La Croisière du Vanadis

by Edith Wharton, Claudine Lesage (Translator), Jonas Dovydenas (Photographer)

La publication de La Croisère du Vanadis de la romancière américaine Edith Wharton, tient du miracle. N’avait-elle pas déclaré n’avoir pas tenu de journal lors de sa croisière méditerranéenne….et rendu plus improbable encore la découverte et l’identification du manuscrit, non répertorié, qui dormait depuis des décennies dans les rayonnages de la bibliothèque municipale de Hyères ? Le miracle eut pourtant lieu qui permet aujourd’hui de présenter la traduction française d’un texte qui est le premier qu’Edith Wharton ait écrit à une époque où elle n’avait produit que quelques courts essais et osait à peine rêver de devenir un jour romancière. À bord d’un yacht loué pour la circonstance, en compagnie de son mari et d’un ami James Van Alen, l’écrivaine entreprend au printemps de 1888 une croisière dans les îles grecques ; elle tient un journal et raconte comment voyage une riche américaine prête à toutes les aventures. Au-delà de l’anecdote, c’est jusqu’à la dernière page qu’il faut lire La Croisière du Vanadis pour découvrir que, d’un cadre certes charmant mais un peu figé, récit de saynètes, de descriptions fleuries, de références historiques et architecturales, de notes semblables à celles d’un carnet de croquis relevé d’aquarelles, Edith Wharton réussit au fur et à mesure que progresse son récit, à en maîtriser le rythme, le temps, à en changer les points de vue, à introduire des personnages vivants, en un mot à construire. L’évolution se dessine dès son arrivée aux Cyclades et sa visite du monastère d’Amorgos et ses premiers vrais contacts avec les populations locales. Sa fausse visite du Mont Athos et le compte-rendu savoureux qu’elle en donne devient alors le pivot du texte ; Edith Wharton maîtrise désormais sa plume. Avant même de naviguer dans le sillage d’Ulysse sur la Mare Nostrum, et de porter témoignage de son expérience, c’est d’un voyage initiatique au pays des mots dont ce texte nous parle : l’Odyssée fondatrice d’une romancière en puissance.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1910

About the author

Edith Wharton emerged as one of America’s most insightful novelists, deftly exposing the tensions between societal expectation and personal desire through her vivid portrayals of upper-class life. Drawing from her deep familiarity with New York’s privileged “aristocracy,” she offered readers a keenly observed and piercingly honest vision of Gilded Age society.

Her work reached a milestone when she became the first woman to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, awarded for The Age of Innocence. This novel highlights the constraining rituals of 1870s New York society and remains a defining portrait of elegance laced with regret.

Wharton’s literary achievements span a wide canvas. The House of Mirth presents a tragic, vividly drawn character study of Lily Bart, navigating social expectations and the perils of genteel poverty in 1890s New York. In Ethan Frome, she explores rural hardship and emotional repression, contrasting sharply with her urban social dramas.

Her novella collection Old New York revisits the moral terrain of upper-class society, spanning decades and combining character studies with social commentary. Through these stories, she inevitably points back to themes and settings familiar from The Age of Innocence. Continuing her exploration of class and desire, The Glimpses of the Moon addresses marriage and social mobility in early 20th-century America. And in Summer, Wharton challenges societal norms with its rural setting and themes of sexual awakening and social inequality.

Beyond fiction, Wharton contributed compelling nonfiction and travel writing. The Decoration of Houses reflects her eye for design and architecture; Fighting France: From Dunkerque to Belfort presents a compelling account of her wartime observations. As editor of The Book of the Homeless, she curated a moving, international collaboration in support of war refugees.

Wharton’s influence extended beyond writing. She designed her own country estate, The Mount, a testament to her architectural sensibility and aesthetic vision. The Mount now stands as an educational museum celebrating her legacy.

Throughout her career, Wharton maintained friendships and artistic exchanges with luminaries such as Henry James, Sinclair Lewis, Jean Cocteau, André Gide, and Theodore Roosevelt—reflecting her status as a respected and connected cultural figure.
Her literary legacy also includes multiple Nobel Prize nominations, underscoring her international recognition. She was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature more than once.

In sum, Edith Wharton remains celebrated for her unflinching, elegant prose, her psychological acuity, and her capacity to illuminate the unspoken constraints of society—from the glittering ballrooms of New York to quieter, more remote settings. Her wide-ranging work—novels, novellas, short stories, poetry, travel writing, essays—offers cultural insight, enduring emotional depth, and a piercing critique of the customs she both inhabited and dissected.

Reviews

[Tarah]

Okay, so this was written probably as a private journal, not meant for outside eyes. Then someone got a hold of it in this century and published it, with pictures (fun) and proceeds going to The Mount, Wharton's estate in MA. so that's lovely, obviously. But the travel narrative really is like reading someone's diary/planner (as in 10AM "I did this" 11AM "I did this"). And I can't say this trip was all that interesting. Also, can I just say my pet-peeve about this book was the formatting of the pictures. Why not put the photos actually NEAR the text they represent. Then it functions like a guide-book style account as opposed to disconnected text/pictures. I know: I nitpick. But god, is it so much to ask for a travel narrative by your favorite author to function like a travel narrative? Apparently, yes.

[Sarah Allwarden]

So it turns out this is basically travelogue / diary that Wharton never intended to be published so shockingly it is boring lol

[Liz V.]

Reminded of If This Is Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium.

[Rudy Seifert]

Good Golden Age travel, with modern photos. A view from the "1%"