Chateaubriand Signed Letter: Confidences on His Literary Style, 1840

  

CHATEAUBRIAND - Signed letter - Confidences about his literary style - 1840. Major figure in literature, pioneer of Romanticism. Signed letter addressed to the parish priest of Courcelles, Paris, June 6, 1840, 1 page in-8; address on the back with a loss at the upper right corner of the reverse.

A fine letter from Chateaubriand, in which he shares a few confidences about his literary style. When asked about the secret of his style, Chateaubriand says he does not know why or how he writes. The writer acknowledges having his own style, a reflection of his reading of the Church Fathers and sacred books. “With gout in my right hand, Monsieur le Curé, I am forced to dictate [.

If I had a secret, I would gladly share it with you; but I do not know why or how I write. I only know that I have read the Fathers and the sacred books quite well, and perhaps some reflection of my readings has remained in my style. I am delighted, Monsieur le Curé, that my nephew has put me in contact with you [.