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RE: "Aurelien" by Louis Aragon, your imagination, my dear fellow, is worth more than you imagine.
I've never read it and I don't think I will. It doesn't sound like the kind of novel I enjoy.
I've never read it and I don't think I will. It doesn't sound like the kind of novel I enjoy.
What kind of novel's you like ? :)
In terms of genre I suppose that I always prefer horror or fantasy and I've never been a big fan of surrealism whether in literary or visual form.
I see. Yes it is not your kind of book but the surrealism have give a lot for the horror and fantasy genre. The roots of surrealism is in the work's of people like Edgar Allan Poe. One of the biggest poem that before two centuries ago was written by Lautréamont "The songs of Maldoror" is the leading inspiration for surrealists. This poem maybe is the purest evil write in a book. However, "Aurelien" is written in a classical form, like "Madame Bovary", there is no surrealism there, so you probably won't like it :D But check the surrealism more seriousley :)
I'm not interested in evil, which is probably why I don't like surrealism. I can see how surrealism was able to flourish and in fact had it's roots in spiritualism and occultism. Which is why it's also not surprisingly that it is a branch of avant-garde.
I'm not sure how Edgar Allan Poe's gothic fiction has anything to do with surrealism. I personally don't see it because I thought that Poe was just one writer in a much wider group of authors writing Gothic horror. Perhaps you could elaborate on how he influenced surrealism. What do you think of Aleister Crowley's influence on surrealism?
Actually if you'd like to know the names of some authors contemporary with Aragon whose work I enjoy, there's C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien and Dennis Wheatley amongst others.
Well, Edgar Allan Poe is more than gothic horror writer. Have you write Poe's novel "The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket" ? There is germ of surrealism. I think you know how much Poe influenced Charles Baudelaire and Baudelaire is of the group of the poets like Rimbaud, which are the basis of surrealism.
Interesting, from you I understand for the influence of Aleister Crowley on surrealism. I have to check for more information about that. And for me it is positive think that spiritualism and occultism are heavily rooted in surrealism. But this is a subjective preference. You know that during this period piritualism and occultism have influenced many other movement in art. Let me just mention authors outside the avant-garde like August Strindberg or Gustav Meyrink.
Ah, for J.R.R. Tolkien my opinion is the same as yours for the surrealism. :D I am modest fan of fantasy but only in the visual form :)