The philosophy and marvelous cynicism of Emil Cioran. 1974.

Emil Cioran

Autographed letter signed to Gabriel Matzneff.

Two octavo pages. Autograph envelope.

Paris. March 19, 1974.

"I hope your book will spark an epidemic of divorces, and that in doing so you will have accomplished not only the work of a writer but also that of a benefactor."

The Romanian philosopher has just read Gabriel Matzneff's book, Isaiah Rejoice , and draws from it a most cynical moral.

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“Dear Sir, ‘I was talking about marriage, about marriage…’ Rozanov’s words have haunted me for years, and now I find them again at the beginning of this Isaiah [Isaiah, Rejoice], which reads like a diary, or rather, like the record of your secrets. Another phrase—this one from Blake—about the ‘hearse of marriage’ could also have served as an epigraph. To be perfectly honest, I would say that your book is only superficially an indictment; in reality, from beginning to end, it is a heart-wrenching experience. Hence its particular tone. Moreover, almost always, the reflections in parentheses go further than the narrative—which clearly shows that you are more yourself in the duality than in the immediate and the lived experience . Your idol, in short, should be less Byron than Leontieff. As for myself, I must confess that I lean toward the latter, although I know him poorly.” If I'm not mistaken, in the Romanian Orthodox Church, they sing: "Isaiah skips." This adds an important nuance. I hope your book will spark an epidemic of divorces, and that in this way you will have accomplished not only the work of a writer but also that of a benefactor. Yours sincerely, Cioran.

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