☙ Compagnons Éternels

1922 - Dmitri Mérejkowsky

Free delivery to your door in 🇺🇸 United States of America
Your price includes all duties, taxes, tariffs, and shipping to any address in 🇺🇸
What you see is what you pay — no surprises at checkout or delivery.

Mark it for later — it might just be waiting for you!

☙ Compagnons Éternels

✑ Dmitri Mérejkowsky

COMPAGNONS ÉTERNELS

"Eternal Companions" by Dmitri Merezhkovsky, published in French translation in 1922, represents one of the pinnacles of Russian Symbolist literary criticism. This major work brings together a series of essays in which Merezhkovsky explores the life and work of the great writers who shaped European consciousness. From Dante to Dostoevsky, from Cervantes to Flaubert, the Russian author deploys penetrating analysis that transcends mere criticism to touch upon fundamental questions of human existence. This particular copy holds additional importance due to its provenance: it bears the ex-libris of Sylvain Sauvage, a major French engraver and illustrator of the interwar period, famous for his wood engravings and illustrations of fine books. The presence of this book in his library testifies to the deep interest of French artists in Russian thought during this flourishing period of Russian emigration to Paris, when Russian intellectuals and creators considerably enriched French cultural life.

Why add it to your collection?

Copy from the library of Sylvain Sauvage, renowned French engraver and illustrator of the interwar period

Original French edition of this masterpiece of Russian literary criticism, translated by Maurice Rémon

Major work by Merezhkovsky, leading figure of Russian Symbolism and three-time Nobel Prize in Literature nominee

Collection of penetrating essays on great European writers, from Dante to Flaubert, offering a unique Russian perspective on Western literature

Precious testimony to the influence of Russian culture in France during the 1920s, a golden period for Russian émigrés in Paris

Description

The Author and His Context

Dmitri Sergeyevich Merezhkovsky (1866-1941) was one of the most important figures of the Russian Symbolist movement and a religious thinker of international stature. Poet, novelist, critic, and philosopher, he was nominated three times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Exiled after the Bolshevik Revolution, he settled in Paris where he continued his prolific work, becoming a major voice of the Russian emigration.

The Work's Content

"Eternal Companions" brings together critical essays on the giants of world literature. Merezhkovsky develops his unique vision of literature as an expression of humanity's spiritual aspirations. Each essay is simultaneously a biographical portrait, an in-depth literary analysis, and a philosophical meditation. The author explores how these writers sought to resolve the eternal conflict between flesh and spirit, paganism and Christianity, central themes throughout his entire body of work.

The writers studied include the greatest names in European literature: Dante, Cervantes, Shakespeare, Goethe, Pushkin, Gogol, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, and Flaubert. For each, Merezhkovsky demonstrates remarkable understanding not only of their works but also of their historical and spiritual context.

The French Edition

The French translation by Maurice Rémon, published by the prestigious Librairie Stock, allowed the French public to discover this Russian critical thought of exceptional depth. Stock was then one of the most important publishers for Russian literature in France, actively contributing to making Russian culture known to French-speaking audiences.

Sylvain Sauvage and Provenance

The presence of Sylvain Sauvage's (1888-1948) ex-libris gives this copy an additional dimension. Sauvage was one of the greatest French wood engravers of his time, illustrator of numerous bibliophilic works. His library reflected his vast artistic and intellectual interests. That this book was found in his collection testifies to Merezhkovsky's influence on Parisian artistic circles in the 1920s.

Historical and Cultural Importance

This work belongs to the fascinating context of Russian emigration to Paris, where a brilliant intellectual community kept alive the flame of Russian culture while enriching French cultural life. The 1920s were a period of intense dialogue between Russian and French cultures, of which this book is a precious witness.

Mark it for later — it might just be waiting for you!