста видения и образи!

Намирам тези свързани с Балканите за по-силни, може би и защото историите са ми по-близки и донякъде познати.

Не съм вадил много цитати - прозата на Юрсенар е чудесна и трябваше да препиша почти цялата книга!

"Как бе спасен Ван Фу" – 5*

Светът е само една мацаница от смътни петна, нахвърляни върху празнотата от безумен художник, непрекъснато размазвани от сълзите ни.

"Усмивката на Марко" – 4*

"Млякото на смъртта" – 5*

Има майки и майки.

"Последната любов на принц Генджи" – 3*

"Мъжът, който обикнал самодивите" – 4*

"Света Богородица на ластовиците" – 4*

"Вдовицата Афродисия" – 5*

"Обезглавената Кали" – 4*

"Смъртта на Марко Кралевити" – 5*

- Срещу турците или с турците? - пита дребния старец.
- Защото е било да си с едните, и с другите.

"Тъгата на Корнелиус Берг" – 4*

P.S. Може да се прочете в "Читанка" - препоръчвам!

[Cecily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review of the first story in the book, How Wang-Fô was Saved

Oh, to get lost - and found - in art.

But what about the artist:
• Should they suffer and sacrifice for their art?
• Do they have any responsibility to be truthful in their art - whatever that means?

“You lied… The world is nothing but a mass of muddled colours thrown into the void by an insane painter, smudged by our tears.”

In 1938, French-Belgian author, Marguerite Yourcenar, published her version of a legend from China and the Ramayana. It has parallels with Daoism, apparently.

Wang-Fô is a landscape painter:
“An old man who seized the dawn and captured the dusk.”
He travels with Ling, his devoted disciple and assistant. They live very simply, and although Wang-Fô is renowned, they are almost penniless, because Wang-Fô sells his art for rations of boiled millet, rather than silver.
“Wang-Fô loved the image of things and not the things themselves.”

There’s some dry humour:
“After the wedding, Ling’s parents became discreet to the point of dying…
Hw visited the tea-houses to follow the dictates of fashion, and only moderately favoured acrobats and dancers.”

The writing often uses painterly imagery, amid a balance of drama and peril, and yet I wondered how much Yourcenar might have changed or exoticised the source material. On the other hand, she brought the tale to a wider audience


Image: Man in a boat fishing on a river within a mountainous landscape (Source)

Short story club

I read this in Black Water: The Anthology of Fantastic Literature, by Alberto Manguel, from which I’m reading one story a week with The Short Story Club, starting 4 September 2023.

You can read this story here (half hour video).

You can join the group here.

[Argos · Rating 5 out of 5]

M. Yourcenar’dan edebiyat dostlarına birbirinden güzel on öykü. Biri hariç (ki onun da doğu ile bağlantısı var) hepsi coğrafi olarak doğuya ait öyküler. Sadece yazarın doğusu Dalmaçya kıyılarından başlıyor, Balkanlar ve Yunanistan’a uzanıyor, arada Anadolu, Kafkaslar, İran ve Ortadoğu’yu pas geçip Hindistan ve Çin’e ulaşıyor.

Bir varmış bir yokmuş… türü masallar da var, efsaneye göre… diye başlayan masallar da. Baladlar, kıssalar, mitoslar, efsaneler, nesilden nesile anlatılan hikayeler, hatta romanlar Yourcenar’ın özgün kalemiyle yorumlanmış. Anlatım mükemmel, betimlemeler çok çok iyi. Öykü sevenlere klasiklerden yaratılan bu yeni masalları mutlaka okuyun derim.

[Paula Mota · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5*

Mentiste-me, Wang-Fô, velho impostor: o mundo mais não é do que um amontoado de manchas confusas, lançadas no vazio por um pintor insensato, que as nossas lágrimas apagam sem cessar.

Não me cativaram de igual modo estes contos de Marguerite Yourcenar, destacando-se apenas três: "A Salvação de Wang-Fô", "A Viúva Aphrodissia" e "Kali Decapitada", que são realmente excelentes. O primeiro é de uma enorme beleza, o segundo bastante violento e o terceiro o mais profundo.

Foi imunda como o rato dos esgotos e detestada como a doninha dos campos. Roubava os corações como um pedaço de vísceras na banca dos açougueiros. As fortunas liquefeitas lambuzavam-lhe as mãos como raios de mel.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gostando de ler, é impossível não gostar destes contos; ou por as histórias serem bonitas ou por Yourcenar as contar bem. Seja pelo que for, quem os não ler só tem a perder...

[Martin Iguaran · Rating 5 out of 5]

El tercer libro de relatos que leo de la autora. Si tuviera que categorizarlos de alguna manera, diría que son relatos de fantasía, muchos de ellos inspirados en leyendas o mitos de Grecia, el Extremo Oriente... me gustaron mucho "Cómo se salvó Wang-Fo", "Nuestra señora de las Golondrinas" y "La viuda Afrodisia". El estilo de escritura es ligeramente más convencional que otros libros de relatos de la autora, lo que lo hace más accesible para quien desee iniciarse en Yourcenar.

[Jovi Ene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Memoriile lui Hadrian” a fost cea mai bună carte citită de mine în 2015. De aceea, am așteptat cu nerăbdare această ediție a Povestirilor orientale ale Margueritei Yourcenar.
Avem câteva povestiri, multe dintre ele plecând de la legende ale popoarelor orientale, interpretate într-o manieră proprie, plină de talent, de scriitoare. Sunt mituri chinezești sau indiene, dar savoarea este adusă, cred eu, de cele ale popoarelor din Balcani (Bosnia, Albania, Muntenegru, multe dintre ele amintind de Kadare, inclusiv o reinterpretare a Legendei Meșterului Manole) sau de cele grecești, foarte frumoase.
O carte excepțională.

[Carmo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baseados em mitos e lendas, os originais já por si devem ser magníficos. A recriação na prosa sensível tão típica de Marguerite Yourcenar fez destes contos pequenas joias delicadas e encantadas.Também os inéditos seguem a mesma tendência onírica, não perdendo de vista a vertente humana e universal.
Leitura rápida, encanto imediato.

Marguerite Yourcenar, é sempre leitura obrigatória!

[Eylül Görmüş · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tahmin ettiğim gibi oldu, çok sevdim. Yourcenar’ın kalemi çok acayip ya, satırları müzikli gibi, melodik gibi. Yahut tek kelimeyle: epeyce poetik. Yourcenar’ın sözcükleri dans ediyor, insanı okşuyor. Doğu Öyküleri demiş yazar ama masallar bunlar, uzak diyarlardan sihirli masallar. Yourcenar bu masalları anlatırken manasız bir oryantalizm tuzağına düşmeden yapıyor bunu, bence büyük maharet. Bildiğimiz destanlara da nazikçe dil uzatıyor yazar. Şu minicik cümlenin üzerine dünden beri düşünüyorum mesela: “Ama inanın bana dostum, İlyada’da eksik olan Akhilleus’un ufak bir gülümseyişidir.” Hür Yümer’in çevirisinin de muazzam olduğunu eklemeden geçmeyeyim. Arka kapakta “yaratcılığın, yeni bir şey yapmanın yani poesis’in en has örneği bu. Uzun müddet de aşılabilecek türden değil. Güzel, bu. Tam da bu. Başdöndürücü.” diye yazıyor. Öyle hakikaten.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

FR
Une si belle langue que le lecteur est soufflé, de la poésie, de la magie, de la virtuosité : un monde à la fois cruel et tendre, un peu à l'image du nôtre.

EN
Such a beautiful language the reader is stunned; poetry, magic, great skill: a world both cruel and gentle, just like our own.

[Dagio_maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Quando Genji il Rifulgente,
il più grande seduttore che mai abbia stupito l’Asia,
ebbe raggiunto il suo cinquantesimo anno,
si accorse che bisognava cominciare a morire."

-L’ultimo amore del principe Genji

Dieci novelle che dalla Cina viaggiano nei Balcani e poi in Grecia, India e Giappone.

Nomi, usanze paesaggi differenti ma atmosfere comuni che mettono in scena il confine tra la vita e la morte.

Come Wang-Fô fu salvato ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Il sorriso di Marko ⭐⭐⭐
Il latte della morte ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
L’ultimo amore del principe Genji ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
L’uomo che ha amato le Nereidi ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Nostra Signora delle Rondini ⭐⭐⭐
La vedova Afrodissia ⭐⭐⭐
Kali decapitata ⭐⭐⭐⭐
La fine di Marko Kraliévitch ⭐⭐⭐
La tristezza di Cornelius Berg ⭐⭐⭐




"Tu mi hai mentito, Wang-Fô, vecchio impostore: il mondo non è che un cumulo di macchie confuse, proiettate sul vuoto da un pittore folle, e continuamente cancellate dalle nostre lacrime. Il regno di Han non è affatto il più bello dei regni, e io non sono l’Imperatore. Il solo impero sul quale valga la pena di regnare è quello in cui penetri tu, vecchio Wang, attraverso la via delle Mille Curve e dei Diecimila Colori."

Così l'Imperatore si rivolge a Wang-Fô prima della sua condanna a morte.

I confini tra realtà e immaginazione esistono solo se lo vogliamo.
Chi sa lasciarsi andare potrà abbandonare i confini della ragione e vivere una favola rendendola leggenda.
Chi non si limita a guardare ma sa vedere ha il potere della vera vita.

Marguerite Yourcenar, le cui opere, hanno spesso messo al centro la Storia, qui si dedica a cesellare le memorie orali che ogni popolo conserva.
Il suo è un lavoro di vero e proprio artigianato dove ogni parola è rifinita ed incastrata in immagini che lasciano senza fiato (almeno a me).



" – Raccontatemi un’altra storia, mio vecchio amico, disse Philip lasciandosi cadere pesantemente su una sedia. Davanti a questo mare ho bisogno di un whisky e di una storia... la storia più bella e meno vera che sia possibile, capace di farmi dimenticare le menzogne patriottiche e contraddittorie di quei giornali che poco fa ho comprato sulla banchina."
Il latte della morte

[Justo Martiañez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Colección de cuentos y leyendas eslavos, griegos, hindús y asiáticos, recogidos y reescritos por M. yourcenar en los años 30. Esta es la edición revisada por la autora años más tarde.
Pequeñas obras de arte, repletas de luz, imágenes, metáforas, pasiones humanas y crueles como la vida misma, como la vida de los pueblos en los que surgieron, pueblos en guerra, pueblos de frontera, pueblos con príncipes despiadados, pueblos con dioses y creencias ancestrales que sobrevivieron a la llegada del cristianismo y han permanecido entre las gentes para dar sentido a sus miedos y temores, así como riqueza a su acervo cultural.
Cuentos a los que merece la pena dedicarles unas pocas horas de lectura, cambiar el paso de tantas lecturas de novela negra y novela histórica y sumergirse, aunque sea unos pocos momentos, en estas páginas con aroma al Orient Express, a los Balcanes y a Asia.

[Marisol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Estos cuentos orientales, algunos basados en leyendas, otros originales, se sitúan en países como China 🇨🇳, Grecia 🇬🇷, Japón 🇯🇵, Montenegro 🇲🇪, Albania 🇦🇱, India 🇮🇳, Serbia 🇷🇸, Países Bajos 🇳🇱.

Como hilo conductor, el oriente, la única licencia es el último relato que se sitúa en los Países Bajos pero que pareció un buen cierre terminar con un pintor 🧑‍🎨, ya que el primer cuento habla de otro pintor, en este caso de origen chino.

Hay musicalidad, también historia, belleza, todo resguardado y preservado por las palabras de Marguerite, su vasto conocimiento se nota en cada cuento, son historias de lugares que ya no existen como tales, de personajes que si los tocas se deshacen hasta convertirse en polvo, hay una intención clara en la autora de acercarnos a la memoria humana colectiva, a sucesos que ocurrieron o se imaginaron hace muchos siglos, pero la magia de la oralidad y de la escritura nos permite disfrutarlos, tratar de remontarnos a tiempos y a espacios vividos hace mucho pero mucho más de lo que pudiéramos imaginar.

Son 10 cuentos y todos tienen algo que los hace únicos y memorables, pongo de ejemplo dos de ellos.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Como se salvó Wang-Fo: en una China de emperadores y tradiciones, Wang-Fo es un pintor mezcla con filósofo, un artista que no busca dinero o reconocimiento, que encuentra satisfacción en sus pinturas y en el mundo, tiene un discípulo que lo acompaña, y de él se habla en este precioso párrafo:

“Su discípulo Ling, doblándose bajo el peso de un saco lleno de bocetos, encorvaba respetuosamente la espalda como si llevara encima la bóveda celeste, ya que aquel saco, a los ojos de Ling, estaba lleno de montañas cubiertas de nieve, de ríos en primavera y del rostro de la luna de verano.”

En una plática que tiene el joven emperador con Wang-Fo, le dice que el aprendió a conocer al mundo por sus pinturas, pero al conocer la realidad, le reclama al pintor.

“El mundo no es más que un amasijo de manchas confusas, lanzadas al vacío por un pintor insensato, borradas sin cesar por nuestras lágrimas.”

Es decir la belleza del mundo está en las manos de Wang-Fo, en su mirada, y en su perspectiva, que es capaz de trasmitirla a sus cuadros, es decir el emperador se siente molesto al darse cuenta que sus ojos nunca verán lo que Wang-Fo ve.

Aquí radica el encanto de este cuento, que es perfecto.


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️La sonrisa de Marco: Marco es un guerrero serbio, y su leyenda se cuenta por todos estos territorios que han convivido tan juntos aún cuando son de razas distintas, serbios, croatas, montenegrinos.

Aún cuando sus batallas son épicas y representan al héroe desnudo que no necesita armadura o una cruz, que con su cuerpo derribaba columnas y enfrentaba hordas, la leyenda más contada, retrata a un Marco humano capaz de soportar torturas, vejaciones, pero que puede rendirse ante una bella mujer.

Un viaje embriagador por lugares, por parajes, por territorios pero también por vidas, por dioses, son una mezcla exótica y al mismo tiempo cercana, ya que al fin de cuentas como humanidad siempre nos hemos alimentado de héroes, heroínas, de leyendas, de sabiduría, de religión.

[Sine · Rating 5 out of 5]

senenin son günlerinde, raftan öylesine, elim başka bir kitaba uzanırken gözüm takılıp seçtiğim doğu öyküleri; bu sene okuduklarım içinde en sevdiklerimden biri oldu. mitoloji, masal, büyü, gerçek: her şey iç içe, üstelik yourcenar’ın muhteşem anlatımıyla. tarif etmesi bile kolay değil, küçücük şişeler açılmış da yoğun, özlü bir şeyler koklamışsınız gibi öyküler. her bir kitabı ayrı bir dünya yourcenar’ın. çok seviyorum.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since reading 'Memoirs of Hadrian' last year and being overwhelmed, I have looked forward to reading more of Marguerite Yourcenar's exquisite writing.

These beautiful short stories come from many continents and far flung origins including Japan, China, Greece, the Balkans, Turkey and others. All contain enigmas of one sort or another which give a pleasing slant on fairy tales mingled with elements of horror and most are laced with eroticism and sensual pleasures which usually lead to the downfall of some flawed human who could not resist the temptation laid before them. Its an enticing mix of tales. All different and all magical.

The tales include an ageing painter who is to be executed because the world is not as perfect as he depicts in his work, a young man who gazes at the Nereids (or sea nymphs) and loses his soul to them, a prince who has been a great lover who becomes a hermit in the mountains but is pursued by the woman who loved him all along (he doesn't see her love until he becomes blind)and many others.

As expected the writing is that of a unique talent:

'He stood on bare feet in the dust, heat, and stale smells of the port, beneath the narrow awning of a small cafe where several customers had let themselves fall on the chairs in the vain hope of protecting themselves from the sun. His old rust-coloured trousers barely reached his ankles, and his pointed anklebones, the tips of his heels, his long grazed, callused soles, his supple toes, all belonged to that race of intelligent feet, accustomed to the constant embrace of the air and the earth, hardened by the roughness of the stones, which in Mediterranean countries still allow a clothed man a little of the freedom of a man who is naked. These were agile feet, so different from the awkward, heavy ones trapped inside northern footwear...The faded blue of his shirt matched the tones of the sky bleached by the summer light; his shoulders and shoulder blades pierced through the tears in the cloth like lean rocks; his longish ears framed his head obliquely like the handles of a Greek vase; undoubtable traces of beauty could still be seen on his wan and vacant face, like the surfacing of an ancient broken statue in a wasteland.'

I have swithered between 4 and 5 stars here mainly because one or two of these were weaker stories however, I would still read them again and take something from them each time (it has put ideas in my head for some drawings from them). As it is after the first impression - it's a fabulously imaginative read.

A thousand thanks to Suna for sending me this tiny but wonderful book.

[sologdin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming collection of cosmopolitan narratives.

Protagonist of the first story "loved the images of things and not the things themselves" (3), which is immaterialist, I suppose, but nevertheless very cool. This character is called to account for the world being "far less beautiful" than his representations on canvas: "The world is nothing but a mass of muddled colors thrown into the void by an insane painter, and smudged with tears" (13). Perhaps so! That's why we have art objects, of course.

We learn from the second story of "that exquisite euphemism, the smile on the tortured man's lips for whom desire is the sweetest torment" (33).

Third tale draws an equivalence between surrealists, prophets, movie stars, and dictators under the aegis of a "sense of poetry" (39) (that the modern world allegedly lacks--a gross conceit, surely). "Where have I heard tell of a poet who was incapable of loving any woman because in another life he had met Antigone?" (id.). This as part of a text wherein "a building will crumble if one has not taken the precaution of walling into the base a man or woman whose skeleton will support the weighty body of stone until Judgment Day" (40).

Next story involves an intertextuality with Murasaki, involving one who "finally was able to let his soul enter the supreme luxury of possessing nothing" (56).

Greek setting in another involves "a rich man, a reasonable man, who often finds nothing but boredom and emptiness" (74).

Best text is "Our-Lady-of-the-Swallows" (85 ff.), a perfect little pro-henotheist theophany.

Overall very cool, plenty of great observations and skilled turns of phrase.

Recommended for those who want the most beautiful and least true stories imaginable, persons who precede us into one of those paradises for the dead who have acquired some merit, readers whose shadows are imprisoned and who hence die as though suffering from a broken heart.

[Hakan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Öyküden ziyade masallar anlatmış ya da mevcutları yeniden yorumlamış Yournecar. Bazıları çok ilginç, bazıları ise biraz yavan. Balkan öykülerinde sıklıkla Türklerin geçmesi, pek de olumlu olmayan şekilde atıfta bulunulması bizler için ayrıca ilgi çekici tabii. Ben en çok ilk iki öykü Wang-Fo Nasıl Kurtuldu ve Marko'nun Gülümseyişi'ni sevdim.

[Korcan Derinsu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Öykülerin güzelliği yetmezmiş gibi yazarın üslubuyla olan uyumları öyle kusursuz ki gerçekten çok beğendim. Hür Yumer'in çevirisi de şahane. Kısa ama derin bir kitap arayan herkese tavsiye ederim.

[Amaranta · Rating 3 out of 5]

“ Noi siamo tutti incompleti, disse il Saggio. Siamo tutti divisi, siamo frammenti, ombre, fantasmi senza consistenza”.
Dieci novelle, o forse sarebbe meglio chiamarle fiabe, che ci portano in giro per il mondo, dalla Cina al Giappone, da Amsterdam alla Grecia, al Montenegro e in cui elementi della tradizione antica, credenze popolari si fondono con il gusto della scrittrice che le racconta. E guardando la copertina si capisce un po’ a cosa si andrà incontro. Un fiore delicato, sfocato, crea un’atmosfera rarefatta, impalpabile che è quella che permea tutte le storie. Due artisti a confronto ad aprire e chiudere il libro: uno è Cornelius Berg, che si perde nella vista di un tulipano; un altro Wang-Fo nel lontano Oriente. Entrambi appassionati dell’immagine la vivono in maniera diversa e il cinese crea la vita attraverso l’immagine, un’immagine di perfezione, si rifugia in essa e si perde. Racconti su Ninfe e Nereidi dalla bellezza scintillante, incantatrici e per questo destinate ad essere punite dall’uomo, a nascondersi alla sua vista. L’uomo si scopre eroe, invincibile, potente in alcuni, come Marko, e nel declino della vita come il grande principe Genji Monogatari. La scrittrice vuole immaginare quello che la tradizione non ha raccontato:la sua morte. Sono fiabe tristi in cui la morte vince, ma in cui l’uomo cerca di prendersi una rivincita per come può. Così succede ne “ il latte della morte” in cui “ C’è madre e madre” e nell’India della dea Kalì. Tutto è cesellato con bellissime similitudini, donne fragili come canne, salate come le lacrime, dal cuore come uno specchio destinato a non offuscarsi, visi che appassiscono come fiori al vento caldo e alle piogge d’estate.
“E in questo vasto continente umano, l’infinita varietà delle razze non distrugge l’unità misteriosa dell’insieme più di quanto la diversità delle onde non rompa la monotonia maestosa del mare”. Pensiamoci.

[Alaíde Ventura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dios mío, qué elegancia, qué figuras. "Pinos negros plantados en un suelo arcilloso recordaban a unos grandes pájaros que cogiesen con sus fuertes garras la tierra roja" / "les perdonaban sus fechorías igual que se le perdona al sol cuando descompone el cerebro de los locos", y así, mil, ¡mil subrayados!


Será que ando ligera con el 5estrellas, pero no, es que estoy seleccionando con mucha curia mis lecturas de confinamiento (bueno, más o menos; a lo mejor sí ando ligera y qué, me vale).

[Mafalda Fernandes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Salvação de Wang-Fô - 4.5*
O Sorriso de Marko - 4*
O Leite da Morte - 5*
O Último Amor do Príncipe Genghi - 4.5*
O Homem que Amou as Nereidas - 5
Nossa Senhora das Andorinhas - 3.5
A Viúva Aphrodissia - 4
Kali Decapitada - 3
O Fim de Marko Kraliévitch - 4
A Tristeza de Cornélius Berg - 4.5

[Kyoko SWords · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo más lindo de este libro es que aunque dice contener cuentos orientales, también cuenta la parte oriental de Europa así que la variedad aumenta.
Siendo todos cuentos originarios de esta parte del mundo, se nota la gran diferencia entre los cuentos propios orientales (China, Japón, India), de los demás. Los orientales son tan metafóricos... que incluso siendo una reinterpretación de Marguerite Yourcenar, su esencia se mantiene y los diferencia.
Mi favorito es el basado en Genji Monogatari, pues trata de darle un final a Genji, cosa que en el texto original no pasa.
No le doy las 5 estrellas porque pensé que habrían más cuentos de China y japón. Pero de resto es un libro impecable. 4,5 muy merecido.

[Loredana (Bookinista08) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Povestirile au fost mult prea scurte pentru a putea să mă atașez de ele așa cum sunt sigură că s-ar fi întâmplat dacă ar fi avut ceva mai multe pagini. Însă cartea lui Marguerite Yourcenar a fost plăcută și plină de minunăție, deci o recomand mai departe, mai ales pentru acele zile foarte încărcate, când ai citi ceva dar nu știi pe ce să pui mâna mai întâi. Câte o povestire, două pe zi ar merge ca uns!

[Sara Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marguerite Youncener é uma escritora maravilhosa. Li " A obra de negro" e " As memorias de Adriano", agora decido experimentar os seus contos. E este escritora francesa volta-me a surpreender.

Os contos não representam apenas o Oriente, mas também mitos, lendas e personagens que existiram de verdade como é o caso do príncipe Genghi. São contos que nos fazem sonhar e viajar para os diversos países apresentados nas historias.

[Adelina Poetelea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cele 10 povestiri surprind dinamica vieții, unde iubirea, pasiunea, trădarea, durerea își găsesc loc în viețile personajelor. Fiecare personaj își trăiește propria poveste, este surprins în hățișurile vieții, ca mai apoi să simtă cu înflăcărare viața sau moartea. În fiecare scriere putem gusta din orientalism, astfel ne apropiem de un tărâm și o istorie mai puțin cunoscută, unde obiceiurile locale și sacrificiile personajelor depășesc imaginația cititorilor.

[Psychophant · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of short stories written about an imaginary "eastern" past, showing the naive perspective of the inter-war period and by a very young writer.

All of that builds up into a fairy tale feeling, rather than history, and a sense of childish wonder that makes the tales quite enjoyable.

Yourcenar already shows great skill as a storyteller, and was also widely read, so although some of the stories feel straight from a children storybook, she evokes very well the characters, their passions and lives, and if her Balkans are not too close to reality, it is the fault of reality, as the stories are how things should have been.

There are a few stories in the Far East, but most are in the Balkans and Greece. The last one, "La Tristesse de Cornelius Berg", takes place in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and closes the circle with a painter in a pessimist tone, as a contrast to the optimist ending of the first tale, also about a painter, "Comment Wang-Fô fut sauvé". Indeed there is a common thread of melancholy that thickens as time passes, with one killing the hero of one of the previous ones.

Good if you take into account the period they were written but probably naive and predictable for our current sensitivities, I enjoyed also the evocative language.

[Philippe Malzieu · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew Yourcenar tardily. She lived for a long time in the USA. She had just published "Archives of north" her less famous book and from my point of view the most intimate. This novel/essay on the family memory is facinant. There are several levels analysis, particularly psychanalytical.
Yourcenar is risked with orient. I am always anxious such a project because of risk of kitsch. Nothing like it here. Yourcenar is too a connoisseur of orient to let herself go to orientalism cheap.
She is inspired by tales or local stories. Whether it is for Marko of Balkans or Wang Fo in China. Construction is circular. Cornélius Berg returns directly to Wang Fo. Is this allusion to eternal return, with the snake kundalini which bite its tail.
But this return is a kind of report failure for the occident. Wang Fo runs away himself by his painting. Cornélius Berg has this bitter reflection "God is the painter of the universe… which misfortune that God did not limit himself to the painting of the paysages"
Not exotism, not of Shéérazade, not of heat and light. A language rather cold and a sad conclusion on the impossible bringing together of orient and occident.