I Burn Paris by Bruno Jasieński: An Introduction
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Twisted Spoon Press has just released an English translation of Bruno Jasieński’s novel I Burn Paris. Some background information and excerpts are provided in the links below:
The journal Asymptote has posted the Afterword to the book by Soren Gauger (one of the translators of the novel) and a lengthy excerpt (most of Part 2, Chapter I). I highly recommend both links.
Anatol Stern’s Preface to I Burn Paris, from a 1957 edition of the book (also translated by Soren Gauger)..
seraillon
Thanks for the heads up. I just picked up a French copy on my daily visit to the library, and found it on the shelves in an alphabetical line between two favorites also connected to Romain Rolland, Panait Istrati and Joseph Kessel. Looks fascinating.
Dwight
I really enjoyed it…well, if 'enjoy' is the right term for the subject matter. I rarely have time to sit down and read a novel in a couple of days so this was an unexpected pleasure.
Soren Gauger's Afterword is helpful in reading it, although I think he overstates the ambiguity of the novel (which I'll try and cover in a future post). I think some of them would be better classified as countercurrents (later he highlights what he calls a subconscious life that contradicts some of the intended messages) that undermine his message. It's too easy to point out Jasieński's own life as Exhibit A for such a judgment since that was years down the road (although I'll note it anyway).