Romain Rolland is known to Russian readers, perhaps like no other French writer. His work was perceived as a model of humanism and realism. This article talks about one of his most significant works by Romain Rolland - “Jean-Christophe” - a brief summary of the novel, the history of writing, and features are given in the article.
A bit about the author
The French writer was born in January 1866 in the city of Clamsy in the family of a notary. From childhood he was fond of the history of music and played the piano. He graduated from the prestigious Lyceum in Clamsy and the Ecole Normal High School in Paris. After studying for two years he lived in Italy, where he studied art. He returned to his homeland and defended his dissertation at the Sorbonne. As a professor of music history, he lectured at the Sorbonne.
Rolland was well versed in philosophy, painting. He published a music magazine, published fiction and dramatic works. He appreciated the work of Leo Tolstoy, was personally acquainted with him and corresponded. His moral code was defined as follows: “Devote life to the good of people, persevere in the search for truth.”
Creativity Rollan
Romain Rolland left an unusually diverse creative heritage: plays, essays, novels, memoirs and biographies of Leo Tolstoy, Michelangelo, Ramakrishna, Mahatma Gandhi, Beethoven, Vivekananda. In 1914, he completed the novel Jean-Christophe, followed by Cola Bruyon. In the 1920s he published the novel Pierre and Luce. The writer’s articles on the tasks of art and social contradictions are collected in the collections “Through the Revolution to the World” and “Fifteen Years of Struggle”.
In 1933, the novel Enchanted Soul was published, followed by the essays Lenin, Valmi, and the drama Robespierre. In 1942, Rolland completed the autobiographical work “Inner Journey”, in 1946 “Circumnavigation of the World” was published, in 1944 - a cycle about Beethoven, a biography of Peggy. A few months before his death, the French writer was lucky to see Paris free. Romain Rolland died in December 1944 in the German-occupied Wesle.
"Jean-Christophe"
The most significant work of Romain Rollan - "Jean-Christophe." The writer worked on it for eight years. The idea to create a "musical romance" was born in the late 90s. According to the author, he did not want to “analyze”, but to evoke a feeling in the reader like music. This desire determined the genre specificity of the work.
Romain Rolland and his novel "Jean-Christophe" destroyed the traditional idea of ​​the form of the novel. Each of the three parts has its own rhythm and tonality. This is a symphony novel, a flow novel. Without breaking the usual course, the life of the hero, the impressions and emotions of Jean-Christophe opens before us. In book 1 and 5, Rolland Romain remarkably revealed the first impressions of a child, then, already in Paris, a young man. False episodes and lyrical digressions create an atmosphere of emotional elation.
After several editions, the author has combined ten books and the novel appears before the reader “as a four-part symphony”.
- In Volume I of Jean-Christophe, Romain Rolland covers the young years of the hero - the first impulses of the heart and feelings, the first losses and trials. But they help Christoph understand his mission in life.
- Volume II tells about how a young hero will come to grips with a lie that corrodes both art and society.
- Volume III, on the contrary, sounds like a song for the glory of love and friendship.
- Volume IV - this is the middle of the life path on which the hero’s spiritual storms and doubts are ready to blow everything, but are resolved by a serene ending.
The author wrote a new version of an intellectual novel, where the struggle of characters reveals a clash of ideas. L. Aragon said so about this work - “a novel-idea”.
The ten-volume novel by Romain Rolland “Jean-Christophe” was published in separate parts and immediately brought fame to its creator. After international recognition, Rolland left the Sorbonne and devoted his life to creativity. Mostly thanks to Jean-Christophe, the author was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1915, which he received only in 1916 because of the scandal that erupted around anti-war articles published by Rolland.
Plot of the novel
The book “Jean-Christophe” by Romain Rollan is based on constant motives and ethical postulates - rebirth through death, victory in defeat, defeat in victory. In the image of the protagonist, the musical genius of Jean-Christophe, the dream of "modern Beethoven" is embodied. The plot is based on his biography.
Having rebelled against the violence and despotism of the German authorities, the hero of the novel flees to France, but he perceives European culture and politics as a “fair in the square”, where everything is bought and sold. After going through many trials, Jean-Christophe realizes that freedom is limited only for himself. So, alone, absurdly and accidentally, his best friend Olivier dies. In the finale of the work, the hero loses the rebellious spirit, but remains true to his talent and nature.
Summary
The action of "Jean-Christophe" Romain Rollan takes place in a small German town where a boy is born in a family of musicians. Little Christophe admires everything - the sound of drops, birdsong, the sound of the wind. Everywhere he hears music and, imperceptibly for himself, comes up with melodies. Grandfather writes and collects them in a separate notebook. Soon, the boy becomes a court musician and earns his first money.
Father drinks most of the income and the mother is forced to work as a cook. Christoph realizes that they are poor and those around them laugh at their bad manners and illiteracy. To help the family, Christophe plays in the orchestra with his father and grandfather, gives music lessons. He has little contact with peers, and the only consolation is the conversation with his grandfather and a wandering merchant.
Heavy losses
After the death of his grandfather, the family was on the verge of poverty. The father drinks, and the mother asks the duke to give the money the father earned to his son. At one of the concerts, his father behaves disgustingly and he is denied the place. Christoph writes music and dreams of a great future.
But in his life, not everything is smooth. He found a friend, but he and Otto soon parted. Christoph fell in love with a girl from a noble family, but he was told about the difference in position. The father dies and the family is forced to move to a more modest housing. Christophe meets the owner of the haberdashery shop Sabina. The unexpected death of a beloved girl leaves a deep wound in his soul.
Uncle's words - “The main thing is not to tire of wanting to live” - give him strength. Unknown forces awaken in him. He can hear fake notes in the works of famous musicians and folk songs. Christophe declares this publicly and writes a melody. But the people are not ready for innovative music and soon the whole city turns away from Christoph.
Forced escape
Acquaintance with the French actress suggests him to leave for Paris, but he cannot leave his mother. But fate decreed otherwise. On one of the village holidays, he quarrels with soldiers, a criminal case is brought against him and he is forced to flee the country.
The dirty, fussy Paris unfriendly met Christophe. He earns a living in private lessons, and soon notices that French society is no better than German. Party leaders cover selfish interests with loud phrases. The press is false, and works of art are created to please the rich. Everywhere a young man sees falsehood and mediocrity. The audience booed his symphony.
Christoph is starving, but not giving up. After a serious illness, he feels renewed, and the unique charm of Paris opens before him. He has a friend - a young poet Olivier. In the house where they rent an apartment, people of different social strata live and are aloof from each other. But Christoph's music brings them together.
Confession
Christophe comes to fame. He becomes a fashionable composer and the doors to secular society open wide before him. At one of the receptions, Olivier meets Jacqueline, marries and leaves for the province. Soon the couple will return to Paris, but between them there is no former understanding. Jacqueline leaves the family for the sake of a young lover and Olivier and his son move to Christophe. But friends can no longer live under one roof, as before, and he rents a separate apartment.
Christophe meets the revolutionaries, he does not attach importance to their ideas, but he likes to meet with them and argue. On May 1, he goes to a demonstration and takes Olivier with him, not yet strong after the illness. During a clash with the police, his friend dies, but Christoph does not know about this - he is forced to flee to Switzerland, where he receives news of the death of a friend. He is hard going through this tragedy, and music becomes unbearable for him.
"The gates open"
Christoph is gradually returning to life, friends help him find students. Between Christoph and the doctor’s wife, a relationship is struck. When the betrayal opens, Anna tries to commit suicide, and Christophe flees from the city to the mountains. He writes music and soon receives worldwide acclaim.
One of Christophe’s students falls in love with him and they dream of getting married. But her son in every possible way impedes the marriage of his mother: he simulates nervous seizures and coughing. In the end, he really became seriously ill and died. Grace blames herself for his death and cannot stand it - she dies after her son.
Having lost her beloved woman, Christophe feels a thin thread tearing, connecting him to life. But it is at this moment that he creates the most profound works. He arranges the fate of his son Olivier and introduces him to his daughter Grazia. Christophe is seriously ill, but carefully hides it, not wanting to overshadow the happiness of the young.
The dying Christoph lies in his room and hears an orchestra performing the hymn of life, recalls his mother, friends, lovers: “This is the chord I was looking for. The gates open. ”
Reviews
“Jean-Christophe” Romain Rolland justifies its name “romance stream - it is read as easily as a river flows. Events and heroes smoothly change, some leave, others come. The beautiful language of the novel, without bends and tubercles, is addictive - the feeling that together with Christoph lived a life full of quests and music, struggle and love. Vividly and talented describes the melody. Incredible, but the sounds can be told!
The images of people are carefully written. The character of the main character, his experiences, feelings, emotions are revealed to the smallest detail. He is either in love and airy, sometimes thoughtful and incredibly serious, practically destroyed by the problems that have fallen on him, but is strong and stubborn, and continues to serve his calling.
Before the reader opens the life of a great musician who understands that a stupid conveyor will not lead to anything. Hothouse conditions will destroy talent, but poverty will take out everything creative from a person. In the novel "Jean-Christophe" Romain Rolland gives a recipe for creative work - balance - the balance between monotonous work and inspiration.