After you, Monsieur de la Fontaine, counterfeit Gudula If you're familiar with the literary program "The Great Books, "moderated François Busnel on France 5, you had to follow with great pleasure, that of 16 December. Indeed, guests, number, should decide on the best and worst of the literature. Among them Alain Mabanckou, who praised The Drunkard in the bush , Amos Tutuola and "down" Ethiopiques , Leopold Sedar Senghor. Rene Obaldia, it is a great admirer of Jules Verne, in particular its Around the World in 80 days while he does not recommend the entire work of the Marquis de Sade. This immediately reminds me a great discussion on the blog Kangni Alem on "Littérasexe" where each and other recommended reading Sade, the "master" in the matter. I had then promised to finally read this controversial author, but I still have not had time to do so.
There were also among the guests, Gerard Oberle, which I have often appreciated the intervention. For his part, he was constantly reread The Essays of Montaigne while he held a grudge against the Fables de La Fontaine. Fountain, you go account? Why this brilliant writer seventeenth century, which has given new life to texts that were written by Aesop, first in the sixth before Jesus Christ, then resumed by Phaedrus in the first century after Christ? But we must still recognize that it is La Fontaine, who has popularized, which gave them what I do not know what that makes us all we quenched with La Fontaine, we greedily drank from this source and as a token of our appreciation, we are able to recite at least one of his fables. What saddens therefore Gerard Oberle?
Well he expressed about the fables of La Fontaine, a feeling that many of us have experienced: a disappointment, a certain bitterness when considering the outcome of many of them. Gerard Oberle has given good about, the example of "The Grasshopper and the Ant", where the last one shows an incredible selfishness: she refuses to pay, while La Cigale was willing to borrow even highest rate: it would reimburse! Would that not arrange its affairs? It would at the same time made service to his comrade in trouble. But no, the ant is preferred that the starving Cigale. This lack of humanism could not be more disappointing, but La Fontaine merely translate the reality of life that offers us every day example of an ever-increasing wickedness among men.
Still that feeling of revolt, which can legitimately test measures in the absence of humanism that abounds in Fables de La Fontaine, has prompted one author to propose a follow- them. This of Gudula, who suffered so much the "ungrateful fate reserved for the weakest, in these texts" it proposes, in his collection of counterfeit of "justice for the victims." It therefore reversed the trend in his book. It takes 24 Fables de la Fontaine, the most famous, she continues, ending with a more human morality. It is a real treat.
The first text to be revisited is the "Raven and the Fox." Instead of the famous: "The Crow, ashamed and confused / Swore, a bit late, do not be fooled again", Gudula imagine this sequence: while the Fox is it feeds the cheese has cleverly appropriate, a hunter comes, ready to fire on the animal at the time the Raven, who sees the "pie" abandoned, the discomfort and recovered the hunter who finally spleen its target. The Fox is saved, but he also believes he will remain hungry. What a surprise when the Ravens offered him to share a meal with him! The counterfeit Gudula therefore ends with the proposal of the man who was hurt but forgiving willingly
Rather than trying to one another to rob us
Why not help ourselves?
Ashamed and confused, the Fox
From proposal conceded the merits,
Cursing, but a little later,
To exercise now solidarity.
In "The Grasshopper and the Ant" which we spoke at length, we saw that the Cicada is doomed to die of hunger. But in counterfeit Gudule this is what she decides to do:
I want, in a last effort
plucking at my instrument
Its pathetic agreements.
This final concert will be my testament.
And, oh miracle! windows open: affected by "A complaint so moving / So beautiful, so wild and sad at the same time " bourgeois him give alms. La Cigale collected quickly enough for subsistence until the new season. And Gudula concluded:
When pomp with misery expressed
She gained public favor unanimous
Gosier melodious implore not in vain.
But there are so many people who do not whine
That does not guess, crossing their path,
they are lonely, needy, they are cold, they are hungry.
Poor people without talent are the most pitiable!
I also talk about "Animals sick of the plague", "The Wolf and the Lamb", "The Ploughman and his children," but I'll take away the pleasure of discovery. So do as I read After you, Mr. La Fontaine of Gudula, you reread the same time the most beautiful fables of La Fontaine.
Gudule After you, Monsieur de la Fontaine, infringing , first edition 1995, edition of the Livre de Poche Jeunesse in 2003, 92 pages, 4.90 €.
Duguël Anne, called Gudule was born in Brussels in 1945. She has written extensively, primarily for youth, including The Librarian, which I love especially for its abundant intertextuality.
The link to the library ideal guests on the program of 16 December 2010 The Great Library:
