Jacques Schiffrin A Publisher in Exile, from Pléiade to Pantheon by Amos Reichman Foreword by Robert O.Paxton Translated by Sandra Smith

Jacques Schiffrin A

Publisher in Exile, from Pléiade to Pantheon by Amos Reichman Foreword by Robert O.Paxton Translated by Sandra Smith is a new captivating  biography published by Columbia University Press. Complex character, pretty melanchonic, Jacques Schiffrin spent most of his time in exile in various part of the worlds. 

Born in Russia in a little locality called Baku, his father was in the business of oil and so the family lived in the abundace and richness. He left Russia for political reasons, affording to Paris in the early 1900s. Intellectual fertile activity, Schiffrin invented les Editions de la Pleiade, for letting know to french people Russian Literature and extending it to the rest of best writers and literature presents in the market. Edgar Allen Poe was close to Baudelaire. Ten volumes were published  between 1931 and 1932. Considering the big success of these series (with peculiar characteristics, starting from the pages) it was necessary implementing the financial aspect of the business and it's because of it that Schiffrin met along his way Gaston Gallimard. 

Everything happened for this publisher in 1911 when with two other friends, Gidé and Schlumberger created the Nouvelle Revue Francaise tranformed after the first world war in Librairie Gallimard. Soon the motto of Gallimard became "I am french literature."

In 1933 Gallimard bought the catalog of the Bibliotheque de la Pleiade. They were fertile and happy years these ones for Schiffrin and Gallimard. They were very good friends, but as always, war put again a wall between the two: Schiffrin was a jew and so Gallimard fired him from the position of editor of La Pleiade.

Sadness and unhappiness mounted immensely in a character like the one of Schiffrin pretty melancholic, like also the idea of going away possibly in the USA for building in NYC a new existence.

The trip was pretty long and tribulated with a long stop in North Africa; the arrival and accomodations when in NYC, although in beautiful places and corners of the city didn't give back to the publisher any joy. New York was so different from Paris.

Not working at first, he insisted for being paid by Gallimard. 

Later Schiffrin found a first job but the owner of that reality substantially did everything alone. 

Schiffrin at the same time didn't sound interested in re-starting to follow french publishers located in NYC. He wanted something else and he found this something else thanks to Kurt Wollf, german and like him Jewish, emigrated because constricted to leaving, in the USA. Creator of the Pantheon the two will start a long and profound collaboration although Schiffrin who, now, should have been happy because there was again a reality where he could express himself felt always melancholy for Paris and Europe. 

Unfortunately when he was a soldier for France in his youthness, he fell sick with an important chronical ill. 

It was an experience, this one of being a soldier and serving France lived at first with enthusiasm; Schiffrin thought that spending time with "little men" as Schiffrin considered the other soldiers could pay. But it was a delusion as well. 

This nasty illness at the lungs would have later dictated the final choices of his existence.

Schiffrin tried also to seeing if it was possible an importation and collaboration with Gallimard regarding Pleiade, but the condition of the contract, as you will read were not at all good, so Schiffrin continued to asking money at Gallimard, as did later once dead his father, André Schiffrin, his son.

Beautiful book written with love and dedication, pretty warm, for everyone.

Highly recommended.

I thank Columbia University Press for the physical copy of this book. 

Anna Maria Polidori