Napoleon

Europe through Classical and Western Art

Madoka Hino, "Haydn - 'Disposable Works and Works of Art'" - Recommended biography of the musical genius whom even Mozart admired.

Haydn was active from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of the 19th century. Haydn was a leader in the music world ahead of Beethoven and Mozart.

This biography will give you an idea of the circumstances in which musicians were placed at that time. You will also see the meaning of the book's title, "Disposable Works"!
This biography was also a very interesting piece

Les MiserablesTo enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

List of articles explaining "Les Miserables" - Recommended for those who want to know more about Les Miserables!

In this article, we will summarize the useful articles we have introduced so far to help you enjoy Remise more.

I think most people enjoy Remisée more for the movie or musical than for the original.

Although I started with the original, it is still a musical film that I watch over and over again.

Since movies and musicals are made by squeezing together a long original story, there are many parts that have been cut out. However, it is in these parts that the backgrounds and personalities of the characters are more deeply depicted.

Knowing such backgrounds may help you enjoy movies and musicals more.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

List of recommended commentary books on "Les Miserables" - For those who want to enjoy Les Miserables more.

What was Dostoevsky's favorite novel, Les Misérables?

I started reading Remisé out of such interest, but now I am completely hooked.

I was particularly shot by the excellence of the musical film and I listen to the soundtrack every day. The songs are also wonderful....

The original story and the musical are just so interesting! And the more I know about it, the more I like Remisé. That's what I felt every day. The books introduced above are all great reference books that I would recommend to Remisé fans.

We are happy if we could be of any help to Remisée fans.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

Hugo's Play "Ruy Bras" Synopsis and Impressions - A play full of Hugo's character set in Spain.

Hugo was a poet and playwright.

Hugo's most famous novel, Les Misérables, is a work that incorporates many of his skills as a poet and playwright. Hugo had already incorporated into his work the kind of staging that could easily be adapted for the stage. Hugo was also working from the aspect of how to make it theatrically exciting and how to incorporate it into the novel in an effective way.

It was a very interesting experience to experience Hugo's dramatic works in order to learn about such things.

As I will discuss in a later article, Zola makes a tremendous statement on the subject of this work. This is a must-see for Hugo and Zola fans alike. I was quite shocked when I read it.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

Shigeru Kashima, "The Monstrous Emperor Napoleon III: The Complete History of the Second Empire" - A book that provides an insight into the unknown reign and reality of Napoleon III!

The Second French Empire of Napoleon III is not a major period in Japan, but in this book, you will learn how innovative and important social changes were taking place in this era. It was precisely from this period in Paris that consumer capitalism, which stimulates people's desires, developed. It is very interesting to see the process.

This is a highly recommended book. I hope you will pick up a copy.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

Shigeru Kashima, "Tomorrow is the Ball" - How the dream society really is! Explains the love and marriage patterns of Parisian women!

For women, a ball is a battlefield. The way you behave here can have a decisive impact on the rest of your life.

The book may destroy your longing for a dreamy moment with dandies in elegant social circles, dressed in glamorous costumes.

It seems that the social scene was a more serious and realistic battleground than I had imagined.

It is a perfect book to learn about the view of marriage and the love affairs of men and women at that time.

You can see why French literature is full of sludgy affairs and love stories.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

Shigeru Kashima, "I want to buy a carriage! ~ If you want to know about the French dream of young men and life in 19th century Paris, this is the book for you!

The book begins with a description of the means of transportation in France, followed by a narrative description of the procedures for entering Paris, finding lodging, and how to eat daily.

And from there, it leads to the story of how the young men move on to become dandies and why, as the title says, "I want to buy a carriage! and why they come to truly believe that "I want to buy a carriage!

It is a very exciting piece of work! Recommendation!

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

Why are French men so popular - I thought about it from the perspective of the "dandy," the Parisian dandy.

French men have an image of being popular, don't they? (This is just my own prejudice, but lol)

But why are they so glib and so good at love?

It is also, after all, because of the historical background that made it so. This article will look at such historical background.
I hope this article will give you an idea of how tremendous the Paris dandies are.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

What is the relationship between a student and a grisette, a Parisian seamstress - the career path and love life of young people in 19th century France.

Grisette is translated from Japanese as "seamstress.

Fantine in "Les Miserables," which we have talked about on this blog, is precisely this grisette.

French literature reflects the society of the time. It can also serve as a mirror for those of us living in Japan today.

This article looks at such grisettes and the historical background of the time.

To enjoy "Les Miserables" even more

Shigeru Kashima, "Parisian Customs by Occupation" This is a book to learn about the life and occupation of people in 19th century Paris and the historical background!

This book looks at the lives of Parisians in the mid-19th century in terms of their occupations.

What was commonplace at the time the novel was written was never bothered to be written.

However, the norm is very different from "what we, modern people, take for granted. Even if there is a lawyer in the novel, his work and lifestyle are quite different from what we imagine a lawyer to be. Students, doctors, teachers, grisettes, police, journalists, etc., you can learn about the "norm" of various professions in this book.

This book makes French literature incredibly easy to understand.