Literary Notes on Nadja

There are a number of ways of reading a book. But, the whole purpose of this blog was to hone my skills as a writer and glean literary technique to incorporate into my own style. Basically this is my fake book to steal other writers' style. I want to read as much and incorporate as much in such a subtle manner that nobody notices that I've stolen it. That said, the main reason to read a work of fiction is to enjoy the book and revel in its literary beauty. So, here are some of the literary qualities about Nadja by André Breton that I enjoyed the most.

Literary:

"I insist on knowing the names, on being interested only in books left ajar, like doors; I will not go looking for keys" (Breton, 18). I love the word 'ajar'. It just seems to make everything pop out from around it. But, the imagery about not wanting to search for keys to unlock a book is just a good image.

"I cannot see, as I hurry along, what could constitute for me, even without my knowing it, a magnetic pole in either space or time" (Breton, 32). In this little passage of the book Breton notes that if you visit Paris you can't help but see him because he always ends up in a single place. This struck me because of my idea to write a story about the Maria Maggiore, a basilica in Rome that no matter what happened on our vacation, Erin and I would inevitably end up in its piazza when we were lost. This happened every day of our Rome vacation. Perhaps, there was a magnetic pole in either space or time located somewhere beneath it? Or it was itself a magnetic pole?

"A faint smile may have been wandering across her face" (Breton, 64). This is just a beautifully simple sentence that encapsulates the moment. 

"Those provisional moments of grace, real death-traps of the soul, an abyss, an abyss into which the splendidly mournful bird of divination has vanished again" (Breton, 91). It's a good juxtaposition of opposites and the unexpected. Normally one would associate grace, even momentary grace as something to enjoy, but Breton calls them death-traps and an abyss. 

"Be careful: everything fades, everything vanishes Something must remain of us..." (Breton, 100). I think this might be the highlight of the love Nadja has for Breton. At this point things are breaking down, both Nadja's sanity and Breton's stomach for being with her. His fear is beginning to win over his love, which is sad. Nadja holds on for the immortality of the love by begging him to write a book about her (which she gains because he has). Nadja achieves immortalization of their love, even as the love is breaking down. 

"The well-known lack of frontiers between non-madness and madness does not induce me to accord a different value to the perceptions and ideas which are the result of one or the other" (Breton, 144). Once again Breton achieves an excellent juxtaposition.

"For fear of being fettered, never to be embraced at all" (Breton, 159). What a profoundly sad notion.