The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-01-05
KY Books
(THE CORRESPONDENCE BE-
TWEEN PAUL CLAUDEL
by A. de T. Gingras

Here and there in the history of
the western world, correspondence
between two individuals has reach
ed the height of great literature.
The letters of the French Madame
de Sevigne to here daughter, and
of the English Lord Chesterfield to
his son, are two of the best known
and finest of the series.
The correspondence in this book,
while 1t cannot be .classed with
the Chesterfield or de Sevigne let
tiers, is a very revealing episto-
larry exchange, to the students of
both literature and religion.
The letter writer's, Paul Claudel
and Andre eide, are two of the
most significant and vital figures
in recent French literature.
Claudel is an ardent Catholic,
with his writings and personal re-
lationships are completely per-
meated with the philosophy of this
Roman branch of the Christian
Church. The last Andre Gide's be-
ginnings were Protestant. But for
long his claim to literary fame
has been shared with his notoriety
as an avowed homosexual.
The correspondence begins on
August %, 1899. and the last en-
try is on December, 1881. The
author has inserted among the
letters, excerpts from Gide's diar-
les relating to Claudel, so as to
fill in the gaps when Claudel
seems to be writing more fire.
quently than does eide.
The letters may well be read
purely for their lively critical COM
ment on other writer's, and for
their intimate backstage sidelights
on the literary performance of the
two authors.
They may also be read for the
personal comments such as Gide'S
description of Claudel in his diary;
someone else's thought does not
stop his for an instant; even a
a cannot could not divert him. In
talking with him, in trying to talk
with him, one is forced to interrupt
him. He waits politely until you
have finished your sentence, then
resumes where he had stopped. at
nothing. :"
But there is also something else
which looms up again and again
as the reader goes through the
series. The letters show Claudel's
passionate desire to convert eide
to Catholicism, and Gide's inter-
mittent interest and withdrawal.
Claudel is convinced that the spiri-
tual ills Of man, and especially
those of the theoretically tortured
eide have a patent cure in SUBJ
mission to the tenets of CATHOLIC
cism. eide is interested sometimes,
but not at all sure.
At the same time, the CORES
pondence shows Gide's deep adj
miration for Claudel's literary per-
Torrance. But morenirnportant it
shows ClaudelS-admiration for
Gide'S writing. In. the very first
letter of the seriess he writes
q. the quality Of your mind
is as rare as its movement is
particular to yourself. You seem
to draw off, the subject by drain
ing away part of that belt of
liquid in which ideas are suspend
ed, and you illuminate and clarity
them in the process though not
so much as to spoil the play of
refraction or to take away the
charm of your ideas. Your mind
has no slope. And / greatly enjoy
ed studying your style. :"
But at the end of the book, fol-
lowing the actual correspondence,
is an interview given by Paul
Claudel to Dominique Arban on
March %, 1947. In this the Catholic
writer completely repudiates his
formerly repeatedly Gvowed adj
miration for Gide's literary and
intellectual achievements. He de-
cries the others influence on the
younger writer's and inteliectuals
of France.
It is true that Gide's personal
life has little to commend it to
the normal, healthy minded indi-
vidual. But it is very disturbing to
the sincere student of literature to
see intolerance completely oblite-
rate the critical judgement of a
great man like Claudel. Nothing
that eide might have done per-
sonally could destroy the place of
his Pastoral Symphony" as one
of the greatest short novels in
French or world literature; or pre-
vent his diaries from moving into
their place as one of the greatest
literary records of the day by day
mental and spiritual peregrinations
of a deeply intellectual and scho-
larry man.
(BEST DETECTIVE STORIES
OF 1852. edited by David C. Cooke,
published by E. P. Dutton and Co,
New York City. 252 pages