{"id":516590,"date":"2023-02-28T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-28T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/leregardlibre.com\/?p=516590"},"modified":"2023-04-17T10:46:36","modified_gmt":"2023-04-17T08:46:36","slug":"love-dictionary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/leregardlibre.com\/en\/literature\/love-dictionary\/","title":{"rendered":"The Belle Epoque and the Roaring Twenties, literary enchantment"},"content":{"rendered":"

Launched in the late 2000s, the \u00abDictionnaire amoureux\u00bb collection covers a wide range of subjects. One of the latest is devoted to the Belle Epoque and the Ann\u00e9es Folles, written by Beno\u00eet Duteurtre. Guaranteed to amaze.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

In this latest instalment of his dictionaries of love, Beno\u00eet Duteurtre takes us on a stroll down the steep little streets of Montmartre, along the candelabra-lit boulevards, along the rolling sidewalks of the Universal Exhibition, through the hustle and bustle of the Montparnasse caf\u00e9s or along the promenades of the music halls, to the rhythm of Yvette Guibert, Claude Debussy or Duke Ellington. In just under 200 entries, from writers (Andr\u00e9 Breton) to concepts (urban planning), actresses (Sarah Bernhardt), musicians (Erik Satie), painters (Paul Signac), works (Paradise Lost<\/em>) <\/em>or popular (casinos) or iconic (Le Chat noir) locations, the Dictionary of the Belle Epoque and the Roaring Twenties<\/em> is not intended as an encyclopedia or a complete cartography of a period, but as an anthology designed to capture the essence of an era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interest of such a work lies solely in bringing to life one's passion for the subject evoked and transmitting it to the reader (\u00abproclaiming one's love\u00bb, in the author's words). That's why it would be absolutely pointless and absurd to talk about this dictionary in a reasoned way, taking distance and height. Instead, I'll tell you how it resonated with wonder within me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A timeless literary stroll<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As far as I can remember, my interest in painting and sculpture came rather late, around the age of 20. It came from watching the Arte documentary The Adventurers of Modern Art<\/em>. My fascination with art has always been closely linked to the Paris of the twentieth century.th<\/sup> century, its bohemian life, its artists and their works. My whole imagination was built around the poster for the Black cat<\/em> by Steinlen, drawings by Degas, poems by Apollinaire, ballet sets by Cocteau, portraits of the muses by the Impressionists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since then, no matter how many museums and exhibitions I've visited, everything brings me back to the candid joy of immersing myself in that effervescent period. A time when Paris was more than ever at the center of the intellectual and artistic world. And reading Dictionary of the Belle Epoque and the Roaring Twenties<\/em>, I found exactly the same enchantment!<\/p>\n\n\n\n