A Glimpse of France

顾德隆The Commercial Press · ChinaOct 2021

Rating 3.5
Word count
35K words
Chapters
19

Tags

Parenting Human GeographySocial ObservationChildhood EducationFamily BondsDaily ReflectionsIllustrated GuidePopular NarrativeExotic CultureCross-Cultural ViewLocal Customs

Summary

French children are a happy lot. In families of every class, children are always cherished and carefully looked after. Some say French children are given too much freedom and are bound to go astray. That is indeed a debatable question. But one thing is certain: these children not only give their parents a great deal of trouble, but also make guests, seeing them at their naughty tricks, feel a little annoyed.

Editor's review

This is a short book of observations on France written by Gu Delong, a scholar of the Republican era, reissued in a newly edited edition by the Commercial Press. Its value lies not in systematic historical exposition but in capturing the texture of daily life through a firsthand gaze. It opens with how French children are raised, moving from family matters into a discussion of national character, in a plain style tinged with an onlooker's mild irony, preserving the prose charm of an older generation of men of letters. Its reflections on the dialectic of children's freedom and discipline, and on family relations, still offer cross-cultural points of reference today. Brief and easy, it suits reading on a journey or before sleep, giving a concrete rather than stereotyped impression of "Frenchness." For readers who enjoy Republican-era travel writing and cultural essays, this little book is a gentle and textured entry point; those expecting rigorous sociological analysis or current French statistics will find it thin.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. Start with the opening passage on child-rearing to grasp the book's method of discussing national character through details of daily life.
  2. Carry it with you and read a section or two on commutes or before sleep; there is no need to finish it in one sitting.
  3. Jot down comparisons with child-rearing in present-day China as you read, building your own comparative notes.
  4. If some historical background is unfamiliar, do not dwell on it; first take in the author's observational stance and tone.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 第一章 和英国的关系
  3. 第二章 诺曼底
  4. 第三章 几个诺尔曼城
  5. 第四章 布勒塔尼
  6. 第五章 圣安赎罪节
  7. 第六章 巴黎
  8. 第七章 森河岸边的巴黎
  9. 第八章 法国的家庭
  10. 第九章 法国的男孩子
  11. 第十章 法国的农民
  12. 第十一章 征兵
  13. 第十二章 罗亚尔河沿岸
  14. 第十三章 坎密扎德教徒的故乡
  15. 第十四章 葡萄园
  16. 第十五章 隆德
  17. 第十六章 法国南部
  18. 第十七章 橄榄出产地
  19. 第十八章 伦河上的几个城

FAQ

Is this book a systematic history of France? No. It is closer to a Republican-era scholar's observational essays on French life, beginning from everyday details such as child-rearing and family relations to discuss impressions of French national character, rather than a chronological general history. It is best read as cultural essays, not used as a history textbook.
Can I read it without background knowledge of France? Yes. The book is short and plainly written, and does not depend on specialized background. The author mostly starts from concrete scenes of daily life, and readers can follow his observations into the text. If you encounter an occasional old translation or historical reference, skipping it will not affect the overall reading.
Why does it begin with French children? According to the opening of the book, the author holds that French families of every class cherish and carefully look after their children, while the degree of children's freedom often draws outside comment. Using child-rearing as an entry point makes it easy to move from relations within the family to a discussion of national character; this is also the book's method of seeing the large through the small.

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法兰西一瞥 顾德隆

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About the author

顾德隆 Author

Gu Delong is an author about whom very little public information is available; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. What can be confirmed is that three of his works are held in the collection: A Glimpse of France, A Short History of the United States, and A Glimpse of Switzerland, which suggests that his writing interests lie mainly in world history and country profiles. These works introduce the historical development and social features of France, the United States, and Switzerland in a concise style; they are popular readings intended for general readers, modest in length and focused on readability. His works have also been classified under parenting, indicating that his writing is not limited to history and geography. Overall, Gu Delong is an author known for popular introductory works; his output is small, and further material remains to be discovered.