Realms of Memory: Rethinking the French Past, Vol. 1 - Conflicts and Divisions [Hardcover]

Pierre Nora (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0231084048 | ISBN-13: 978-0231084048 | Publication Date: April 15, 1996

Archives, monuments, celebrations:there are not merely the recollections of memory but also the foundations of history. Symbols, the third and final volume in Pierre Nora's monumental Realms of Memory, includes groundbreaking discussions of the emblems of France's past by some of the nation's most distinguished intellectuals. The seventeen essays in this book consider such diverse "sites" of memory as the figures of Joan D'Arc and Decartes, the national motto of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity", the tricolor flag and the French language itself. Pierre Nora's closing essay on commemoration provides a culminating overview of the series. Offering a new approach on history, culture, French studies and the studies of symbols, Realms of Memory reveals how the myriad meanings we attach to places and events constitute our sense of history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is an indispensable guide to understanding France and the French. As usual, Arthur Goldhammer's translation is superb.

(Foreign Affairs )

This unusual book deals fascinatingly with everything from the creation of the rousing anthem "La Marseillaise" to the changing role of Joan of Arc in France's collective memory. Even the Eiffel Tower shines forth in surprising new facets.

(Chicago Tribune )

Provides arresting genealogies of a number of the major cleavages in French history, with chapters on the embattled relationship of Jews to the French republic, the peculiar affinities of Gaulism and Communism, and... Paris' haughty condescension toward la province.... Without resorting to polemics, the volume reminds us that the image of the French past is confected as much out of amnesia as out of memory.

(Lingua Franca )

A magisterial attempt to define what it is to be French.

(Times Literary Supplement )

A magnificent achievement.... [The essays included] are the high-carat jewels of the project.

(The New Republic )

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: French

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 642 pages
• Publisher: Columbia University Press (April 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0231084048
• ISBN-13: 978-0231084048
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 6.9 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,042,286 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

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5.0 out of 5 stars Key Work for Nearly Anyone Wishing to Truly Understand France's View of Its Own History, October 20, 2011

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This review is from: Realms of Memory: Rethinking the French Past, Vol. 1 - Conflicts and Divisions (Hardcover)

This acclaimed work of the 1980's and 1990's, which took over a decade to assemble and was contributed to by scores of expert authors, sets out to describe how the French people have "constructed" their history through symbols, allusions, and associations, and then shift that constructed memory into the public consciousness. The series, which took up seven volumes in the original French, has been described as "monumental," and there can be little doubt that this description is completely correct, due to its size, scope, and coverage. But it is more than that. This is a set that is superbly written, and the choice of topics, and the depth into which each is examined, would easily make this a de-facto standard work for anyone today wishing to have a true understanding of what the French feel it means "to be French." It is certainly Pierre Nora's "magnum opus," and if you have anything more than a passing interest in French history, "Frenchness," and French symbols, you will not want to pass on this work.

The current English translation here is, unfortunately, taken from a selection of the original seven volumes, and composes three large volumes. Nora defends the reduction as maintaining the spirit of the original, in spite of the omissions. He may be right. But it is nevertheless unfortunate that the complete set was not translated. But, on the bright side--and indeed, it is bright--the translation here by Arthur Goldhammer is absolutely superb, and there is almost not a trace of the grammatical oddity that can occur when translating between French and English, and vice-versa. The text reads as smoothly, accurately, and clearly as though it were originally written in English.

The content is absolutely superb. Volume 1 focuses on politics, minority religions, and divisions of time and space, which probably doesn't mean anything when first heard, but once you read the prefaces and get into the content, the rationale for these choices of topics and chapters is quintessentially French. For example, why do the French overwhelmingly regard the Gauls as their ancestors, yet rarely have any historical markers to the Gauls in the country? And we thought it was not the Gauls, but the Franks, who were the progenitors of the French nation? So, is it Gauls, or Franks? And what about the belief that the political "left" and "right" originated in the French Revolution, yet earlier references in French works seem to identify this concept as previously existing in the English nation? And what about the tension between Gaulists and Communists, Catholics and Seculars, French and Foreigners, the Ancient Regime and the Revolution? Nora's book looks at the construction of French history through such events as symbols, and then the passing of these symbolic references into an evolving growth of historical story.

This is a book as fascinating to read as it is beneficial to learning, and it really should be on your list if you wish to understand the French world better. And although the volumes are quite expensive, you can occasionally find a few copies in the used marked in very good shape at a good price. I highly recommend this series as one that is fascinating, complex, evocative, and unusual.

More ...
Volume 2 focuses on the roots of social models in France, and Volume 3 on Symbols:

Realms of Memory: Rethinking the French Past, Vol. 2 - Traditions

Realms of Memory: Rethinking the French Past, Vol. 3 - Symbols