Commentaires client les plus utiles
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Read it for the atmosphere, Sep 23 2002
Par Un client
The book which put "Svengali" into the English language. I had heard of this book long ago, of course, though i can't remember whether it was first from learning about Svengali or finding out that du Maurier was Daphne du Maurier's father. But i had never read it. In a way i'm glad i didn't, becuase that has given me the opportunity to read it now, for the first time. It has taken me a little longer than i might have expected, but was well worth the time. The story of the tragic Trilby, who cannot sing a note to save her life, and how she is moulded into the singer who takes Europe by storm, by the evil (?)(i'm not sure) musician Svengali, who uses mesmerism of some kind to play her as an instrument. The story is told from the persepective of three Englishmen who lived in Paris during the time Trilby was an artists' model, before she fell under Svengali's spell. The three, Taffy, the Laird, and Little Billee, who was her fiancé at one point, briefly, are artists, of a sort; they love Trilby for herself, and are devastated when she is removed from them by events. Naturally, they are shocked by her reappearance in the world of Culture. But they are delighted at the possibility of renewing her acquaintance. I could wish that du Maurier had not been so cute with his French as "spoken" by the English. I could wish that there is less French altogether, as it does slow down the reading ~ perhaps one reason "Trilby" isn't read any more (is it?). It does generate an atmosphere, though, and you begin to know what Western Europe was like in the middle years of two centuries ago. This edition, Dover, has over a hundred illustrations by du Maurier, who had made his name as a cartoonist for Punch. They are lovely, and add immeasurably to the book.
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4.0étoiles sur 5
Worth a read or two..., Déc 23 2000
Par Un client
I have to disagree with the reviewer who commented that this novel is at best a curiosity and that it deserved to fade into obscurity. I read this in a course on 19th century novels and fell in love with du Maurier's writings and his drawings. He uses such wonderful devices to flavor the text and in many ways this satirical view of the aesthetic movement informs the period as much as Oscar Wilde's work does. That the work has some anti-Semitic sentiment it is no more worrisome than anything in Shakespeare (meaning that you must take the work as a work in a period of time). The character types are common enough and the message of the story is timeless--I'll leave the discernment of the message to the reader. Reading this was like uncovering your grandad's favorite toy in the attic and realizing it was still fun to play with today.
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3.0étoiles sur 5
a curiousity piece..., Jui 8 2000
Trilby is the popular 1890s novel which introduced the word "svengali" into the English language. Simply stated, Trilby is story of three male British artists living the carefree life of 1850s bohemian Paris. Amongst their clique of artists and musicians is Trilby, a peasant girl with a heart of gold but no artist (or musical) talent, and Svengali, a talented yet sinister character. Svengali, through mysterious means, "possesses" Trilby's mind/soul and transforms her into a operatic zombie. Although a bit contrived by today's standards, this "evil man possessing young, innocent girl" theme has been repeated in such enduring pieces as Dracula (written only a couple years after Trilby) and Phantom of the Opera.Unfortunately, Trilby is not fine literature. The portrait of bohemian life is definitely viewed through rose-colored glasses, and du Maurier's anti-semitic descriptions of the Jewish Svengali is rather vulgar (by today's standards). Overall Trilby is a curiousity piece which probably won't appeal today's readers. It's decline into obscurity is justified.
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