De La France by Emil Cioran

 This book De La France

by Cioran published by L'Herne is wonderful in particular if you want to understand french people better and in their essence. Written during the last World War conflict, in 1941, it is a real hymn to France and french people.

Emil Cioran wasn't french but fell in love for France and that country became his adopted one in every sense.

What characterize french people? Well, they are extra-communicative. They couldn't live lonely, without interact  with other people, without chatting, and having discussions and confrontations. This one is the most known and loved characteristic of french people. In general they tend to prefer a lie than not a a truth not well told. In love for nature, the century of splendor was the XVIII century, to Cioran for richness, style, intelligence but no one should forget the Impressionism.

The life of french people is joyous. Their existence is a perennial transformation of a "culture of shape" nurtured by elementary forces, later transformed in a more refined modality of the living. We do see it in every field.

Taste is extremely important for french: it's a divinity admits Cioran although you musn't just think that this "projection" of their persons in the so-called "gout" is just about food. No: it involves every aspect of their existence, 

French culture is a culture of the "Compréhensible" and doesn't tend to look outside, and doesn't consider the grass of the garden of the neighbor more green. No: French are sufficient with their own and unique culture, and they cultivate themselves and what they have with great pride. They are jealous of their tongue, they don't think that there is another one more perfect or beauty than their one. Their culture, admits Cioran is perfect.

French people want to explain through their arts, architecture, and whatever you can think at, at the modality of living in this world, portraying soft details, giving a gentle touch to the existence, donating beauty everywhere, narrating in a compassionate tone.

Another important characteristic of french people is...writing. They all write well, they are perfectionists, they love to give to their thoughts an harmonic, sweet shape.

French musicians searches for delicate touch as well: Debussy once for all.

French people won't teach you big perspectives: they will teach shapes, writes Cioran.

Cioran thinks that France is in decadence after the splendor known in the past during the war. And when decadence starts?

When people start to be conscious and the collective lucidity becomes a signal of tiredness.

The drama of the  rational man become the drama of a nation. 

French people in general arrives before the other ones: a revolution, the age of the Lumieres, the Republic: their values have been exported everywhere. What they had learnt through their experiences and thinking became known and copied everywhere. They make the difference.

While he was writing this book , french people lived, to Cioran, under a cerebral skepticism that with the time became organic. 

The absence of tomorrow is the substance of present remarks, worried, the writer.

A nation creates new things when the existence is not the only value.

When the people of a country love their existence they will renounce to its continuity, and the "desertification" of the french countryside in 1941 was a signal to the writer of the absence of daily mythology, for a country in grade to transform in the past concepts in myths. Well, after the war Jean Giono will revive the spirit of the countrysides, and that places will return to be preferred by a lot of people in search of peace and tranquillity.

In general France traces the destiny of other nations, remarks the author.

We only hope, a future of peace!

Wonderful, wonderful book! 

Highly recommended.

Thanks Herne. 

Anna Maria Polidori