From H.A. Taine, Paris, October, 1871

2-24-06 Character



H.A. Taine, The French literary critic, writes in the Introduction to his "History Of English Literature" that there are three essential things that form a person's Character: Race, Milieu, & Climate. The first time I read this in the UCSB Library I experienced a kind of epiphany. I knew this by osmosis it seems. But I had never said it aloud to myself or anybody else. If you have time, Dear Reader, go to your library some day and read that once Famous Introduction. It is a brilliant passage. I cannot say now how dated it might have become. And I do not vouch for an author's private beliefs---his religion or his politics. I judge an author by the intelligence & generosity of his views. Later, I sometimes find out the most alarming things. He was a member of the Nazi Party. Or: he was a dyed in the wool advocate of hard-core Communism of the blood-spilling brand. That does not necessarily change my mind concerning The Worth of a true undissimulating Creator. (It may or it may not). His or her politics & religion may be diametrically opposite of my own. So what? What makes me so right about Everything? Of course I believe that non-violence is absolutely Necessary in the formation of any stable society. In all events, your curiosity will be richly rewarded if you take the trouble of reading the Introduction to Monsieur Taine's magisterial History of E.L. Many of the very best books in my life I have stumbled across accidentally-on purpose while searching for other specific books that became useless to me. And,-----this part is cricial-----they were almost always books nobody had ever assigned me to read or bothered to point out to me.

Thanks!

RLG