Imagination

"Eh bien, docteur, les fées existent précisément parce qu’elles sont imaginaires..."

The above phrase is from Anatole France (Anatole Thibault,1844-1924), a French
writer who is known for historical novels set  during the French revolution. (His father
owned the best library on the Revolutionary period, and he grew up in the atmosphere
of discussion on the topic). He was arguing here against a too strident approach to a
scientific world view in education.

Why go back to AFrance now? The Literature exam in this year's BAC has a
AFrance question, wherein the student is asked to reflect on competing views of man in  modernism (with respect to his work).

I must admit he is someone I was never tempted to read. He was a prominent figure
of the Third Republic, a defender of Dreyfus, a Nobel prize in Literature; had a chaotic
love life with many more or less successful affairs, suicidal mistresses, a wife he
divorced to his disadvantage. Yawn! Nothing for me. Sounds like someone for whom
women were imaginary creatures who exist.

But then again, it's going to be a scorchingly hot week-end, and my apartment will be
getting too uncomfortable to do much. His masterpiece, Les dieux ont soif(1912), is
available free to read on the Web. Why not!? On with the adventures of Evariste Gamelin, revolutionary.

I'll be reporting back.