Permanently anxious, Ramuz was a profoundly pessimistic man. He was solitary and shy, reserved and extremely sensitive, nervous and restless, which only made him the more eager to express and reassure himself. Strong-willed in what he undertook, Ramuz the melancholic experienced moments of depression and accidents in the course of a life that was far from smooth, and ended in the most irremediable doubt. Throughout his life, he experienced exceptional creative periods, particularly during the summer “heatwaves” that he loved—not least because they allowed him to lock himself away in his study to work. Conversely, he often suffered long periods of demoralization, despair, or depression as we would say today.
« I’m a country of mountains; there’s never any height without a deep valley; when will the plateau come, then [?] Answer: it will never come; you will be fated to go up and down all your life, from exaltation to depression. »
Diary, January 16, 1913
Caption
C. F. Ramuz (1878-1947)
“Resurrection,” first edition of Adieu à beaucoup de personnages et autres morceaux (1914), corrected for the 1941 edition of the complete works
14.5 x 20.5 cm
Collection C. F. Ramuz
BCUL, 1M3726 C+2
© BCU Lausanne (Laurent Dubois)