Vies Imaginaires
1896
Published in 1896, 'Vies Imaginaires' by Marcel Schwob is a collection of fictional biographies that presents imaginative portrayals of historical and mythical figures. Schwob critiques traditional biography by exploring the essence of individuality, emphasizing the peculiarities that define a person beyond mere historical facts. The work includes characters like Empédocle and Herostratos, illustrating the complexities and eccentricities of imagined lives, and blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
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“There is no science for the teguments of a leaf, for the filaments of a cell structure, the winding of a vein, the passion of a habit, or for the twists and quirks of character.””
— Marcel Schwob
“Unlike most biographers it is here I leave Messrs. Burke and Hare, at the peak of their glory. Why destroy such an artistic effect by requiring them to languish along to the end of their lives, revealing their defects and their deceptions? We need only remember them, mask in hand, walking abroad on foggy nights. For their end was sordid like so many others. One of them, it appears, was hanged and Dr. Knox was forced to quit Edinburgh. Mr. Burke left no other works.””
— Marcel Schwob
“Il invoquait le jour où la sphère divine se gonflerait, après toutes les transformations des âmes. Car le monde que nous connaissons est l'oeuvre de la haine, et sa dissolution sera l'oeuvre de l'amour.””
— Marcel Schwob
“Il regarda sa fille et la trouva vierge et désirable.””
— Marcel Schwob
“Il étreignait ses seins métalliques et attachait sa bouche sur ses lèvres d'un violet sombre.””
— Marcel Schwob
