21.1.05

Ela: A Mulher Mais Malvada da Literatura

Do LLL:

"Estou pra fazer um post digno sobre ela há meses. Ayesha, ou Ela, é a mulher malvada paradigmática da literatura e inspirou boa parte das rainhas, vilãs e femme fatales do século XX. Para qualquer um minimamente interessado no tema, Ela, de H. Rider Haggard, é leitura obrigatória.

 ElaEla ainda vai merecer um post decente. Ora, Ela merece uma vida inteira de servidão e devoção da parte de qualquer homem, quem dirá um mero post!

Por enquanto, escrevi essas linhas rápidas pra dizer que a nova (e belíssima) edição brasileira está sendo vendida pelo Submarino com R$20 de desconto (de R$50 por R$30).

Mais uma vez, se esse tema lhe interessa, nem que seja minimamente, vá lá dar uma olhada no livro, é uma excelente chance de comprá-lo. E eu ainda ganho uma comissãozinho, claro. Ela

Depois não diga que não avisei.

No trecho abaixo, talvez o meu preferido, Ayesha acaba de matar a esposa do homem que ela desejava e agora o seduz cruelmente sobre o corpo ainda quente daquela que morreu para defendê-lo!:
"And once more she stretched out her arms and whispered "Come," and then in another few seconds it was all over.

I saw him struggle--I saw him even turn to fly; but her eyes drew him more strongly than iron bonds, and the magic of her beauty and concentrated will and passion entered into him and overpowered him-- ay, even there, in the presence of the body of the woman who had loved him well enough to die for him. It sounds horrible and wicked enough, but he should not be too greatly blamed, and be sure his sin will find him out. The temptress who drew him into evil was more than human, and her beauty was greater than the loveliness of the daughters of men.

I looked up again and now her perfect form lay in his arms, and her lips were pressed against his own; and thus, with the corpse of his dead love for an altar, did Leo Vincey plight his troth to her red- handed murderess - plight it for ever and a day. (...)

Suddenly, with a snake-like motion, she seemed to slip from his embrace, and then again broke out into her low laugh of triumphant mockery.

"Did I not tell thee that within a little space thou wouldst creep to my knee, oh Kallikrates? And surely the space has not been a great one!"

Leo groaned in shame and misery; for though he was overcome and stricken down, he was not so lost as to be unaware of the depth of the degradation to which he had sunk."