Book Description
In 1669, a Parisian bookseller published a slim volume called Portuguese Letters, which unveiled a love affair between a young Portuguese nun and a French officer that had occurred a few years earlier during a war-torn period in Portugal. The book contained passionate love letters from the nun when the officer was forced to return to France.The letters took Paris by storm. They spoke of love in a manner so direct, so precise, and so raw, they sent shivers of recognition through the sophisticated stratums of polite society. Equally remarkable was the mystery that surrounds the letters: the author was unknown, and most people assumed they were the fictional product of a French aristocrat. Now, Myriam Cyr persuasively makes the case that the nun, Mariana Alcoforado, did indeed write the letters, and her story is one of the most moving in the history of forbidden love.
Customer Reviews:
Almost forgotten letters of forbidden passion.......2006-12-08
Mariana Alcoforado was a Portuguese nun at the end of the 17th century who wrote a series of love letters after her lover, a visiting aristocratic solider, returns to France. The five letters she wrote, full of passion, reproach and sadness at the loss of her love were later published in Paris where they turned into an instant best seller.
The strange thing, in modern eyes, is that at the time nobody could believe a woman had actually written the letters because they were so full of life and so well expressed - and this view continued right into the 20th century.
Myriam Cyr has put the letters back in the context of the times that they were written and in doing so has taken us into the little known world of 17th century Portuguese convents and politics. She has managed to bring alive a world of war, love and letters. This is a genuine mystery that has been clarified in this book. Having said this, the letters themselves don't seem quite as remarkable today but then we have the benefit of a couple of centuries of literature to draw on that the Mariana did not. This book is a quick and easy read that may make you look at the 17th century world in a way that you'll probably never see in another book on the period.
An Inescapable Pleasure.......2006-06-27
Let it be known that Simon Schama (The Embarrassment of Riches; A History of Britain) has very recently chosen Myriam Cyr's LETTERS OF A PORTUGUESE NUN as one of his "top reads" for the 2006 London's GUARDIAN Summer Reading List. This surely says it -- this book tops many well-researched literary offerings in a very long time. It is no wonder that the Kirkus Review dubbed it "Pulp romance for the Masterpiece Theater set." Scholarship and imagination have indeed prevailed -- all in a perfect piece of beautifully written non-fiction.
In addition to her detailed and carefully attended and written literary history, and to the subtle nuances of a love relationship still quivering in its newness, Myriam Cyr tends to the unfolding darker corners of this mysteriously entangled love story as she interprets the searingly passionate LETTERS: Cyr draws the reader closer and closer to the beating pulse of what makes love real for each of us -- then she sweeps us away, and we are breathless.
Four years of critical work by the author -- scouring with painstaking care the books, letters and papers in the old libraries of Europe and beyond, checking data and facts -- have blossomed into this lovingly researched first novel. As well, Ms. Cyr has an irresistible speaking voice for listening audiences: In her Boston speaking tours she reads the Portuguese Nun's LETTERS with a surge of such poetic passion, beauty and emotion that it is as if she wrote these letters herself.
LETTERS echoes in the feeling heart of the contemporary reader --and lingers. The tender power of this haunting 17th century love story reaches to our essence and activates an empathic compassion for the longing and desire for what is fundamentally vital to our souls in our search for love.
Disappointing.......2006-06-27
I am surprised to see such favorable reviews of this book. I was struck by how poorly written, poorly organized, and poorly argued it was. The only thing worthwhile was the expository section setting the scene in Portugal, describing convent life, and the actual letters themselves. I found myself wondering who had edited this and how it got published.
A Romantic Mystery.......2006-04-14
They were an international bestseller when they were published, five love letters from a devastated woman who had been left by her lover as he went on to military duties. It does not matter that this was more than three hundred years ago; the theme is one that is immediate. The letters were so piercing that immediately a controversy arose over their authorship; no woman could have written them, it was said, because women generally didn't write, never wrote well, and never felt love as deeply as men. The controversy has persisted, and will persist, because there is no proof on either side, but in Letters of a Portuguese Nun: Uncovering the Mystery Behind a 17th Century Forbidden Love (Miramax Books), Miriam Cyr argues the case for authorship by the nun herself. This is Cyr's first book; she has had a successful career as an actress, and first heard of the letters when they were performed as a play. She determined to translate them herself (unaware that they were hugely famous and had been translated many times), and performed them on stage herself. She could not answer questions from those who heard her readings about the authenticity of the letters, but sympathized with a woman who told her the letters expressed her feelings during a painful breakup and was outraged that anyone thought they were fictional. Cyr, probably motivated by the same sort of feeling, did three years of research, and even though her conclusions are not watertight, her advocacy of the nun's authorship is convincing. More importantly, she has brought the heartbreaking letters to a new audience and supplied them with sufficient context to understand their themes.
Mariana Alcoforado was born in 1640 in the picturesque town of Beja, Portugal, and was put in a convent at the age of ten. The Marquis of Chamilly was a Frenchman, a born soldier who was helping the Portuguese fight incursions from Spain. He was garrisoned in Beja in 1666, and the nuns looking out on the fields around them were entertained by the sight of officers exercising their horses. Mariana was captivated by Chamilly's dash in such capers, and inevitably the officers were invited into the convent. As she often has to do, Cyr invites us to imagine details, such as their meeting and growing acquaintance; even in the letters there are few details about any courting. We also have to imagine how the pair eluded detection, or how Chamilly might have been able to sneak into Mariana's quarters before she was locked inside for the night, and how he sneaked out again. Cyr summarizes, "Unsuspected and unseen, Chamilly and Mariana entered a world more intimate than a prayer and more ethereal than air." There was no dramatic discovery of the affair by authorities, but it ended when Chamilly was called back into the official service of his king, Louis XIV. He simply chose duty over love. In her letters to him, Mariana wrote, "It may be you will find greater beauty, but never will you find such love, and all the rest is nothing."
That sort of sentiment is unsurprising now, but when the letters were published in France, they were a sensation, at least partially because they addressed romantic injustice; women were supposed to keep quiet about men's behavior toward them, however painful or unfair. How the letters came to be so widely known is full of mysteries. The dashing and victorious Chamilly may well have been invited to the evening salons of the marquise de Sabl?, and may have circulated the letters himself, which would not have been seen at the time as a violation of privacy. The marquise had a fear of germs, and perhaps her doctor copied the writing out for her (as he did do for other documents) so she would not be contaminated by holding the originals. Perhaps the doctor sought out the worldly and beloved Guilleragues, a witty and well-educated man, to help translate Mariana's colloquialisms. Indeed, many scholars attribute the authorship of the letters to him. With the publication of the letters, any love letter became known as "a Portuguese." Counterfeit versions came out, and whether the letters were real or imaginary was a question that was argued then as now. It was all settled in the mind of Rousseau, who sniffed that "women in general do not like art... they cannot describe or feel love...I would bet everything in the world that the Portuguese letters were written by a man." It is this sort of sentiment that has entered even into scholarly debate over the centuries. Cyr can't prove her case for Marian's authorship, but she still makes a good argument, reminding us that the simplest explanation is most likely the correct one. The resolution is only part of the book, which invites us to read the letters for ourselves, and to contemplate the dance of love performed in an exotic and distant locale.
A new look at an old history.......2006-04-07
History is a messy place.
A lot gets lost, and a lot is saved that would perhaps be better off lost. When looking back on the scrambled fog of the past, people often see only what they want to, and only what they can believe to be true. Unfortunately this means that a lot of what actually happened becomes distorted by the biases of the day. And in the shuffle, it's often the stories of the individuals that are lost, invalidated or claimed to be something they are not.
Luckily, there are those such as actress Myriam Cyr who are willing to work to give a voice to those individual stories that are distorted by the warped mirror of time. In her first book, Letters of a Portuguese Nun, she explores the story of Mariana Alcoforado, a seventeenth century nun who fell in love with a French officer. Gracefully intertwining their individual stories and the cultural events of the time, Cyr takes us on a journey back over three hundred years ago into the heart of a forbidden passion. Against the claims that the 1669 publication of a volume of love letters entitled Portuguese Letters was the fabrication of a (male) French aristocrat, Cyr asserts that the 27 year old nun Mariana was the real author and the letters did, in fact, come from the heart of longing and of loss.
In spite of all the passion and drama of the story, what struck me most in reading the book was the passion of its author. Through the work, the reader can feel the author's irresistible drive to tell the truth as she sees it. A quote from the introduction lingers with me, she writes: "...I thought of the times when, as women, we are not heard, and how after 300 years Mariana, whose words have changed so many lives, is not allowed the most basic of rights, the right to claim her own voice."
Myriam Cyr gives her that right, and in turn validates the whole contested history of female authorship from Sappho to Dorothy Wordsworth, giving the privileges of ownership back to a millennia of women who could not claim them for themselves.
For that I am cannot help but feel both inspired and grateful for her work.
Average customer rating:
- LO LEI POR "The Secret Life of the Words"
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Cartas De Amor De LA Monja Portuguesa / Love Letter from a Portuguese Nun
Mariana Alcoforado
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Customer Reviews:
LO LEI POR "The Secret Life of the Words".......2006-07-18
El libro es un poco depresivo, para aquellos que se identifiquen con la autora de estas cartas. Lei el libro porque vi la pelicula "La vida secreta de las palabras", escrita y dirigida por Isabel Coixet. Y a su vez, vi la pelicula por recomendacion de una chica especial... quien en definitiva, tiene cierta similitud con el soldado frances a quien le dirigen las cartas la monja portuguesa enamorada...
Es interesante por la manera q se hace uso del lenguaje para describir un sentimiento tan hondo... uno se da cuenta como evolucionamos con el idioma (siendo cada vez mas sintetico y corto en belleza) pero no en los sentimientos... eso es lo que convierte al libro tan vigente y sea citado en una pelicula del 2005. Recomiendo que lo lean despues que vean la pelicula y no cuando esten esperando respuestas de la persona que aman.
Customer Reviews:
A simple summer fling with complications.......2004-06-21
Starr Bravo had been in love with Beau Tisdale since she was sixteen years old, but he had broken her heart in an attempt to save her from more pain. Now she was 21 years old with a college degree and had a promising job lined up in New York City. For the summer, she was staying at her father's ranch, where she couldn't help but run into Beau again. They agreed to have a summer fling, and after Labor Day Starr would go to New York City and Beau would remain as foreman on a local ranch. Starr gets pregnant immediately, though, and thus the problems begin. She can't find the courage to tell him, especially since she knows that he's so dead-set against being a father and a husband, scared that he'll be like his own father.
Beau Tisdale was the only Tisdale to amount to something. His father had been a drunk, one of Beau's older brother had died in prison, and Beau's other brother sat on death row for killing a police officer. Beau himself had been involved in a cattle rustling scheme because of his brothers' influence, but he had served his time at the state's honor farm and had made a decent life for himself. He had always loved Starr, but he knew deep in his heart that he wasn't good enough for her. She deserved to chase her dreams, and he would only tie her down. Still, he could definitely handle a summer fling, even though he knew it would probably break his heart again. Will he admit to loving her, or will he let her leave his life once more?
I really liked this book, especially since there was so much more depth to the story than I expected there to be. Beau was physically and emotionally scarred from being abused as a child. His pain was so real, you could almost feel it as you read the story. Starr was also nursing the hurt that she had suffered from Beau's hand, in his efforts to protect her from himself. This book was really an emotional roller coaster, and the reader was privileged to personally feel it all, from the heights of dizzying love to the depths of a broken heart. Tears came to my eyes a few times, as I watched Starr and Beau try to make sense of their attraction in light of their pasts and their vastly different futures. The love scenes between Starr and Beau were so incredibly hot and sensual. I could barely force myself to put down this book until I had read all of it! This book was an incredible read, and I look forward to reading more from this author.
Beau's going to be a father!!.......2004-06-16
It's been 5 years since we last saw Starr Bravo and Beau Tisdale. Starr was a very unhappy and confused 16 y.o. and Beau at age 21 was on his way to jail for his part in the cattle rustling on the Rising Sun Ranch in SSE#1174 PRACTICALLY MARRIED Starr's stepmother & father's book. Starr's spending the summer with Tess, Zach & family before she moves to NYC to take the great job-editorial assistant for a magazine and Beau has found himself a home and job with neighbor, Daniel Hart. Starr sees him at a picnic and decides she'd like to have a summer fling with Beau--he still makes her tingle after just one dance. Their summer fling proves to be so much more for both. Starr finds herself pregnant right away but just can't tell Beau-she'd love to stay in Wyoming, marry Beau and make a good life but Beau's afraid and feels he can't be what Starr deserves. What a great story Ms Rimmer has written! We know there will be a HEA but we just have to watch Starr and Beau find their way. They even get a little help from one of Ms Rimmer's most memorable characters
Book Description
Trees Make the Best Mobiles is the perfect bedside companion for first-time (or weary second- or third-time) parents. In 44 bite-sized chapters, the authors help parents learn to do less, listen more, and spend focused time with their children. The authors call their approach present parenting because they believe beingpresent in the moment, without resentment or distraction, is the greatest gift any parent can give. Teich and France de Bravo address a host of topicsfrom diapering to spanking, from whining to sharing toyswithout ever seeming preachy. They offer calming advice about hot-button issues like pacifier use and temper tantrums, and give parents permission to step back from competitive child-rearing and just enjoy their kids.
Customer Reviews:
Easy read for busy parents.......2007-07-10
I'm a stay-at-home mom, and my favorite part about this book was that the chapters tended to be short--mostly about 3 to 5 pages, I'd say. This happens to correspond pretty well to my son's attention span at 5 months.
I think that if you agree that simplicity, not commercialism, is the key to raising a successful, happy child these days, you will enjoy this book. I found the writing to be encouraging at least, inspirational at best.
As other reviewers have commented, this is not a how-to book full of ideas of simple ways to raise a child. It's more like a series of meditations, which may inspire ideas of your own.
Furthermore, while I generally agree with theh authors' stance that babies don't need all these expensive bavy toys, I disagree that these toys are bad. I happen to own a jumperoo and keep an exersaucer at my parents' house. I feel that neither of these toys "trap" my sn, as the book suggests. Likewise, we have a play gym. I chose the kind with repositional bars, so that my son can play beside the hanging toys instead of being trapped under them. In my experience, babies will not amuse themselves for long periods of time lying on their backs staring at the ceiling, and when I need a few minutes to prepare something on the stove, I find these toys invaluable. In this regard, I found the book extremely preachy and condescending.
However, these moments were few and far between, and I definitely recommend the book if the main principal appeals to you and you are looking for a source of confirmation and reinforcement.
Condescending and sometimes irritating!.......2007-05-21
Other reviewers have said the same, but I have to put my two cents in. While this book seems like it would be just up my alley (interested in "simplifying" childhood for my young'uns), instead it served to frustrate and annoy me. Do these people have more than one children? Comments like "never leave the baby in a carseat unless you're in a car" are ridiculous. And to insist that babies are never "bored"? Even babies like a change of scenery occasionally. These authors would have you leave them laying on the floor on their backs all the time. Nice theory until they start to fuss...and are perhaps happy in a seat or exersaucer for a few minutes! Some of the stories and comments are interesting, and I found myself unable to give up the book even though it raised my blood pressure as I read it but frankly, I'm glad I took it from the library instead of paying good money for it. If you're in for a guilt trip, read this. Otherwise, you might just skip it. (Oh, and DON'T buy this gift for a new mom. No new mom should have to feel guilty about giving her kid a pacifier or using the carseat as a nice cosy place to nap.)
Sensitive and Concise.......2006-11-26
I found this book while actually looking for another one. Although it is a relatively short book, it contains a treasure of information. The book is divided into very short chapters, and each is dealing with a different aspect of child rearing (TV, potty training, etc.). It is written with tremendous respect to the body and soul of the growing child, without neglecting the parent and his/her needs. I was amazed with how intricate and deep can a few-pages-long chapter be. And it was.
Any parent who is close to the views of this book will find a valuable companion to the (sometime impossible) life task of raising a child in a complex world. Enjoy it.
Refreshing.......2006-10-22
As a new mom, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all the stuff I read. Magazines, the AAP book, the What to Expect series . . . then I look up some things online. You find the answer to what you're looking for, because there are two or more sides to everthing. I have not read Gerber nor want another big thick book.
I found Teich's book a quick way to re-focus on what is really important. In just a couple pages, she reminds me to just be there. To be the parent, to be a loving mother, and stop worrying about everything else.
I picked this book up at my library because of the title and paperback style. I didn't expect much, but now I am ordering a copy for my friends that are new parents too.
Disappointing and condescending.......2005-11-04
I too was very disappointed with this book. It is a collection of about 40 short essays by the author. This is another of those books where the title is named after what someone thought one of their ideas was. This book isn't about simlicity except that she doesn't feel a baby needs expensive toys - which most people today have probably already guessed.
The thing I disliked the most was the way she says things like "We all do..." "We never do..." "As worthy inheritors of the 60's..." "We're the generation who..." "We wouldn't dream of taking sleeping advice from the Bible, but..." She is speaking to a certain subset of the general population rather than speaking to the general populous and if you aren't in that subset it can seem very condescending and wrong. For instance, I don't watch TV, so I don't have to curb my habit or break it - it doesn't exist. About half way through the book I was so annoyed by it that I skimmed the rest to get it over with quickly.
If you like Madga Gerber's books and are sold on her approach then you don't need this book. There is nothing new here. If you still would like to read it you may want to borrow it from the library like I did. I'm so glad I didn't spend my money on it.
If you do want to learn more about living simply with your baby I would recommend Madga Gerber's books.
Customer Reviews:
Can Fletcher Bravo Share His Secret?.......2006-03-03
We meet another of Blake Bravo's illegitimate sons--In Dallas one night Blake went to Pancake Palace and the waitress fell in love at first sight but Blake was gone by morning never to be seen again. Fletcher Bravo is the child Blake left.
Fletcher is with the Bravo Group, he met his half-brother Aaron at a gambling conference and joined the group that owns the Impresairo and High Sierra in Las Vegas, NV. He's the CEO of Impresairo and now he wants Cleo Bliss to open another KinderWay preschool at the casino for the employees including himself--he has the cutest 5 y.o. daughter--he builds the preschool and applies the pressure so Cleo must open her school. The layout is just what she always wanted and she finds she really wants to expand and this is the perfect way!
She doesn't want to get involved with a world class operator like Fletcher. Cleopatra Bliss, is the illegitimate daughter of Leslie Botts ,she changed her name to Lolita Bliss when she became a Las Vegas showgirl and thinks Cleopatra will grow up to be an entertainer with the perfect name! Lolita had many of those driven, powerful & dynamic men as lovers but none ever married her. Cleo becomes a preschool teacher by putting herself through college while being a showgirl, though. Fletcher finds himself crazy about Cleo and the feeling is mutual after a whirlwind romance they marry. Fletcher begins to pull away from Cleo almost immediately and she doesn't understand why. Her new sister-in-law Celia has become her friend and she's at a loss too. Caitlin, Aaron's mother, who we met in The Sons of Caitlin Bravo series
, knows just the thing to help Cleo get Fletcher to open up to her and share that secret.
Fletcher and Cleo touch the heart with their problems and how they work them out. Ms Rimmer created 2 very wonderful characters and that 5 y.o. Ashley is great too. I'm looking forward to more Bravos, please!
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