Deceit, Desire, and the Novel

[Mensonge romantique et vérité romanesque]

GIRARD, René

Year:

1966

Type:

Non Fiction

Public:

Generic

Publisher:

Johns Hopkins University Press

Year of publication:

1976

Pages:

328

Moral assessment:

Type: Thought

Nothing inappropriate.

Requires prior general knowledge of the subject.

Readers with knowledgeable about the subject matter.

Contains doctrinal errors of some importance.

Whilst not being explicitly against the faith, the general approach or its main points are ambiguous or opposed to the Church’s teachings.

Incompatible with Catholic doctrine.

Literary quality:

Recommendable:

Transmits values:

Sexual content:

Violent content:

Vulgar or obscene language:

Ideas that contradict Church teaching:

The rating of the different categories comes from the opinion of Delibris' collaborators

The author has a theory of Triangular Desire" which he first explains in reference to Don Quijote, who decides to center his life on the imitation of Amadis of Gaul in order to become a perfect knight. He argues that this is a frequent theme in literature, and he seeks examples in the works of Stendhal, Cervantes, Flaubert, Proust, and Dostoyevsky. He finds this idea explored but not fully resolved in M. Scheler's "Ressentiment." He sees the illusion of romanticism as complete individual autonomy. The great novels show this as illusory and in some measure overcome it. The author often contrasts imitative desire with Christianity, and relates the growth of imitative desire with the decline of Christianity. He cites Louis Ferrero's Desespoirs: "Passion is the change of address of a force awakened by Christianity and oriented towards God." It is an engaging and powerful book, perhaps especially in the treatment of Dostoyevsky. It could be recommended for students of literature. Some of the book's conclusions could be disputed; the author presents them as certain and evident.

J.K. (U.S.A., 2018)