Аннотация: Alexandre Dumas and Alexander Pushkin. A brief review of the book by Henri Troyat "Alexandre Dumas. A novel-biography"
Alexandre Dumas and Alexander Pushkin. A brief review of the book by Henri Troyat "Alexandre Dumas. A novel-biography"
'... He [Dumas] learned that at the beginning of the same year, 1837, the Russian poet Alexander Pushkin was killed in a duel by a young Frenchman, Georges de Heeckeren d'Anthès, who served in the Russian imperial guard. It was said that the murdered, almost unknown in France, but glorified in his homeland, was of African descent. The same blood flowed in his veins as that of Dumas, he bore the same name. A mere coincidence or an omen? '(Henri Troyat).
These words of Henri Troyat give the key to writing a short review of his book about Alexandre Dumas.
A comparison of the creativity of Alexandre Dumas (1802 - 1870) and of Alexander Pushkin (1799 - 1837) - we do not set this task for ourselves (in this review).
What can be compared?
1) Political regimes.
2) The public environment - in France, in Europe, on the one hand, and in Russia, on the other hand.
3) A freedom of personal life.
4) A freedom of creativity,
5) A freedom of movement,
6) The amount of money earned.
8) A duration of life.
9) Estimates by Alexandre Dumas and by Alexander Pushkin of their places in the literature.
For a brief review, perhaps, of these comparisons are enough.
In general, the book by Henri Troyat is a serious biographical work.
The part of the book that is dedicated to the childhood of Alexandre Dumas is easiest to read.
The rest of the book is slightly overloaded with irony. The content appears as a kaleidoscopic stream of events - which is difficult to understand - what a main is? where is a secondary?
In the first chapters of the book we learn that Alexandre Dumas was the son of one of Napoleon's generals. Of a successful general. But Dumas' father has fallen out of favor even before Napoleon became emperor. (Alexandre Dumas lost his father in childhood. The future great French writer was raised by his mother). The writer's grandfather was 'Alexandre Antoine Davy de la Pailleterie, a descendant of the Norman noble family, also the Marquis...' (Henri Troyat).
This situation created a reputation and allowed, depending on the historical situation, to build relations with all political forces.
Not enough Henri Troyat showed the strength and importance of family ties for Alexandre Dumas. Relations with the mother are given in a neutral manner. Relations between Alexandre Dumas and his children are lost, in general, in the flow of information. However, the completion of the life path of Alexandre Dumas shows a huge role in his life, of a family ties. There is such a thing as a "reward for good".
'Having stepped onto the railway platform, Dumas Sr., stunned, barely able to stand on his feet, said to his son:' I came to die here [in your's house]. ' He was given the best room, on the ground floor, with sea views. Both granddaughters, from his son and Nadezhda Naryshkina, often went to Alexander and entertained him with their chatter; Nadezhda Naryshkina herself and her eldest daughter Olga surrounded the patient [Dumas Sr.] with a gentle care. Annushka, a Russian maid, did not know how to please him, she tried her best to make his stay in the house pleasant and calm. Having survived so much torment, the writer, whose thoughts and money dried up in his old age, was only surprised that at the end of his life he was surrounded by such comforts and such love.' (Henri Troyat).
POLITICAL REGIMES.
Alexandre Dumas lived under different political regimes and under different rulers. He had to maneuver, build relationships. Someone supported Dumas, someone oppressed. However, Dumas relationship with the rulers resembled a performance that was staged on a large stage called Paris. In general - it's interesting ...
Alexander Pushkin lived, in general, not bad under Alexander the First.
Under Nicholas the First, the life of Alexander Pushkin gradually began to resemble a baiting and a struggle for survival. In general - a tragic colors ...
Dumas was awarded a LOT of orders. Was Pushkin awarded at least one order? - I don't remember ...
THE PUBLIC ENVIRONMENT.
It is difficult to give a comprehensive assessment of the public environment in France and in Russia. We only note such an aspect. Both Alexandre Dumas and Alexander Pushkin were energetic writers.
As Henri Troyat shows (without much emphasis), Alexandre Dumas always and everywhere found the opportunity to write. About the passion of Alexandre Dumas for gambling, I did not notice any mention in the book by Henri Troyat.
The great Russian writer Alexander Pushkin wrote a lot, easily and talently. However, in his life, the card game occupied a disproportionately large place. ('Alexander [Dumas] highly appreciated the taste of caviar, but remained completely indifferent to the charms of the gypsies, 'of these creatures,' he specified, 'who absorb the fortunes of young men from good Russian families.' - Henri Troyat).
One of the excuses of the Petrashevists [members of the Petrashevsky Circle] was that they were looking for at least some place where they could spend time without a card game.
There is reason to talk about the extensive cultural and political international connections of Alexandre Dumas.
Did Alexander Pushkin have wide cultural and political international connections? ... Inside Russia, yes, there were ...
A FREEDOM OF PERSONAL LIFE.
Alexandre Dumas - women, women, women ... Almost without any tragedy ... Often, children ... ('Once, the same friend [a woman] of Alexander by the name of Matilda Shaw, who was already mentioned, found him dressed in red flannel underwear, sitting ... in a chair surrounded by three hetaerae that adopted the most informal poses. 'All three, neglecting the backward concepts of our civilization,' writes Matilda later, 'were in the costume of our foremother Eve yet before the original sin!' ... Dumas allowed himself a small erotic entertainments." - Henri Troyat).
Alexander Pushkin compiled the "Don Juan List" ...
A FREEDOM OF CREATIVITY.
Alexandre Dumas - an endless list of books, works, periodicals that he established, theaters with which he collaborated ... Co-authors ...
Alexander Pushkin. Is there something in the memory? Something like "I'll be твоим [ your] censor"? [Words of Tsar Nicholas I to Pushkin]
"Ты", "твоим"?.. - [a less polite form of address in communication in the Russian language] ... - it was so accepted ...
And something else ...
"A little more, and I wholly would be ... (or -" твоим", or -"вашим" [a more polite form]) 'your's'. - I do not remember exactly. [Words of Pushkin to Tsar Nicholas I]. In general, everybody are a "close people" ... ...
A FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT.
Alexandre Dumas visited all the major countries of Western Europe, also Russia. He traveled along sea on his own yacht ....
Dumas fled abroad from possible troubles associated with the court hearing the case of his, Dumas, bankruptcy ... This trial did not end for Alexandre Dumas with anything particularly serious ...
Alexandre Dumas had had to visit prison (was such a case) - not for long period... A life went on ...
Alexander Pushkin traveled a lot in Russia, especially during the time of Alexander the First. He was denied travel abroad. An exile in the Mikhaylovskoye was useful for creativity.
THE AMOUNT OF MONEY EARNED.
"According to his own calculations, he [Alexandre Dumas] earned eighteen million francs in gold in his entire life - and spent them on luxurious receptions, on travels that he did as a nobleman, on purchases of ships and furniture, on presents to women." (Henri Troyat). [Eighteen million francs in gold is approximately 5,225.4 kg of gold. If you use the ratio of 1: 15.5, it turns out 80,993.7 kg of silver].
[If we consider the period of earnings of Alexandre Dumas from 1824, then the period of paid creative work will be approximately 46 years (1870 - 1824 = 46)].
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin earned 255 thousand 180 rubles (in bank notes). [255 thousand 180 rubles in bank notes - this is approximately 1148 kg of silver].
Average annual income:
80,993.7 / 46 = 1760.7
1148/17 = 67.5
We make the assumption that these averages of annual income show the potential of creative markets in France and in Russia.
Based on this assumption, it becomes clear why France was attractive to people of art from other countries, and Russia was not very ...
A DURATION OF LIFE.
Alexandre Dumas lived 68 years.
Alexander Pushkin lived 37 years.
ESTIMATES BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS AND BY ALEXANDER PUSHKIN OF THEIR PLACES IN THE LITERATURE.
'... He [Alexandre Dumas] made the reading public a letter written by him on August 10, 1864 to Napoleon III.
'Your Majesty,' the letter said, 'in 1830, French literature was led by three people who still stand at the head of it. These three people are Victor Hugo, Lamartine and me. Victor Hugo expelled from the country, Lamartine ruined, busted. I cannot be sent into exile, as Hugo was sent: neither in my writings, nor in my words, nor in my life is there anything that would give reason for exile - but I can be ruined, busted, as the Lamartine was ruined, and I really busting. I don't know why censorship is so unkind to me. I wrote and published one thousand two hundred volumes. It is not for me to evaluate them from a literary point of view. Translated into all languages, they went as far as they could... And although I am the least worthy of the three named above, THESE THOUSAND TWENTY VOLUMES HAVE MADE ME OUT OF US THREE A MOST FAMOUS WRITER IN ALL FIVE PART OF THE WORLD, perhaps because one of us is a thinker and the other is a dreamer, and I myself only a popularizer ... And at the same time, Your Majesty, in the eyes of censorship, I am the most immoral person in the world! .. Today, censorship banned the Paris Mohicans, which were to be played next Saturday ... Therefore, I am for the first and, possibly, for the last time I seek help from a ruler whose hand I chalk honor to shake in Arenenberg... and the Elysee Palace, and who invariably saw me selfless proselyte on the road to exile and to prison, who never met me as seeker on the path of the Empire."
The letter, backed up by the efforts of Napoleon Joseph and Princess Matilda, had the desired effect. For Dumas, everything was limited to a few excludings [from a text], hastily made. The Paris Mohicans saw the light of the ramp and were very successful. '(Henri Troyat). [Translation from Russian text]
'The rumor about me will pass across the whole of Great Rus',
And everybody will recall of me, who knows Russian,
And the proud grandson of the Slavs, and Finn, and wild, now,
Tunguz, and a friend of steppes - a Kalmyk.
And a kind attitude of people to me will be for a long time,
Because I was creating with a lyre a kind feelings,
And in my cruel epoch I glorified a Freedom
And I called a mercy to the fallen. '(Alexander Pushkin, 1836).
The book by Henri Troyat contains a huge amount of information about the life path of Alexandre Dumas. In this work, perhaps, there is some overabundance of irony. With a huge array of biographical information, in our opinion, this book there is a lack of a some precise semantic emphasis, of a positive assessments, of a semantic segmentation.
Comparing the book by Henri Troyat with other biographical works about Alexandre Dumas is not our task here. Let us make an assumption - that among the biographical works about Alexandre Dumas, the book by Henri Troyat takes one of the most worthy places.
November 15, 2019 07:54
Translation from Russian into English: November 15, 2019 22:14.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Александр Дюма и Александр Пушкин. Краткая рецензия на книгу Анри Труайя 'Александр Дюма. Роман-биография''.