Fruits of the Earth - Gide

The French writer,

André Gide,

Nobel Laureate in Literature in 1947, wrote "

The Fruits of the Earth" while suffering from tuberculosis. In the form of a long letter or discourse to an imaginary correspondent - Nathanael, an idealized disciple and companion - it appears to be a hymn to the intoxicating pleasures of everyday life, truly appreciable only by someone close to death, for whom each breath is miraculous. It speaks of sensations such as the taste of blackberries, the flavor of lemons, and the peculiar feeling that one can only obtain in the shade of certain well-kept gardens. The central idea is that we should let our senses guide us, without any repression, without any anguish: traveling without a destination, savoring every small detail that nature reserves for our pleasure. Gide wrote "The Fruits of the Earth" while still young and managed to infuse his work with an intensity and sense of urgency that few writers have achieved.