Summary of Beauty on EarthÂ
Juliette, a young girl with a Swiss father and a Cuban mother, arrives in a Swiss village to stay with her uncle, who runs a tavern on the shores of Lake Geneva. Her outstanding beauty unsettles the small community and casts a spell on the local men. Juliette is not interested in their attention and seeks refuge with Rouge, an elderly fisherman who lives by the lake.
Reasons to read Beauty on EarthÂ
“Beauty on Earth” is a captivating and highly symbolic novel, narrated through shifting perspectives, about the nature of beauty and foreignness and their destabilising effects on people. Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz is regarded as one of the greatest francophone Swiss writers, though he remains relatively unknown to English-speaking readers. Other notable works by Ramuz include the novels “Great Fear on the Mountain” (“La grande peur dans la montagne”) and “When the Mountain Fell” (“Derborence”). He also wrote the libretto for “The Tale of the Soldier” (“Histoire du soldat”), a theatrical work with music by Igor Stravinsky. The prestigious Swiss “Grand prix C.F. Ramuz”, awarded every five years, honours his legacy.
Setting: Lake Geneva (Switzerland)
Original title: La Beauté sur la terre
Year of publication: 1927
Nr of pages: 224
