The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 discussion
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The Devil's Pool
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The Devil's Pool - reading schedule & pre-read dicussion
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Mod
I'll join. It doesn't look very long and I've never read anything by George Sand.
Our library doesn't have a copy, so I'll also be using the Gutenberg version.
I will give the inaugural Moderator's Choice a shot. I've never heard of this book, or the author for that matter, but it's short and I see it's on the 1001 book list. My library only has the ebook, so I'll have to read it either on my phone or my desktop. Not ideal, so we'll see how it goes.
Mod
George Sand was a woman. She left her home stand and children behind, wore men’s clothing, and was the lover of Franz List. She liked to lay under his piano while he played. A movie about her life is Impromptu.
Mod
I'll have to look for it! I had forgotten about her and Franz Liszt.
Mod
Thanks Deborah! It's definitely helpful to have some background on authors when reading these classic books. I've read a bit on her Wikipedia page, and I'll have to see if I can find that movie. It looks like the movie is base on her relationship with Frederic Chopin.
Mod
Hmmm. I saw it when it came out in the 90s. Did I misremember the composer? She’s a favorite author for me.
The description of the plot is a little confusing to me, but Franz Liszt is mentioned as well...Since getting divorced, Baroness Amantine-Lucile-Aurore Dupin, previously Baroness Dudevant, the successful and notorious writer of sensational romance novels now living under the pseudonym George Sand, in Paris, has been in the habit of dressing like a man. In her romantic pursuit of the sensitive Chopin, whose music she fell in love with before seeing him in person, George/Aurora is advised that she must act like a man pursuing a woman, though she is also advised to avoid damaging his health by not pursuing him at all. With this advice Sand is deterred by a fellow countrywoman who pretends to be smitten with Chopin, the mistress of Franz Liszt, the Countess Marie d'Agoult. Whether the Countess is really in love with Chopin is unlikely; she seeks only to prevent a relationship between Chopin and Sand.
Chopin is briefly swayed by a beautifully written love letter ostensibly from d'Agoult, a letter actually written by, and stolen from, Sand. Eventually Sand wins over Chopin when she proves that she wrote the letter, reciting its words to him passionately, and after buying a copy of her memoir he finds the text of the letter in the book.
I’ll give it a try. I loved the movie, Impromptu, and have long wanted to read something by Sand.
Mod
It’s a pretty easy read. Most of her stuff is easy reading
Mod
Mod
It should be today. I’m sure Gem will be out here shortly. I know I just started the book today as I’m leading the discussion for Frankenstein
Mod
Mod
It’s pretty easy reading after the first chapter.
Mod
It’s pretty easy reading after the first chapter."
I struggled with that first chapter. I had to reread it twice and I still don't know if I understand what the author was trying to get across.
The next few chapters were a breeze.
Lori wrote: "Deborah wrote: "A movie about her life is Impromptu."I too love that movie and seen it many times. It is one of the few movies directed by theater director James Lapine. Mandy Patinkin and Bernadette Peters act in it because Lapine directed them in Sunday in the Park With George.
The movie is a great look at both the Sand/Chopin relationship and the 1830s French artistic scene with Delacroix and de Musset as characters in addition to Sand, Liszt and Chopin. Judy Davis is great as Sand, but she always is great since arriving on the scene in My Brilliant Career. And Hugh Grant at his stammering best playing Chopin in a similar manner to his Edward in Sense & Sensibility.
I'm a bit late, but I plan to start reading this today.
Mod
Glad to have you! No worries about starting late, I'm behind (as usual). When I'm planning my reads I always think I can read more than I actually can read. One day I'll learn.
Since this is short, I may see if I can fit this one in. (I too am feeling overscheduled a bit) The only Sand I have read was Indiana some years ago, which was also novella size. I thought it was a good, not great, story of a young French woman, and a little melodramatic. I found the setting very interesting as much of the novel is set on the island of Reunion/Bourbon in the Indian Ocean. I hadn't realized that area was a French colony.
Same here, Gem, I always schedule too many books. I’m trying to do better, though.
Mod
The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910
Books mentioned in this topic
Indiana (other topics)Lelia: The Life of George Sand (other topics)
Availability: Project Gutenberg
The Reading Schedule will be as follows:
Week 1 - Chapters I - VII
Week 2 - Chapters VIII - XV
Week 3 - ChaptersXVI - XVII
Week 4 - Appendix (From briefly scanning this I believe this is a continuation of the story... however they may be additional selections. Regardless the entire file is only 95 pages long.)
Update re: the background information...
I've been searching for a couple of hours and have found nothing besides the fact that The Devil's Pool is the first of four pastoral novels written by Sand.