
In this introspective memoir, a disillusioned narrator looks back on a life once promised by noble birth and lofty dreams, only to find himself a peripheral player in his own story. With a blend of melancholy humor and candid self‑critique, he charts the gap between youthful aspirations and the relentless whims of chance that have steered his path. The prose weaves together reflections on love, loss, and the absurdity of fate, all filtered through the lens of a weary yet observant soul.
Early chapters follow his restless wanderings—from a fateful encounter in Naples to a strange meeting in Formosa—each episode illustrating how the capricious hand of hasard repeatedly undermines his attempts at purpose. Yet beneath the satire and self‑deprecation lies a subtle yearning for authenticity, as he wrestles with the paradox of being both author and spectator of his own existence. Listeners will be drawn into his lyrical confession, finding resonance in the universal struggle between ambition and reality.
Language
fr
Duration
~5 hours (331K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
France: Bernard Grasset, 1910.
Credits
Laurent Vogel and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2022-03-31
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1877–1939
A poet, novelist, and playwright who moved between cultures and languages, he became known for richly symbolic writing and an intense, inward style. Beyond literature, he also served as a diplomat for Lithuania in the years after World War I.
View all books