Napoleon and His Gardens with Dr. Ruth Scurr
“What a pity to see a mind as great as Napoleon’s devoted to trivial things such as empires, historic events, the thundering of cannons and of men; he believed in glory, in posterity, in Caesar; nations in turmoil and other trifles absorbed all his attention . . . How could he fail to see that what really mattered was something else entirely?’
Paul Valéry, Mauvaises Pensées et Autres (1942)”
In this interview Ruth Scurr told me about Napoleon’s double relationship with the gardens. On the one hand Napoleon was interested in botany and gardens satisfied his inherent scientific curiosity. On the the other hand, however, Napoleon viewed gardens as a space for reflection, contemplation and where he could have deep philosophical conversations.
Paul Valéry wrote that it ‘is a pity to see a mind as Napoleon’s devoted to trivial things such as empires, historic events, the thundering cannons…
In that quote Valéry essentially is asking us: What path would Napoleon choose if he decided not to become a military genius?
This is a question, that I believe, Dr. Ruth Scurr explores in her brilliant book Napoleon: A life in Gardens and Shadows
FOLLOW RUTH SCURR
OTHER BOOKS BY RUTH SCURR
ARTICLES BY DR. RUTH SCURR
Veronese's "Wedding Feast at Cana" at the Louvre.
I have been following Dr. Scurr’s book reviews and articles on The Times Literary Supplement for a long time. You can find some of my favourite pieces by her below:
Her review of Cynthia Saltzman’s book on Napoleon and Art.
When the Undead Return: How Literature Represent Disappearance of Men and Women
