#clisson et eugenie

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JACOBIN FICTION CONVENTION MEETING 30: CLISSON ET EUGÉNIE (2009)

1. The Introduction

Hello, Citizens, and welcome back to Jacobin Fiction Convention! So, today’s the day we get a rather unexpected author on the scaffold in the spotlight - Napoleon Bonaparte himself! Yes, THAT Napoleon, so you can bet that this is a bit of a unique book.

Turns out in his youth the guy wanted to be an author and wrote the short story we’re about to dissect. Granted, it’s a story he never finished and was apparently extremely embarrassed about it later (I can relate to that), so this is the second reason why this particular review is going to be a unique one. I don’t think we ever had anything unfinished as a topic.

Anyway, you might be asking yourself how exactly I found out about Napoleon’s writing in the first place. For that I have to thank one of the Neighbors, @tairin , who first brought up his writings in conversation long ago. Luckily, the unfinished drafts were published in English in 2009, so translation is available for those who don’t know French. HOORAY!

Unfortunately, the book is a bitch to find online but a website called archive.org came to my rescue like the proverbial cavalry. You do need to make an account there but afterwards it’s possible to borrow this book for 14 days like you would do in a library and read it free of charge. That’s how I read the book, considering the fact that negative reviews of my mutuals made me unwilling to pay money for an ebook or a physical copy.

Is it that bad though? Let’s find out.

This review is dedicated to @tairin , @theravenclawrevolutionary and @michel-feuilly .

Okay, let’s begin!

2. The Summary

The book tells a tragic love story of, well, Clisson and Eugénie. So it’s a romance novel. Also, apparently, a self insert fic with Clisson standing in for Napoleon himself. I have no idea who Eugénie might be though.

People who already know my preferences might remember that romance is my least favorite genre, but I still decided to give the story a chance, so let’s talk about how that decision turned out.

3. The Story

Honestly, it has a lot of romance clichés so the story just wasn’t for me. I didn’t detest it or anything, but I didn’t like it either.

I did, however, appreciate the beginning which shows us Clisson as a talented soldier who is tired of combat and looking for something else in life. It made the narrative just a tad more relatable, in my opinion.

Another point in favor of the story is the fact that Clisson and Eugénie don’t fall in love at first sight and the story takes time for them to develop proper chemistry. I’m not the biggest fan of the “love at first sight” trope so yay for avoiding it!

As for the ending… a bit depressing and anticlimactic but, as someone battling depression, I could relate to Clisson as I had moments where I was close to the headspace he has in the ending. Funny how depression has changed my opinion on some melodramatic moments in media…

4. The Characters

The characters are a bit flat, but not as much as in works of some beginner authors. Since it’s a short story, I’ll only focus on the main characters.

I honestly expected Clisson to be more of a Gary Stu, but I didn’t really get those vibes and could even relate to him towards the end. He has a more gentle, vulnerable side that few people get to see and, at the end of the day, simply craves love and happiness. He is more than just a hero obsessed with war.

Eugénie… I don’t like her and don’t care about her reasoning. I don’t like cheaters. End of story. But I like the fact that she fucked up this way and we didn’t get a blameless perfect love interest. She’s more than that.

Trust me, my first attempts at creating characters were much worse than what we have here.

5. The Setting

I liked some descriptions in the book and, for a short story, Napoleon managed to create settings in a way that’s not bad. Not excellent, but not bad either.

6. The Writing

Personally I don’t really like the writing style, but I tend to have that problem with many works of the past. There’s just too much purple prose for me, but I know that some people appreciate it so hey, you do you.

7. The Conclusion

Overall, maybe I just had really low expectations but… I didn’t hate the story, nor did I like it. Romance genre is just not for me and I’m the absolute last person who should review romance novels.

I went in fully expecting to hate the story, but I don’t. Maybe I just have more patience for beginner authors, maybe I’m just in a good mood. Either way, I can’t quite recommend the book, but I still think it’s an interesting read, if only to get a glimpse into a facet of Napoleon that isn’t talked about much.

On that note, let us finish today’s meeting. Stay tuned for updates, Citizens!

Love,

Citizen Green Pixel

#history #frev #frev art #obscure frev media #jacobin fiction convention #napoleon bonaparte #frev literature #frev media #frev books #clisson et eugenie

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

I FORGOT ABOUT THE DOCTOR BIT

So they run into a doctor who didn’t bother to greet Clisson even though Amelie introduced them and I feel like something CLEARLY happened to Napoleon where someone of a higher rank refused to acknowledge him so now this guy is immortalized in the emperor’s self-insert fanfic as That Asshole Doctor.

This is a work of art.

No one is allowed to insult Napoleon’s writing abilities. He was a genius. 

#hahahahahahah #this book lol #clisson et eugenie #clisson and eugenie #napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #19th century #18th century

[ic-napology]

Summer 1795.

#napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #napoleonic era #french revolution #napoleonic #thermidor #post terror #napoleon being broke #and unemployed #work anxiety #social anxiety #social pressure #let's write some fanfiction about my breakup with a self-insert and slowburn #clisson and eugenie #clisson et eugénie #clisson

[napoleoninjorts]

Guys I need some help

So I’ve only read Clisson et Eugenie, but I want to read the rest of Napoleon other random writing projects, but I can’t find them??? Does anyone know where I can find the rest of them??

#i can’t find them I’ve been looking for them since march #if Clisson et Eugenie made me concerned then I feel like the rest of them are worse #drop the link ❤️ #napoleon bonaparte #bonaparte posting #history #literature

[thefairyfellermasterstroke]

Daily reminder that Napoleon wrote a book that could be considered a FANFICTION about him and his crush at the time, Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary.

The novel is 126 pages long and it was written in 1975. The title is:

Clisson et Eugénie

He didnt even change her name!!!!

Quick synopsis: Napoleon (AKA Clisson) is portrayed as this powerful strong military general, who married Eugenie and had a few kids with her. He then goes to war and she cheats on him with this other guy. He finds out and they divorce and after he sents her and her new lover his last letter he kills himself.

Well, rest in peace Napoleon, you wouldve LOVED wattpad.

#this is why i love #history #regency era #napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #clisson et eugénie #napoleonic wars #1700s

[napoleondidthat]

How long did it take Napoleon to write 'Clisson & Eugenie'?

I am not sure I’ve ever come across how long it actually took Napoleon to pen the novella, except that it was written in 1795. There were/are six different fragments that are floating around of the writings, belonging now to different people/peoples. From that, it’s believed Napoleon made five different attempts on writing the story from the different manuscripts.

#napoleon #bonaparte #Napoleon Bonaparte #Emperor Napoleon #Emperor Napoleon I #Emperor Napoleon Ier #Napoleon I #Napoleon Ier #Clisson et Eugenie #Desiree Clary #Eugenie Clary #Napoleon the author #Napoleon as author #Napoleon question #question #NDT #Napoleon did that tumblr #napoleondidthat #Napoleon mail #mail #I love mail #send me mail

[vexingcosmos]

Do you ever just read a story and feel the need to ask the author who hurt you

#really #napoleon #clisson et eugenie #mine

[arsnovacadenza]

Napoleon’s Romance Novella headcanons ft. Jean, Sebastian, and MC.

@delicateikemenmemes you gave us Napoleon's embarassing love letters and I raise you his self-insert chick-lit.

So, irl Napoleon Bonaparte wrote a romantic novella titled Clisson et Eugenie based on a past relationship with an ex-fiancee,  Eugénie Désirée Clary. It’s essentially a Wattpad novel before Wattpad even existed, and it gave me ideas™ for stupid reading circle headcanons with Jean, Sebastian, and MC: 

Jean's gotten better at reading, thanks to the joint efforts between Napoleon and MC. He asks for more reading recommendations from  MC one day.

Sebastian, who overhears them, comments "Oh, do you know Monsieur Napoleon wrote a romance novella?"

And Jean's like, "Sure, I'd read that."

So, Sebas whips out a copy of the manuscript (God knows where he got them) and gives it to Jean.

He excitedly offers to help Jean get through the whole thing (and offer unsolicited impressions about the book.) 

But Jean decides to try reading it in full on his own, first.

To avoid getting caught by Napoleon, Jean reads the manuscript in his room at night. He gets weirdly engrossed by the novella, often mulling about plot elements and the characters (one of whom reminds him of Napoleon).

The story changes his view of Napoleon so much that Jean often finds himself staring at Napoleon, thinking "I can't believe you turn out to be this melodramatic."

He comes to Sebastian to discuss the novella with him. Their discussion often takes an overly passionate turn, and it draws MC's attention. 

She asks Sebastian for a copy too.

All three of them accidentally form a book circle for Clisson et Eugenie. They often gather in the kitchen during their break and discuss the novella together.

Leonardo catches the trio one day and pokes around to see what they're gushing over. Sebastian shows him the manuscript. Leonardo being Leonardo takes it to his room to read later.

In a short time, the manuscript circulates throughout the mansion, and everybody knows about it BUT Napoleon.

Napoleon only discovers the manuscript's existence when Isaac comes up to him, saying "Hey, Dazai and Arthur said something about you writing a chick-lit. Is that true?"

Napo confronts the writers, and the two immediately jump on him, with Arthur saying stuff like "I never imagined you'd write something as sentimental as this." And Dazai says, "I can feel the emotions you poured onto the words. Truly, a fine masterpiece."

Napoleon gets to the bottom of the matter and goes to three original culprits.

He's not mad. He's just embarrassed that someone would dig up his semi-self-insert romance novella and read it.

When Napo confronts them, MC and Sebastian get all flustered and become speechless while Jean (surprisingly) stands to their defense.

He assures Napo that it's perfectly alright to express himself through writing even if he ends up thinking that it's sappy.

Jean commends Napo even further, saying "It moved me knowing that soldiers with filth and blood and our hands can experience something so beautiful even if it's momentary, just like Clisson."

If he were his old self, Napoleon would scoff and point that that's not even the point of the novel, but because it's Jean, well, of course, he couldn't help but be touched.

He forgives the three. Even so, MC suggests that they should try reading something else next week to let the thing die.

Jean continues to tease Napoleon by citing Clisson et Eugenie when they're alone together, earning him a pinch on the cheek (hair ruffles just don't quite cut it anymore).

Meanwhile, Mozart keeps a copy which he got through MC. They're filled with annotated comments and feedback.

I can’t get my own Clisson et Eugenie PDF and it pisses me off

#ikevam napoleon #ikevam jean #ikevam sebastian #ikevam mc #ikevam hc #I wish MC had an official name so I can properly tag her #riri tries ikevam

[interestingfactsquotes]

Weird History: 10 Bizarre Facts About Popular Historical Figures

Winston Churchill once defined history as "One damn thing after another". Yet the truth is that history has been filled with fascinating events and interesting people. There has also been plenty of weird history you've probably never been aware of. After all, people do crazy things. They always have and always will. These facts can be fun to learn if you know where to look. In this article, we take a look at 10 random history facts that will surprise you. Keep reading to have your mind blown.

1. Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison was an inventor known for many things. These include inventing the electric light bulb, the phonograph and the motion picture camera, just to name a few. Yet here is a weird fact about Edison you likely didn't know. When he died of diabetes in 1931, Henry Ford convinced Edison's son to capture his soul as it left his body at the moment of his death. You can actually see Edison's last breath on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.

2. Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was one smart cookie. He was so smart, in fact, that he wanted to make sure that he was able to conserve all his mental, physical, and emotional energy for his work. Thus our boy Telsa was a confirmed bachelor. This means no romance and no relationships. Was he a 40 year old virgin? Who knows. But we do know that he scarified chasing women so that he could focus on the kinds of things he felt were much more important.

3. Galileo Galilei

It's no secret that Galileo is responsible for much of what we understand about the universe. He was an undeniable genius who used the telescope to make astronomical discoveries that challenged the common beliefs of his day. He died in January of 1642 at age 77. But before he was buried, three of his fingers and one of his teeth were removed from his body. As gruesome as that might sound, luckily for you these body parts are currently on display at the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy.

4. Walt Disney

Walt Disney was a rich and famous man who owed most of his success to an animated mouse.  A little known fact about Disney is that he was having a hard time finding a housekeeper to take care of his home. He eventually hired a woman name Thelma to cook for his children and keep the house clean. The family loved Thelma, and Disney held her in such high regard that he rewarded her with stock in his company that eventually made her a millionaire.

5. Napoleon

Napoleon Bonaparte might have been a small guy, but he had a huge ego and massive ambitions. Best known for his military conquests, many people aren't aware that he also had literary ambitions. Believe it or not, Napoleon wrote a romantic novella called Clisson et Eugenie. It was the story of a soldier and his lover, obviously inspired by Napoleon's relationship with his one-time fiancee Eugenie Desiree Clay.

6. Elvis

There's no denying that Elvis Presley was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. And yet there are some things about the The King that you'd probably be better off not knowing.  Elvis actually suffered from chronic constipation. This led to the removal of part of his colon, which was a common treatment for constipation in the 1970s. Needless to say, being constipated wasn't the most pleasant experience, thus Elvis was known to frequently complain about the condition.  It's widely believed that his unpleasant issue with constipation was a contributing factor to his untimely death.  If you've been experiencing unpleasant health issues, be sure to check out this resource for information to support your joints.

7. Amelia Earhart

Amelia Earhart was filled with a sense of adventure. She was born to explore the world and make the most of life. Not only was she an aviation pioneer, she was also extremely liberal in her views of love and marriage. When Earhart became engaged to George Putnam in the 1920s, she was insistent that she not be tied down to one man for the rest of her life. Believe it or not, she actually wrote a prenup stating that neither one of them should be chained to a medieval code of faithfulness. In other words, she wanted an open marriage.  Obviously, she was way ahead of her time, even though her time on earth would ultimately be cut short.

8. William Shakespeare

It's no mystery that Shakespeare was a man of words. His plays have been considered among the greatest contributions to theater in history.  He died in 1616, and two days after his death his body was buried in the chancel of the Holy Trinity Church. The part of this story you might not have known is that he grave is complete with a stone slab featuring a carved epigraph written by Shakespeare himself. The epigraph is a threat of a curse upon anyone who moves his bones.

9. Voltaire

Voltaire was a famed French philosopher known for the publication of his "Philosophic Letters". He might have been famous, but his writings made him rather unpopular. As a result of threats upon his life, he developed the habit of living near the borders of other countries so that he could quickly flee for safety if necessary.

10. Albert Einstein

Long considered one of the most brilliant minds in the history of the world, it turns out that Einstein wasn't a fan of being famous. In fact, the constant attention he received from the general public made him very uncomfortable. Add to this the fact that he was easily recognizable. His solution to being approached in public was to simply tell people that they had mistaken him for someone else.

A World of Weird History

The world is full of weird history. In fact, the cool stories contained in this article only represent the tip of the iceberg. Always remember that even the rich and famous are simply people with problems and bizarre habits just like the rest of us. Read the full article

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Attention, fellow Citizens!

The next Jacobin Fiction Convention review will tackle a novel by none other than Napoleon himself, “Clisson et Eugénie”.

Stay tuned!

#frev #frev literature #frev media #obscure frev media #napoleon bonaparte #clisson et eugenie #update #review update #jacobin fiction convention

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Welp, Citizens and Neighbors, take a wild guess who is sick right now! Yeah, that’s me. With a fever.

But anyway, the show must go on so both of my reviews are coming tomorrow or on Wednesday. Stay tuned!

#malmaison media salon #jacobin fiction convention #review update #clisson et eugenie #at aboukir and acre #napoleonic media #frev media

[usergreenpixel]

Guys, I’m still sick so it’s probably best for me to post reviews during the following week.

Either way, stay tuned!

#jacobin fiction convention #malmaison media salon #clisson et eugenie #at aboukir and acre #review update

[usergreenpixel]

Hey, everyone!

I’m healthy and finally completely back to normal. The reviews are coming on Monday.

Stay tuned!

Edit: The bitch I was sick with for the entirety of last week was apparently stomach flu. And it took me this week afterwards to recover from the aftermath. FUN TIMES! /sarcasm

#jacobin fiction convention #malmaison media salon #at aboukir and acre #clisson et eugenie #review update

[usergreenpixel]

Who would’ve thought that “Clisson et Eugénie” would be THIS hard to find?! But I guess Napoleon got his wish, in a way, since he probably wouldn’t want it to be easily obtainable…

#history #frev art #obscure frev media #clisson et eugenie #napoleon bonaparte

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

honestly napoleon was an inspiration we should all write some self insert fic where we bash things we don't like every once in a while

we all absolutely should write what makes us happy! And if that's a melodramatic, overwrought short story about you and your ex-girlfriend, that's beautiful and I support you. ❤️

Napoleon out here, writing creative non-fiction/somewhat biographical fiction before CNF was a thing. 

-

Honestly though, I know some people will disagree with me, but I think he had a knack for writing. You can see the buds of it in Clisson et Eugenie, also in the unfinished Corsican Story (the world was robbed by his not finishing it) and in the other little shorts he wrote (the one about the cult leader (Mask of the Prophet - he underlined the title with GREAT enthusiasm and I adore that), also that english civil war ghost story).

It's just not something he pursued in a deep or meaningful way and so he didn't develop further. But he definitely had a flare for a good turn of phrase and paragraph ending mic drops.

To my mind, he shines the brightest when leaning into the modernist, Hemmingway-ish writing style he had. Short, sharp punches. That's his strength. And his style is very modern! (For a given value of modern.) Which is oddly unremarked upon, at least from what I've seen.

He's definitely at his worst when he's trying to Rousseau-ify everything. He really doesn't pull it off when attempting the flare of the Romantics and pastoral romances.

I know people bash on Napoleon's writing but I would argue that it's just youthful stuff. It'd be like judging my stories from ten-fifteen years ago and being like "clearly, this person is a bad writer" when it's just I didn't have practice and hadn't developed. It's the same for him, had he kept at it, had his life taken another route, who knows what could have been.

We might have had our Corsican Robinson Crusoe yet. ❤️❤️

#napoleon #napoleon bonaparte #I do go soft on my judgement of young writers though #clisson and eugenie #history #19th century #18th century #clisson et eugenie #I love how CNF is just like...this melange of things #it delights me that there's no hard fast and firm definition for it #(so far at least - that will change I'm sure)

[thiswaycomessomethingwicked]

“How miserable he had been in his previous life. Not only had he witnessed the destruction of his fellow men but he had also been punished because his soul, victim of illusion, excitement and apprehension, had been blind to the beauties and insensible to the pleasures of nature.”

What Napoleon did that was different with the pastoral form, but makes complete sense for him, was marry society and soldiers together. The division of Society and Nature is the mainstay of this form of fiction - with society being full of lies and wickedness etc. and nature is pure where your love and your soul can thrive. Nature is also innocence, it’s primordial in a certain way. Society is worldliness, it’s deceitful, it’s harmful.

Napoleon had his society that intrudes on Clisson’s self-imposed exile to nature be war rather than class and performing Civility (see Paul et Virginie). As Napoleon became an officer at 14, spent his youth in military school, and for the six years prior to this was navigating the French revolution and its resultant wars - this is obviously a natural division for him.

[...]

So Napoleon goes into describing the two sisters and guys I am worried for Eugenie. “it was as if she were afraid to show her pretty hand, where the blue of the veins contrasted with the whiteness of her skin.” GIRL GO OUTSIDE. VITAMIN D. YOU SOUND ILL.

I mean classic Consumptive Aesthetics = Beauty BUT STILL. 

Also Napoleon goes on about how she had perfect straight white teeth and I really love every time people in history rage about other people’s good teeth. Coincidentally, as we all know, Napoleon was famed for his remarkably good teeth.

[...]

Clisson is all “oh i’m falling in love with Amelie yet I can’t stop thinking about Eugenie. THIS IS MYSTERIOUS. WHAT COULD IT MEAN.” 

Napoleon’s clear affection for over the top romantic tropes is fantastic. How dare this man say novels are only for ladies’ maids. Napoleon. Honey.

Favourite bit: “Eugenie, meanwhile, had meditated a great deal upon some of the things the stranger [Clisson] had said; she did not know whether to hate him or to be impressed by him.” 

Maybe one day I’ll revisit Clisson and Eugenie and my Hot Takes on it. 

I forgot what a funny novella it is. 

#Napoleon doing drive-by insults to French music will never not amuse me #he does a few in C&E #clisson et eugenie #clisson and eugenie #napoleon #napoleon bonaparte