Modern Classics Her Lover (belle Du Seigneur) (Penguin Modern Classics)

chapter XXXV is a classic within a classic!

An absolute masterwork of disenchantment written by an old man. Bitter as few, Belle du Seigneur stands alone as a cruel outlook on love and classes. Written from his lonely tower when nothing mattered any more -because of death approaching- surely this book was made to make the reader think, but also laugh, with the darkest of humours. It is not a book you will say you "loved it", for certainly can understand those who told me it was disgusting. Even more, it recreates itself in its disgusting parody of love, marriage and classism, showing the ridiculous side of many stupid conventional habits and beliefs. It is very subversive in that sense, subversive morality, never better said. Stupid greed and vanities are exposed to awful ridiculous and in what refers to this, it is a unique masterpiece of excellent Literature. Who said Art was done to please you? That is not always the purpose, neither has to be. Another thing is if you will have stomach to face page after page this marriage and fake love demolition. Destructive book? Depends. If you want to live deliberately cheated on that conventional concepts have to drive your life, then yes: for this novel breaks any of such things. It is an anatomy of stupidity and there lies its value. Many simple minded people live voluntarily or not under all kind of "rules" and "ideas" the majority of which would not bear a serious analysis. What here is shown is unpleasant but states truth, set things as they must not be. A hard book unless its black humour makes you take it easier. Subversive morality helps to change wrong habits, not punish adultery, not to beat homosexuals, not to prosecute communists, or kill dark coloured people or whatever any other sinister medium age leftovers may try to rule your mind. This book fights against hypocrisy too. In a very cool way. As the high official Cohen was during his lifetime, he surely had to undergo a lot of hipocrisy and fake morality and in this book, fed up to the limit he may have been of all that, he took due revenge. Lucid, frozen, bitter, cruel, disgusting but right to the target: a great book, outstanding in every sense, perfectly written too.

Albert Cohen was born in 1895 on the island of Corfu which belonged to Greece at the time. His parents took him to France when he was five. He was French, not by birth but by adoption and conviction. He became a Swiss citizen, spent time in Egypt and generally speaking was one of those people that didn't really know where he belonged. I can tell you where 'Her Lover(Belle du Seigneur)' belongs. It belongs on your bookshelf. Witty, intelligent, beautifully written. All passion spent; the absurdity of love shall spend us.

This book is not only a laugh-out-loud masterpiece, it is also the Bible of Romantic Love, which is to say, the most all-encumpassing work of sexual attraction consumation and disgust ever before wrought or heretofor imagined. You are a different person having read Belle du Seigneur than you were before, and you will be forever enriched if you've yet to take the plunge.Read this book. Buy this book. Make a statement to the Universe that we are here for good reason: to live, to learn, and to love.btw,The English translation of the title could not be more innane or incorrect. Belle du Seigneur means litterally Girlfriend of God.

Good condition

This is a challenging read and not entirely rewarding but it contains some brilliant 'stream of consciousness' writing and wonderful insights into the poverty that can lie beneath riches

Got me back into reading again - clever, amusing and very well written

I have heard that the language in this book is beautiful in the original french. My penguin edition uses the word "pukka" several times in the first 200 pages. I have to assume this is in the working class cockney sense rather than the original indian (pakistani?) it was appropriated from. In the book it is used to reveal how inferior the social class of the doomed husband's family is. This constant attacking of social standing is quite jarring. Only a snob could find it funny as it is so relentless. Elsewhere the language and grammar is practically Victorian, probably literally (and lazily) translated. This adds to the anomaly of the Jamie Oliver mockney raver attempts at modernisation.I am left wondering if the french original has also had its day or not. The humour presumes one is terribly impressed by 'genuine' refinement as opposed to these social climbers. Quite spiteful and inhumane in all. That which isn't is just slapstick.I want to get on to the finely nuanced romance stuff but am struggling to get past this graceless setting up of the fall guys.These grimy oiks are so frightfully amusing don't you think?Wealth and birth right, so effortlessly charming and wonderful, you agree?

I bought this after reading that it is an essential read for all women, however, I found it abit slow to get into and put it aside to take up again later (it doesn't reel you in instantly), but I'm sure it would be great if I had more quality time to read rather than the occasional half an hour that I do have. Recommended for readaholics!