I briefly mentioned Paul Claudel the other day but could have said more. (To see a lot more download an interesting Communio article here.)
Claudel has not always been well served by translators but it is just about possible to track down some of his poems in English translation. They sound better in French of course. Here is a reading of the lovely 'La Vierge à Midi'. And here's another with the words.
Fortunately one or two of his prose writings are still available, including this wonderful essay which I shall write about separately another time.
And if you're looking for a slightly longer school play than usual - as analysed here by Hans Urs von Balthasar - The Satin Slipper comes in at just under eleven hours :)
Claudel has not always been well served by translators but it is just about possible to track down some of his poems in English translation. They sound better in French of course. Here is a reading of the lovely 'La Vierge à Midi'. And here's another with the words.
Fortunately one or two of his prose writings are still available, including this wonderful essay which I shall write about separately another time.
And if you're looking for a slightly longer school play than usual - as analysed here by Hans Urs von Balthasar - The Satin Slipper comes in at just under eleven hours :)
Thank you for your wonderful blog, which is an inspiration and encouragement to me as a fellow Catholic English Teacher. I am humbled by your erudition, and I don't think there is much I can add until I've had a lot more time to broaden my reading (which isn't easy with three small children!). There is one novel which I read recently which might interest you, if you haven't already come across it: David Guterson's 'Our Lady of the Forest'. It's a fascinating perspective on apparitions of Our Lady by someone who is, as far as I can tell, a non-Catholic, but who is obviously intrigued and sympathetic.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Anthony. That's very kind. I'll definitely have a look at 'Our Lady of the Forest'. Thank you for the recommendation.
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