Hi everyone!
Today, we meet for
a light, relaxed, casual video. Quiet. I just posted a question on Twitter and Instagram : which authors/works did you 
not really like?
I specified in the question that I was asking about authors considered as "classical" authors
and not about contemporary literature
Because everytime we say '' modern''
but in reality in the modern literature, it can have classics
it can have classics in the modernism
I wanted with you--
to share with you
certain authors, because for me
it's mostly authors than their works that I generally don't like
it looks bad for the rest
the rest of the work of the author
Here, I wanted to share some authors
that I didn't appreciate
and that I don't appreciate even now them
it's maybe a bit of a more light-hearted video to do
and also, I think,
to demystify,
to desacralize literature
and the classics of literature.
It's true that, and you've probably noticed  on my channel
( sorry )
that I read almost exclusively classics,
and that I read a lot of them,  and sometimes I have
certain affections/affinities for certain poorly-reviewed authors,
I was pretty surprised and pained to see that a lot of the names
I got back from you were Zola, Flaubert and Rousseau,
3  of my favourite authors.
Yes, on the other hand, one author
( She accidentally spills some water on her t-shirt : "Alright, all over my t-shirt, but no big deal." )
Anyway, the author that you responded with
the most, and it's the author that came to mind at first for me
is Balzac.
I'm sorry, my sister adores Balzac
so I feel always sorry for my sister when I say I don't like Balzac
but I just can't make myself enjoy Balzac. I have tried many times to read Balzac
and everytime I found the style
was--
So, of course I'm nobody to-- small disclaimer before this video
I'm nobody to judge
these big authors/artists
that they have dedicated their lives to literature.
There is no judgment of their value
nor absolute judgement. All that I say is not gospel clearly
and of course "no harsh feelings"
for these authors
but we'll talk about them with a  emotive way
so don't be offended if
if I speak with a negative way one of your favourite authors.
So, yes, Balzac, I found
almost the style is bad
to be honest with you
I've always found the style to be very "sanitized", very cold, very dry, with no depth
in fact, if you want, what I like a lot in Flaubert is that
essentially, his works are long, there is big descriptions,
things that some people may not like otherwise
in Flaubert, you can really dive in
to understand why he wrote in this way, there is really
a grande elegance, a sort of poetry
in his style, even if it's pure prose,
whereas in Balzac
there is not at all, in any case, me, I don't find it, don't feel so
I'm always on my end
when I read his works. i found there have no joining
between his sentences, if you want, almost the book in itself
or the work, story
the novel dosn't stay like a finished thing
and organic whereas exactly
I find, in Flaubert, it products this effect
Le lys dans la vallée has been a little a good surprise,that is to say,
I cried a little at the end of the book
what it doesn't often happen when i read books but yeah, here, I cried a little
but for one hand, the style
don't really convince me. I read 2 others works of Balzac, I think
La Cousine (  she reflected  : how was named ?? )
La cousine something, anyway I forgot,
that I don't like it and an other here, Balzac, it doesn't make at all for me
at my big regret, because
it's still one of these important authors of  french literature
but yeah Balzac and me, we don't arrive to understand ourselves
Then, here, it's more a big group
that I really  really don't like
that I have spoken many times, it's all the all the group of the Nouveau Roman ( New Novel )
I don't appreciate, I don't adhere really not to the New Novel, I think
it's
'un-drink-able'
euh
I find it ugly
I find it ugly, really exactly ugly
in fact, I have some trouble with books which the style doesn't please me, even if
themes are interessant, even if there have a stylistic experimentation behind it
and artistic can be, effectively
interessant too
even if there have a sort of
commitment, some innovation, no matter
from the moment where the style doesn't please me
I don't arrive to read. In literature, as in art in general
in fact, I'm somebody attracted of the form
euh yeah,
yeah, a lot, lot on the style still
So, the New Novel, I think it  so much ugly
Nathalie Sarraute
Robbe -Grillet
I don't hang at all
Not necessarily the New Novel
but to my mind, it's a little to put in the same categorie
I hate Marguerite Duras. I remembered I have should read
Le vice consul in a seminary
at the uni a I found it so but so horrible
but really to read it, it was really
like a punishment
I have find it insupportable to read. There have a lot of books, by example, Le lys dans la vallée so I don't adore to read
but it wasn't insupportable
not bad, not a bad moment to spent. Read marguerite Duras
just no
really not possible
Marguerite Duras
I don't understand how somebody  can read this
honesly, ans to say to his.herself : " omg, what a good reading  " Beyond of a good reading
Because, there have books that are difficults, by example, I adore surrealism
which are answered sometimes by you
Effectibely, when you read Nadja, you don't say " what pleasant book, it's very sympathic, we follow the story, we understand the story"
No, not at all but there have an
an annoucement, a sort of inspiration
a sort of genius to my mind.
There have something whereas with Duras, you block to each sentence
youblock to each paragraph
you return, it was horrible, really
Marguerite Duras, I hate
And Perec, I don't like so much.
So, all this part of the french  literature, it's really not my cup of tea
and  I hope to never have to teach because really
I don't know how I will do to try
to teach something
that I like so little
tosay of a polite way.
Then ,we have 2 authors
who are really unavoidable
I think everyonesee them during his.her schooling
Molière and Rabelais
So, Molière, I don't like at all
I recognize honestly the talent of Molière
I recognize Molière's virtuosity
I recognize his importance
and Molière's commitment in his works,
etc, etc But in the other hand
really, I find it boring
it doesn't please me.
Is it because I have a lot more done ?  Is it because it's comedy ?
And honestly, the comedy, it's not my cup of tea, I don't know.
Whatever, Molière, I don't like at all.
And Rabelais, it's even worse.
Really, I hate rabelais.
When I say that I hate X, it's always of course, X in his works.
I don't understand the pleasure to read Rabelais
I have read some extracts
during all my schooling to the middle school until the end
And moreover,
on the year of the competitive exam ( agrégation )
in where there have Gargantua in the program and the dissertation in french tongue
in the written exam, it was on Gargantua.
Knowing, I was gone and I have read one time that it proves I really don't like it
And so much, I said " no, no, it's impossible that it falls on this " And yeah, I don't like at all Rabelais, I find it
apparently, all the way
lavatorial
and the humoristic way
and I don't even know,
and coarse, caricatural way
of Rabelais is supposed
to be interessant
and to be THE thing of his work
Me, I find it just vulgar
and not refined and not deep
I dont understand the interest
to, apparently, some references and allusions
and all the symbolic in the work of Rabelais.
Yeah,  no, it's really not my cup of tea.
Anyway, in general, everything in Ancient French don't please me particulary.
I don't have  the impression that it can resonate in myself.
Even if, euh
apparently, Rabelais is a masterpiece
and that Rabelais, it's a must-read a little of the literature.
But, for me, it have never function and I think it will never function.
Then, we'ill talk to things mo a little modern.
I never succeed to match with Proust.
Proust, it's the author
that I want to like
I want to like Proust, I want to read Proust
and I want to say me : " woawww Proust, it's amazing "
but each time  I began to read La Recherche, I gave up
wheras is it La Recherche request some maturity that I didn't again have
as a reader ? Maybe, maybe, it will come
but I don't arrive and even the short
stories, short stories that i can read of him
it doesn't convinced me so much more of that.
So, Proust who is supposed to be THE genius
bof the XXeth Century
but me, he lets me on my end. I don't understand.
Whereas I'm not at the point that
I have with Rabelais, by example
or with the New Novel, near of here.Anyway, I think, nothing can beat the New Novel
but, yeah, no
Proust, it doesn't make
and I would like it makes but it doesn't make so if you have advices, idk,
to read Proust, to enter in Proust' work
don't hesitate to share with me because really I would like can like Proust
but I really don't succeed to do it.
Then, an other author
unavoidable : Céline. I hate.
I read this summer by the way
Voyage au bout de la nuit which "
always refused to read " until now
because I have read, seen some extracts
hear, it doesn't give me the envy.
Effectively, I don't like at all, I succeeded
to go until the end
because I said me : to have read so many pages
to not read in full
it's really time losted, here. A little like you do a hiking
or you walked and you are super tired
but you know  to return
you say to say to return, it should remake all the path
in backward or other that I walked all thse kilometers for nothing
so you go until the end.
So, it's a little the feeling that I felt when I was reading Voyage au bout de la nuit
I don't have, again a time don't appreciate the style. I think until the moment where the style
doesn't longer match to a certain idea of the elegance which is mine
and which don't be  that of everyone, there have any problem with it
I don't succed to enter in
until the moment where
I find there have a vulgarity, yeah, idk, a lack of
artistics elevations
in the work, I don't succed to enter in
and anyway, in a general case, I have still
a little trouble with books which spoke about war
or after-war, it doesn't convince me!
Aragon, Aurélien d'Aragagon is a little,
I think, the only exception
but by example at the competitive exam ( agrégation )  we have too Claude Simon
and here, sorry but Claude Simon I will go to put him in the list
I hated Claude Simon, I found it but
but
when you have a sentence which make 6 pages,
that there parenthesis everywhere, commas everywhere
that you don't even understand that this is juxtaposed to what
and why and  what does it mean and the antecedent, fine, brief
it's just not possible
I find it doesn't bring nothing to the reading. I found,
idk, so by example Claude Simon, in my head, it's not the same I know
but I put still with Céline
for the theme and idk and the effect that made on me
I don't appreciate at all, at all
To say the truth, when I think I don't like a lot of the program
of the competitive exam ( agrégation )
except Char, Darwich and ( she try to remember )
Flaubert, L'Education Sentimentale, it seems to me that
that it was almost everything that I liked.
Then, we spent to strangers authors
because there have some of them  I don't like.
It's rather in british literature in fact, if you want
In Russian literature all the classics that i can read, I have rather liked
even if I should confess that Gogol
by moment,  is at the limit
of  too much absurd for me. Btw if you speak of this, I'm not a big fan  of Camus
but I won't still put Camus near Rabelais, Céline and  Duras
it should still stay calm
but yeah I don't like at all
Shakespeare, I never succeed
to match with Shakespeare
whereas tbh  theater I don't like at all so is it because
the Time? the  very british style
which I don't like in general  in literature
idk  or it's the three together
In any case, Shakespeare, I never succeeded, in bany time that
I began to read one of his pieces of theater, I can't finish it.
So, here I know British
or English speakes will be  shocked
to hear this but yeah  I don't like at all Shakespeare.
I don't like at all  too Jane Austen.I found it is,
Do I will say this ?  I find it's bland,
simpleton and sanitarized and it stays always at the area
and in a general way,
I find it's a little always like this in british literature
if you want, by example, Virginia Woolf, I don't still like Virginia Woolf
I think that Virginia Woolf is
extremely important, her thesis are very, very
interessant, very, very strong
it's an emblematic figure
of the literature , of the feminine literature, of the question of the women
but really when I read Virginia Woolf, I'm bored
I'm bored and I'm bored
and I'm bored really when I read
( she reflected )
Not Charlotte Bronte,  not the person who wrote
Les Hauts du Hurlevent but the other, I find this monotone and boring
I, I
Really, I have a little trouble to understand
Euh, in authors
Euh, a little
Always in the same vague
that is to say, anglophones
but a quiet different, I have a little trouble to understand
the enthusiasm around The Catcher in the rye
and Zoe and friny (?)
I don't understand  so much why apparently it's considered like as big classics, I have read them
it's not  unpleasant but not no more pleasant tbh
euh
Here, for  the japanese authors
I like almost everything I can read
in japanese literature so this it's cool
Arabic literature, for the moment, I liked a lot too
At the level of classics, it's true that it's rather in France and United Kingdom
that I like  the least,
especially I think because
when you speak of arabic classics
by example, it's classics , separated, by example of one century
as the "Revolution " more the literary Renaissance isn't at all placed at the same moment
for the  arabic countries.
So, there have still something
which is emanating, often influenced by the avant-gardes.
and by even a avant-gardistic will which is even emanatating
own to them, without be influenced.
So, it corresponds more to what I like
But here, it's true that in french literature , clasics which I dislike
there have a lot and in a general case
from the moment, I'm not fan of all that is
of XVI-XVIIth Century, it's really not not
my cup of tea.. Euh, same, Racine, I should confess
I find it super beautiful how it's written
effectively, it''s of a crazy  elegance
but I find Racine is really  misogynist
really
not innovant, not interessant of a point of view
of the ideas
and I don't understand why we are endlessly on Racine, same at the competitive exam ( agrégation )
we had again a time 2 pieces of Racine
which are already to the program and to my mind bring nothing
at this time, by example rather in term of staging than themes
and what literature represents in the society? So, it's true
things which I "judge"
When I read books, it's the  stylistic way and if you want
almost the grace which emanate of theeses works here
that's why I like, effectively, a lot of authors which are considered maybe
idk but if you want, I like a lot
I like a lot
I like a lot Rousseau, in general Rousseau,
people don't like
for Rousseau but they recognize he wrote well by example
and it's true that when you read by example Les Rêveries du Promeneur Solitaire
effectively, it can be  that for some persons, it's extremely boring and autocentric
but in fact, it's  beautifully written by example.
So, this, it's something which touch me  a lot
I find Gide, it's too beautifully written
Aragon, it's beautifully written, his poetry is
to ' fall apart' ! Here, it's true that's something of important for me
and at the moment, there have this which missed
it blocks and the second thing which is really important for me
it's a little the commitment or in any case
the actua.. or how I can to mqke relevant
and yes, "actualize"
this work with my own life
or in any case with my own time because I have the impression that a masterpiece is a masterpiece
and a classic is a classic, it's in any sort
in any sort a certain timelessness
even if it still stays  to qualify and
here, it's not  either the absolute rule
Here, it's  after all for authors that
I don't like in the big, big, big classics of the literature
By example, I don't know if him we can put in the big classics
but I don't like so much Kundera
euh yeah it's not que I don't like but yeah I don't like so much Kundera or in any casse I don't understand
the incroyable infatuation which seems have around
Milan Kundera, for me, it's not too crazy that this
Euh an other that I will quote but it hurts me a little to say
i don't like so much Goethe
I find Goethe, it's a little
same a little bland to my mind, a little
sanatarized, it's not so much, it miss a
certain weath, a certain fat,  a certain body
a certain body to the work, I have really,
for me, I think that for me it's really important
idk if it has a sense, if you understand  what I 'm saying
but I should feel  the work
it should that it has a body, a consistency
at the moment there haven't
for me, there have something which doesn't feel good
Here, I hope this video interested you. It's more a relaxed video, a lot sympathic maybe
I will be very curious to know what works you disliked
or what authors in general
you dislike, stay in the classics because it's what I prefer
and it's  a little, I don't know,
what I want to talk on my channel
euh here, don't hesitate to say me I will be very curious to know
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So here, I hope you are very, very well
Thanks for watching this video. Okay see you next
