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Nate D's Reviews > Nadja

Nadja by André Breton
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bookshelves: surrealism, read-in-2012, interwar-maladies, theory

Finally got around to reading this cornerstone of surrealist lit, somewhat underwhelmed. Nadja's meaning for Breton is a little obscure but it seems to be embodied in sentiments like this:

Perhaps life needs to be deciphered like a cryptogram. Secret staircases, frames from which the paintings quickly slip aside and vanish (giving way to an archangel bearing a sword or to those who forever advance), buttons which must be indirectly pressed to make an entire room move sideways or vertically, or immediately change all its furnishings; we may imagine the mind's greatest adventure as journey of this sort to the paradise of pitfalls.


This is great. The actual trajectory of Breton's relationship with Nadja, however, is somewhat less exciting. I like the endless wandering of the streets of Paris, less so Breton's self-importance, both in introducing all his notable friends earlier in the book, and in his dealings with (and musings about) Nadja later. Honestly, I'd rather hear Nadja's own account of Breton, and more importantly, of her inner life, rather than Breton's impressions of it.

Incidentally, Leona Camille Ghislain D. (yes, she was real, though this was apparently hotly debated at some point) does get an entry in Surrealist Women, but only to quote this book. Any other record of her thoughts (or of the apparent 20-or-so letters she wrote to Breton) are sadly yet unpublished.
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Reading Progress

April 20, 2012 – Started Reading
April 20, 2012 – Shelved
April 20, 2012 – Shelved as: surrealism
April 20, 2012 – Shelved as: interwar-maladies
April 21, 2012 – Finished Reading
May 8, 2012 – Shelved as: theory
June 29, 2016 – Shelved as: read-in-2012

Comments Showing 1-4 of 4 (4 new)

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message 1: by Geoff (new)

Geoff As much as I've always wanted to like this book, or at least respect it, I've always found it extremely tedious.


Nate D Yes, I think I might just find Breton personally tedious.


message 3: by knig (last edited Apr 20, 2012 01:52PM) (new) - rated it 2 stars

knig EachMost books I read leave me with some lasting sentiment, some world view which I had not considered before. Your quote above stuck with me from my first reading, but secondary to this one, which for some reason was even more enduring:

'As far as I am concerned, the mind's arrangement with regard to certain objects is even more important than its regard for certain arangement of objects'.

A quote which I have shamelessly plagiarised in some shape or form in some of my reviews. (wait, is that allowed?).

All too often I am guilty of merely noting the arrangement of objects rather than rearranging my mind. The ensuing interpretation can be very different, for sure. Examples on request.


message 4: by Tuck (new)

Tuck Knig-o-lass wrote: "EachMost books I read leave me with some lasting sentiment, some world view which I had not considered before. Your quote above stuck with me from my first reading, but secondary to this one, which..."
that quote reminds me of manzotti;s idea that a rainbow needs, water droplets, sun, and most importantly a spectator. thus, there are now "arrangements of objects", but rather, it's all not in our head.


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