Marshlands by Andre Gide
Translated by Damion Searls
The first proper book review on the blog for 2021 is actually for a volume I finished at the tail end of 2020. After fighting my way out of the “Underland” book hangover, I actually sped through a few books quite quickly – one of which was “Marshlands” by Andre Gide.
Gide is a writer already present on my shelves; in fact I have mainly old Penguins of his works, most of which date back to being purchased in the 1980s! Despite having owned these for ages, I can’t actually be sure if I’ve read any; so there’s a certain typical irony that I should actually end up reading a shiny new book by the author instead of those on my shelves. However, having loved this one, it may be the spur I need to go to read more Gide in 2021!
Andre Gide (1869-1951) was a prolific author, producing novels, short stories, poetry, plays, travel writing and autobiography during his long career. A winner of the Nobel Prize for literature in 1947, he’s considered by many the greatest French author of the 20th century (which is no mean claim when you consider what talent the country produced during that 100 year period). His writings seem to range far and wide, and his politics are fascinating – for example, he was brave enough to speak out about where Russian Communism had gone wrong after visits to that country in the 1930s. However, “Marshlands” is a book from the early part of his career; first published in 1895 under the French title “Paludes”, it’s now being reissued by NYRB in a sparkly new translation by Damion Searls.
“Marshlands” is a book about a man writing a book called ‘Marshlands’… which kind of gives you the idea right from the start that is is a satirical work! The sub-version of ‘Marshlands’ is about a reclusive man who lives all alone in a stone tower, studying the marshes. However, our narrator/author is anything but reclusive; instead he spends all his time as a social butterfly. Whether visiting friends, receiving friends, making himself available at the lovely Angela’s salon, or taking an abortive trip out of Paris with her, he seems to spend a *lot* of time mixing, and very little writing! When asked by friends what he’s doing, he of course attempts to explain that he’s writing ‘Marshlands’, but the plot is vague, and his fellow socialites seem unable to grasp the point. Whether our author does either is debatable…
Silence, man of letters! First of all, I only care about the insane, and you are frightfully reasonable.
If “Marshlands” is a reliable portrait of the Paris literary period of the time, it’s frankly a miracle that *anything* got written! The constant flitting from occasion to occasion, whilst declaiming one’s artistic trials and tribulations, is very funny indeed. Gide gives his narrator an almost deadpan tone, the fictional author quite convinced of his genius and importance; attributed which are on display by most of the characters, in fact; and the narrator seems incapable of recognising his friends’ dismissive attitude towards him and his work!
I said nothing as usual. When a philosopher answers you, he makes it impossible for you to understand in the slightest what you had asked him.
The satirical element alone would be enough to make this a wonderful read; however, the meta elements appealed too, with Gide very cleverly building in the different levels of a book about an author writing a book, and even including extracts from the ‘Marshlands’ written by the narrator – which certainly served to convince me that he was nowhere near as good an author as Gide himself!
It’s nerves, I think; they come over me every time I make a list.
“Marshlands” turned out to be a wonderfully playful and entertaining portrait of a man who thinks he’s busy and involved, but in fact really seems to be fighting off ennui. There are so many clever elements to it; for example, the fact that the narrator keeps a planner to try to organise his life, but if he fails to live up to something he intended, e.g. getting up at 8 a.m, he just alters the planner to make it fit what actually happened! As he says at one point:
I arrange facts to make them conform to the truth more closely than they do in real life.
Which I suppose is a statement you could apply to most fiction writers…
Anyways, as they say; if I haven’t read any Gide before this, that’s my loss, because it really was a clever, funny and intriguing read. The book comes with an interesting foreword by Dubravka Ugresic (and I had to applaud her when she stated “There is no one single favourite book for a bona fide lover of literature”.) It’s translated brilliantly by Damion Searls; I say ‘brilliantly’ because I think, from his comments in his ‘Translator’s Note’, that he’s done a good job of compromising at a sensible point between sticking to old-fashioned language which might have been more of Gide’s era and bringing in too many modernisms. The book was a great end to 20201, a brilliant and very funny read; and hopefully 2021 really *will* be the year I read more Gide! 😀
*****
Review copy kindly provided by the publisher, for which many thanks. I should say, too, that this edition comes with some excellent extra material, in the form of two excised scenes, a later afterword by Gide and several other items – so it’s definitely the version to seek out!
Jan 07, 2021 @ 07:29:46
I have read Gide in my youth but this particular book has escaped me and it sounds like the perfect blend of satire and self- deprecation of literary ambition! I also like that quote about favourite books. My son always laughs at me when I reply ‘That depends…’ when he asks about my favourite book, but I think that not only does it depend on age and mood, but also suspect it might be easier for those who’ve read fewer books to choose a favourite.
Jan 07, 2021 @ 09:18:43
This one seems to have slipped under the net, because I never came across it before in my bookish travels. I wonder if it got less attention because it was an early work? It’s a wonderful read, though. As for favourite books, you may well have nailed it there – having read so many books, it really is impossible to just pick out one favourite, and that may well be why I can never pick a single book of the year!
Jan 07, 2021 @ 13:11:23
I must admit that Gide exists for me only as a name; I’ve never read any of his work. Your review makes me think that omission is perhaps my loss! This novel really sounds wonderful in itself and all the more enticing because I love NYRB Classics editions. Thanks very much for the wonderful quotes. Like MarinaSofia I love the one about the impossibility of choosing a favorite book but I must admit another quote strikes much closer to home. Like Gide’s narrator, when I fail to live up to my ambitious plans, well, I just alter the schedule/planner at least mentally to conform to what I actually did! Ah, it really is the great practioners of literature who can nail human nature so exactly . . . .
Jan 07, 2021 @ 14:20:43
It really was a treat, and not being sure if I’ve ever read Gide, I had no idea what to expect. Definitely want to read more now. As for the quote about favourite books, it was spot on. I must admit to being not much of a planner myself – I’d rather write up in my journal afterwards than try to actually structure my life! 😀
Jan 07, 2021 @ 17:21:45
I have some Gide, when I was in my early twenties. I can’t remember much, but I think they were rather intense. This satirical element makes this book sound more entertaining.
Jan 07, 2021 @ 17:42:47
I certainly was expecting something maybe a little darker from Gide, but this *is* an early work which may have something to do with it. Whatever, I really loved it so really should get to one of his other books this year!
Jan 07, 2021 @ 18:07:45
This sounds very playful and cleverly constructed – very much your kind of thing, Plus, the quotes you’ve chosen really convey the tone…
He’s not an author I’ve ever read, but I am intrigued by him – partly because he rated Simenon very highly. I think there’s something about it in the NYRB edition of Simenon’s The Widow. A suggestion that Gide considered Simenon to be a better writer than Camus? Or possibly that he favoured The Widow over the much-lauded The Outsider? It may well have been that!
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:15:26
It is – very funny and very meta and very clever. Interesting that he should rate Simenon so highly (though Simenon *is* good, though dark).
Jan 07, 2021 @ 19:54:58
To me, Gide is not the greatest French writer of the 20th century. Nobody is greater than Proust, Camus or Eluard.
I haven’t read Paludes and I’d never even heard of it but I’m curious about it now.
I have The Counterfeiters on the shelf. I’m game for a readalong if you want.
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:14:07
It’s an interesting claim, but I’ve not read enough of him to really take a stand on it!
As for The Counterfeiters, I don’t know if I have that one – I’ll get back to you after #readindies month which is kind of taking up all my time right now… ;D
Jan 09, 2021 @ 19:38:15
I’m not in a hurry, I’m doing Bill’s Australian Women Writer Gen 3 & Japanse Lit Challenge. Come back to me if you’re interested.
Jan 09, 2021 @ 20:23:17
LOL, well I’ve just checked and that’s the one Gide I don’t seem to have! But I will keep my eyes open!
Jan 11, 2021 @ 09:45:08
Let’s see what you think after reading Les Faux-monnayeurs.
I think it entirely depends on what you call great. Proust’s style us hard to surpass, Camus is unique but Gide is by far the most diverse. His books are so widely different from one another.
Jan 11, 2021 @ 10:30:33
Interesting you should say that, because the impression I’ve always had is of very different books!
Jan 07, 2021 @ 20:21:59
I fancy I was supposed to be acquainted with André Gide for French A Level, but I clearly never got round to it! Still, I’ve got a slim copy of La Porte Étroite translated as ‘Strait is the Gate’ ready for my European Reading Challenge 2021; but if I didn’t have this I’d definitely be attracted by the metafictional Marshlands!
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:13:12
I have Strait too (and several others) but I am very unsure if I ever read them. Marshlands is great though, but I suspect unlike his other work.
Jan 07, 2021 @ 21:50:46
I’ve not read him but I loved this quote…..”I arrange facts to make them conform to the truth more closely than they do in real life.” Very amusing.
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:12:31
It’s a very witty book, full of one-liners. Loved it!
Jan 07, 2021 @ 22:00:24
That cover, though, esp as I felt like I was going to get swallowed by some very boggy ground on my run this morning!
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:12:08
Oh dear! I think the cover is more about ‘Marshlands’ than “Marshlands” – or maybe not, since characters in both seem to be sinking….
Jan 08, 2021 @ 06:52:44
I don’t know Gide well, but it sounds quite different from the couple of them I’ve read, and quite interesting. An introduction by Ugresic would definitely be an added bonus for me.
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:11:00
It certainly wasn’t how I perceive Gide, but it was a wonderful real, and the intro was fascinating too!
Jan 08, 2021 @ 08:40:43
“I said nothing as usual.” reminded me of the detective’s cat in Kinky Friedman’s various novels: “The cat, as usual, said nothing”. 🙂
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:10:34
Lol! Unlike Behemoth…. ;D
Jan 08, 2021 @ 11:43:55
I’ve mostly encountered André Gide in his writings relating to Russia, but this is really appealing with the meta elements and portrayal of the milieu he and his character move in.
Jan 08, 2021 @ 19:12:51
Bearing in mind I’m not even sure if I’ve read him before, I have a silly amount of his books on my shelf. And I enjoyed this one so much I really should get on with them!
Jan 08, 2021 @ 15:32:35
What a good idea to fit your plan to the life, like putting things on a list you’ve already done so you can start ticking straight away!
Jan 08, 2021 @ 19:11:55
It certainly would make things less complicated… ;D
Jan 10, 2021 @ 04:24:29
What an amazing review and what an amazing book! I think my dad owned a few of his works but I will have to look it up. But this one I will buy for sure! p.s. I am reading Underland; it is BRILLIANT!
Jan 10, 2021 @ 10:09:30
Thank you! Gide is definitely work exploring. And I’m *so* glad you’re enjoying Underland – it’s a stunning read!
Jan 10, 2021 @ 15:13:46
I haven’t read Gide either, and really didn’t have much idea what kind of a writer he was. You certainly make this sound very attractive, though, whether it’s Covid or Brexit, NYRB Classics have become much ore expensive over here recently.
Jan 10, 2021 @ 15:32:46
On the basis of this one (which is the only one I can be sure of having read) he’s worth exploring more, though I don’t know that this is typical. I did love it!
And I hadn’t noticed how the prices were creeping up – I suspect if it’s overseas publishers added to Brexit that could be the reason but it’s depressing.
Jan 11, 2021 @ 09:49:04
I do think he’s one if the greatest but whether he’s the greatest? As I just said to Emma, depends what you value.
I’ve read a lot in my early twenties and was so astonished how diverse he is. I never read this one. I got a few on the stacks that I might finally pick up this year.
Jan 11, 2021 @ 10:31:48
I have several on the shelves but still need to read them! This title was completely new to me though, and I did love it though suspect it’s not necessarily typical (if there is a typical Gide). Though what I’ve read about The Counterfeiters suggests meta elements there so I’m definitely interested!
Jan 11, 2021 @ 12:53:22
The Counterfeiters is THE meta fictional novel par excellence. Groundbreaking.
Jan 11, 2021 @ 13:27:24
Sold. I shall obvs need a copy…
Jan 15, 2021 @ 22:59:20
That does sound so much more fun than I’d have guessed, whether from the bits and pieces of ideas about his writing that I’ve gathered over the years, or from the cover illustration. And I bet you especially nodded and chuckled over the quotation about list-making, given your recent trepidation about making a list of reading plans.
Jan 16, 2021 @ 11:40:33
It’s really witty and clever, and not what I expected from Gide – though now I’m not sure what I *should* expect from Gide. But it’s obviously time I should read some of the pile of his works I have knocking about…. 😀