Arthur Japin
Paperback | Pages: 239 pages Rating: 3.94 | 7712 Users | 383 Reviews
Details Books As Een schitterend gebrek
| Original Title: | Een schitterend gebrek |
| ISBN: | 9029563354 (ISBN13: 9789029563352) |
| Edition Language: | Dutch |
| Characters: | Giacomo Casanova |
| Setting: | Netherlands Italy Amsterdam,1758(Netherlands) |
| Literary Awards: | Publieksprijs voor het Nederlandse Boek Nominee (2004), Libris Literatuurprijs (2004), De Inktaap (2005) |
Interpretation Toward Books Een schitterend gebrek
I took with skepticism a book of Casanova's first love Lucia, thinking that it would be easy or foolish read. But I was pleasantly surprised...This is a moving novel about enduring love, mystique, self-sacrifice, deception, heartbreak, humiliation, about woman who struggle between emotion and reason, sense and instinct, story of innocence and experience. Presented from Lucia's perspective as a legacy to her unborn child, to know what a woman is capable of to survive in the cruel world and to sacrifice herself so she can save the man she loves not to marry her for obligation or pity because of her horrible disfigurement caused by smallpox, or even worse - to disgust her.
And maybe it's unreal to read about (I've read somewhere) a "prostitute with a 24-karat intellect", but I really enjoy the philosophical parts, especially Lucia's conversations with Zélide, a French female archaeologist that she works for as a secretary.
Very well written!
Some quotes that I liked:
"Other carry a sorrow in their heart. Unseen it hollows them out from within. My salvation was that I wear my sorrow on the outside, where no one can miss it.”
"I hide the world.
I have lowered a curtain before it.
Through that haze of lace and silk it looks so much softer."
"Self-delusion has the benefit of letting us believe that everything is still possible... Truth is more than the things you see; that is why its value is only relative... The only thing that can change reality is the mind. ... If one would change things, one needn’t touch them; one need only see them differently"
"Reason is but the shell of consciousness, beneath which emotion is far more knowing"
"If you accept others as equals, you embrace them unconditionally, now and forever. But if you let them know that you tolerate them, you suggest in the same breath that they are actually an inconvenience, like a nagging pain or an unpleasant odour you are willing to disregard."
"The profound peace I feel in libraries goes beyond silence. The paper doesn't just muffle sound but stills the roar of my thoughts... [and] things written down are easier to let go of."
"My love was alive, not because I was loved, but because I myself loved!"
Be Specific About Out Of Books Een schitterend gebrek
| Title | : | Een schitterend gebrek |
| Author | : | Arthur Japin |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Deluxe Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 239 pages |
| Published | : | 2006 by De Arbeiderspers (first published 2003) |
| Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. European Literature. Dutch Literature |
Rating Out Of Books Een schitterend gebrek
Ratings: 3.94 From 7712 Users | 383 ReviewsWrite-Up Out Of Books Een schitterend gebrek
This novel is not something I usually read, but THIS IS PHENOMENAL. First of all, it's beautifully written. I adore Japin's writing style. It goes so well with the time and setting and it's almost poetry. And the story...It's wonderful. I know, it's sad and almost depressing at times. But just the way you see the world through Lucia's eyes and experience the way of her world is so fascinating. Her reason behind all of her actions, especially her leaving Giacomo Casanova (yes, THE Casanova) makes-- HIDDEN SPOILERS CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS! -- This was definitely one of the best Dutch books I've ever read!Based on a true story, this book tells us about Lucia, the woman who did Giacomo Casanova wrong, or so he believes. Throughout the book, you'll find out what Lucia's real story is - one that differs from what Giacomo has always believed.As someone who doesn't usually like historical novels, it took me by surprise how much I enjoyed it - mainly the first part of the book. I liked how the
This was one of the worst books I had to read for dutch literature, I found it mainly boring and slow building.
In Lucias Eyes is based on the brief mention of the woman Lucia in the famous Casanovas diaries, who he names as his first love. He tells of their meeting and their love, of her betrayal, and of how he eventually found her later in life in a brothel in Amsterdam, describing Lucia as having become not only downright ugly, but also disgusting. Arthur Japin tells Lucias side of the story a young Italian servant girl who fell in love with Casanova at age fourteen, only to be horribly disfigured
Japin (The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi) offers an intriguing story about love, deceit, betrayal, identity, and self-sacrifice. Presented from Lucia's perspective, the story rests on one detail from Casanova's Histoire de ma vie but makes good use of its larger context. Critics agree that Japin's rich historical material, including Lucia's involvement in the era's intellectual, artistic, and philosophical currents, makes the 18th century come alive. They disagree, however, about Lucia: Is she a
Amazing book! A beautiful dance of historical fact, eye-opening philosophy, and artful fiction. If you enjoy the careful dance of seduction and the complexities of love, you must read this!
I think it was a very nice book. I find it hard, sometimes, to find a book written by a dutch writer that I like. But I truly did like this one. I think Arthur Japin is a good writer. He can write beautiful sentences, but in a way that it never feels forced. And what I liked a lot about this book, was the constand jumping through the time. For me, it worked very well, I got more and more curious to why, for example, the two lovers didn't end up together. I am definitly going to read more books
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