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Portrait de Valery Larbaud

Valery Larbaud

However much I think about Valery Larbaud for a long time, only the names of merits and virtues come to mind: nobility, generosity, meditation, dedication to letters, inflexible good taste. And, if I think of his work, what an exquisite distribution of shadows and reflections, of clear tones and muted tones, what a science of limpidity and simplicity.
Of course, so many qualities are worrying. I mean for the author himself. They are disturbing, we wonder how we deserve them.
I had a friend who found himself very embarrassed, around the age of nineteen, when he saw with what ease he wrote acceptable and even, at times, very beautiful poems in one go. How can you live up to such a gift? How to pay for such donations? He hesitated, and then he decided to write in prose until the end of his life. He wrote prose with rare clumsiness. At least he thus had the opportunity every day to strive, to work, to pursue himself and then to judge himself. In short, he had a good conscience; he felt alive.
Yes, but there is another solution than running away. There is the solution which consists of meriting one's gifts. It's also difficult to be rich. But there is one way to deserve your riches: it is to expose them every day and to expose your life with them. I will be told that this is not what all rich men do. No doubt, but those who do it are all the more precious to us.
But Larbaud never stops exposing his gifts; to put them in danger. He fears anything that seems beautiful or simply graceful to him. He hardly ever works except in waste. He, so clear and methodical, establishes himself firmly in the twists and turns of this swamp: our everyday life, with its daydreams, its desires and its half-hearted actions. He, so modest, writes the freest tales that we have read – and yet! – these days. It happens, as in Beauté, my beautiful concern, that he changes heroes along the way. Or else he closely mixes, to the point of almost confusing them, the two feelings that we are least accustomed to seeing go hand in hand: an extreme taste for pleasure, but also the desire to take on as much humiliation and suffering as possible.

All I wanted to say is that Larbaud is not at all crushed under so many merits and virtues. He has the courage of his qualities: I don't know what innocence, which conveys his erudition very well; what modesty, which very well justifies his libertinage. And in short, among the great geniuses of our time – who are sometimes a little too genius – Valery Larbaud is the only one in whom we have a great desire, an almost irresistible desire to confide in.

Jean Paulhan, 1956.

Resources

One life, one work: Valery Larbaud (1881-1957)

Larbaud: “Good evening, things down here” - France Culture

Larbaud citizen of the world - France Culture

Larbaud, Childish Imaginaries - France Culture

Barnabooth and Larbaud in the landscape

Valery Larbaud - FranceArchives

Ramón Gómez de la Serna - France Culture

A look back at the work of Ramón Gómez de la Serna, a unique writer, considered by Valery Larbaud as the equal of Proust or Joyce, who influenced all Hispanic avant-garde poetry

Valery Larbaud, “cosmopolitan” of letters? A.Auzoux, Classiques Garnier

Cahiers Valery Larbaud 2021, n° 57: Larbaud and the economy

Cahiers Valery Larbaud 2020, n° 56: Michel Déon, Roger Grenier: in the company of Larbaud

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Correspondance : Valery Larbaud - Jean Paulhan, 1920-1957

Exhibitions :

See also, by Jean Paulhan :

Bibliography of texts published in the NRF

The texts below, published in La Nouvelle Revue Française, are grouped into four main sets: texts by Valery Larbaud, notes and columns by the author, texts about the author, and, when available, translations by the author.

Texts by Valery Larbaud

  1. Dolly, 1909-10-01
  2. Fermina Marquez, 1910-03-01
  3. Fermina Marquez (suite), 1910-04-01
  4. Fermina Marquez (fin), 1910-06-01
  5. Plusieurs études d'ensemble ont déjà fait connaître..., 1910-08-01
  6. William Ernest Henley, critique littéraire et critique d'art, 1911-02-01
  7. "Hautes et Basses classes en Italie" est à la fois le plus singulier..., 1911-06-01
  8. Coventry Patmore, 1911-09-01
  9. Coventry Patmore (fin), 1911-10-01
  10. Rose Lourdin, 1911-11-01
  11. De l'aveu de tous les critiques, l'Angleterre possède en ce moment..., 1912-08-01
  12. A. O. Barnabooth : Journal d'un milliardaire (I), 1913-02-01
  13. A. O. Barnabooth : Journal d'un milliardaire (II), 1912-03-01
  14. A. O. Barnabooth : Journal d'un milliardaire (III), 1913-04-01
  15. A. O. Barnabooth : Journal d'un milliardaire (IV), 1913-05-01
  16. A. O. Barnabooth : Journal d'un milliardaire (fin), 1913-06-01
  17. Rachel Frutiger, 1914-05-01
  18. Samuel Butler, 1920-01-01
  19. Beauté, mon beau souci... (I), 1920-07-01
  20. Beauté, mon beau souci... (Fin), 1920-08-01
  21. Amants, heureux amants..., 1921-11-01
  22. James Joyce, 1922-04-01
  23. Mon plus secret conseil... (I), 1923-09-01
  24. Mon plus secret conseil... (Fin), 1923-10-01
  25. À propos de James Joyce et de Ulysses, 1925-01-01
  26. Mon cher Rivière, voici la lettre que M. Ernest Boyd me charge de vous transmettre..., 1925-03-01
  27. Préface pour une édition russe d'Anabase, 1926-01-01
  28. Divertissement philologique, 1926-06-01
  29. Allen (I), 1927-02-01
  30. Allen (II), 1927-03-01
  31. Le fait du prince, 1932-10-01
  32. Honneur des Hommes, 1933-02-01
  33. Le Gouverneur de Kerguélen, 1933-05-01
  34. Les Carnets de Samuel Butler, 1935-01-01
  35. Notre Amérique, 1935-04-01
  36. Pour une muse de douze ans, 1938-04-01
  37. Sous l'invocation de Saint Jérôme, 1942-06-01
  38. Pages de Journal, 1953-02-01
  39. Gaston d'Ercoule, 1954-03-01

Notes by Valery Larbaud

These texts by Valery Larbaud may include reading notes, mood notes, performance reviews, miscellaneous pieces, or previously unpublished texts. They appeared in NRF sections such as Chronique des romans, L'air du mois, Le temps comme il passe, etc., or in tribute issues.

  1. English Literature, by J. M. Kennedy (Stephen Swift and Co), 1912-10-01, Notes
  2. The Episodes of Vathek, by William Beckford (Stephen Swift and Co), 1913-01-01, Notes
  3. Marriage, by H. G. Wells (Mac Millan), 1913-02-01, Lettres anglaises
  4. The Charwoman's Daughter et The Crock of Gold, par James Stephens (Mac Millan), 1912-03-01, Lettres anglaises
  5. Qui a écrit Vathek ?, réponse à M. Lucien Lavault, 1913-05-01, Lettres anglaises
  6. The Works of Francis Thompson (Burns and Oates), 1913-08-01, Lettres anglaises
  7. La Littérature, création, succès, durée, par F. Baldensperger, 1914-01-01, Notes
  8. Here are Ladies, par James Stephens (Édition Tauchnitz), 1914-02-01, Lettres anglaises
  9. Chance, by Joseph Conrad (Methuen et Tauchnitz), 1914-03-01, Lettres anglaises
  10. The Flying Inn, by G. K. Chesterton (Édition Tauchnitz), 1914-06-01, Lettres anglaises
  11. Literary Taste, par Arnold Bennett, 1914-08-01, Lettres anglaises
  12. Les anglicismes, 1919-08-01, Lettres anglaises
  13. Jeunes poètes et jeunes revues, 1919-12-01, Lettres anglaises
  14. Images of War, par Richard Aldington (Allen and Unwin), 1920-02-01, Lettres anglaises
  15. Le poète Vachel Lindsay, 1920-04-01, Lettres américaines
  16. La question des anglicismes, 1920-09-01, Lettres anglaises
  17. Paludes, par André Gide (Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française), 1921-07-01, Notes
  18. Fernand Vandérem et les manuels d'histoire littéraire, 1922-12-01, Notes : littérature générale
  19. Fermé la nuit, par Paul Morand (Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française), 1923-05-01, Notes : le roman
  20. Commerce, 1924-10-01, Les revues
  21. Les préfaces de Conrad, 1924-12-01, Revue des revues
  22. Lautréamont et Laforgue, par Gervasio et Alvaro Guillot Muñoz, 1926-01-01, Notes : littérature générale
  23. Ricardo Güiraldes, 1928-01-01, Notes : lettres étrangères
  24. Lectures, 1933-01-01, Revue des revues
  25. L'esthétique de Marcel Proust, par Émeric Fischer [Fiser], 1933-10-01, Notes : la critique
  26. Souvenir de Gabriel Miro, 1957-03-01, Textes
  27. Le Sémaphore, 1957-09-01, Textes
  28. Stratford-sur-Avon (Fin), 1965-03-01, Textes

Translations by Valery Larbaud

  1. Protée, by James Joyce, 1928-08-01
  2. La femme du sourd, by Gianna Manzini, 1934-07-01
  3. Carnets (Fragments), by Samuel Butler, 1935-06-01
  4. On reconnaît le véritable écrivain à ce qu'il s'arrête partout et n'importe où..., by Samuel Butler, 1935-07-01

Texts about Valery Larbaud

These texts may include thematic studies about the author, correspondence, reading notes on works by or about the author, interviews conducted by the author, or works edited by the author.

  1. Le dossier Vathek : lettre à Valery Larbaud, by André Gide, 1913-06-01, Lettres anglaises
  2. A. O. Barnabooth. Journal d'un milliardaire, par Valery Larbaud (Éditions de la Nouvelle Revue Française), by Jacques Sindral, 1923-03-01, Notes : le roman
  3. Valery Larbaud, by Edmond Jaloux, 1924-02-01, articles
  4. Jaune Bleu Blanc, par Valery Larbaud (Éditions de la N. R. F.), by Robert Tournaud, 1928-02-01, Notes : littérature générale
  5. Allen, par Valery Larbaud (Éditions de la N. R. F.), by Robert Tournaud, 1929-10-01, Notes : romans et récits
  6. Aux couleurs de Rome, par Valery Larbaud, by Marcel Arland, 1938-07-01, Essais critiques
  7. Chargé par M. Valery Larbaud de remettre au Musée Charles-Louis-Philippe..., by G. Jean-aubry, 1939-08-01, Documents
  8. Valery Larbaud eut l'idée d'écrire Gaston d'Ercoule vers 1906, quand il avait..., by Robert Mallet, 1954-03-01, articles
  9. Journal inédit, de Valery Larbaud (Gallimard), by Odile de Lalain, 1955-04-01, Notes : la littérature
  10. Valery Larbaud, by Marcel Arland, 1957-03-01, articles
  11. Je voudrais remercier Valery Larbaud, by Claude Roy, 1957-09-01, Rencontres
  12. Notes sur le style de Valery Larbaud, by Roger Nimier, 1957-09-01, Autour de l'écrivain
  13. Une suite à la Lettre de Lisbonne de Valery Larbaud, by Paul Morand, 1957-09-01, Le voyageur en divers pays
  14. Essai de bibliographie chronologique de Valery Larbaud, by Jacqueline Famerie, 1957-09-01, Bibliographie
  15. Valery Larbaud, que la légende veut grand voyageur, était en vérité un sédentaire..., by Frida Weissman, 1962-07-01, Textes

Chronological distribution of texts published in the NRF (1908-1968)

This chart shows the chronological distribution of texts across the four categories defined above: Texts, Notes, Translations, and Texts about the author.

Bibliography of texts published in the journal Commerce

The texts below, published in the journal Commerce, are grouped into two sets: texts by Valery Larbaud and texts translated by the author.

Texts by Valery Larbaud

  1. Ce vice impuni, la lecture (p. 63-102), été 1924 [158 p.]
  2. Présentation (p. 123-124), été 1924 [158 p.]
  3. Lettre à deux amis (p. 59-88), automne 1924 [188 p.]
  4. Préface (p. 173-180), automne 1924 [188 p.]
  5. Lettre d’Italie (p. 235-285)), hiver 1924 [258 p.]
  6. Sir Thomas Wyat (p. 129-145), printemps 1925 [188 p.]
  7. Notes sur Maurice Scève (p. 211-214), automne 1925 [232 p.]
  8. Notes sur Maurice Scève (p. 225-231)), automne 1925 [232 p.]
  9. Le vain travail de voir divers pays (p. 29-79), hiver 1925 [208 p.]
  10. Ecrit dans une cabine du sud-express (p. 37-57), printemps 1926 [200 p.]
  11. Rues et visages de Paris (p. 31-60), été 1926 [204 p.]
  12. Quelques notes sur Antoine Héroët (p. 184-194)), automne 1926 [194 p.]
  13. Sur le rebut (p. 135-146), printemps 1927 [200 p.]
  14. Le miroir du café Marchesi (p. 61-76), automne 1927 [196 p.]
  15. Deux artistes lyriques (p. 111-136), printemps 1928 [210 p.]
  16. Actualité (p. 23-28), été 1928 [210 p.]
  17. Une nonnain (p. 27-70), automne 1928 [174 p.]
  18. Note sur Nathaniel Hawthorne (p. 89-98), hiver 1928 [256 p.]
  19. Le patron des traducteurs (p. 107-184), automne 1929 [224 p.]
  20. Note sur Sir Thomas Browne (p. 187-188), automne 1929 [224 p.]
  21. Trois belles mendiantes (p. 7-30), printemps 1930 [260 p.]
  22. Du sel ou du sable (p. 101-118), été 1930 [196 p.]
  23. Le vaisseau de Thésée (p. 17-78), printemps 1932 [198-(VI) p.]

Translated texts by Valery Larbaud

  1. James Joyce, Ulysse-fragments (p. 125-158), été 1924 [158 p.]
  2. Archibald MacLeish, Poèmes (p. 128-131), automne 1925 [232 p.]
  3. Emilio Cecchi, Aquarium. Kaléidoscope (p. 127-133 / 137-147), été 1926 [204 p.]
  4. Bruno Barilli, Trois essais (p. 145-156), hiver 1926 [200 p.]
  5. Archibald MacLeish, Poèmes (p. 44-51), été 1927 [236 p.]
  6. Ricardo Bachelli, Trois divinités sur les Apennins (p. 145-151), été 1927 [236 p.]
  7. Liam O’Flaherty, Barbara la Rouge (p. 173-193), automne 1927 [196 p.]
  8. Liam O’Flaherty, L’aviron (p. 81-93), automne 1928 [174 p.]
  9. Nathaniel Hawthorne, Idées et germes de nouvelles (p. 101-111), hiver 1928 [256 p.]
  10. Bruno Barilli, Vieille Parme (p. 203-230), printemps 1929 [230 p.]
  11. Alfonso Reyes, Les herbes du Tarahumara (p. 68-77), été 1929 [216 p.]
  12. S.T. Coleridge, Opinions sur Sir Thomas Browne (p. 189-195), automne 1929 [224 p.]
  13. Sir Thomas Browne, Chapitre V de "Hydriotaphia" (p. 197-215), automne 1929 [224 p.]

Bibliography of texts published in Les Cahiers de la Pleiade

The texts below, published in Les Cahiers de la Pleiade, are grouped into three sets: texts by Valery Larbaud, texts translated by the author, and texts about the author.

Texts by Valery Larbaud

  1. "Éloges", été-automne 1950 [188 p.]
  2. Gwenny-toute-seule, hiver 1950-1951 [214 p.]

Texts about

These texts may include thematic studies about the author, correspondence, reading notes on works by or about the author, or works translated by the author.

  1. Poème pour Valery Larbaud by Saint-John Perse, été-automne 1950 [188 p.]
  2. Valery Larbaud by Roger Nimier, hiver 1950-1951 [214 p.]
  3. Message pour Valery Larbaud by Saint-John Perse, automne 1951-printemps 1952 [204 p.]