The Muse of Molière and Guinea Pigs
By Christine Klippenstein
Self portrait at Opera Garnier, Paris, by Christine Klippenstein.
When I read Gaston Leroux’s Le Fantôme de l’Opéra in the summer before Grade 9, I thought nothing of it. I could have realized something was strange at the end of Grade 11 when I struggled through Victor Hugo’s Notre-Dame de Paris – in its original language, unabridged and extremely complex – just for fun. Reading the original Le Petit Prince also gave me great satisfaction because I understood the author’s vision better in its non-translated form. But still I did not realize that I genuinely liked French lit.
It’s clear to me now that all the small, unremarkable events throughout my life had a part to play in choosing to study the subject at McGill University next year. I don’t blame people who questioned the decision; what kind of paying career could I possibly get by studying Molière and quoting Figaro?
“It’s intimidating to be 18 and to be expected to makedecisions about a life I’ve barely begun to live.”
It does sound mildly insane, it probably is mildly insane, but it’s my truth, the one I’m (vainly) trying not to deal with. I just don’t know what I’m going to end up doing. On some days, I’m very concerned about this. It’s intimidating to be 18 and to be expected to make decisions about a life I’ve barely begun to live. It’s tough to think of moving to a new city where I won’t know anyone, away from my parents and home.
The whole concept is mildly terrifying, to be honest. But on other days, I remember the things I do know.
I love to write, I love to read and I love French. I’m idealistic enough to believe that life must be lived with happiness and a sense of fulfillment. And that it is terribly important to do what you love. Right now, doing what I love means studying French literature at McGill and continuing to write on my own time.
I can reasonably say that it all began when I was eight. My parents bought me a guinea pig, my first-ever pet, and I saw her as a miracle. Already a voracious reader, I wanted to read adventure stories about guinea pigs and was dismayed to find that there weren’t any.
So I began to write them myself.
My love was not born with those first, tentative, badly punctuated and badly formatted (I didn’t figure out what paragraphs were for a long time) stories. My journey has been a gradual one, and for many years I was hardly aware of it.
High school was the perfect place to develop that dream. I’m in the Literary Arts program at Canterbury, an absolute heaven for creative writers, and I’ve experienced an incredible period of growth. Everything was blissful until the word university began to circulate and I realized I might have a problem. I discovered other interests: an attraction to languages (I’m fluent in French, have a pretty fair knowledge of Spanish, and can hold my own in a German conversation) and interests in history and psychology. I was dismayed at the thought I’d have to pick a specialty. In my final year at Canterbury we were given the chance to celebrate French literary classics, especially the master Molière.
Moliere, courtesy of Wikimedia
I find it difficult to explain what, exactly, I find so absorbing about Molière. In his plays (Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme and Les Précieuses Ridicules are favourites), I can pinpoint some reasons: his willingness to speak against the abuses of his time, the audacity of his characters and his persistence despite a difficult and often discouraging creative journey. I find it inspiring that someone with such a tumultuous life wrote such hilarious, serious and shamelessly human comedy. It touches a chord I didn’t know existed.
Pierre Beaumarchais, courtesy of Wikimedia
Beaumarchais is another. When I wrote an essay on Le Barbier de Séville and Le Mariage de Figaro, the character of Figaro caught me completely by surprise. Nowhere had I met a character with as much wit, impudence or reckless trust in his own cleverness; never had I met his equal in sheer gaiety. Like many of Molière’s characters, Figaro had a second purpose, the task of exposing, and mocking, the social problems of his day. It was this mixture of flawless comedy and dangerous commentary that I found so intriguing, especially considering that the French Revolution occurred soon after; all the warning signs of discontent were there, contained in Figaro’s lucid wit.
Guy de Maupassant, courtesy of Wikimedia
There were others: Corneille’s intricate plays, Maupassant’s short stories, de la Fontaine’s fables. There was, suddenly, so much more to read. It was with wonder and reverence that I regarded this new world, populated with fantastic characters and their writers: French literature.
If I’m searching for the moment I decided to study French lit, chances are that it happened somewhere in the above paragraphs. It’s hard to be more specific; a slow crescendo suits me just fine, so long as the journey is a celebration and the ending says something true. After all, that’s how the masters did it.
Bravo Chere Christine!
This is a lovely piece and I so admire you for following your passions. You have more figured out at 18 than many people realize within a lifetime. May the journey be a thrilling party all of your days!
Best of everything,
Deb.
I am impressed Christine, and so happy that you have decided to live and work with something beautiful.
Love Rebecca
You have a gift to see inside a story that most do not have. A vision for what the writers are trying to express and I think it’s wonderful that you are choosing this as your path. I hope that it will stretch you in ways you never knew possible and give you an opportunity to fulfill your dreams.
Jesse
Sharing the truth about <Electronic Cigarettes!
“It’s intimidating to be 18 and to be expected to makedecisions about a life I’ve barely begun to live.”
Great life you have there “Christine”, keep it up!
Hi Christine!
I envy you being able to check out French Literature. I really wanted to see them too. Not that I’m studying it, I am just interested. I mean, who isn’t?
“It’s intimidating to be 18 and to be expected to makedecisions about a life I’ve barely begun to live.”
- you can do it! You are definitely a hundred steps ahead other people because at your young age, you are already capable of these responsibilities and stuff.
Thank you for sharing these things which I admire the most.
God Bless you!
The passion is oozing out of you! It’s infectious; I wish I could pick up French. I love the taste of the language on my tongue, but alas, I can only slowly read it.
I loved reading The Little Prince (in English), and I have a French copy of the book. But as wonderful as it is to read it, I’m not aware of what I’m reading. I’d love to be able to come closer to understanding the “author’s vision”.
Insight into French literature and inspiration all in one read.
Great job Christine!
Both your passion and knowledge come through in this very insightful and engaging piece.
Do you have a favorite among the French authors you’ve been studying?
Re “I love to write, I love to read and I love French. I’m idealistic enough to believe that life must be lived with happiness and a sense of fulfillment. And that it is terribly important to do what you love. Right now, doing what I love means studying French literature at McGill and continuing to write on my own time.”
- I admire you Christine for your passion. You know what, continue with what you love to do if you’re happy with it. Be yourself cause you are an amazing person more than you know. I’m happy for you Christine Klippenstein.
Oh to be young and to have so many things ahead of you. It’s good that at a young age, you know what you want and you have the courage to pursue it.
I remember being 18 and not knowing what I really wanted. That is much more difficult to deal with. I’m sure you’ll have a great time whatever you choose.
Have fun in university. Take everything in and enjoy every minute of it.
“It’s intimidating to be 18 and to be expected to makedecisions about a life I’ve barely begun to live.”
What a great quote. I’m 27 now, and I wish I could go back and do college again because i feel like my life experience now would give me so much more color to my experience at university. I’d actually CARE about what i was learning about. Not that I didn’t care before, but I’d care in a different way.
Jeff
My Blog: The Software Doc | Computer Maintenance Software
Beautifully written. I’d love to read your poetry, too. I wonder if you’re writing in French, as well?
Bravo Chere Christine!
This is a lovely piece and I so admire you for following your passions.
Thank you for sharing these things which I admire the most.
Leave your response!
Search