Friday, July 31, 2020

Back to the Classics Challenge: Trilby



For Back to the Classics 2020 category "Classic with a name in the title", I read Trilby by George du Maurier. This would have also worked for Paris in July, had I participated...though I actually read this back in April. Reading Trilby was intriguing to me before I even read the first paragraph because:

1. It was written by Daphne du Maurier’s grandfather,
2. It is the origin of the term “Svengali”.

I doubt many people know what “Svengali” means now or use it casually, but it was once as common as the term “Romeo” or “Scrooge” - one of those words where you know what it means but you don’t necessarily link the origin of it with a book. I wonder someday if that will happen with, say “Indiana Jones” or “Scooby-Doo”? A Svengali is someone who manipulates another (usually an older man and a younger woman), often using his hypnotic powers, for a sinister or selfish purpose.

So what is the book about you ask? Shut up already about word origins! It is a nostalgic look at la vie Bohème in 1850s Paris which du Maurier experienced firsthand in his youth. I have not doubt that the book’s popularity, when it was published in 1894, must have been in part due to its scandalous depiction of bohemian life with its more casual mores about sex and nudity compared to that of Victorian England. 

In it, three young men, Laird (who is Scottish), Taffy and Little Billee (who are English) share a Left Bank studio in Paris where they meet Trilby, the beautiful, jejune orphan whose alcoholic parents, an Irish gentleman down on his luck and a Scottish barmaid, more or less left her to grow up on her own on the streets of Paris. Now, she models (in the all together, naturally) for painters and sculptors to support herself and her younger brother. All three of the men, who hope to become artists themselves, are in love with Trilby. And Trilby is a lovely character, generous and uncomplicated, she has a real zest for life. Especially enamored is sensitive soul, Little Billee, whose love she returns. Unfortunately, she has also caught the eye of the manipulative musician Svengali. Alas, Trilby knows she can never be Billee’s wife, even if she goes straight and stops modeling, since he is British middle class and she is little more than a street waif. This may be bohemian Paris, but the rules are still different for men and women. Are you smelling the melodrama here? Because it is cooking! The plot goes cuckoo when Billee returns to England a broken man and he runs into Trilby again. But I don't want to spoil it...

I am glad to have read it, I hope someday it will serve me well in a pub quiz or a round of Trivial Pursuit. But it was a bit meandering - there was lots of description that slowed me down (George re-living his salad days, no doubt). Not to mention the untranslated French, also not to mention the untranslated French written phonetically in a German accent. Sacré bleu! I usually dislike it when authors write in dialect. 

Also, it is very anti-Semitic. Svengali, like Fagin in Oliver Twist is not a bad and a Jew. He is bad because he is a Jew. This isn't uncommon to encounter in older books but still, it is discomforting to read. So be forewarned. However, if it sounds interesting to you, it is free for download from Project Gutenburg. 😃

16 comments:

  1. Trilby is a title that I'm familiar with through its connection to the Du Mauriers, but I never knew about the plot. Oh dear, I don't participate in enough pub quizzes or games of Trivial Pursuit to justify actually reading this one. :) Thanks for the plot outline and the "not to mentions"!

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    1. Thanks for the comment jenclair! Who knows, maybe this trivial knowledge will someday serve you well! :D

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  2. I didn't know Daphne du Maurier's great grandfather was also a writer. Or that he originated the term Svengali. Learn something new everyday. ;D

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    1. I goofed, He was her grandfather - not great-grandfather. But the rest is true enough! I love learning little tidbits like that. :D

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  3. Hi Ruthiella, Interesting that Daphne DuMaurier's great grandfather was also a writer, though it sounds like the great grandauughter was much more talented. Reminds me that I have never read Rebecca and I should.

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    1. Hi Kathy! I made a typo - George was Daphne's grandfather - not great-grandfather. Oops! I believe he was more known as a cartoonist in his time but of the few books he wrote, they were quite well known and well adapted in theater, opera and later cinema.

      Rebecca is worth reading for sure. Maybe for next year's Back to the Classics Challenge? But there is just so much out there, right? "D

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  4. I didn't know that about Svengali. Interesting! I hadn't thought about it I suppose, but I would have guessed he was a real person, like Mesmer, or something.

    Pity about the anti-Semitism. There was so much of it back then, it's hard to escape entirely. Even Pontoppidan writing just a little later, who definitely meant well, wasn't entirely free of it.

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    1. Thanks for the comment reese. I really enjoy finding out literary trivia like that. And I find it fascinating how these terms pervade the language long after the source material has faded from public knowledge.

      Yeah, antisemitism is always such a jolt...but also good for modern readers to know just how casual and pervasive it was.

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  5. Ruthiella,
    So wonderful to catch up with your reading. I'm astounded that Daphne's great-grandfather was writing in the mid-late 1800s? Daphne was so, so much older than I, yet my great-grandparents could have been writing in the same era, if they were writers. Astounding, and interesting. I wonder if Daphne was inspired by the fact her great grandfather was a writer? Anyway, so glad to hear from you.

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    1. Hi Judith! I made a boo-boo in my post (that I've since corrected). He was her grandfather. I added a generation...I guess I will have to fire my proof reader, ha ha. :)

      I think that Daphne came from quite an artistic family and probably was both inspired and encouraged by her family to write. I have to find a good biography of her to read once I've read one or two more of her novels, I think.

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  6. Hi Ruthiella: delighted to catch up with you again (having my usual browser problem with your blog). I enjoyed the review, although I have to admit that I'll probably never get around to this one, as I'm busy catching up on some of the more obscure books written by Daphne herself. Right now I'm stalled out on "The Parasites," which I selected for the Back to the Classics Challenge. It's supposed to be highly autobiographical. So far, it's not thrilling me, but I'm only on page 20 or so!

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    1. Hi Janakay! Thanks for stopping by. I have a few Daphne books to catch up on too. The House on the Strand will probably be next. Plus I have a collection of her short stories to read. I'll be interested to hear your opinion of The Parasites. She certainly came from an interesting and talented family.

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  7. This was on my TBR list for years - I love Daphne duMaurier and thought it would be a kick to read. I started it and then stopped because of the antisemitism. I had heard of the character Svengali for ages, but hadn't realized how bad the portrait was. I decided there were enough good classics in the world for me to read and didn't need to read this one.

    That said, this was an excellent review - gave me a flavor and feel for the plot without having to actually read it.

    Like you, "untranslated French written phonetically in a German accent" is not for me!!!!!

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    1. Thanks for the comment Jane! Glad I could be of service giving you a plot summary. I think you can safely skip this one (or just read the Wikipedia entry. ha ha).

      I do get annoyed when authors try to convey accent phonetically. It is almost always impossible to read. Why not just write "he said in German accented French"? I think one of the few times it worked from me was Their Eyes Were Watching God, because all the dialogue was in American vernacular and the usage was consistent through out.

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  8. I've always meant to read this. I read Daphne du Maurier's memoir recently and that renewed my interest but (as so often happens) all the piles of books I own and library books got in the way. It was very interesting to read how it struck you!

    Constance

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    1. Thanks for the comment CLM! I would be interested to hear what you think of this book, should you ever get to it. I know what you mean about other books getting in the way. I've owned this copy for YEARS! I bought it on a whim at a library sale. Glad I finally got to it. :D

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