Sarrasine

My adventures into La Comedie Humaine continue with this fascinating little novella from near the start of Balzac's writings, one which lay dormant as a lesser-known work for many years until it became the subject of fascination in the later 20th century - you can easily see why both for how it reflects much more modern concerns and ideas than its 1830 publication date and also for its fascinating and rich tapestry of ideas, symbols and meanings - it's fitting that it obsessed thinkers like Bataille or Barthes (who authored an entire book analyzing it) given how key obsession itself is to the story. It would be getting into spoilers to reveal too much more but suffice to say this might be the finest thing I've read in French yet, show more magnificently written and dizzying with beauty, thought and images such that I ended up staying up late into the night to finish it and then found myself struggling to sleep for not being able to stop thinking about it afterwards. The kind of literature I'm always searching for such that it's deeply rewarding when I find it, and a superb mixture of the Gothic, romantic, and proto-modern. Balzac may well be on the way to becoming my favourite writer if the rest of the cycle bears more fruits such as these. show less

The idea behind this short story by Balzac is dazzling, but I felt that the hurried tying-up-of-loose-ends at the conclusion let it down slightly. The main story is powerful enough to stand on its own, but it's just a shame that I finished it wishing that Balzac had had the time - or courage - to explore slightly more of the psychology that might accompany Sarrasine's realisation about the lovely Zambinella. Sarrasine, as a character, is a little flat. It's published with another (even shorter) story by Balzac, called 'A Passion in the Desert', which I can take or leave, since my head was still spinning with delight at the concept behind the first story. I believe 'Sarrasine' has already been made into an opera. With a bit of narrative show more padding out, it would make a beautiful period film. show less

Reminded me of M. Butterfly, and also of a redpill fiction. Kind of an unjustified obsession with castration, and a lot of male violence towards their feminine ‘oppressors’

Overblown and boring. It was the equivalent of standing in front of an Old Master in an art gallery and being instructed by the enraptured guide to study the beautiful painting of the velvet folds of the curtains, just look at those brush strokes, see how he has captured the light... Yes, beautiful, can we move on now?

The words just speak for themselves... great command over writing. Interesting plot. Enjoyed it.

I've only ever read this with S/Z, but I love it and have never forgotten it.

Just wonderful, stands the test of time.