Chateaubriand souvient'Vieilli he strolls through the streets of Paris of his youth and the memories assail "What was wonderful to be in the past is that we already know the future. "
The meeting in England with Charlotte Ives allows François René de Chateaubriand, young aristocrat born in 1768, a disciple of Rousseau, a precursor of Romanticism, emigrated after the French Revolution ("one man in France is always suspect"), to relive the hours of the Chateau de Combourg, reminiscent of her beloved sister Lucile, while the father wanders by night in the corridors of the castle until bedtime. His real talent as a storyteller charm the beautiful and lonely Charlotte.
Jean d'Ormesson picks up the fine passages of Outre-Tombe memoirs concerning this teen bullied severely by this strange and haughty father. Following and throughout this book, a great historical review from the Revolution to the edge of the second republic mingles with tumultuous love affairs of Rene.
We must remember that the Memoires d'Outre Tombe de Chateaubriand EN represents a sumptuous monument erected to the memory of his sister Lucile, his senior, his childhood friend, his teenage girlfriend for whom he had a boundless passion and vice versa. The style of Jean d'Ormesson wonders in the evocation of love "forbidden".
This English adventure for René remain one of the greatest misunderstandings of his life.
Returning to France, meeting with Pauline Beaumont at the Consulate of time is quite different: "A small company was formed around the lovers, glory, love, spirit, were the cements. "
But fate puts Delphine de Custine on the road to Rene who will become the rival of Pauline.
Jean d'Ormesson is uncompromising with respect to René and psychological portrait he draws during the episode "Pauline" is hardly rosy. Selfish, arrogant, conceited, indifferent, versatile, René wants to be loved, admired and pampered. From the pen of J. D'O. it does not seem very friendly though neither petty nor lazy, yet liar and often obnoxious. He knows how to combine the charm, genius and generosity "a fierce selfishness and duplicity renewed indefinitely. "
The Duchesse de Duras will enter the life of René with patience and determination, idealism and resignation: Rene does not like it, but wants to make usual. Meanwhile Natalie de Noailles use its irresistible charm to René and honors its reputation as man-eater, "I am very unhappy. As soon as I like one, he finds another that I like more. "
It will be understood: the use of the time René is responsible: "From the return from Rome and the establishment of the Empire, four women almost at once begin to occupy the whole: one was his sister dying, the other two mistresses, the last his own wife, Celeste, it was to flee '. Celeste was mostly the mistake of loving with passion its unbearable and irresistible husband. "
Two women will come in very different ways in the life of René Enchanter: Madame de Stael, daughter of Necker, courted from all sides, and her friend Juliette Récamier and bacchanalia, natural daughter of her own husband, wife (!) the brilliant and dazzling beauty in society. Therefore "René softness would no longer be exercised not only in respect of Juliet. And unto the seventh heaven of guilty passion that he would fly away. "
It is strange to note how the morals of the time were freer than today. After the Terror will open a crazy period under the Directory, the Consulate, the Empire and the Restoration. All these beautiful women see in the great of this world, princes, politicians and artists from all nations interchangeable lovers, Bernadotte, Metternich, Wellington, Mathieu de Montmorency, Benjamin Constant, Canova, Auguste of Prussia, David, Talma, etc ' and of course François René de Chateaubriand. As said Ormesson, it was a "carousel of hearts."
Juliette Récamier, matchmaker and confidante, with diabolical cleverness will weave the political and amorous intrigues and be at the center of all government schemes and romances. Egeria of legitimism and heir of Madame de Stael protective liberals, it receives a lot and can be crossed in its lounges in addition to political society all intellectual Paris: Hugo, Lamartine, Mérimée'etc. D'Ormesson wrote: "Around Madame Récamier, every heart beat. "
Promoted Foreign Minister of Louis XVIII, Chateaubriand will live a consuming passion for the fiery, sensual and beautiful Cordelia de Castellane, banker girl, passion will overshadow the same time Juliette, Celeste and Claire de Duras.
At the same time, some Fortunée Hamelin frequent assiduously the minister's office.
And after an affair with the beautiful Hortense Allard as he is ambassador to Rome, this will be the passionate reunion between Juliette and Rene. They'll go in festival celebrations in this city so loved. René lovingly written to Juliet but still receives Hortense. Then come intercalate the Marquise de Vichet and especially the young Léontine de Villeneuve with whom he exchanges a burning match, "wildly romantic and full of excitement. "The Occitanienne will this" lovely flower he would not pick "but which inspired the lines of a disheveled romanticism in Délirante Confession.
The beautiful style of Jean O. is at the service of the many adventures of René: "His dream, that day, was fed by the spectacle of a crowd of young beautiful women. Their beauty intoxicated. Cursing his fall and his heap of years, he looked under his eyes rolling to the sound of music spread by the orchestras, those waves of flowers, feathers, diamonds and grace. "
Age from René found Juliette "Thus Juliette she finally occupy the immense sentimental space stretching, at René between life and songes'Il had given him neither his name nor his life or a child, but a love for eternity. "
A beautiful and moving story. 560 pages dream.
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