Camille, also known as the Lady of the Camellias, by Alexander Dumas (son) hows now because one of my favorite fun reads. I have a thing for French authors who could have used a good editor, like Alexander Dumas (father) and Victor Hugo. There's something about these books and their critique on government and society, that draw me in like nothing else I read. But, the thing about all of these books is that they're difficult reads for me, and it always take me 6 months to a year to finish most of their books. (5 months to get half way through them, and one week to a month to finish the second half-that's usually when the story gets too good to put down.) They're addictive, like a soap opera, but I have to pace them out, because the writing and history is overwhelming and causes me to think to much.
Recently, however, I discovered this nice little book called Camille, and I fell in love with it at first chapter. It's a ridiculously easy read for the time it was written in, and I must say that the translator, Sir Edmond Gosse, is fantastic. I couldn't tell whether or not its abridged, but it doesn't matter. This pathetic little love story worked it's way into my heart, so much, that I think it'll be one of those books I read read throughout my entire life.
It's a story about or courtesan, who's young a beautiful, and dying. She falls in love with this young man, and at first refused to give up her way of life for him. So, she lives as a courtesan, refusing to accept payment from her true love, while prostituting herself to others in order to maintain her lifestyle. But, eventually she falls so in love with this guy, Armand, that she decided to sell and pawn everything she owns to pay off her debt, and start a new, humble life with Armand. The couple is at the highth of their happiness, and have just found a flat to move in with together when Armand's father comes to town and tries to convince Armand that this love is nothing more than a fling, and bound to fail. Armand, young and in love, and happy refuses to give up his love, and is willing to risk his relationship with his father to live with this courtesan. So, the father speaks to the courtesan behind Armand's back, and convinces her to leave Armand for the sake of the family. See, Armand has a sister who's ready to wed, but the family of the man she wishes to marry refuses her because of Armand's actions in Paris-living with a courtesan, letting her sell off everything thing she owns to live with him, which is unacceptable to society. The courtesan decides to make herself a martyr, and pushes Armand away, in a very cruel fashion for the sake of his sister. She dies poor and alone. Without any true friends, and Armand doesn't find out the truth until it's too late.
The story is beautifully written, and tragic. The characters, Armand in particular, are pathetic. But through these pathetic creatures, we get a very clear look of the life of the courtesans-women who can not be wife, nor bother, nor sister, just a women owned by the men who keep her. It's sad really.
The only think about the book is that it ruined my love of the movie The Moulin Rouge. At first, I thought that story line of a young courtesan who falls in love with a young poet, but is bound by her old life never to be free was pretty original. It's one of my favorite things about the movie. And the director's and writers take make it seem that way, but now, I think the writers saw one of the plays based on this story, or read the book and decided to write a movie script inspired by this story. I'm sure it's not the case, but I think that there's too much coincidence between these to stories for that not to be the case. Namely that in both stories, the courtesan is made to drive her lover away, and dies of consumption in the end.
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