#siiiiigh talk about the kantian sublime being a mixture of plesure and pain | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

lafcadiosadventures · 5 months ago

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thinking (not calmly) about lucien’s black cravat. no spoilers for the non splendeurs readers still hoping to read the book but. this is so. this novel is partially so bad and yet balzac is so good at these minuscule details. Which aren’t highlighted AT ALL by the narrator. It’s just. there. “I am leaving this tiny bit of information that will destroy you but also make this tragic scene (actually tragic!) a teensy bit ridiculous” just like the whole of Lucien’s life has been. Lucien’s eyes reflecting the suddenly young (young! what an incredible word choice) medieval architecture, finally free of Ambition, painfully aware of the harm he has done, and ready to inflict some more pain but also save his master and slave and accomplice. Save him socially, but perhaps break his spirit for good

#that scene is a tour de force #as thenovel exponentially improves. it ends #although Proust’s mother’s opinion is the only correct one about these triad of characters #i am full Oscar Wilde’s character who cannot get over lucien…. not because he is an innocent in my case #but because. so much that goes wrong for him is just balzac being spiteful about his exes about what he perceives are his weaknesses and so #on #illusions perdues #the Lucien Novels #splendeurs et misères des courtisanes #balzac related #vautrin saga #siiiiigh talk about the kantian sublime being a mixture of plesure and pain

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