by Andre Gorz
(translated by Julie Rose)
chosen by T-Rex
T-Rex did not just choose this book because it was under the 300 page limit we've set this year! She read it when it was first published and loved it then. She's read it twice since. She wonders if perhaps she's just a hopeless romantic?
About the author:
Andre Gorz was a French writer and philosopher. He was born Gerhard Hirsh in Vienna, and spent the war years in Switzerland, moving to Paris in 1949. After working for the pacifist group Citizens of the World, Gorz entered journalism. He was a supporter of Jean-Paul Sartre's existentialist version of Marxism after World War Two, and in the aftermath of the May 1968 student riots, he became more concerned with political ecology. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a main theorist in the New Left movement. His central theme was wage labour issues such as liberation from work, the just distribution of work, social alienation, and a guaranteed basic income. His final book was “Lettre à D,” an homage to his gravely ill wife of over fifty years, Dorine. On September 22, 2007, they committed suicide together.
(General biographical details from Wikipedia and marxists.org)
What the publisher says about the book:
The heartbreakingly romantic testament to true love that became a beloved bestseller in France makes its worldwide English language debut in Australia. It is impossible not to be moved by this exquisitely touching story, the ultimate love letter from a man to the woman he loves more than life itself, written after he discovers she is dying. ′I have to appreciate the story of our love piece by piece to appreciate its full meaning. It′s allowed us to become who we are now, living side by side, and only for each other ... Lately I′ve fallen in love with you all over again ...′ A year after Letter to D was published, a single sheet of paper pinned to the door for the cleaning lady marked the final chapter in a love affair that remained to the end as intense and passionate as their first encounter, love at first sight, almost 60 years before. In the bedroom lying peacefully side by side were the bodies of author André Gorz and his terminally ill wife Dorine. They simply could not have lived without each other. But this book is not about death - it′s about life and love, and what a love. Of all the millions of words André Gorz wrote as one of the 20th century′s leading social philosophers, pioneering ecologist and associate of Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir, none will be remembered as long as this beautiful and moving tribute to his lover and wife, Dorine.What we discussed about the book:
- Was this book written for publication, or was it intended as a private letter?
- What did we know about Andre Gorz and his other works? Why is he not as well known as say, Sartre?
- In what ways did his philosophy differ from others at the time?
- Was he a happy, contended man? How did he lack comfort in his life?
- Had he taken Dorine for granted? Was he self-absorbed? Is what ways was she understanding?
- What did the following quote mean?
"On paper, I could cite Hero and Leandre, Tristan and Isolda, Romeo and Juliette and show how love is the mutual fascination of two individuals based precisely on what is least definable about them, least socialisable, most resistant to the roles and images of themselves that society imposes on them. We could share almost everything because we had almost nothing to start with.
- Is this a book of regret? An apology? An attempt to set the record straight?
- Was Gorz the person Dorine deserved?
- Could the love they shared have had room for children?
- Was the statement at the end, "I don't want to be there for your cremation; I don't want to be given an urn with your ashes in it," more about Gorz or Dorine? Is there any other way it could have been written?
- What happened during the 30 years she was ill?
- Did we find the language used poetic?
- Did the translator meet her aim to "nail that distinctive voice - the voice of truth, rare and particular, full of love yet free of any sentimentality."?
And then we were sidetracked into:
- How is philosophy taught in Australian schools?
- Would an Australian write a book like this? If so, who?
- Would a book that is a glowing story of love be as popular as one dishing the dirt?
- Is it easier to share criticisms of our loved ones with our friends than singing their praises?
- How true is the belief that, "a good relationship is more about tolerating their faults than appreciating/celebrating their assets"?
- What is the nature of an artist's ego?
In other news, we discussed:
- Do you choose who you fall in love with?
- Leeches. Gross.
Ratings:
Range: 6.5 to 9.5
Average: 7.56
Next book: The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin (chosen by Fairlie)
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