I heard Maupassant and Renoir were friends too. Maupassant asked Renoir why he saw everything in rose (ie optimistically) to which Renoir asked in return why his friend saw everything in noir (ie dark and tragic). This story maybe apochryphal.
Love the topic. Hopefully this is the first in a series. Also find feuds among famed novelists fascinating. The one between Lillian Hellman & Mary McCarthy comes to mind.McCarthy famously said of Hellman “Every word she writes is a lie-including”and”and”the.”
I love that quote from McCarthy😁 I have two more videos like this planned and maybe one more that's just about a feud between authors (not caused by a book). Thanks Joni.
It's so weird you made this video, as I'd intended to read The Masterpiece this year. Also, I recently read a mystery by M. L. Longworth called, 'The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne', in which Zola and their friendship is mentioned. It was a pretty good book, so it got me thinking about that Zola book too. Serendipity. Thanks for the video Brian!
Oh I hope I didn't give too much away about The Masterpiece. I am determined to read more Zola, but I didn't love The Masterpiece. Thanks you for your comment Barbara.
Thank you Kier. I think Cezanne's success came shortly after The Masterpiece was published which is pretty ironic I think. Its almost like Cezanne got the last laugh.
This was really interesting, I really love this video. I've not read this Zola novel, but I will now. I quite like Zola, but this sounds a little nasty, so i want to try and understand.
Thanks Scott This was only my second Zola. The portrayal of the Claude/Cezanne character was pretty nasty, but Zola's portrayal of himself as the character Sandos did more damage to what I thought about the book.
Fascinating history, thank you for your videos! I find it quite interesting how cezanne replies thank you for your nov and doesn’t reference that it was about him or react angrily. A modern writer would put an open letter in the press or go on twitter to attack. Instead these two just fell out and didn’t speak again! I look forward to the Vonnegut and farmer vid!
Great video. If it hasn’t been suggested already, John la Carre and Salman Rushdi is an interesting one, though I’m not sure they were ever really friends
if I'd been in cezanne's place I would've kicked zola to the curb years before the final break reminds me of joan jett song fake friends where she sings you don't lose when you lose fake friends actually believe cezanne is more esteemed as a painter than zola is as writer now shows there are many different paths to success and it's never too late unless you're actually dead
I do think Cezanne kind of got the last laugh. I suspect Cezanne's occasional financial reliance on Zola kept him from telling him off. Thanks for watching Frank.
This was awesome! Very well researched but still very engaging!! Philip Jose Farmer and Kurt Vonnegut's friendship also ended over a book one of them wrote! I hope this is a series you continue!
Thank you Mo. I did not know that about Vonnegut and Farmer. I will have to look into that one. I have two more of these types of videos in mind but would enjoy doing more. So thanks for the heads up on Phil and Kurt.
I am fascinated by friendships and their ups and downs. This was great, Brian. My favorite literary feud is captured in a book about Vladimir Nabokov and the critic Edmund Wilson. They were great friends but broke up because VN didn't think EW's regard for his writing was positive enough. Their correspondance is captured in a book. (Some) writers and their egos!
Oooh, thanks for that info about Nabokov and Wilson. I'll look into that. I suspect that Wilson lost more than one friend over issues like this. I'm not sure how a novelist and a critic can stay friends. Thanks Sonya
I have been meaning to read the book, Zola and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal, which is about another great literary friendship that fell apart. Any interest in buddy reading that at some point?
A great video. I recently went to an exhibition of Cezanne's work and they spoke of his friendship with Zola and its ending. Cezanne was very single minded about pursuing certain subjects, which didn't become popular until later in the 19th century. However, his work did start to sell and his adherence to the new style, now known as Post-Impressionism paid off during his life-time as well as now. Cezanne had to keep his relationship with his girlfriend secret because his father would have withdrawn his stipend if he had known. Leading to Cezanne's family living on a single man's pocket money which was very difficult. I have never read any Zola where do you think I should start?
Thank you for all the information about Cezanne. I read a short biography of him which informed some of my video. It seemed to me that Zola and Cezanne had their falling out just before Cezanne's work began to gain some popularity and he some success. This was only my second Zola novel. I started with Germinal which I really liked.
Thank you, Brian!🌷What a nice surprise! I had not thought about The Masterpiece since I tried to read it a couple of years ago. I remember enjoying it until I couldn’t stand reading about Claude’s cruel treatment of his wife and, especially, his child. I knew of Zola’s friendship with Cezanne and the fracture this novel caused between them, and this was an additional reason for me to read it. Thank you for reminding me of it. I may pick it up again.
Thank you Emma. I did not love the novel and the descriptions of Claude's cruelty to his wife and son, the neglect of their son in particular, were tough to read. I thought the book on the whole was ok, but knowing that the Sandos character represented on Zola himself I found the depiction of Sandos as the long suffering ,true friend to be a bit irritating.
@@BookishTexan Hi Brian😊I see that I read two thirds of the novel, but I honestly can’t remember what I thought of Sandoz. I’ve just reread a description of Claude’s and Christine’s walk along the Seine on a sunny winter afternoon, which I had highlighted at the time. Zola can bring a landscape to life before our eyes, like Cezanne does it with his brush.
I heard Maupassant and Renoir were friends too. Maupassant asked Renoir why he saw everything in rose (ie optimistically) to which Renoir asked in return why his friend saw everything in noir (ie dark and tragic). This story maybe apochryphal.
That's a good story whether absolutely true or not. Thanks Jim.
Love the topic. Hopefully this is the first in a series. Also find feuds among famed novelists fascinating. The one between Lillian Hellman & Mary McCarthy comes to mind.McCarthy famously said of Hellman “Every word she writes is a lie-including”and”and”the.”
I love that quote from McCarthy😁
I have two more videos like this planned and maybe one more that's just about a feud between authors (not caused by a book).
Thanks Joni.
Obstinate
It's so weird you made this video, as I'd intended to read The Masterpiece this year. Also, I recently read a mystery by M. L. Longworth called, 'The Mystery of the Lost Cezanne', in which Zola and their friendship is mentioned. It was a pretty good book, so it got me thinking about that Zola book too. Serendipity. Thanks for the video Brian!
Oh I hope I didn't give too much away about The Masterpiece. I am determined to read more Zola, but I didn't love The Masterpiece.
Thanks you for your comment Barbara.
What a fun topic for a video!
I’m having fun with the series.
It looks like the best way for a writer to lose friends is to make them flawed characters in a novel…
But what if the person sees themselves but that wasn't the author's intent??? 🤷🏻♀
It does seem to be effective.🤓
You have to be tough to be friends with a writer.🤓
@@BookishTexan Really?? I thought you had to be tough to be a writer! lol
Very interesting. I’ve never read Zola (nor Balzac), but I’ve seen plenty of Cezanne. 😅 Can’t say I blame him for the cordial handshake so to speak.
I don't blame him either. I was actually impressed by how restrained Cezanne's response to the novel was in that letter.
Thanks David.
That is so interesting and sad. And by the looks of it, Cezanne became successful after all.
Thank you Kier. I think Cezanne's success came shortly after The Masterpiece was published which is pretty ironic I think. Its almost like Cezanne got the last laugh.
This was really interesting, I really love this video.
I've not read this Zola novel, but I will now. I quite like Zola, but this sounds a little nasty, so i want to try and understand.
Thanks Scott
This was only my second Zola. The portrayal of the Claude/Cezanne character was pretty nasty, but Zola's portrayal of himself as the character Sandos did more damage to what I thought about the book.
Fascinating history, thank you for your videos! I find it quite interesting how cezanne replies thank you for your nov and doesn’t reference that it was about him or react angrily. A modern writer would put an open letter in the press or go on twitter to attack. Instead these two just fell out and didn’t speak again! I look forward to the Vonnegut and farmer vid!
I need to look into the Farmer v Vonnegut feud. Thanks for your comment.
I'm learning a lot of stuff about my (albeit deceased) fellow countrymen... Stuff I feel like I should know. Thanks!
I wish I knew more about both men, but somehow I have fallen out of the habit of reading biography.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
Thanks for this. Fascinating.
Thanks Roz
😢 Now I want to read a good biography about Cézanne. Thanks Brian.
Thank you Alba. I’ve only read a short one that concentrates more on the reproduction of pictures than the biography.
Great video. If it hasn’t been suggested already, John la Carre and Salman Rushdi is an interesting one, though I’m not sure they were ever really friends
I was aware of their spat, but I'm not sure it was over a book so much as a review. I will look into it. Thank you for the suggestion.
if I'd been in cezanne's place I would've kicked zola to the curb years before the final break reminds me of joan jett song fake friends where she sings you don't lose when you lose fake friends actually believe cezanne is more esteemed as a painter than zola is as writer now shows there are many different paths to success and it's never too late unless you're actually dead
I do think Cezanne kind of got the last laugh. I suspect Cezanne's occasional financial reliance on Zola kept him from telling him off.
Thanks for watching Frank.
What a well told story! My mouth had fallen open by the end. Zola certainly had opinions that he wanted to share. 😅
Zola wasn’t afraid to voice his opinions though some restraint might have made him a better friend in this case. Thanks Jay.
You're reading Zola?!? Yay!
This was my second Zola and am ready for the next!
Thanks Alba
This was awesome! Very well researched but still very engaging!!
Philip Jose Farmer and Kurt Vonnegut's friendship also ended over a book one of them wrote!
I hope this is a series you continue!
Thank you Mo.
I did not know that about Vonnegut and Farmer. I will have to look into that one. I have two more of these types of videos in mind but would enjoy doing more. So thanks for the heads up on Phil and Kurt.
Which book??!
I am fascinated by friendships and their ups and downs. This was great, Brian. My favorite literary feud is captured in a book about Vladimir Nabokov and the critic Edmund Wilson. They were great friends but broke up because VN didn't think EW's regard for his writing was positive enough. Their correspondance is captured in a book. (Some) writers and their egos!
Oooh, thanks for that info about Nabokov and Wilson. I'll look into that. I suspect that Wilson lost more than one friend over issues like this. I'm not sure how a novelist and a critic can stay friends.
Thanks Sonya
And I found you on our birthday--happy birthday, Sonya!! 🧁
@@MargaretPinard and happy birthday to you! Thanks, Margaret. I had a nice day and hope you did too.
@@anenthusiasticreader It was wonderful--better than any in recent memory, in fact. Not sure why, but I'll take it! 🥰
I have been meaning to read the book, Zola and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal, which is about another great literary friendship that fell apart. Any interest in buddy reading that at some point?
That sounds great! When would work best for you?
@@BookishTexan I am pretty flexible - so whenever works for you. Summer?
@@StephanieJCohen July is best for me I think. I'll send you a voxer message.
A great video. I recently went to an exhibition of Cezanne's work and they spoke of his friendship with Zola and its ending. Cezanne was very single minded about pursuing certain subjects, which didn't become popular until later in the 19th century. However, his work did start to sell and his adherence to the new style, now known as Post-Impressionism paid off during his life-time as well as now. Cezanne had to keep his relationship with his girlfriend secret because his father would have withdrawn his stipend if he had known. Leading to Cezanne's family living on a single man's pocket money which was very difficult. I have never read any Zola where do you think I should start?
Thank you for all the information about Cezanne. I read a short biography of him which informed some of my video. It seemed to me that Zola and Cezanne had their falling out just before Cezanne's work began to gain some popularity and he some success. This was only my second Zola novel. I started with Germinal which I really liked.
I love Therese Raquin (I am French, I am not sure they kept the title in English). It is short, but powerful in the way it moves towards the ending.
@@BookishTexan I will see if Germinal is on Librovox. Someone suggested Therese Raquin as well. Thank you.
@@estellemondine7712 Merci bien je vais essayer a regarde le livre
Thank you, Brian!🌷What a nice surprise! I had not thought about The Masterpiece since I tried to read it a couple of years ago. I remember enjoying it until I couldn’t stand reading about Claude’s cruel treatment of his wife and, especially, his child. I knew of Zola’s friendship with Cezanne and the fracture this novel caused between them, and this was an additional reason for me to read it. Thank you for reminding me of it. I may pick it up again.
Thank you Emma. I did not love the novel and the descriptions of Claude's cruelty to his wife and son, the neglect of their son in particular, were tough to read. I thought the book on the whole was ok, but knowing that the Sandos character represented on Zola himself I found the depiction of Sandos as the long suffering ,true friend to be a bit irritating.
@@BookishTexan Hi Brian😊I see that I read two thirds of the novel, but I honestly can’t remember what I thought of Sandoz. I’ve just reread a description of Claude’s and Christine’s walk along the Seine on a sunny winter afternoon, which I had highlighted at the time. Zola can bring a landscape to life before our eyes, like Cezanne does it with his brush.
@@emmavd YES! I thought the love story between Claude and Christine was charming and the landscape descriptions excellent.