This book is a classic novel by French writer André Gide, which describes a love story with a tragic ending. The protagonist has been in love with her cousin since she was a child. Although she also has the same feelings for the protagonist, she adheres to the self-restraint of the Puritans. She firmly believes that only in God can she find happiness, and she also fully hopes to bypass the earthly world with her lover and reunite with God. In a crazy religious mood, she even regards her own existence as the biggest obstacle for the protagonist to pass through the "narrow gate" and approach God. In order to let her lover reach the other side of heaven more freely and obtain something better than the ordinary happiness that love can give, she buried her feelings deeply in her heart, and eventually she became ill from worries and died unfortunately.
Reader comments
This book made me feel the same way. As a girl who has been single for many years, I have also been looking for love. The description of love in the book is very delicate and made me see my own reflection. The author Andre Gide is really great. He portrays the inner world of the protagonist so deeply. Just like what the book says, "In my life, I can't find any other meaning except love." I have always been looking forward to the appearance of the person who can make my life meaningful. This book made me believe that love is worth waiting for.
Because I love you, I can't meet you.
What touched me the most in this book was that he didn't have the straightforward expression of desire in other love novels. The most climactic scene of holding hands, the sentence "My hand is not comfortable in your hand, even if you don't let go, I will let go."
Perhaps it is because of cherishing that I have a deeper understanding of love.
Just like the title of the book, The Narrow Gate, eternal love is not a narrow gate.
Since I don't often read foreign works, I didn't understand the details of this book, such as Alyssa's abandonment. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about what would have happened if Jerome was braver, but there are often no ifs in love. It is undoubtedly a tragedy that two people who deeply love each other go around in circles without achieving success, but this is also the core of the tragedy, isn't it? The value of tragedy is immeasurable. Tragedy is often hidden in inadvertent corners of the garden. It is the time when both parties overestimate each other because of missing each other. We also miss our lover and over-imagine his appearance and mood. When I saw the embarrassment and silence between the two of them when they first met, I wanted to laugh it off, but the subsequent failures made me almost foresee this. Regarding the ending of lovers, they are not Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare's works, but they are also separated by a deep gap. They fell in love in their youth, separated and reunited in their youth. At this point, I discovered that the male protagonist is not without courage. In fact, he has given Alyssa unwavering love. It is not that they have different views, but the fantasy of love has given each other too much decoration. Make the more sensitive party fearful and hesitant. This also reminds me of myself. I chose to avoid that love when I was the most youthful, which makes me regret even thinking about it now. Just like what was written in "Journey to the West", there was once a true love in front of me, but I didn't cherish it, but now... Things have changed. Alyssa and Jerome are destined to be close to each other, but they are destined to be close to pain, and they are far away from each other, but they are also far away from happiness. At this point, I feel that there is no real comedy. The core of comedy is actually tragedy. Maybe Jerome will recall this memory someday, in a sunny garden, in a breeze, painful, happy, and covered with a layer of gold in the memory. This girl he loved so much must be happy somewhere in the world.
"Actually, I knew we were not suitable for each other very early on, but I still rejected everyone and walked with you through a fruitless road. Although it didn't last long, it was unforgettable for a lifetime. It's really sad to think about it. I can't keep you or let you go."
Looking at this book so far, not everyone may be able to relate to it. It is undeniable that Alyssa loves the male protagonist deeply, but it seems that the closer she gets, the more painful she becomes. Her expectations and desires for love all come from him, but the pain and entanglement that comes with it also come from him. This is a complicated, obscure and passionate love. The male protagonist also loves Alyssa, but it seems that it is only on the surface. He loves her in his imagination and ideal. In fact, the real contact with Alyssa is very little, and it is more of a reflection of his heart towards a beautiful partner.
This book may have more and deeper insights for those who are on the sidelines, doubtful, hesitant, and unable to easily express their inner thoughts about love.
What makes Alyssa happiest is that they fell in love when they were young and recited beautiful poems under the beech tree. She resisted the marriage proposal and the daily necessities after marriage, and finally understood the words: You make my dreams misty and high, and all earthly happiness will destroy it. Alyssa quoted the Bible saying that they did not receive what was promised because God kept something better for them. What was promised should be earthly happiness, that is, marriage, and what is even better is the misty youthful dream held high: a midsummer night, talking about Keats and Shelley with the beloved and like-minded person.
Does "Strive to enter through the narrow gate" imply the difficulty of obtaining love? Alyssa mentioned in her diary that she longs for rising happiness, which is constantly approaching and never ending. Perhaps it means that she needs the happiness of the process more. Once she gets it, she will feel that she has no goal to continue working hard, but that's it.
"I am the only obstacle between God and him." Alyssa didn't want to be the person who hindered Jerome's progress. She loved Jerome who kept moving forward, not the person who idolized her and stagnated. In addition to loving me, his soul should have better pursuits.
This book is short in length and mainly describes in detail the love experience and inner feelings between the male and female protagonists.
But as I haven't had a date yet, I may have a bit of a straight attitude and don't understand why the heroine keeps rejecting the hero. Is it just because of her belief in the so-called virtues?
But it may also be due to excessive perfectionism in love, because a younger sister once also liked the male protagonist, so she had a grudge in her heart against this love that should have been pure and flawless. In the end, the sister and the hero cried when they talked about the heroine after meeting each other. I don't know whether it was because they were moved by the great love between the hero and the heroine, or because they have never let go of their love for the hero.
If the younger sister still likes the male protagonist, will the female protagonist's sister find out and become even more willing to sacrifice herself thousands of miles away from the male protagonist?
The gate is so narrow that only one person can go forward.
The narrow door is wide, but it cannot accommodate all living beings
The emotions of the protagonist are intertwined, and what Gide shows through a few characters is a beautiful blueprint of human nature. What is expressed through the bond between Alyssa and Jerome is different from the rampant emotions of the current fast-paced era. It is another kind of spiritual level of kindness and extremely pure love that is shown by the integration of religion. I believe that as long as you calm down and read it, you can feel the warm but desolate and broken dream that Gide weaves for the two protagonists.
Because of her childhood family misfortune, Alyssa valued religious belief above all else. She felt that worldly love would tarnish the purity of the soul. The "narrow door" to faith could only be walked alone. Even though she loved Jerome deeply, she deliberately alienated and refused to stay together, and finally spent her life in loneliness. Jerome has always regarded Alyssa as his perfect spiritual idol, blindly followed her footsteps, and turned love into a painful practice. It was not until Alyssa passed away that he discovered that her diary was filled with love for him. This belated truth made this relationship even more sad.
"The Narrow Gate"
Alyssa, what does your temporary fear mean? As soon as it made sense, I didn't know how to express it. I only heard the pain groaning in my heart. I love you so much that I become clumsy. The more I love you, the less I know how to communicate with you.
Everyone has a different view on love. The two protagonists think too much about love, and the road is simple.
True love is loving someone for who they are, not liking them because of certain traits.
Love is restraint? Tolerate? Silent? In the end, "love" is not just "persistence".
The most important thing in love is the two words "equality".
It's hard to describe in one sentence, witnessing that two people who love each other so much are going to separate, go on different paths, and go to death. I only hope that I will not experience such sorrow and pain, and I wish every couple who truly love each other the best.
The heroes and heroines of that era were so entangled, loving each other deeply and torturing each other!
I probably read this book yesterday morning. I finished it in two days. It's relatively short. Maybe the final ending made me feel a bit incomprehensible. I don't know why, but I was always sad when reading the latter part. I felt that Alyssa was running away in the end. I couldn't understand it. When she took out the necklace and asked Jerome to give it to her future daughter, I really burst into tears. I initially thought that when my sister was happy, the two of us could be together.
Shocking, heartbreaking, poignant
Alyssa fell in love with the imaginary male protagonist and cruelly killed her love. Is this the power of religion? Or is it virtue in her eyes?
Alyssa's family of origin, her mother's betrayal, and her father's helplessness, often confided in her, all of which had a great impact on Alyssa. She yearned for beautiful love, but was afraid that life would be a mess after marriage. She kept the most beautiful appearance of love and refused to move forward. She was entangled in religion and virtue, and finally ended in tragedy.
Narrow Gate, I think it's better not to leave. I feel that the last chapter of this book is a criticism of the restriction of lust in religion. Happiness is never perfect. We can't be afraid that happiness will become dull in the future, so we don't dare to be happy. The process of pursuing happiness is beautiful, but I want to pursue and get happiness.
It's extremely beautiful and touching. It only takes one or two hours to read.
I feel that the main thing is that I am too entangled in the contradiction between spirit and flesh. Both protagonists care too much about the projection of the other party's spirit in their own hearts.
Fierce devotion to God may not necessarily open the door of promise.
I really admire the heroine so much, she can restrain herself and bear the burden on her own
Love is not a man-made belief. There was no love in the world, it was just a man and a woman who agreed to stay together, felt comfortable, chatted, and got along, and then there was love.
Well written and translated, very delicious
Belief should not be the source of happiness
I have nothing to say except that I am sorry!
I haven't finished watching it yet. I'm halfway through and let me comment.
There are so many moments where I feel the same way
This book made me think deeply.
Needless to say, an eternal classic
Alas, things are different and people are not the same. Everything is fine. I want to shed tears first.
This book made me feel the same way. As a girl who has been single for many years, I have also been looking for love. The description of love in the book is very delicate and made me see my own reflection. The author Andre Gide is really great. He portrays the inner world of the protagonist so deeply. Just like what the book says, "In my life, I can't find any other meaning except love." I have always been looking forward to the appearance of the person who can make my life meaningful. This book made me believe that love is worth waiting for.
Because I love you, I can't meet you. What touched me the most in this book was that he didn't have the straightforward expression of desire in other love novels. The most climactic scene of holding hands, the sentence "My hand is not comfortable in your hand, even if you don't let go, I will let go." Perhaps it is because of cherishing that I have a deeper understanding of love. Just like the title of the book, The Narrow Gate, eternal love is not a narrow gate.
Since I don't often read foreign works, I didn't understand the details of this book, such as Alyssa's abandonment. While reading this book, I couldn't help but think about what would have happened if Jerome was braver, but there are often no ifs in love. It is undoubtedly a tragedy that two people who deeply love each other go around in circles without achieving success, but this is also the core of the tragedy, isn't it? The value of tragedy is immeasurable. Tragedy is often hidden in inadvertent corners of the garden. It is the time when both parties overestimate each other because of missing each other. We also miss our lover and over-imagine his appearance and mood. When I saw the embarrassment and silence between the two of them when they first met, I wanted to laugh it off, but the subsequent failures made me almost foresee this. Regarding the ending of lovers, they are not Romeo and Juliet in Shakespeare's works, but they are also separated by a deep gap. They fell in love in their youth, separated and reunited in their youth. At this point, I discovered that the male protagonist is not without courage. In fact, he has given Alyssa unwavering love. It is not that they have different views, but the fantasy of love has given each other too much decoration. Make the more sensitive party fearful and hesitant. This also reminds me of myself. I chose to avoid that love when I was the most youthful, which makes me regret even thinking about it now. Just like what was written in "Journey to the West", there was once a true love in front of me, but I didn't cherish it, but now... Things have changed. Alyssa and Jerome are destined to be close to each other, but they are destined to be close to pain, and they are far away from each other, but they are also far away from happiness. At this point, I feel that there is no real comedy. The core of comedy is actually tragedy. Maybe Jerome will recall this memory someday, in a sunny garden, in a breeze, painful, happy, and covered with a layer of gold in the memory. This girl he loved so much must be happy somewhere in the world.
"Actually, I knew we were not suitable for each other very early on, but I still rejected everyone and walked with you through a fruitless road. Although it didn't last long, it was unforgettable for a lifetime. It's really sad to think about it. I can't keep you or let you go."
Looking at this book so far, not everyone may be able to relate to it. It is undeniable that Alyssa loves the male protagonist deeply, but it seems that the closer she gets, the more painful she becomes. Her expectations and desires for love all come from him, but the pain and entanglement that comes with it also come from him. This is a complicated, obscure and passionate love. The male protagonist also loves Alyssa, but it seems that it is only on the surface. He loves her in his imagination and ideal. In fact, the real contact with Alyssa is very little, and it is more of a reflection of his heart towards a beautiful partner. This book may have more and deeper insights for those who are on the sidelines, doubtful, hesitant, and unable to easily express their inner thoughts about love.
What makes Alyssa happiest is that they fell in love when they were young and recited beautiful poems under the beech tree. She resisted the marriage proposal and the daily necessities after marriage, and finally understood the words: You make my dreams misty and high, and all earthly happiness will destroy it. Alyssa quoted the Bible saying that they did not receive what was promised because God kept something better for them. What was promised should be earthly happiness, that is, marriage, and what is even better is the misty youthful dream held high: a midsummer night, talking about Keats and Shelley with the beloved and like-minded person. Does "Strive to enter through the narrow gate" imply the difficulty of obtaining love? Alyssa mentioned in her diary that she longs for rising happiness, which is constantly approaching and never ending. Perhaps it means that she needs the happiness of the process more. Once she gets it, she will feel that she has no goal to continue working hard, but that's it. "I am the only obstacle between God and him." Alyssa didn't want to be the person who hindered Jerome's progress. She loved Jerome who kept moving forward, not the person who idolized her and stagnated. In addition to loving me, his soul should have better pursuits.
This book is short in length and mainly describes in detail the love experience and inner feelings between the male and female protagonists. But as I haven't had a date yet, I may have a bit of a straight attitude and don't understand why the heroine keeps rejecting the hero. Is it just because of her belief in the so-called virtues? But it may also be due to excessive perfectionism in love, because a younger sister once also liked the male protagonist, so she had a grudge in her heart against this love that should have been pure and flawless. In the end, the sister and the hero cried when they talked about the heroine after meeting each other. I don't know whether it was because they were moved by the great love between the hero and the heroine, or because they have never let go of their love for the hero. If the younger sister still likes the male protagonist, will the female protagonist's sister find out and become even more willing to sacrifice herself thousands of miles away from the male protagonist?
The gate is so narrow that only one person can go forward. The narrow door is wide, but it cannot accommodate all living beings
The emotions of the protagonist are intertwined, and what Gide shows through a few characters is a beautiful blueprint of human nature. What is expressed through the bond between Alyssa and Jerome is different from the rampant emotions of the current fast-paced era. It is another kind of spiritual level of kindness and extremely pure love that is shown by the integration of religion. I believe that as long as you calm down and read it, you can feel the warm but desolate and broken dream that Gide weaves for the two protagonists.
Because of her childhood family misfortune, Alyssa valued religious belief above all else. She felt that worldly love would tarnish the purity of the soul. The "narrow door" to faith could only be walked alone. Even though she loved Jerome deeply, she deliberately alienated and refused to stay together, and finally spent her life in loneliness. Jerome has always regarded Alyssa as his perfect spiritual idol, blindly followed her footsteps, and turned love into a painful practice. It was not until Alyssa passed away that he discovered that her diary was filled with love for him. This belated truth made this relationship even more sad.
"The Narrow Gate" Alyssa, what does your temporary fear mean? As soon as it made sense, I didn't know how to express it. I only heard the pain groaning in my heart. I love you so much that I become clumsy. The more I love you, the less I know how to communicate with you. Everyone has a different view on love. The two protagonists think too much about love, and the road is simple. True love is loving someone for who they are, not liking them because of certain traits. Love is restraint? Tolerate? Silent? In the end, "love" is not just "persistence". The most important thing in love is the two words "equality".
It's hard to describe in one sentence, witnessing that two people who love each other so much are going to separate, go on different paths, and go to death. I only hope that I will not experience such sorrow and pain, and I wish every couple who truly love each other the best.
The heroes and heroines of that era were so entangled, loving each other deeply and torturing each other!
I probably read this book yesterday morning. I finished it in two days. It's relatively short. Maybe the final ending made me feel a bit incomprehensible. I don't know why, but I was always sad when reading the latter part. I felt that Alyssa was running away in the end. I couldn't understand it. When she took out the necklace and asked Jerome to give it to her future daughter, I really burst into tears. I initially thought that when my sister was happy, the two of us could be together.
Shocking, heartbreaking, poignant
Alyssa fell in love with the imaginary male protagonist and cruelly killed her love. Is this the power of religion? Or is it virtue in her eyes? Alyssa's family of origin, her mother's betrayal, and her father's helplessness, often confided in her, all of which had a great impact on Alyssa. She yearned for beautiful love, but was afraid that life would be a mess after marriage. She kept the most beautiful appearance of love and refused to move forward. She was entangled in religion and virtue, and finally ended in tragedy.
Narrow Gate, I think it's better not to leave. I feel that the last chapter of this book is a criticism of the restriction of lust in religion. Happiness is never perfect. We can't be afraid that happiness will become dull in the future, so we don't dare to be happy. The process of pursuing happiness is beautiful, but I want to pursue and get happiness.
It's extremely beautiful and touching. It only takes one or two hours to read.
I feel that the main thing is that I am too entangled in the contradiction between spirit and flesh. Both protagonists care too much about the projection of the other party's spirit in their own hearts.
Fierce devotion to God may not necessarily open the door of promise.
I really admire the heroine so much, she can restrain herself and bear the burden on her own
Love is not a man-made belief. There was no love in the world, it was just a man and a woman who agreed to stay together, felt comfortable, chatted, and got along, and then there was love.
Well written and translated, very delicious
Belief should not be the source of happiness
I have nothing to say except that I am sorry!
I haven't finished watching it yet. I'm halfway through and let me comment.
There are so many moments where I feel the same way
This book made me think deeply.
Needless to say, an eternal classic
Alas, things are different and people are not the same. Everything is fine. I want to shed tears first.