Madame Chrysanthème

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Loti, Pierre, 1850-1923

Contributor:

Ensor, Laura

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource : multiple file formats

Place of Publication:

Salt Lake City, UT : Project Gutenberg,

Summary:

"Madame Chrysanthème" by Pierre Loti is a fictional narrative written in the late 19th century. The story recounts the experiences of a Frenchman who travels to Japan, exploring themes of cultural encounter and personal relationships through his musings and interactions with local people. Central to the tale is Chrysanthème, a Japanese girl who becomes the protagonist's wife, embodying the contrast between Eastern and Western perspectives on love and life. The opening of the novel sets the scene aboard a ship, where the narrator and his companion, Yves, eagerly anticipate their arrival in Japan. As they approach, they marvel at the beauty of the landscape, only to be met with the bustling realities of Nagasaki upon landing. Amidst this, the narrator expresses a whimsical longing to marry a Japanese woman, initially envisioning a romantic and exotic life. However, his idealism begins to clash with the vivid, often comical reality of Japanese customs and his first encounter with potential brides, highlighting the cultural misunderstandings that ensue. This opening establishes the narrator's humorous yet poignant reflections on his experiences in a foreign land. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Credits:

Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Ronald Holder, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team

Notes:

Reading ease score: 61.5 (8th & 9th grade). Neither easy nor difficult to read.

Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_Chrysanth%C3%A8me_(novel)

Release date is 2005-03-12