A Night in the Luxembourg by Rémy de Gourmont
"A Night in the Luxembourg" is a novelette by Rémy de Gourmont, first published in French in 1906 and later translated into English in 1912. The story follows James Sandy Rose, a foreign correspondent whose mysterious death prompts the discovery of his diary. In it, he recounts a transformative encounter at the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris with a man he refers to simply as "He," who resembles traditional artistic depictions of Jesus. Their discussions delve into profound philosophical and religious themes, touching on rationalized mysticism, the nature of divinity, and the human experience.
Set against the backdrop of early twentieth-century Paris, the narrative explores concepts such as the relativity of truth, the significance of desire over possession, and a critique of Christian values. The characters engage in an erotic love affair, which adds complexity to the themes of love and pleasure explored in the text. Gourmont's work has drawn both admiration and condemnation for its bold ideas and unorthodox views, particularly concerning sexuality and spirituality. The philosophical underpinnings are influenced by figures like Epicurus and Spinoza, presenting a perspective that encourages questioning established beliefs. The story ultimately leaves readers pondering the nature of existence, love, and the shifting landscapes of morality.
A Night in the Luxembourg by Rémy de Gourmont
First published:Une nuit au Luxembourg, 1906 (English translation, 1912)
Type of work: Novelette
Type of plot: Rationalized mysticism
Time of work: Early twentieth century
Locale: Paris
The Story:
When James Sandy Rose, foreign correspondent for the Northern Atlantic Herald, died, the newspapers printed only a part of the circumstances surrounding his death. Among his personal effects was a diary which threw more light upon his private experience and belief. In this diary Rose related how he had gone to the Luxembourg and had noticed a peculiar light shining through the windows of the Church of Saint-Sulpice. His curiosity aroused, he went into the church and discovered a man standing before the statue of the Virgin. At first glance the man was very ordinary looking, but when he looked at Rose there was something striking and attractive in his appearance. Rose merely called the man “He” in long passages of the diary that reported a discussion between them on philosophical and religious subjects.
This strange man strongly resembled the Jesus that many artists have painted. Rose followed the man out into the garden, which had suddenly become clothed in summer foliage. There they met three beautiful women, one of whom was called Elise. In that pastoral setting their conversations concerning divinity, religion, and philosophy continued. In a short interlude between discussions Rose and Elise had an affair.
“He” informed Rose that Epicurus and Spinoza were nearer to “Him” than anyone else, including the saints. “He” also told the reporter that the gods are superior but not immortal—they merely live longer. Destiny is the creator and the regulator of the world. There is no truth because the world is perpetually changing. The Acts of the Apostles were no more miraculous than those in “Aladdin and the Marvelous Lamp,” but the men who wrote of those Acts touched God with their hands. Man’s superiority to the animal world, particularly the termites, was brought about by the lowering of the world’s temperature. Civilizations came into being because of the discoveries of fire and leisure. Lucretius’ poem concerning Epicurus would have been a greater book for mankind than the Bible. Men will perhaps never recover from the wound given them by Christianity. Great hypocrites are always the chosen masters of the world. Suicide is not an act of cowardice. Happiness for men is not possession but desire. The difference between the girl of a public harem and a goddess is only a difference created by social custom and its conception of sin.
When “He” departed, Rose took Elise with him and went to his lodgings. There Rose died mysteriously, leaving no trace as to the exact manner of his death. In his rooms there were evidences of the presence of a woman but nothing else of importance except the diary he had written.
Critical Evaluation:
A member of the nineteenth century symbolist school in France, Rémy de Gourmont in Le livre de masques (1896-1898; The Book of Masques, 1921) was one of the earliest critics to call attention to such later famous symbolists as J. K. Huysmans and Stephane Mallarme. Gourmont’s own art and thought were influenced by the symbolists. His two most commonly known works in English translation are A Night in the Luxembourg and A Virgin Heart (1907).
Classed as a novelette or novella, A Night in the Luxembourg is little more than a series of conversations, principally between the mysterious “He” and the journalist Sandy Rose, whose original French name was Louis Delacolombe. Both names are symbolic since the rose and the dove (colombe) have long symbolized love. The two words rose and dove appear frequently throughout the book, like leitmotifs in a Wagner opera.
Dressed like a contemporary French gentleman, “He” yet seems to Rose to resemble conventional artistic portrayals of Jesus. As revealed in his conversation, however, he appears in his thought to be a more generalized inspirer of men of varied faiths throughout the ages. “I am not God,” he says. “I am only a god.” His philosophy concerning human life, with its emphasis on the virtue of being happy and the importance of living each moment as if it were eternal, is Epicurean. His favorite moral philosophers, he tells Rose, were Epicurus, who found happiness in pleasure, and Spinoza, who found fulfillment in asceticism.
Perhaps it was in part the reader identification of the physically Christlike “He” with Jesus himself that brought forth the condemnation of A Night in the Luxembourg as a wicked, profane, and blasphemous book. “He” enunciates a philosophy that stresses love, but it is not the generalized love of mankind traditionally associated with Jesus. Rather, the love “He” speaks of is erotic, and this aroused the anger of both Catholics and Protestants. Furthermore, “He” regrets and even scorns the conventional Christian denial of the fleshly joys of love. This seemed unforgivable to conservative Christians of the early twentieth century. Even in the latter part of the century, with its more lenient view of worldly pleasures, many Christians would be offended by Sandy Rose’s strange friend. As Arthur Ransome announces in his translator’s preface, A Night in the Luxembourg was written for a special group of readers. The book was intended for those who, like Rose, are skeptical and inquisitive, willing to question beliefs that have long been accepted as “true.” One might remember that Emerson, a very different moral philosopher from Gourmont, advised in “Self-Reliance”: “He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind.”
Principal Characters:
Monsieur James Sandy Rose , a journalist"He" Elise