The Buried Temple, and Our Friend the Dog (Esprios Classics): Translated by Alfred Sutro and Alexander Teixeira de Mattos

by Maurice Maeterlinck

Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (29 August 1862 - 6 May 1949), also known as Count (or Comte) Maeterlinck from 1932, was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was Flemish but wrote in French. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations". The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. He was a leading member of La Jeune Belgique group and his plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement.

142 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1902

About the author

Maurice Polydore Marie Bernard Maeterlinck (also called Count Maeterlinck from 1932) was a Belgian playwright, poet, and essayist who was a Fleming, but wrote in French.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911 "in appreciation of his many-sided literary activities, and especially of his dramatic works, which are distinguished by a wealth of imagination and by a poetic fancy, which reveals, sometimes in the guise of a fairy tale, a deep inspiration, while in a mysterious way they appeal to the readers' own feelings and stimulate their imaginations".

The main themes in his work are death and the meaning of life. His plays form an important part of the Symbolist movement.

Reviews

[Pilate Glass · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another collection of essays, these a bit longer than Treasure of the Humble. Maeterlinck's philosophical reflections are interesting as always, but in this volume his mild disdain for the lower classes seems to show a bit more distinctly. Not that I'd disagree with the idea that a night spent alone in thoughtful reflection is a better method of spending one's time than drinking and carousing, but he takes a certain superior tone at points which makes it more difficult to enjoy than his other writings. As always, however, his reflections read like letters from an old friend and his lack of class-awareness can certainly be forgiven.

[Trounin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Предопределение существует? В одном оно точно существует — каждому человеку суждено умереть. В остальном человек возводит стены, скрываясь за ними от неизбежного. Кто способен осудить такого человека? Общий для всех людей Судья. Может человек избегнуть его правосудия? И существует ли правосудие Судьи? Или следует говорить о правосудии человека по отношению к себе? Морис Метерлинк постарался это выяснить, сложив о том в пяти частях эссе «Сокровенный храм».

(c) Trounin

[Ives Phillips · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd because I am honestly sick of Maeterlinck, now. Almost nothing of his writings were groundbreaking or deeply insightful, even in the era that they were written in.

[Onyango Makagutu]

Great read.
An address to those who no longer believe in things diabolical as controlling our futures.