She becomes the mistress of the painter Bocage and of her son’s tutor Mallefille. She comes under the influence of the socialist thinker, Pierre Leroux. Casimir Dudevant takes Solange away, and George has to go to her father-in-law’s home to recover her daughter.

1838

Balzac visits Nohant. Beginning of George Sand’s liaison with Chopin. They go to Majorca. Chopin falls ill; they settle in a former monastery at Valldemosa.

1839

Chopin and George Sand return to France and settle in Paris. Publication of Spiridion and L’Uscoque.

1840

Publication of Le Compagnon du tour de France and other works. Beginning of George’s friendship with the singer Pauline Viardot.

1841

George Sand and Chopin stay at Nohant. Publication of Horace.

1842

Publication of Un hiver à Majorque and Consuelo. Delacroix visits Nohant.

1843

Publication of La Comtesse de Rudolstadt, sequel to Consuelo.

1844

Publication of Jeanne.

1845–6

Publication of several novels, including Le Meunier d’Angibault and La Mare au Diable.

1846

Chopin returns alone to Paris.

1847

Solange’s marriage to the sculptor Clesinger causes a rift between George Sand and Chopin.

1848

Revolution in France. George Sand is involved on the Republican side, but returns to Nohant disillusioned and disappointed.

1849

Death of Chopin.

1850

Beginning of George Sand’s liaison with the engraver Alexandre Manceau, a friend of her son, thirteen years her junior.

1853

Publication of Les Maîtres Sonneurs and other works. 1855 Death of Solange’s daughter Jeanne, to whom George was deeply attached. 1856–9 Publication of several novels.

1859

Publication of Elle et lui, an account of George’s relationship with Musset. Reply by Alfred’s brother Paul in Lui et elle.

1860–2

Publication of three more novels.

1862

Marriage of George’s son Maurice to Lina Calamatta.

1863

Start of correspondence with Flaubert. Birth of Maurice’s son.

1864

Death of Maurice’s son. George settles with Manceau at Palaiseau after difficulties between Maurice and Manceau. The young painter Marchal becomes her lover.

1865

Death of Manceau. George attends literary dinners (the Magny dinners) in Paris.

1866

Birth of Maurice’s daughter Aurore. Visit to Flaubert at Croisset.

1868

Birth of Maurice’s daughter Gabrielle. Another visit to Flaubert at Croisset.

1869

Flaubert visits Nohant.

1865–70

Publication of more novels.

1871

Death of Casimir Dudevant.

1873

Flaubert and Turgeniev visit Nohant.

1870–4

Publication of another four novels.

1876

Final illness and death of George Sand.

INDIANA

INTRODUCTION

I WROTE Indiana in the autumn of 1831. It was my first novel. I wrote without any plan, without any aesthetic or philosophical theory in mind. I wrote at the age when one writes instinctively and when reflection serves only to confirm our natural tendencies. People wanted to see it as a carefully thought-out argument against marriage. I was not trying to do anything like so important and I was completely surprised by all the fine things that the critics found to say about my subversive intentions. Criticism is far too clever; that is what will be the death of it. It never judges straightforwardly what has been done straightforwardly. It looks for midday at two in the afternoon, as the old saying goes, and it must have done a great deal of harm to those artists who pay too much attention to its opinions.

Under all régimes and at all times, moreover, there has been a race of critics who, bringing their own talent into contempt, have imagined that they ought to ply the trade of denouncers, of suppliers of information to the authorities. What a strange role for men of letters in relation to their fellow writers! Governments’ strict regulations against the press have never been enough for these ferocious critics. They would like such regulations to be directed not only against works, but against persons as well, and if they were listened to, some of us would be forbidden to write anything at all.