Atala
by François-René de Chateaubriand
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At the moment when I was sealing my vows with a gentle kiss, to which Atala at this time made but a feeble resistance, a rapid stream of lightning, followed by a tremendous clap of thunder, filled all the forest with sulphur and light, and shivered a tree at our feet. We fled, trembling with fright. But oh, wonderful --in the calm which succeeded this shock, we head the sound of a bell We both stood speechless and listened to this noise, so extraordinary in such a wilderness... --from Atala show more Now considered the father of French literary Romanticism, Fran ois-Ren Chateaubriand was still unknown as an author when he published Atala in 1801, but the sensation it caused skyrocketed him to fame. The story of doomed Indian lovers in 17th-century America, where Catholicism was taking hold and beginning to impassion natives, it is a celebration of nature and innocence, romance and religious feeling. Hard to find in print, this classic of the fiction of early America is essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper appreciation of 19th-century literature. French writer, diplomat, and politician FRAN OIS-REN , VICOMTE DE CHATEAUBRIAND (1768-1848) is also the author of Ren (1802) and Les Martyrs (1809), among other works. A passionate epicure, he lent his name to the cut of beef tenderloin now known as Chateaubriand. show lessTags
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Sur les bords du Mississippi, la vie du jeune Chactas commence mal. Sa tribu vaincue, son village détruit, son père mort, ce jeune Indien intrépide, après un rapide passage par la ville, a été fait prisonnier par ses ennemis héréditaires. Promis à une mort atroce, ses derniers jours sont pourtant illuminés par la présence d'Atala, la fille du grand chef. Cet amour lui rendra peut-être la vie. Les deux jeunes gens pourront-ils s'enfuir et échapper à leur destin ? Sur fond d'Amérique et de bons sauvages, Chateaubriand revisite l'histoire de la fille du geôlier, à la mode romantique : en proie au mal du siècle, Atala et Chactas font partie de ces êtres d'exception qui ne connaîtront jamais de répit. L'étroitesse du show more monde est une torture qui ravage les grandes âmes : telle est la sombre leçon que Chateaubriand, de René aux Mémoires d'outre-tombe, ne cessera de répéter, à travers une écriture majestueuse à force de souffrances. show less
Aug 15, 2010French
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The work of Francois-Rene de Chateaubriand, writer and statesman, is a remarkable early example of romanticism in France. In his Essai Historique, Politique et Moral sur les Revolutions (1797), he took a stand as a mediator between royalist and revolutionary ideas and as a Rousseauistic freethinker in religion. Atala, ou les Amours de Deux show more Sauvages dans le Desert (1801) is memorable for its lush descriptions of nature and of the United States. The poetic Genie du Christianisme, ou les Beautes de la Religion Chretienne (1802), appeals to the emotions rather than to reason and tries to show that all progress and goodness stemmed from the Christian religion. Rene, a short novel that is largely autobiographical, is taken from this work. Chateaubriand's autobiographical Memoires d'Outre-tombe (Memoirs from Beyond the Grave) posthumously published in 1849 is considered by many critics to be his masterpiece. A selection under the title Memoirs of Chateaubriand was translated and edited by Robert Baldick in 1961 but is currently out of print. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Atala
- Original title
- Atala, ou Les amours de deux sauvages dans le désert
- Alternate titles
- Atala, or, the love and constancy of two savages in the desert
- Original publication date
- 1802
- People/Characters
- Atala; Chactas
- Disambiguation notice
- This novella was first published in 1802 in Chateaubriand's The Genius of Christianity, along with another novella, René. Ever since, the two novellas (Atala and René) are often published togethe... (show all)r or in combination with other short works by Chateaubriand.
Classifications
- Genres
- Fiction and Literature, General Fiction
- DDC/MDS
- 809 — Literature & rhetoric Literature, rhetoric & criticism History, description, critical appraisal of more than two literatures
- LCC
- PQ2205 .A8 .E5 — Language and Literature French, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese literatures French literature Modern literature 19th century
- BISAC
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- 126
- Popularity
- 258,333
- Reviews
- 1
- Rating
- (3.73)
- Languages
- 8 — English, Estonian, Finnish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 20
- ASINs
- 11
