Paul Sanda
Paul Sanda read Olivier Larronde's work as a poet, not an exegete. What makes his book so engaging is the element of life he introduces into it, that of the biography of course, but also his own through anecdotes and encounters, with their element of objective chance, which led him to trace his own spiritual path, freely drawing inspiration from both surrealism and esotericism, particularly alchemy. Readers will be delighted to encounter poets, including Alain-Pierre Pillet, and, through the mention of Olivier's father, Carlos Larronde, will become acquainted with the Fraternity of Watchers, which for a time brought together occultists, poets, and writers for esoteric research: René Schwaller, Oscar Milosz, Carlos Larronde, Camille Flammarion, Pierre Loti, Henri Cotton-Alvart, Gaston Revel, Henri de Régnier, among others. Thus, Paul Sanda's book allows us to rediscover a poet who has been too often forgotten—no small feat—and to develop a whole reflection on what poetry could, and should, be. Alain Roussel
By naming his harpsichord piece *Les Barricades mystérieuses* (The Mysterious Barricades), François Couperin could hardly have imagined, at the dawn of the 18th century, that his title would have repercussions far beyond music. Painters and writers seized upon it, and it was perhaps without knowing the work—they make no allusion to it—that the poets Maurice Blanchard and then Olivier Larronde titled their collections *Les Barricades mystérieuses*. Publication date: December 2, 2024. Order now
