During the Beautiful Green Season
Written: Aug 23 '06
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great artwork and lots of information
Cons: you can't drink it
The Bottom Line: My glory is but a humble ephemeral absinthe--Verlaine
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| fuche_bu's Full Review: Barnaby Conrad - Absinthe: History in a Bottle |
As I noted in an earlier piece, absinthe has been enjoying a comeback. This is a potent liquor which was quite in vogue during the 19th Century. It was celebrated by poets, painters and musicians. It was also viewed as a scourge on society by temperance leagues. It is the only alcohol which can not be legally sold in the United States.
My curiosity about absinthe has led to seeking it out in numerous European countries and searching it out online. I have also discovered that there is a minor body of literature revolving around absinthe. I have always had an intense intellectual curiosity so it was only a matter of time before I began reading books on absinthe.
The first tome on the Green Faerie to grace my personal library is Absinthe: History in a Bottle by Barnaby Conrad. This is a book that I have had on my wish list for quite some time. I just never made the commitment to order it. Now it is safely nestled on my coffee table.
This book provides quite a bit of history on this mystical elixir. The book is a large coffee table size book so it is perfect for its new home. The book is packed with paintings, pictures and posters. It is also packed with lots of interesting information and several poems written about absinthe.
The first chapter of the book deals with the Lanfrey murder in Switzerland in the early 20th Century. This is a farmer who under extreme drunkenness killed his wife and kids and tried to kill himself. It turned out that after an entire day of drinking wine and brandy, he also opted to consume two glasses of absinthe. Somehow the vast quantities of wine and brandy were spared blame and absinthe was viewed as the culprit behind this heinous crime. This lured the temperance folk out in droves. There was a movement to ban absinthe as it was destroying society. The book includes a great satirical poster which shows a maniacal preacher, Bible in hand standing over a beautiful but dead naked green fairy with a sword protruding from her side.
There is also a tie in with World War I in the movement to ban absinthe. In France, it was viewed as unpatriotic to consume absinthe because it made soldiers less capable of defending their homeland. (And here we always thought they were just cowards.) Most countries banned absinthe in the first or second decade of the 20th Century. England and Spain were the only European countries that did not ban absinthe.
After this introduction, Barnaby travels back in time to give us some of the literary background. The number of famous absinthe drinkers is like a who's who among writers and painters. He runs the gamut of Baudelaire, Manet, Rimbaud, Van Gogh and Toulouse Latrec. These were all among the legendary consumers of absinthe. There are quotes and thoughts from absinthe drinkers such as Oscar Wilde, Alfred Jarry, Ernest Hemmingway and Harry Crosby. The book includes paintings done by Manet, Van Gogh and Picasso among others. There are also poems by Verlaine and Raoul Ponchon depicting the glories of absinthe.
Absinthe, I adore you truly!
It seems, when I drink you,
I inhale the young forest's soul,
During the beautiful green season
--Raoul Ponchon
Barnaby conveys that not all consumers remained advocates. Baudelaire renounced "artificial paradises" such as opium, hashish and absinthe and was warning people away from them. There is also an excerpt from Marie Corelli's novel Wormwood: A Drama of Paris which cops a very anti-absinthe tone. Barnaby is obviously fascinated with absinthe but he makes an honest effort to show the dark side of the Green Fairy.
The medical aspects of absinthe and the actual history of the drink is explored in the book. An exiled Frenchman named Pierre Ordinaire is often credited with being the first person to distill absinthe in 1792. He was influential but was likely not the first person to distill absinthe. Wormwood was being used in drinks and medicines for centuries before. Barnaby traces the history back and tries to examine how the drink evolved. There is also much information on the Pernod family which was the first large scale producer of absinthe.
The medical case against absinthe is presented. This includes a look at the effects caused by absinthe. The active ingredient in wormwood is called Thujone which has similar properties to THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. It is also suggested that other ingredients in absinthe such as hyssop have some psychotropic effects. Many researchers do hold the view that the most dangerous and medically harmful aspect of absinthe is the alcohol. We must remember that this drink is usually around 130 to 144 proof. Weaker versions are usually still over 100 proof. It is more likely that alcohol is the culprit behind the illness and madness rather than the wormwood.
An appendix includes a scientific breakdown on absinthe. This shows some of the molecular structures of wormwood and details some of the chemical aspects of different ingredients in absinthe. This will likely be of interest to a chemist or scientist but it was too advanced to really hold much meaning for me. An extensive bibliography is included for anyone who wishes to further research absinthe or the numerous famous drinkers of absinthe. This would be beneficial for anyone needing to write a thorough paper on absinthe.
I found this to be a wonderful book. The paintings and pictures of famous imbibers are great. Barnaby also writes in a lucid style. He is very good at conveying the atmosphere that likely existed in the cafes in Paris during this era. There is also great empathy for the drinkers who allowed the Green Fairy to control their lives. I learned a lot from this book and it enhanced my understanding of this legendary but misunderstood drink.
Absinthe: History in a Bottle is a book that I highly recommend for fans of adult beverages. It is highly entertaining and educational on a drink that many people have heard of but never tried. People interested in drink or interested in the vices of famous artists might find this book of great interest. It also serves as a great conversation piece when left out on the coffee table.
Recommended:
Yes
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Member: George Schaefer
Location: West Bristol, PA
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