| Title | : | A Certain Smile |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 9997413393 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9789997413390 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 128 |
| Publication | : | First published January 1, 1955 |
A Certain Smile Reviews
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" أعي جيداً، هذه اللعبة - إن كانت موجودة، إن كان من المنطق الحديث عن لعبة بين اثنين معجَبَين ببعضهما بعضاً، في وسع كليهما سد ثغرة ولو مؤقتاً لدى الآخر ويكون له عوناً على وحدته - هذه اللعبة الخطيرة. "
دومينيك الصغيرة ظنت أنها لعبة مسلية وأنها قد وعتها وفهمت أبعادها، لكنها كانت فتاة حالمة شَرود في مقتبل فترة التعرف على نفسها وعلى عواطفها الأنثوية، فتسببت لروحها الغضة ببعض الآلام والانكسارات، التي ستُشفى لكنها لن تُنسى.
بصرف النظر عن إطار القصة، أجد فيها مرآة لمرحلة اكتشاف كل فتاة لمشاعرها، والتوهان؛ بين ما يلح عليها لخوض المغامرة، وما يمليه عليها عقلها من الأحكام، وما يرغب به قلبها من السعادة. تلك المرحلة التي تتجه فيها نحو ما تظنه الأمان، فتجد الخطر. تفعل ما يُفترض أنه سيفرحها، فتنهال عليها الأحزان. تظن أن اللحظة ستدوم، فتتبخر. لكن بعدها ستنهض فتاةً أخرى أكثر وعياً بما تريد، وأكثر تقديراً لمواطن قوتها وضعفها كذلك.
" كنت امرأة أحبت رجلاً، إنها حكاية بسيطة؛ ليس ثمة ما يبرر رسم تعبير على الوجه. "
النظرة الأولى تُري القارئ شخصية الذكر المعشوق كمحور للعمل، لكن مع الاستمرار في القراءة سيعرف أنها ثانوية وعابرة.
هذه الرواية تقول لكِ أنه ليس للأنثى غير نفسها، وشقيقتها الأنثى. أن ما تم الترويج له من فكرة التنافس والغيرة الأنثوية محض تشويه وافتراء. وأن من لديها كل الأسباب لعداوتكِ ستجدينها أول من يحتضنكِ ويطبطب عليكِ في وقت حاجتكِ. لماذا ؟؟ لأنها مثلكِ، لأنها تعرفكِ، ولأنها شريكتكِ في الآلام الكبيرة والسعادات الصغيرة طوال رحلة الحياة.
هذه ليست قصة حب بائسة، هذه رواية نسوية بامتياز.
تنويه: الترجمة ضعيفة. ( ترجمة: محمد فطومي / دار المدى ) -
أؤمن بأن ثمة غوايات صغيرة تُفضي إلى نهايات رديئة..مُحطِمة...
تراني عندما ألتقيها في عملٌ روائي ما...أرقبها بابتسامة مبتورة وبعينين حادتين تلتمعان ببريق ساخر...وهذا ما فعلت هنا...
لقد كانت فتاة شابة تحمل من التناقضات الجامحة ما يدفعك للتساؤل كيف يمكن لأحدهم أن يتعرف عليها حقاً..؟!...
فاتنة...باهتة ، لامبالية..مُغرمة..، جذابة..ومُنفرة...
لاشيء حقيقي في حياتها سوى الوحدة التي تنهشها في صمت والضجر الرتيب الذي يتلوى على ذاتها....وشاركها فيهما ذاك الرجل الوسيم التعس الذي يتمتع بجاذبية غريبة تمتزج بذكاء حزين..!
اعتقد أن الذكاء الحزين ذاك الذكاء الغامض..الدفين..الذي يحترز من كل شيء ولا يُبدي اندهاشاً...لا يتقافز مرحاً..، إنه ثقيل..و هاديء..
لقد كان كلاهما مُنهكاً...حزيناً لا ينسجما مع الملل وكلاهما غارقين فيه....!
حسناً بالرغم من ان الترجمة ركيكة وضعيفة ..لكنني احب ما تكتبه " فرنسواز ساغان"...عندما تساءلت كيف يمكنني توصيف كتابتها ؟
وجدتني أقول دونما تفكير ..السُكر المُر...أجل هو كذلك حقاً..
غريب امر اليأس ...غريب أمره حين ينجو منه المرء.... -
This is a sweet little novel about a young girl's willing rush into love with a married man despite knowing that peril awaits, but not experienced enough to know the full consequences of heartbreak. There's a purity to this that is both artful and artless, and because it succeeds at what it sets out to do, I'm willing to overlook its faults. The book is about a brief affair; it should be viewed as a lovely, fleeting wisp, like a firefly in a summer dusk. The language is simple and thoughtful, the narrative is spare and uncluttered. Sagan gets to the essence of things beautifully. In the spirit of the book, I'm keeping it short and sweet. I loved this.
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As short and sharp as her first novel,
Bonjour Tristesse, Françoise Sagan's second (published a year later) is the story of a young woman's affair with an older man, and her subsequent, inevitable, heartbreak. Bored and indifferent towards her boyfriend, Bertrand, Dominique feels a shift in her affections when she meets his married uncle, Luc. Once again Sagan provides remarkable and painful insights into the emotional landscapes of youth - the progression of Dominique's feelings for Luc is as agonising to watch as it is inescapable.
I wasn't wowed by this like I was by Bonjour Tristesse, perhaps because the tone and mood of both books is so similar, as are some details; elements of Dominique's relationship with Bertrand, and with Luc and his wife Françoise, clearly echo Cécile's with Cyril, her father and Anne. I can see why the two have frequently been published together, and I'd have perhaps preferred to read them one after the other. Still, this was another perfect little gem of a story ideal for a sunny morning. -
I don't often read French romance novels of the 1950s, but when I do, it's always Francoise Sagan. -
Пруст пише: „Голяма рядкост е едно щастие да кацне тъкмо върху желанието, което го е призовало.“ А миналата нощ това се бе случило, когато се бях доближила до лицето на Люк, желано в продължение на цяла седмица, и от съвпадението ми бе призляло, може би просто поради внезапното отпадане на пустотата, от която иначе животът ми бе изтъкан. Пустота, породена от чувството, че животът ми се разминава с мен. А в онзи миг като никога бях изпитала усещането, че най-сетне се докосвам до своя живот, и то до върховната му точка.
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I loved it.
I loved it more than I ever anticipated.
I thoroughly enjoyed it’s simple storyline, direct and scarce use of language, unforced ending, and surprisingly, also it’s subtle but prevalent sense of eroticism.
I feel like only 20 year olds can get 20 year olds right. And so Sagan did. Written in the 50s, the plot works for any YA today, and that is its charm.
So glad it has been selected as this months @fabula book club pick, as I probably would not have reached for it myself.
My second Françoise Sagan of the year and I am officially a fan.
Bring her in! -
Such a short novel and it took me such a long time to read it. I found it quite boring and predictable. Maybe I should have read it when I was 20 or so, I think I would have liked it more. I read "Bonjour tristesse" when I was 18 and I liked it a lot. Perhaps there is an age for every novel and "A Certain Smile" is for 20 year-olds. I don't know. The idea is that, except for the occasionally poetic language, this book didn't transmit much.
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I knew I would enjoy A Certain Smile. Sagan has a deceptively light touch in her writing style which I find makes the insights and observation the more pronounced.
P. 19. at the Gare de Lyon. Dominique, the first person narrator, "On the way back Bertrand stopped to buy a political journal, which would give him an excuse to get annoyed."
P. 70. "So there I was, yawning (for I was exhausted from lack of sleep) and extremely comfortable. My hand trembled a little as I struck a match to light my cigarette. The September sun, no longer very hot, caressed my cheek. For once I was delighted to be alone. 'We're only happy when we're tired,' Luc once said, and it was true that I was one of those people who are only happy once they have subdued that part of their vitality which continually makes demands and always feels misgivings: the part which asks 'What have you done with your life? What are you going to make of it?' Questions to which I could only reply 'Nothing.' -
This title is generally better known for the 1958 English-language film version with the accompanying title song crooned by Johnny Mathis. The original French-language novel is the short, bittersweet story of a doomed affair that nicely showcases Françoise Sagan’s signature talent for describing the confused and tumultuous emotions of young girls. Dominique, the first-person narrator, is a law student at the Sorbonne who suffers from a particularly serious case of ennui. Everything seems to bore her. Her boyfriend, Bertrand, who adores her: Boring. Her university studies: Boring. The sights and activities of Paris: Boring. Visiting her parents in her hometown: Super-boring. Actually, her problem is even more serious than all of this. In French, the word ennui—at least how Baudelaire described it in the mid-19th century—means more than just boredom. It refers to a ravaging and intolerable tiredness and frustration with life. This is an apt description of Dominique, even though she seems to have so much going for her. When Bertrand takes her to meet his uncle, Luc, and aunt Françoise, Dominique hesitates to act on the obvious chemistry between her and Luc, because, after all, she is involved with Bertrand, and Françoise is so motherly and completely kind. Dominique and Luc cave into the temptation, of course, even though Dominique can see that Luc regards an extramarital affair and its inevitable outcome with socio-pathological sang-froid. “De quoi veux-tu que j’aie peur?” he asks Dominique. “Bertrand ne me tuera pas. Françoise ne me quittera pas. Tu ne m’aimeras pas” (69). He is wrong only on the last point. After an idyllic two weeks together in Cannes, Dominique and Luc part and can snatch only isolated moments together in the next few months. Dominique’s feelings grow into an obsession for Luc that virtually takes over her life, and makes a stark contrast to his increasing indifference. Sagan’s sensitivity to these kinds of emotions as well as for the barbs of guilt, shame, and loss that typically follow an ill-advised choice is obvious in her eloquent prose and dialogues. This is a sobering psychological study of discontent that can morph into desperation.
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Dominique has a lot to learn about love.
She was young and naive and thought she knew how to play the game.
Dominique thought she understood the rules.
But she didn't!
This short novella of young love and growing up!
'I was a woman, and I had loved a man. It was a simple story; there was nothing to make a fuss about.' -
Dic el mateix que dic sobre totes les obres de Sagan: és com un croissant farcit de Nutella i taronja, dolç i amarg a la vegada
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Després de llegir “Bon dia, tristesa” i “T’agrada Brahms?” tenia clar que “Un cert somriure” no em decebria. De fet, si no me l’he llegit abans és perquè he estat esperant que fos publicat per Viena Editorial. Al meu parer, les obres de Sagan s’han de llegir sempre amb un llapis a la mà. La dona escriu sempre sobre desamors, sobre homes que estimen però mai prou intensament, i aquesta és la mena de contingut que de vegades una necessita. La reina de verbalitzar els sentiments d’una forma senzilla i pura.
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Một cuốn sách gợi cảm một cách mong manh như thể ta đang chếnh choáng trong một cơn say êm đềm, ngây ngất và ngọt ngào, và rồi cái nỗi buồn dịu dàng trườn tới khiến ta bâng khuâng không biết làm gì với tình yêu nồng nàn và đầy hoang mang đó. Một cuốn sách đẹp đẽ có những dòng chữ khiến ta đọc lại vài lần thật chậm rãi để vẻ đẹp của nó thấm mãi thấm mãi vào tâm hồn ta.
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الترجمة لم تكن احسن ما يكون هنا 😔
" نسخة دار المدى " -
„Cítila som sa celkom slobodná, celkom veselá. Paríž náležal mne. Paríž náležal ľuďom bez škrupúľ, bezočivcom, to som vždy pociťovala, ale bolestne, pretože mne bezočivosť chýbala. Tentoraz to bolo mesto, moje krásne, zlaté, odhodlané mesto, mesto, ,ktoré sa nedalo ošudiťʽ. Niečo ma nadnášalo, azda to bola radosť. Kráčala som rýchlo. Mala som silu netrpezlivosti, krv mi bila v zápästiach; cítila som sa mladá, smiešne mladá. V pochabej blaženosti som mala pocit, že dochádzam k oveľa jasnejšej pravde, než sú tie úbohé poprežúvané pravdy mojich smútkov.“
Toto nie je žiadna citová dráma, len romanca parížskej študentky so starším ženatým mužom. Saganová ju napísala, keď mala len 20-rokov po svojom slávnom debute Dobrý deň smútok. Kombinuje v nej osamelosť, nudu, erotiku, francúzsku riviéru a samozrejme Paríž. Ešte že som knihu Akýsi úsmev objavila v rodinnej knižnici. Veľmi dobré čítanie.
„Zase mi raz bolo po dlhom čase veľmi dobre samej so sebou. ,Nám je dobre, keď sme unavení,ʽ hovorieval Luc a mal pravdu, že som z tých ľudí, ktorým je dobre iba vtedy, keď v sebe ubili časť vitality, náročnú a ťažkú od nudy; tú časť, ktorá kladie otázku: ,Čo si urobil zo svojho života, čo z neho hodláš urobiť?ʽ, otázku, na ktorú som mohla odpovedať iba jedno: ,Nič.ʽ“ -
es mereix un 4,5. a casa ens agrada molt una mica de llibre on una dona és estimada pels homes, però no prou pel seu gust.
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"Mi destino era que Luc me abandonara, que yo tratara de empezar de nuevo con otro, lo que seguramente haría. Pero nunca con nadie me sentiría como con él: tan poco sola, tan tranquila e, interiormente, tan poco reticente".
Una novelita honesta, bella y triste sobre el amor no correspondido, quizás un capricho pero uno doloroso. -
A Certain Smile confirms Françoise Sagan to be something of a one-trick pony. Her first renowned novel Bonjour Tristesse set out a bold philosophy that dealt with sexual matters in a manner that was amoral and yet also strangely coy. Readers may have been titillated by a heroine who navigates the sexual world without many boundaries, but they would look in vain for a detailed erotic (or pornographic) scene.
This book is more of the same, giving the lie to Sagan’s claim that her previous heroine was not herself. Once more we have a promiscuous heroine who vaguely loves and callously disregards everyone around her. There is a more sensible brother-lover whom she likes but discards. There is an older father figure with whom she has an inappropriate relationship, and a mother figure who appeals to her, and yet whom she betrays.
On this occasion, the heroine is Dominique, a bored and cynical student, who is involved with a fellow classmate Bertrand of whom she is vaguely fond. Bertrand introduces her to his aunt and uncle, Françoise and Luc. While Françoise is affectionate towards the young girl, her husband has other ideas.
Soon Dominique is having an affair with the lecherous uncle which eventually leads to a break with Bertrand. However Luc is unable to reciprocate Dominque’s growing affection for him, and she is forced to reconcile herself to losing him.
The book is a step up from Bonjour Tristesse in that Dominique is at least capable of getting hurt and attaching herself seriously to a man, but there is still a sense of moral malaise about the work. It seems likely that she will get over him soon enough and move on to other lovers, but we at least get a glimpse of the other side of Sagan’s superficial worldview – that involvements without any depth on both sides are lonely and unfulfilling, and that extra feelings will arrive unbidden.
It is difficult to entirely criticise Sagan’s take on life. We can call it vacuous and selfish and lacking in purpose, but so what? Sagan might point out that the problem here is not the Dominques and Lucs of the world who wander around with no serious attachments.
It is the Françoises and Bertrands who seek to bring meaning to relationships, and introduce jealousy, heartbreak and sadness into this world. If everyone felt the same as Dominique and Luc, nobody would be hurt, and there would be no greater risk than pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases, both of which can be minimised with adequate protection.
I find it hard to say what is wrong with such a viewpoint, even if every intuitive bone in my body cries out against it. I could not live like that as my mind cries for meaning, but if someone else has no need for that sense of meaning, what is wrong with that?
Perhaps ultimately the best moral objection to Sagan’s ideas lies in the consideration that morality is important because morality in its quintessential form is about promoting the happiness of oneself and for others.
Sagan’s books end in melancholy because her heroines are rootless and lonely, trapped in a prison of self from which no lasting contentment can develop. Sooner or later a life of self-seeking pleasure and sexual encounters cannot be sustained, and that is why Sagan’s own life ended in solitude and addiction. -
La Dominique és una noia que estudia dret a la universitat i que comença una relació amb el tiet de la seva parella, un home casat. És una història d'amor -o de companyonia- sense la innocència de "Bonjour tristesse" (que vaig llegir passada l'adolescència i que no em va interessar), amb una protagonista cínica i autoconscient, i alhora poc experimentada i impulsiva. M'ha encantat que, superar l'avorriment, l'avorriment que tenyeix la majoria de vides insulses, carreres indesitjades, amistats que ajuden a matar l'estona, però distants (que insuportable la Christine, i quantes noies que hi ha com ella), sigui el motor de les accions de la Dominique. En algún moment final és una mica dramàtic, però la protagonista té 21 anys, l'escriptora també, i ja és propi de l'edat. Em fa venir ganes de llegir "T'agrada Brahms?", estic contenta d'haver-li donat una altra oportunitat a la Sagan.
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Knjigu sam našla u kućnoj biblioteci, jedna babina drugarica joj ju je poklonila za 22. rođendan. Kada sam rekla babi šta čitam, samo je sa osmehom rekla “A jaaaao”, a zatim zamolila da joj donesem da pročita ponovo, “da se priseti mladalačkih dana”
Strašno mi je bilo uzbudljivo da zamišljam nju kako je čitala ono što držim u rukama.
Priča možda deluje lagano i površno. Mene je prilično uzdrmala opšta nezainteresovanost i dosada koja prožima sve likove i njihov svet. Jednostavan način na koji je ta nenormalna pojava dočarana, čini je normalnom, i tako stvara pomalo smaknutu sliku, zbog koje sam sve vreme pokušavala da shvatim šta nije u redu.
O ljubavi, dosadi i odrastanju. -
Having read and fell in love with Bonjour Tristesse, I knew I had to read Sagan’s second short novel Certain Smile. Though it does not have the magic spell and uniquely passionate narration, I enjoyed reading it nearly as much as the her first book.
In Certain Smile, Sagan tells the story of an afair between a middle-aged married man and a university student from the perspective of the young girl, who ends up heart-broken. Well, considering the subject, it is easy to guess that things will get ugly. Even though he plays his cards open, not promising anything to her other than a two-week limited good time and fun, the care-free, unsentimental Dominique cannot help herself falling in love. The before and after of the affair, the emotional and psychological evolution of Dominique prevents this book from turning into a cliche and creates a unique taste.
Sagan’s characters have such high level of self-awareness that it gives me awe to think she had that kind of acute observation skill and verbal flexibility at the age of 18 when she wrote these two novels. Although her oeuvre consists of a serious number of stories, novels, plays and autobiographies, these two stand out as her must-read key works. I can easily say that her elegant phrasing, first-person narration and self-analysis, observant and open-minded strong protagonists make her a one-of-a-kind author. -
Да, все така продължавам да не харесвам младата Саган. Отегчението от живота, съчетано с доста ограничено дълбочинен поглед (само в тясна и не особено интересна точка), болезнено опиване от нещастието, прегаряне и безсилен егоизъм - все така запазена марка и тук. Историята би ми харесала повече без т��зи товар, с него е просто леко, безсмислено и пошличко експериментче, в което няма нищо кой знае колко изненадващо или интересно. Перифразирайки заглавието - връзка почти. Предпочитам късната Саган.
⭐️2,5 звезди⭐️
“Защото все пак аз, макар да скучаех, поне скучаех със страст.”
“аз наистина се числях към онзи вид хора, които се чувствуват добре едва след като са погубили в душата си частица жизненост, взискателна и натежала от отегчение; онази частица, която задава въпроса: „Какво си направил от живота си, какво ти се иска да направиш от него?“, а на този въпрос аз можех да дам един-единствен отговор: „Нищо.”
“Може би за хората като мен щастието е просто особен вид липса, липса на несгоди, упователна липса.”
“един мрачен умник и толкоз.” -
The unbearable lightness of being a young girl falling in love for first time. A lovely book.
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Sagan ens sap descriure la intensitat d’estimar una abscència amb una facilitat que meravella. M’encanta el llibre i m’encanta ella!
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Last summer, I read and adored Bonjour Tristesse, Françoise Sagan’s seminal novella about love, jealousy and desire – in essence, the games a young girl plays with other people’s emotions. This year I was keen to read her follow-up, the 1956 novella, A Certain Smile – this time in the Irene Ash translation which was rushed out in the same year. (You can read my additional post about Heather Lloyd’s recent translation of Bonjour Tristesse here). In summary, A Certain Smile is the bittersweet story of a young girl’s ill-fated love affair with an older married man, one that epitomises the emotions of youth complete with all their intensity and confusion. While I didn’t love A Certain Smile quite as much as Tristesse, I did enjoy it a great deal. It’s a lovely book for the summer, best read on a lazy afternoon in the sun with a cool drink by your side. Perfect reading for #WITMonth (women in translation) which is running throughout August.
To read my review, please visit:
https://jacquiwine.wordpress.com/2017... -
This is my second Francoise Sagan book, and as with the first one (Bonjour tristesse) I enjoyed the writing, it just flows and seems effortless, but the characters are a different story… they have no depth, they are just cardboard people. We would assume that it’s not the same case with the main character; she should stand out, right? The only thing making her “stand out” is that she is having an affair with an older man. Great job.
The main character, Dominique, is bored, her friend and boyfriend are boring people, her life is boring, and nothing interests her. But then she meets her boyfriend’s uncle and WOW, there’s just something about him that doesn’t make him boring. Her behavior really annoyed me. She was indifferent to everything and had an attitude that screamed at me: “I’m better than everyone” -
So very French. Dreading ennui more than anything, having an affair with a married man just like that. I'm not even sure if I liked it for itself or just because it's in French and I understood, well, most of it. I'll try a third Sagan and decide then ...
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It's an amateur work written by a 21 girl in two-month period and that's all, I can't evaluate its language but if the translator was fair in her translation so it's a very modest artless prose.
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“I was a woman and I had loved a man. A simple story; there was nothing to make a fuss about.”
Dominique is a bored and listless law student at the Sorbonne in mid-1950s Paris, with a lover called Bertrand that she doesn’t really like, their relationship faltering in the face of her indifference and his domineering ways (“he spent his time looking for a reason to ridicule others…”). When Bertrand introduces Dominique to his businessman uncle Luc (and despite his being married to the lovely Francoise), the mutual attraction between them is instant. Not wanting to hurt either Bertrand or Francoise - with whom she forges a close friendship - Dominique nevertheless begins a love affair with Luc - though he tells her that he will never love her - and they spend two weeks in Cannes enjoying each other. When they return and Luc goes back to his old life, Dominique realises she is in love with him and becomes consumed by sadness, which is not helped by her ongoing friendship with Francoise. Then, at a dinner one night with a spiteful old friend of Francoise’s who knows all about the affair, the secret is revealed.
Written in 1955, when Sagan was 20, this is a cool, austere short novel that spends a lot of time in its narrator’s head. Sagan perfectly captures the ennui of Dominique, who is both hurt and hurtful and, occasionally, really quite trying and I liked some of her observations were excellent (The questions I would have liked to ask people were: “Are you in love? What are you reading?”). I enjoyed the politics of the friendships and how they each dealt with the thought of life becoming boring, though my favourite character was Francoise (the most level-headed of them all). Smart, amusing, infuriating, full of thoughts on life and love, I enjoyed this a great deal and though it won’t be to everyone’s taste, I recommend it.
