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#bouzingos
clove-pinks · 2 years
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Eighteen-Thirties Thursday: Newspapers and Their Readers
I am obsessed with this print by Victor Adam, Les journaux et leurs lecteurs, depicting the stereotype reader of various French newspapers, in the Rijksmuseum collection. Although it's dated c. 1830-1854, the clothing of the caricatures is very 1830s.
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A merchant reads Le Commerce. (Are his feet tucked into some kind of warmer?)
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Children read Le Journal des enfans.
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A rare look at working class people in fairly realistic portraiture: a grocer reads Le Constitutionnel and a grisette (younger working woman, often employed as a seamstress) reads La Gazette des Tribuneax.
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A man in knee breeches, in this economy? Of course he's l'ultra-royaliste reading La Gazette.
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Swanky, obnoxious outfit, long hair, reading Le Charivari illustrated magazine—it's a bousingot Romantic! The hat is characteristic.
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The fashionable man reads La Mode (and looks great doing it).
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pilferingapples · 6 days
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' why are my ancient ass posts going around again' and other terrifying tumblr life questions
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oldbookist · 2 years
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mfw i see romanticism trending on tumblr but it’s just dark academia aesthetics and not brawling in a theater or walking a lobster on a leash
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kin ask meme: you seem like a combeferre or a jehan!
Oh I definitely projected a little onto Combeferre in high school lmao. Think I also RPed him (badly) in this funky little Pinterest group (???) for like a month
Edit: I am assuming you meant Jehan Prouvaire, not Jehan Frollo du Moulin lmao
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fremedon · 2 years
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omg I want to ask SO many things about all your LM WIPs but: Wolf Interval?:D
Poetry Smash Bouzingo orchestra fic! Which so far doesn't even have Bahorel in it; this mostly exists as extensive notes towards an argument between Prouvaire and Combeferre over even temperament. (Combeferre thinks it's a mathematical marvel of the modern age, Prouvaire thinks it's a travesty, Grantaire takes Prouvaire's side even though he can't actually hear the difference: "If too many perfect fifths piled on each other sound like a howling animal to our ears, who are we to tame the wolf just because we can't tolerate that much perfection?")
I do very much intend to write the rest; I read a whole book on musical temperament just for this scene and I have opinions about it now.
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prudencepaccard · 3 years
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you know how cities have "Keep [City] Weird" campaigns?
that, but for Romanticism
never forget the Hernanistes, and Bouzingo, and eclecticism, and the grotesque, and Hugo just generally being a complete lunatic
@pilferingapples
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midautumnnightdream · 4 years
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The Bouzingo Dude made a reference to Tannhäuser riot of 1861, which was the first time I heard that name, so I looked it up and oh boy.
Tannhäuser (German: [ˈtanˌhɔʏ̯zɐ]; full title Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf Wartburg, "Tannhäuser and the Minnesingers' Contest at Wartburg") is an 1845 opera in three acts, music and text by Richard Wagner. /.../
Tannhäuser's first performance in Paris was given on 13 March 1861 at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opéra. The composer had been closely involved in its preparation and there had been 164 rehearsals. /.../
At the first performance the opera was initially well-received, with disturbances including whistling and cat-calls beginning to appear in Act II, and becoming prominent by the end of the third act. For the second performance much of the new ballet music was removed, together with some actions that had specifically provoked mockery, such as the piping of the shepherd in Act I. At this performance however the audience disturbances were increased. This was partly due to members of the wealthy and aristocratic Jockey Club, who objected to the ballet coming in Act I, since this meant they would have to be present from the beginning of the performance (disrupting their dining schedule). It was alleged that they distributed whistles to the audience. A further incentive to disruption was the unpopularity of Princess von Metternich and of her native country of Austria. At the third performance on 24 March (which Wagner did not attend) uproar caused several interruptions of up to fifteen minutes at a time. As a consequence, Wagner withdrew the opera after the third performance. This marked the end to Wagner's hopes of establishing himself in Paris.
― wikipedia
whaaa??
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theradioghost · 6 years
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What is the nerdiest academic or semi-academic thing you're into and what are your favorite facts related to said thing?
I think the answer might be my devotion to the lesser-known (at least in North America?) Romantic poets. I’ve got my Felicia Hemans rant, for one thing, but I’m also very fond of the Bouzingo? My favorite fact about the Bouzingo is literally everything on their Wikipedia page, and also that Petrus Borel Was A Werewolf, Maybe.
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Only a Romantic Army will stop the philistines.
Theophile Gautier was there at The Battle of Hernani to defend Victor Hugo’s 1830 play.
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aflamethatneverdies · 7 years
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Courfeyrac is very much There for various Romantic shenanigans, but he's a bit like Gautier with "But Practicalities??" Dancing wildly through the streets all night is an awesome concept, but his feet hurt and really he wanted to fall asleep hours ago? Anyone who thinks stealing a skeleton is a great idea has never tried to transport one through several quarters, in the dark, while keeping it more-or-less in one piece. (He has never quite forgiven Prouvaire for that one. (1/2)
Or Bahorel for laughing at him when the skull dropped on his foot. Or Combeferre for saying he deserved it while bandaging him up) (2/2)
I have nothing to add to this beautiful headcanon except this: 
Courfeyrac was draped over the sofa at a salon in the Latin Quarter, his eyelids drooping heavily, his hat askance, his cravat abandoned to some charming young woman. He refused the third cup of coffee that was offered to him.His head was spinning from lack of sleep and he was pretty sure he had just vomited on the fashionable Turkish rug in the middle of the room. He could not tell for sure, because time kept its warp pace and he had no idea how long he had been at this party, it could have been years or months instead of several hours, which his pocket watch showed. 
‘Is it fashionably late to make excuses to leave?’ he shouted to Bahorel amid the noise of the talk, ‘I’ve danced with charming young women for hours till my feet hurt, even participated in a cancan, which I suspect is illegal and drunk some of the punch and passed out, I think I’ve reached peak fun times.’ 
There were people talking, reciting poetry, putting on a dramatic performance. Someone was even juggling knives. In the far corner a piano was being played upon, rather badly. Courfeyrac who had taken piano lessons in his youth, because of his older sisters, could tell it was off-key and it pained him to hear it.    
Bahorel put away the pipe he was smoking and raised his eyebrows. He was thoroughly enjoying himself at this salon, he had acquired a reputation as an outrageous member of the petit cenacle. The young men and women flocked around him as he easily moved from talking about Robespierre to talking about art and theatre.  
He looked at Courfeyrac closely and noticing his friend’s haggard appearance and sleep deprived face said gently, ‘Can you walk? I’ll call a cab.’
As the cab rattled along the narrow streets, Courfeyrac lightly closed his eyes.
‘Why is it that I always find myself in impractical situations, with you two? Remember when you and Jehan asked me to help you in smuggling a skeleton across half of Paris?’
‘Vaguely.’ Bahorel said with a twinkle in his eyes. 
Courfeyrac was wide awake now, ‘I should write a manual on how to transport skeletons: Bouzingo edition. First, don’t get caught in the rain while supporting the damn thing. Second, make sure you have a good excuse when dealing with curious gendarmes and no, this is the skeleton of a pretty young lady who is now haunting Paris as a ghost and we hope to unite her with her lover, does not count, be sure to inform Jehan of that. Thirdly, do I need to continue?’ Courfeyrac said as they reached his lodgings. 
Marius was still not home from wooing his lady love, a good thing, Courfeyrac thought as they collapsed on the bed, he would have hated to have woken his roommate up. 
‘Thirdly,’ Courfeyrac said with more emphasis, ‘Don’t let the skull fall on your feet while trying to navigate the streets in the dark and have your friends laugh at you.’
‘I am chastened and ashamed, I did not mean to, Courfeyrac.’ Bahorel said with a dramatic flourish which made Courfeyrac think his friend would have made a better Hernani than any living actor in Paris. 
Bahorel helped Courfeyrac to clean up and discard his hat, shoes and waistcoat. Courfeyrac slipped into his bed and smiled, ‘It was a good joke, running around with the skeleton. I tell this story to everyone, they laugh and I enjoy it. Though, it was less comforting to end up with a broken foot and having to explain to Combeferre how it was I got the injury. I wish to pay him back for the insult. He had the nerve, the absolute nerve….’ 
‘For what?’ Bahorel was grinning. 
‘To say that I had deserved it.’ Courfeyrac said ruefully, ‘The worst part was that he wasn’t actually wrong.’          
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amelancholycharm · 7 years
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FRENCH ROMANTICS FANDOM FRIENDS!!!
First, an apology for Dropping Out Of Society for a while there - I started a new job in September which I LOVE - but has been pretty much CONSUMING MY LIFE UTTERLY...
Which brings me to my request:
Next week, for aforementioned Awesome New Job, I get to run a cool workshop  in which I’m going to try to recreate, in some small way, a bit of the Wild Bouzingo Lifestyle (to the extent possible in 2.5 hours a day with high school students.)
We plan to to Saunter, Write And Draw Things, drink coffee, observe people, sing in public, dress up, etc. etc, - maybe even take our pet lobsters for a walk in the park, who knows.
But first I want to set the scene! I need some   brief stories & readings that will give these guys a taste of what we’re trying for without making them feel like it’s Homework.  I don’t want to overwhelm, just develop a vivid image of what these guys were like.  
SO....
Hit me with your favorites - anecdotes, quotations, poetry, the works - what do YOU think would help these crazy kids feel like it’s 1830 all over again????
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clove-pinks · 1 year
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"Sir Walter Scott?" I laugh coldly, studying you with detached scorn. "Is that really the best you can do? Not even Coleridge?"
You attempt to reply—but too late! The elegant walking stick in my hand is now leveled at your breast.
"BOUZINGO BOUZINGOT BOUSINGO!" I chant the words in a stentorian voice and the air crackles with an arcane force not seen since the reign of Louis XIII.
Speechless, you gasp as your waist is constricted by unseen powers. Atop your head, your new silk hat squeals in protest as it collapses in on itself to form a conical shape; the fabric of your sleeves strains in the opposite direction, swelling to form mounds of virago.
I smile blandly at your predicament.
"Un peu chargée," I observe, regarding your transformation.
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with apologies to @pilferingapples
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pilferingapples · 1 year
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Bousingo Fashion: Rash Waistcoats and Scarlet Opinions
something of a companion piece to my recent post on Romantic fashions, dealing with a subset of it --specifically, the Bousingo style, or. What Would Bahorel Wear?  
( @badassindistress​, this is for you XD)
First, for those who’ve missed my other rambles on the Bousingo/Bouzingo/Bousingots group, a quick description of their general Deal, from Jehan Valter’s account of the  premiere of Hugo’s le roi s’amuse:
No doubt, the Bousingots had fought at Hernani and broke their share of seats, but ...The Bosingouts alone were at the barricades of 1832. There is the difference between them and the Jeune-France,... while the Young-France, inspired by the Byronnian sadnesses, hid their health and their good humor under elegiac and morbid exteriors, while they were satisfied with the freedom of the enjambement, and that they dreamed of revolutions as those of art, the Bousingots manifested political sentiments of extreme violence at least in form.
There’s a LOT of room to debate this description, but it gets across the general contemporary view of the group: the street-fighters types of Romantic republicanism, or of Republican romanticism; whichever side of it you like to emphasize.  The stereotype of their character was...well, Bahorel,pretty much to the letter. Hugo knew what he was writing, down to the Rash Waistcoats. Bahorel dresses Bousingo!  which means a very identifiable and politically loaded style But what exactly did that look like?
Let’s get some more 19C quotes in here!
" ...(there was) Pétrus Borel, in “bousingot” costume of insulting originality*: Marat* waistcoat, and a pointed hat with long ribbons, descending in the middle of the back.." (Jehan Valter's account of the opening night of le Roi s'amuse)
He could be spotted from afar by his pointy, wide-brimmed grey hat, his goatee, his long hair, by his enormous red cravat that clashed with the white lapels of his Marat-style waistcoat...- George Sand, Horace
There’s already a lot going on here, but let’s start with: 
Rash Waistcoats
...the best fellow possible; he had rash waistcoats, and scarlet opinions... (LM 3.4.1)
So as far as I’ve been able to tell, a Marat waistcoat is a waistcoat with really, REALLY Extra lapels. Based on , of course, Marat, as seen in this image:
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(ID: noted French revolutionary Marat wearing an extravagantly loose cravat, and a furry...jacket? with wide, spotted lapels. Very Wide. Almost sticking out further than his arms. He’s gonna put someone’s eye out with those things./end ID)
I *think* those are coat lapels--but the waistcoat named after him seems to be based on that look. Lapels for days! (note: a “Robespierre” waistcoat, like Grantaire wears, seems to be the same idea- a waistcoat with wide lapels--but not as exaggerated, and with a different cut.  Like so :
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(ID: a bright red waistcoat with lapels that reach almost to the arm-scye /end ID) And you can read more about them at this excellent post! )
George Sand’s Bouzingot wears a white Marat waistcoat,but red was a more iconic color. And a very specific red! Let’s fire up the quotes again!
" In order to avoid wearing the infamous red of '93, I had admitted a slight admixture of purple into the dye, for I was very desirous not to be suspected of any political intention. I was not an admirer of Saint-Just and Maximilian Robespierre, as were some of my comrades..." -Theophile Gautier, A History of Romanticism 
The “infamous red” to avoid was scarlet, the color Bahorel definitely wears: 
Bahorel, who was like a fish in water in a riot...wore a scarlet waistcoat, and indulged in the sort of words which break everything. His waistcoat astounded a passer-by, who cried in bewilderment:--
"Here are the reds!"
The Beards
“It was my beard that saved us! my romantic beard! my pretty little romantic beard!"- Les Miserables, 3.8.12
A beard ,fine,silky,full,scented with benzoin,and cared for as a Sultan's beard might be,... A beard ! A very ordinary matter in France nowadays,but at that time there were but two in the country : Eugène Devéria's and Petrus Borel's . It required absolutely heroic self - possession and contempt of the multitude And mark that when I say beard , I do not mean mutton-chop or fin-shaped whiskers,or a tip or a tuft,but a genuine,full,complete beard,one to make a man shudder . -Theophile Gautier, A History of Romanticism
In the 1820s and 1830s (especially early 1830s) beards were incredibly Out. Men of Proper Society simply Did Not Wear Them,  Oh, they had facial hair--but not beards. 
I need you all to understand how silly this dividing line got, so I made a Diagram: 
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(ID: a rough sketch of a face, showing, in order, sideburns, a moustache, a neckbeard, and all three combined; these are in green and labeled “fine”. one face has a small soulpatch-level goatee, labeled “Risky, Satan’s Chin Patch”.  The last shows a short but fully connected beard, with  facial hair covering the entire jawline, labeled “Anarchy, Riot, Doom” /End ID)
The Full Beard was Iconically Romantic and especially iconically Bouzingo Romantic, as you’ll see when we hit the caricatures. Oh boy, are there gonna be caricatures. 
The final part of this is the hat--and here, I think, it’s time to move into contemporary (and near-contemporary) illustrations. First , a fairly Subdued version of two Bouzingo meeting: 
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(ID: two Bouzingo talking closely, with a Secret Handshake. They are wearing the clothes described in this post. Behind them  a policeman gestures angrily. /end ID)
I love this picture (and would love to know the provenance!) ! You can see the Marat waistcoat lapels, the beard on the one on the left, and, of course, the signature Pointy Hat. Imagine those lapels in bright scarlet, those trousers in plaids, black, or white, and the jackets in either bright blue or dark black for maximum waistcoat contrast, and you’ve got a good mental image of how this would have looked at the time. 
...You can also see the police officer telling them to move along. “Hostile Police Interaction”is also an iconic part of the Bousingo look, for obvious reasons. 
Here are some more fairly realistic, and sympathetic, pictures; these are illustrations of Laraviniere, the “Bouzingo” character in George Sand’s Horace. 
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Beard, long hair, pointed hat, extravagant but loose cravat,  “Robespierre” style lapels sticking out, tight plaid pants, solid cane for whomping people in fights? It’s the whole package baby! 
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I gotta include this picture too, because “naked , having grabbed a carpet, so you can come out and fight with landlords and cops” is also an Iconic Bouzingo Look. I am extremely not joking. If you’re going to care at all  about propriety , you can’t be Bousingo, and at least one group (and that led by Borel, Bahorel’s most direct inspiration) did run a nudist commune for a while!
These images are reasonably realistic,even sympathetic, portrayals. Now let’s get to the caricatures, and how people who didn’t like them saw all this. This is some of my favorite stuff, it’s hilarious:
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Image: Caricature (un peu chargée) d’un “bousingot” romantique  This image, leaning heavily on the Romantic associations of the Bouzingo, brings in that Medieval-style dress I mentioned. Apart from the hat and beard, this guy doesn’t have anything particularly Bousingot about his outfit; the dramatic ruff and doublet-esque cut of his coat could go for any Romantic. But I love this picture , look how ticked off he looks!XD
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I have no idea if this illo, titled “Old and New”, was supposed to be insulting, but I think it’s really charming! It’s a French Revolution-era revolutionary-- Robespierre-striped coat, knee breeches, wig or powedered hair, little cockades, etc,-- meeting a then-”new” Bouzingo, in striped trousers, a broad-lapeled tricolor waistcoat, a wide-brimmed “sombrero” type hat (also a solid Bouzingo fashion choice) , full beard (but super short hair--the other way that fashion ran,it’s either long or basically a canon-level buzzcut), and 1830s coat. The old Revolutionary carries a neat cane, and appears to be opening a snuffbox; the Bouzingo carries a fightin’ stick, and appears to be smoking a pipe made with a crowned skull holy shit I love it.  And they’re getting along just fine!  I have no idea if the vibe is supposed to be “The kids are all right! carrying on the banner!” or “ Look,the Youth of Today is trying to bring back that awful Revolution!” but either way the affinity between generations has me charmed.  (and again, we see the strong perceived political aspect to Bouzingo fashion!)
Now a couple of definitely unflattering images:
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Above, from an article about “newspapers and their readers”: a Bouzingo reads Le Charivari!  as @clove-pinks​ said on the post that introduced me to this image: “Swanky, obnoxious outfit, long hair, reading Le Charivari illustrated magazine—it’s a bousingot Romantic! “ Again we’ve got the hat, the beard, the loud pants, the stick (I am dying at the stick placement omgggg) -- but you can see how the negative take on them frames them as poor (everything here is patched and broken) , dirty, and menacing. 
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One more, from the same source as “Old and New”:  a whole darn group! Again, there’s the outfit geared to be provocatively tricolor, the broad sombrero style hats, a friggin Phrygian cap, a heavy stick , and beards all around. Note though the wide array of colors, especially the guy in a pink hat in the background!:D 
So there’s Bouzingo/Bozingo/Bousingo etc fashion for you! Right at the intersection of Aggressively Political and Dramatically Romantic, bright, brash-- but still leaning into (then) modern styles. This look was about knowing the modern dress code enough to send very clear and specific messages; in this case, “Ready, willing, and able to throw down for the republic at any moment”. It could be toned up or down , but it was always  LOUD (Bouzingo Means Noise!!) and it was meant to be a legible message to anyone who’d been in Paris for five minutes.  Anyone wearing this outfit (a) knows how to do Style, and they’ve chosen to wear this look , and (b) is a fighter, or is about to become one, because oh,you will get punched in this outfit.  Or arrested. Or punched and then arrested. 
But you’re gonna look incredible when it happens. 
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Dear Fellow Romantics, Bohemians, Bouzingos and Other Terrorizers of Polite Society!
Are you ready to go to war against censorship and classicism? Do you wish to defend artistic freedom? Are you just itching for a good old-fashioned theatre riot?
Join Hugo's Romantic Army in the name of freedom, justice and true art!
Here is your red ticket! Spread the word and bring as many trustworthy allies as you can!
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The Battle Plans:
Meet up on Slack on Saturday July 1st at 4pm GMT
Wear your flashiest outfit! Preferably with lots of red!
The show will be 1h25min plus intermission (barring interruptions due to classicist counterattacks)
It is in French but subtitles will be provided
If you need to know more, contact me or consult this pamphlet.
(... Okay if you have no idea what I’m talking about, we’re watching a 2002 French TV movie called La Bataille d’Hernani which is about the stormy events surrounding the premier of Victor Hugo’s play Hernani in 1830.)
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I'm getting a history-lover vibe from you. Yes? No? Subjects of interest?
Yes, very much so!  (Was it the sudden T.E. Lawrence spam yesterday that gave it away? :P)  I am interested in quite a few areas of history.
I love the age of sail, especially the golden age of piracy, though I seem to have picked up more about the Royal Navy at that time than about the actual pirates due to my love of Norrington from POTC.  (One time I got to infodump about naval discipline to my friend group; I don’t think they knew what they were getting into.)  Sea-stories hold a great deal of interest for me in both literature and film.  Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3 are some of my all-time favorite movies.  I love the history of the Mutiny on the Bounty (and I will heartily defend the 1962 film over the 1935 one despite the former’s inaccuracies).  I’m also a big fan of Stevenson’s Treasure Island, and Disney’s Treasure Planet was my CHILDHOOD JAM.  Finally, I’m always here for a good Errol Flynn swashbuckler like Captain Blood or The Sea Hawk.
The French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars are also really fun to learn about.  I particularly love the Sharpe and Hornblower series even though I technically haven’t finished either one yet, whoops.
Thanks to my love of Les Misérables, I know rather a lot about 1830s Paris.  A few years ago I wrote a massive research paper on the bouzingos, or Jeunes-France, the first self-proclaimed avant-garde movement which came to inspire the “bohemian artist” archetype.  The members got up to some truly legendary shenanigans, the most famous of which included drinking alcoholic foam/cream out of (arguably real) human skulls, holding impromptu brass concerts in the yard while naked, stirring up theatergoers to protest Classicism, and more.  Also, Gérard de Nerval once walked his pet lobster on a ribbon in the public square.
As mentioned earlier, one of my more recent subjects of interest is T.E. Lawrence, or “Lawrence of Arabia” (how he hated that epithet!).  He came to play an important role in the Arab Revolt during WWI, aiding its original leaders in organizing and leading various guerrilla military campaigns, and later fighting hard (if unsuccessfully) to ensure that the Arab leaders got what they had been promised by the English and French.  He was an immensely interesting (and concerningly relatable) man who acted and experienced terrible things during the war, yet remained heroic despite his reluctance to admit as such.  He was friends with some of the most influential figures of the time, many of whom remembered him very fondly.  Lawrence’s two books, Seven Pillars of Wisdom and The Mint, are modern classics in their own right and I can’t recommend them enough!  As if that wasn’t cool enough, the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia is consistently ranked among the best movies ever made.
Other areas of interest include World War I poets (e.g., Siegfried Sassoon, Robert Graves, and Wilfred Owen, partly because of Lawrence’s friendship with the first two), the Vikings, the American Revolution, and film history.
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@pilferingapples a réagi à votre billet“I want to write some e/r really bad. Everything is pointing them to me...” Prompt, if you want one!: the two of them talking about their friends? :D
“There you are,” said Grantaire, as if Enjolras hadn’t been in the same room as him for the past several hours. “I had to speak to you on a most pressing and urgent matter.” 
Enjolras was too comfortable, that night, to be wary of Grantaire’s words, and let him sat on the arm of his chair, just a tad too close for polite society. 
“Is that so?” he asked calmly. 
“I had to tell you,” declared Grantaire, “that you’ve chosen the worst possible people to follow you on your path to Utopia. I was just yesterday speaking with them all; I suppose they are no bad company, if you look at the surface - all of them make for acceptable drink companions, with an honorable mention for Bahorel, who never forgets to buy a glass to a comrade in need, but when you probe deeper, and I had to, didn’t I, now that I am firmly pledging myself to the Republic and all that, you are left with some terrible, terrible facts. I want to spare you, but a man like you can bear any truth; from the ashes of friendship you will rise more splendid again, and when the time of betrayal have passed -”
Enjolras move his hand to rest of Grantaire’s wrist, knowing all too well how long such a rant could last if he let Grantaire keep going. 
“Are you referring to the fact that nobody could join you to go to the theater yesterday, R?” he asked, making sure to keep a neutral face. 
Grantaire scoffed; “Monsieur Enjolras, you hurt me to believe me so frivolous! I am referring to the fact that Monsieur Joly cares more about his mistress than his poor friend in need, and that Monsieur Bossuet cares more about Joly and Joly’s mistress, which is quite worst. Monsieur Combeferre’s head is stuck in chimeras, Monsieur Bahorel pretends he has taste and yet flirts with Bouzingos, Monsieur Prouvaire follows Monsieur Bahorel, and has to nerve to say those people are more exciting than any play - and do not get me started on Monsieur de Courfeyrac, who is the worst of them; Between a tragedy and an embarrassing comedy, he chooses the comedy and goes to Pontmercy. Now pray tell, how can you trust any of these men ever again, when you know how easily distracted they are, and how they leave a trusted friend, on his own, with several theater tickets...!”
Enjolras’s lips twitched. Still, he said, very seriously: “It will be quite difficult to replace all those gentlemen. If you were so kind as to come to me to tell me the truth about them, I hope you’ve already thought of a few others to replace them. People as gentle as Prouvaire and Combeferre will be needed, as warm as Courfeyrac, as bold as Bahorel, as persuasive as Bossuet, and as friendly as Joly. I can only be grateful Feuilly did not offend; our cause will have then lost too much.”
Grantaire only offered him a grave, serious face, completely ruined by the delighted glint in his eye: “Enjolras, for the Republic, for France, you must be strong. I did not speak of Feuilly because I did not wish to hear the name ever again - you must understand; the awful man has dared to say he had read Phèdre before, and had not cared for it at all.”      
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