Teleny o il rovescio della medaglia (Fogli volanti) di Oscar Wilde COVER BOOK

Teleny o il rovescio della medaglia

(Fogli volanti)

di Oscar Wilde

In cosa consiste il fascino irresistibile di Teleny, giovane pianista ungherese ugualmente conteso fra donne bellissime e uomini dell'alta società? A chi offrirà finalmente il suo corpo e la sua anima per vivere per sempre in nome del piacere e delle cose belle di cui ama circondarsi? Questo romanzo, nel quale è a tratti evidente la mano anticonformista e tagliente di Oscar Wilde, racconta una vicenda pervasa da un erotismo estenuato, sottile e a tratti ben oltre il limite del sopportabile, con crude descrizioni di atti sessuali però mai fini a se stesse. In controluce il desiderio di cercare, e trovare, una pace interiore e dei sensi duratura. Amori senza freni in un crescendo di colpi di scena. E un finale, quello di Teleny, da togliere letteralmente il fiato...  

 https://www.amazon.it/Teleny-rovescio-della-medaglia-volanti-ebook/dp/B00GM4XWKS#reader_B00GM4XWKS

Teleny (titolo originale Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal) è un romanzo pornografico, a tema omosessuale, pubblicato per la prima volta a Londra (e poi a Parigi) nel 1893. L'autentica paternità dell'opera rimane a tutt'oggi sconosciuta: ambientato nella capitale francese alla fine dell'800, narra la tragica storia d'amore tra il giovane Camille ed il pianista ungherese René Teleny.

La questione Wilde

Anche se in realtà l'autore o gli autori sono sconosciuti si è cercato di attribuire tale opera a Oscar Wilde, ma nell'opera il suo tratto caratteristico non si riscontra in nessun passaggio. La University of British Columbia di Vancouver ha acquistato all'asta, nel gennaio 2015, una delle cinque copie originali di Teleny.

Teleny, or, The Reverse of the Medal, is a pornographic novel, first published in London in 1893. The authorship of the work is unknown. There is a general consensus that it was an ensemble effort, but it has often been attributed to Oscar Wilde. Set in fin-de-siècle Paris, its concerns are the magnetic attraction and passionate though ultimately tragic affair between a young Frenchman named Camille de Grieux and the Hungarian pianist René Teleny. The novel is one of the earliest pieces of English-language pornography that focuses explicitly and near-exclusively on homosexuality (following The Sins of the Cities of the Plain, published in 1881). Its lush and literate, though variable prose style and the relative complexity and depth of character and plot development share as much with the Aesthetic fiction of the period as with its typical pornography.

History of publication

Wilde's authorship, while unproven, is claimed by erotic bookseller and pornographer Charles Hirsch, "A few days later one of the young gentlemen I had seen with [Wilde] came to collect the package. He kept it for a while and then brought it back saying in turn: 'Would you kindly give this to one of our friends who will come to fetch it in the same person’s name'". Hirsch recounts three further repetitions of this "identical ceremony" before the package made its way back to Wilde. Hirsch defied the strict instructions not to open the package while it was in his care, and claims that it was written in several different hands, which lends further support to his supposition that it was authored in "round robin" style by a small group of Wilde's intimate associates. Neither Wilde's authorship nor editorship has ever been ascertained.
By 1893, the manuscript had made its way into the hands of Leonard Smithers, who since 1892 had been in business with Harry Sidney Nichols, Smithers serving primarily as an "entrepreneurial" liaison between "authors, publishers, and distributors". Smithers and Nichols were aligned with William Lazenby, Edward Avery, and Charles Carrington, in a small and tightly interwoven group of late Victorian publishers heavily involved in the production and distribution of pornography in London and Paris. Smithers worked extensively in the 1890s with Wilde and his circle, as is indicated by the title of James Nelson’s book on Smithers, Publisher to the Decadents. Lisa Sigel claims that unlike most pornographers, who were eager to preserve their anonymity for reasons of respectability and safety, Smithers "embrace[d] public scrutiny" and managed to earn some renown for encouraging and orchestrating the collaboration of Wilde and Beardsley on Salomé. From 1892-1894 Smithers and Nichols released, among other projects, a series of pornographic novels under the imprint Erotika Biblion Society. Teleny was published 1893 as part of this series in a limited edition of 200 copies, with significant edits by Smithers, including the omission of an introduction and a change in the setting from London to Paris. Smithers promoted it in an advertisement, sent to a select group of subscribers, as "undoubtedly, the most powerful and most cleverly written erotic Romance which has appeared in the English language during recent years," authored by "a man of great imagination…[who] has conceived a thrilling story." And: "It is a most extraordinary story of passion, and while dealing with scenes which surpass in freedom the wildest license, the culture of its author’s style adds an additional piquancy and spice to the narration". Judged by the traditional literary standards of plot, character, suspense, variation, style, etc. which usually find pornography lacking, Teleny stands apart from its contemporaries as the "most powerful and most cleverly written erotic Romance."
Hirsch published a translation into French in Paris in 1934 shifting the locale back to London.
A paperback edition from Icon Books came out in 1966. This was an expurgated version due to the laws regarding obscene publication in effect at the time. In the introduction to that edition, readers are advised that if they wish to see the complete text they can in the British Museum, where a copy is kept in the Private Case. In 1986, it was published in London by Gay Men's Press in the series Gay Modern Classics; Wordsworth Classics published it in 1995 in their series Wordsworth Classic Erotica^{[citation needed]}. The most recent edition, edited by Amanda Mordavsky Caleb, was published by Valancourt Books in 2010. A comic book adaptation by Jon Macy entitled Teleny and Camille was published by Northwest Press in 2010, which won the 2010 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Erotica. In May 2014, Melbourne's Fly-On-The-Wall Theatre presented a stage production of Teleny adapted by playwright Barry Lowe, directed by Robert Chuter.

Plot summary

The story begins with Des Grieux attending a concert with his mother; he experiences strange and suggestive visions during one piano performance – by the beautiful Hungarian Teleny. Des Grieux becomes fascinated by the man and by the sporadically and frequently sexual telepathic connection he feels with Teleny, and this feeling becomes a mixture of curiosity, admiration, and desire, which quickly leads to jealousy. Des Grieux knows that Teleny attracts many men and women before their relationship begins. Eventually they meet and share their experiences of their unexplained bond which quickly leads to a passionate affair. Des Grieux feels very torn about loving and desiring a man and attempts to genuinely sexually interest himself in a household servant, but in so doing indirectly leads to her death. Thus shaken, he vows not to fight his feelings and allows Teleny to introduce him to an underground sexual society of males desiring men. Their love continues through a blackmailing attempt and their emotional struggles, until Teleny declares a need to leave for a time, ostensibly for a concert performance. During this time Des Grieux goes to Teleny's apartments only to find Teleny in bed with Des Grieux's mother, who had offered to pay Teleny's debts in return for sexual favours. The two part badly; Des Grieux nearly commits suicide and remains isolated in the hospital for many days. When he leaves he goes to Teleny only to find that his lover has stabbed himself in remorse, and is bleeding to death. Des Grieux forgives Teleny; they re-declare their love, and Teleny dies.

 "Se non pretendiamo di essere ciò che non siamo , troveremo la vera soddisfazione della mente e i nostri corpi saranno in grado di sviluppare quelle facoltà di cui ci ha dotati la natura , non dovendo essere né ipocriti né dissimulatori ; la paura di essere visti per quello che siamo realmente non ci potrà mai tormentare .(…) Dopo tutto , l'Inferno è proprio un posto tanto terribile ? Anche ammettendo un'altra vita nell'abisso più profondo , forse l'inferno è il paradiso di coloro che la natura ha creato apposta per abitarlo. Gli animali si lamentano di non essere stati creati uomini ? Perché allora ci addoloriamo di non essere nati angeli?" ( da "Teleny" , VI chap.)

"Carne , sangue , cervello : le parti più profonde del nostro essere sembravano fondersi in un indicibile abbraccio.(…) Il bacio troppo a lungo desiderato(…) è un tizzone ardente che infiamma il cuore. Il bacio di Teleny mi galvanizzava (…) .A che serve un giuramento quando ci si è dati l'uno all'altro con un bacio simile ?" ( da "Teleny" , V chap.)

 

 "Maledivo questo bellissimo mondo , un paradiso trasformato in inferno ; maledivo la nostra società ottusa dove prosperano ipocriti e bugiardi . Maledivo la religione frustrante che pone il veto su tutti i piaceri della vita." ( da "Teleny" , V chap.) . Il critico come artista , I )

La rue était déserte. Seuls quelques passants attardés se hâtaient de rentrer chez eux. Embusqué au coin de la rue, je ne perdais rien des mouvements des deux jeunes gens.
Je crus un moment qu’ils allaient se séparer, car je vis Bryancourt tendre les mains et saisir celles de Teleny. J’en fus tout heureux. Après tout, me disais-je, j’ai mal jugé Bryancourt ; pourquoi m’imaginer que tous les hommes et toutes les femmes sont amoureux de ce pianiste ?
Ma joie fut de courte durée ; la scène qui suivit me bouleversa : Bryancourt attira sur lui Teleny et... leurs lèvres s’unirent dans un long baiser, un baiser qui pour moi fut fiel et absinthe ; puis, après un échange de quelques paroles, la porte s’ouvrit et ils disparurent dans la maison.
Des larmes de rage, d’angoisse, de dépit jaillirent de mes yeux, je grinçais des dents, je mordais mes lèvres jusqu’au sang ; je m’élançai comme un fou sur la porte close, je la frappai du poing. Des pas s’approchèrent, je m’enfuis. J’errai dans les rues jusqu’à l’aube ; alors, harassé, fourbu au moral et au physique, je regagnai ma demeure. Le lendemain, je pris encore une fois la ferme résolution de ne plus jamais retourner aux concerts de Teleny, de ne plus le suivre, de l’oublier. J’aurais même quitté la ville, si je n’avais pas cru avoir trouvé un moyen de me délivrer de cet horrible amour. 

 Plus je le regardais, plus ma passion grandissait. Mais ce n'était pas assez de le voir, j'avais à ajouter au plaisir de la vue celui du toucher, j'avais à jouir du contact de sa chair musclée, à le sentir sous ma main, à caresser sa poitrine, les sinuosités de son dos. De là, mes mains descendirent jusqu'aux hémisphètres, et lui prenant les fesses, je le presai contre moi. Puis, me dépouillant de mes vêtements, je collai mon corps au sien, je m'y frottai et m'y entortillai comme un ver. Etendu sur lui, ma langue dans sa bouche, je cherchais la sienne qui se retirait et qui dardait au dehors, lorsque je retirais la mienne, de sorte que toutes deux semblaient jouer à un folâtre jeu de cache-cache qui faisait courir dans nos veines un frisson de volupté...

Un baiser, c'est quelque chose de plus que le premier contact charnel de deux corps: c'est l'exhalation de deux âmes enamourées. Mais le baiser criminel longtemps retenu, longtemps désiré, est plus sensuel encore.
Teleny (1893)

Oscar Wilde

Références de Oscar Wilde

Quant à moi il me semblait que tous mes pores étaient autant de petites bouches qui s'avançaient vers lui pour le baiser. - Saisis-moi, agrippe-moi, serre-moi! plus fort, plus fort encore! Que je jouisse de tout ton corps, murmurai-je.
Teleny (1893)

Oscar Wilde

Références de Oscar Wilde

“Había momentos, sin embargo, en que la fuerza de la naturaleza ahogaba en mí todos mis prejuicios; hubiera entregado de buena gana mi alma a la perdición, ¿qué digo?, mi cuerpo a las llamas eternas, por poder huir con él a cualquier parte, a los confines de la tierra, o a un isla desierta, donde desnudo como Adán, hubiera vivido durante años con él, en pecado mortal, saciándome con fascinante belleza.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny or the Reverse of the Medal 

 “El conjunto era digno de un cuadro, y, como ya antes he dicho, el taller contenía un museo digno de Sodoma y Babilonia.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny 

“Mis esfuerzos por intentar borrarlo de mi pensamiento me impedían lograrlo. Temía tanto no poder lograrlo, que este mismo miedo me lo recordaba constantemente”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny or the Reverse of the Medal  

 

“ni siquiera Macbeth, ante la sombra de Banquo, debió sentirse igualmente aterrado.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny 

 “Teleny no era hombre a quien pudiera amarse a medias,”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny 

“—Naturalmente —replicó él—, los nuevos amigos hacen olvidar a los antiguos.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny  

 

 “Life at times loses its sense of reality; it appears to us like a weird, optical illusion - a phantasmagoric bubble that will disappear at the slightest breath.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny 

 “—No —respondió Teleny—. Las mujeres nunca son admitidas en nuestras reuniones.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny 

 “porque nada aumenta tanto el fuego amoroso como una corta separación.”
― Oscar Wilde, Teleny