Memoir in Two Voices
New York: Arcade Publishing, 1996. 1st English Language Edition [stated]. First Printing [stated]. Hardcover. 22 cm. [12],177, [3] pages. Footnotes. Corner of two pages folded and straightened, DJ slightly soiled. Francois Mitterrand decided to talk openly about his life, both personal and political. President for fourteen years, longer than anyone else in the history of the French Republic, Mitterrand was interested not in constructing an elaborate memorial to himself in words but in leaving behind a living testament. He therefore turned to someone whom he knew and trusted, Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, a close friend of many years, to join him in a vibrant, vigorous exchange. The topics they discuss are childhood, faith, war, power, writing, and those moments that shape and sometimes define us as people. Mitterrand and Wiesel's dialogue is spontaneous, thoughtful, lyrical, blunt, far-reaching, and candid, whether it involves controversial moments in Mitterrand's political career, Wiesel's memories of Auschwitz, the importance of family and religion in their lives, or simply their favorite books and walks. Derived from a Kirkus review: A dialogue between two friends who have been prominent 20th-century figures on such topics as childhood, faith, war, and literature. The contrasts between the French president Franáois Mitterrand and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel resound more emphatically than any similarities. It was Mitterrand who came to doubt the existence of a supreme being after experiencing the cruelties of WW II. Wiesel accepts that certain things may be beyond human understanding. While Mitterrand has been sympathetic to Jews and the Jewish state, he expresses considerable empathy with the Palestinian cause. The book's last two sections involve discussions on literature and power. The writer generously draws from the politician his ideas about creativity and does not offer his own theories on the dynamics of leadership. Indeed, Wiesel is often playing the role of the admiring interviewer here, but the more profound and readable comments are his. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: War, Faith, Childhood, Power, Literature, Writing, WWII, Nazis, Soldiers, Politicians, Holocaust, Auschwitz, Religion, Interviews
ISBN: 1559703385
[Book #25986]
Price: $37.50