Casanova mémorialiste
Institution:
Université Stendhal (Grenoble)Disciplines:
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Abstract EN:
Written in the 1790's. Histoire de ma vie by j. Casanova was unfortunately published in a posthumous edition in the highly puritan nineteenth century. Only known through adaptations (as "memoires de j. Casanova") for a long time, the french original was merely published twice, in 1960-1962 and 1993. This has severely damaged casanova's image and prevented his works from being duly recognised as exceptional. This research traces the history of the manuscript and of its writing: it then examines autobiographical aspects of the work (its planning. Its links with other memoirs - particularly j. J. Rousseau's confessions -. The obvious question of truth and accuracy of recollection, the figures of the narrator and the reader filtering through the text). It attempts to give a measure of casanova's mythical self-perception by showing how he chooses to portray his life as a jolly and unrepentant stretch of dissoluteness and by analysing the ambivalence of the man as magus and philosopher of the age of enlightenment, as libertine and moralist. The very vivid account of contemporary europe is seen through the process of travel and his passion for the press and history. The focus is then shifted to the dramatic and novelistic sides of casanova's writing. Which feeds on his theatrical experience. The novels which he had read and a deeply rooted love for ariosto. In the context of his entire works (published and unpublished) and in relation to the works of his contemporary fellow writers and favourite models (voltaire. Horace). Histoire de ma vie gives an insight into the mysteries of a paradoxical mind, the magic of an unusual writing, rooted in both italian and french cultures. While spanning the humanist tradition and the spirit of enlightenment.
Abstract FR:
Redigee dans les annees 1790, l'histoire de ma vie de jacques casanova de seingalt s'est trouvee victime d'une publication posthume au xixe siecle, en pleine reaction puritaine; edite des l'origine en adaptations (sous le titre "memoires de j. Casanova"), le texte francais original n'a ete publie que deux fois, en 1960-1962 (ed. Brockhaus-plon) et en 1993 (r. Laffont). Ces handicaps ont gravement nui a l'image de casanova, empechant cette oeuvre exceptionnelle qu'est l'histoire de ma vie d'etre appreciee a sa juste valeur. Apres avoir presente l'histoire du manuscrit (pres de 4000 pages) et desa redaction, cette etude explore d'abord les principaux aspects autobiographiques de l'oeuvre (son projet, ses rapports avec d'autres memoires et notamment les confessions de j. J. Rousseau, la fameuse question de la veridicite, le probleme de la memoire, les figures du narrateur et du lecteur). Elle tente de prendre la mesure du mythe personnel de casanova, en montrant le parti que choisit l'auteur de presenter sa vie comme un egarement joyeux, impenitent, et en considerant les ambivalences qui melent en lui le mage au philosophe des lumieres, le libertin au moraliste. Le tableau extraordinairement vivant que brosse le memorialiste de l'europe de son temps est examine a travers sa pratique et sa philosophie du voyage, ainsi que sa passion pour la presse et l'histoire. Sont evoques enfin les aspects dramatiques et romanesques de l'ecriture de casanova, nourrie d'experience theatrale, de lectures de romans et surtout de son admiration pour l'orlando furioso. Replacee a l'interieur du vaste ensemble de son oeuvre (publiee ou manuscrite), situee par rapport a celles de ses contemporains et de ses modeles preferes (voltaire, horace, l'arioste), l'histoire de ma vie laisse ainsi approcher les mysteres d'une pensee paradoxale et la magie d'une ecriture insolite, a cheval sur les cultures italienne et francaise, comme sur la tradition humaniste et l'esprit des lumieres.