Valvèdre

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Valvèdre George Sand Translated and with an Introduction by Françoise Massardier-Kenney State University of New York Press Published by State University of New York Press, Albany© 2007 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384 Production by Judith Block Marketing by Fran Keneston Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Sand, George, 1804–1876. [Valvèdre. English] Valvèdre / George Sand ; translated with an introduction by Françoise Massardier-Kenney. p. cm. — (SUNY series, women writers in translation) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-7059-6 (hardcover : alk. paper) ISBN-13: 978-0-7914-7060-2 (pbk. : alk. paper) I. Massardier-Kenney, Françoise. II. Title. PQ2411.V413 2007 843'.8—dc22 2006025534 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 To My Son This story originated from an idea that we savored together, that we drank, so to speak, at the same spring: the study of nature. You expressed it first in a scientific study that is soon to appear in print. I express it in turn and in my own way in a novel. This idea, which seems to be as old as the world, is, however, a fairly new conquest of the times in which we are living. During long centuries, man took himself for the center and the goal of the universe. Today we are taught a more accurate and broader notion. Several people profess it brilliantly . As fervent followers, we shall also bring our grain of sand because this notion needs to go through many minds in order to gradually do everyone the good that it contains. It can be summarized in a few words that your book explains and that mine will attempt to demonstrate: “getting out of oneself .” It is lovely to do this together as we have so often done. ...