Nouvelles lettres d'un voyageur

George Sand viewed herself as 'fated to be voyageur et artists,' adopting a

favorite Romantic symbol in which journeys are undertaken throughout life

everywhere, on land and sea, in spirit and in dreams.

By 1834-6, when these twelve letters were published as articles, George Sand's

controversial and amusing personal, the outspoken, cigar-smoking, somewhat

undersized young man dressed up in cotton smock and trousers, was already

firmly established. Here we find her in various disguises: exploring Venice,

sketching a not wholly complimentary portrait of her lover Musset, arguing

republican politics, on holiday with Liszt in Switzerland, commenting on art,

music, religion and, in discussing marriage and relations between men and

women, fighting to put some backbone into her sex.