Moderato Cantabile

By Marguerite Duras

ISBN: 978-1-84749-052-0

First published 1958

122 pages

Publisher: Les Éditions de Minuit / oneworldclassics.com

Translated by Richard Seaver

4/5 Stars

Intriguing short novel translated from the French original.

A tale of forbidden passion, unleashed by the tragic events that have unfolded at a café.

Marguerite describes a little industrial french coastal town. Factories, chimneys, canals, boats, docks, workers. Anne Desbaresdes is the name of the protagonist.

There is a child, there is a café, there are music lessons – music demands conformity. Anne endures the sniping from her child’s music teacher, “you ought to be ashamed Miss Desbarades…”

Anne longs to break free.

“I’m afraid” Anne Desbaresdes says, again and again.