Nord-Sud: Amérique; Angleterre; Corse; Spitzberg by René Bazin

(3 User reviews)   5738
By Robert Nguyen Posted on Dec 11, 2025
In Category - World Cultures
Bazin, René, 1853-1932 Bazin, René, 1853-1932
French
Hey, I just finished this incredible book from 1903 that's part travelogue, part adventure, and part social commentary. It's called 'Nord-Sud' and it's a collection of journeys by this French writer, René Bazin. He goes from the sweltering heat of America to the icy wilderness of Spitzberg (Svalbard), and everywhere in between. The real magic isn't just where he goes, but *how* he sees it. He writes about the people he meets—fishermen, farmers, immigrants—with such vivid detail, you feel like you're right there with him. It's not a dry history book; it's a window into a world that was changing fast, seen through the eyes of a curious and thoughtful observer. If you love armchair travel with real heart, you need to check this out.
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In the plain text version Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Small caps are represented in UPPER CASE. The sign ^ represents a superscript; thus e^ represents the lower case letter “e” written immediately above the level of the previous character. The musical files for the musical examples discussed in the book have been provided by Jude Eylander. Those examples can be heard by clicking on the [Listen] tab. This is only possible in the HTML version of the book. The scores that appear in the original book have been included as “jpg” images. In some cases the scores that were used to generate the music files differ slightly from the original scores. Those differences are due to modifications that were made by the Music Transcriber during the process of creating the musical archives in order to make the music play accurately on modern musical transcribing programs. These scores are included as PNG images, and can be seen by clicking on the [PNG] tag in the HTML version of the book. Obvious punctuation and other printing errors have been corrected. New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain. * * * * * THE ART OF MUSIC The Art of Music A Comprehensive Library of Information for Music Lovers and Musicians Editor-in-Chief DANIEL GREGORY MASON Columbia University Associate Editors EDWARD B. HILL LELAND HALL Harvard University Past Professor, Univ. of Wisconsin Managing Editor CÉSAR SAERCHINGER Modern Music Society of New York In Fourteen Volumes Profusely Illustrated [Illustration] NEW YORK THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF MUSIC [Illustration: The Singing Angels] _Altar piece by Hubert and Jan van Eyck_ THE ART OF MUSIC: VOLUME SIX Choral and Church Music ROSSETTER GLEASON COLE, M.A. Introduction by FRANK DAMROSCH, Mus. Doc. Director Institute of Musical Art in the City of New York Conductor, Musical Art Society of New York, etc. [Illustration] NEW YORK THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF MUSIC Copyright, 1915, by THE NATIONAL SOCIETY OF MUSIC, Inc. [All Rights Reserved] PREFATORY NOTE The field of choral and church music is so vast and the subject so inclusive that the author has felt the constant pressure of the necessity for sifting and abbreviating and condensing the voluminous material at hand in order not to go far beyond the prescribed limits of this volume. He has resolutely shut his eyes to the allurements of the many by-paths that constantly beckoned away from the historical highway he was appointed to tread; and he has endeavored to keep this object constantly in mind--to trace the development of the forces and tendencies from which have sprung the various musical forms that have gone to make up the literature of choral and church music as century followed century. In this volume, therefore, the great personalities of musical history will receive far less attention than the particular musical forms and art-tendencies that flowed from their, oft-times, combined creative activities. While a large number of choral and organ works of every class have been analyzed with much detail and a still larger number given definite classification, it is hoped that the historical summaries and the discussions of styles and periods, scattered throughout this volume, will be even more helpful to the reader in enabling him to place any given musical work in its true musical, as well as historical, perspective. It is a matter of some regret that from sheer lack of space several interesting and wholly relevant topics--such as hymnology, contemporaneous church music, the whole relation of music to the present-day church, etc.--must be left untouched. In the chapters on contemporaneous choral music, it was necessary...

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René Bazin's Nord-Sud is a collection of travel essays that takes you on a whirlwind tour of the early 20th century. He doesn't just describe places; he immerses you in them.

The Story

There isn't a single plot, but a series of adventures. Bazin travels from the bustling, industrial cities of America and England to the rugged, traditional life of Corsica, and finally to the stark, frozen landscapes of the Arctic Spitzberg. Each section is a self-contained snapshot. He might be observing the struggle of new immigrants in New York one chapter, and then detailing the perilous life of a Corsican shepherd the next. The 'story' is the journey itself—the contrast between the modernizing North and the traditional South, and the human stories found in both.

Why You Should Read It

Bazin has a gift for making you care about the people he meets. His writing is quiet and observant, not flashy. He’s genuinely interested in how people live, work, and survive in such different environments. Reading it today is fascinating because you're seeing our modern world in its infancy. You get the excitement and anxiety of that era—the rise of machines, the movement of people, and the timeless challenges of nature. It’s thoughtful without being preachy.

Final Verdict

Perfect for readers who love classic travel writing, history seen from the ground level, or anyone who just wants to escape into a beautifully described, faraway place. It’s for the patient reader who enjoys rich description and human insight over fast-paced action. If you’ve ever wondered what the world felt like over a century ago, Bazin is your guide.



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Brian Wilson
3 months ago

From the very first page, the character development leaves a lasting impact. One of the best books I've read this year.

Mark Walker
4 months ago

Enjoyed every page.

Jackson Clark
5 months ago

Based on the summary, I decided to read it and the plot twists are genuinely surprising. Absolutely essential reading.

5
5 out of 5 (3 User reviews )

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