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claudeclaudia's review against another edition
2.0
Do not be fooled by the Deathconciousness cover, this is incredibly boring!
richardhannay's review against another edition
3.0
Empieza, lento y vacilante pero a partir de la mitad del libro se entiende la reticencia inicial y comienza con mecánica eficacia la obra del Terror. Es la historia de Evariste Gamelin, un pintor con más ambición que talento que, creyendo participar en la larga marcha del progreso abandona vocación familia y cualquier semblante humano para convertirse en voluntarioso servidor de los asesinos. El desarrollo de la obra demostrará hasta que punto su vida y sus esperanzas son vanos.
Cinco años después de que se publicara esta obra estallaba la Revolución Rusa y nuevos Gamelin se alistaban por docenas como torturadores y verdugos.
Cinco años después de que se publicara esta obra estallaba la Revolución Rusa y nuevos Gamelin se alistaban por docenas como torturadores y verdugos.
olsonally's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
nastiayeah's review against another edition
4.0
Ήταν δύσκολο ανάγνωσμα, ειδικα το δευτερο μισο του βιβλίου, οπου η αδικια και η έλλειψη ανθρωπιας ηταν εντονότερη. Σου δινει μια καλη, πιστεύω, εικονα για την κατάσταση της Γαλλίας μετά την γαλλική επανάσταση, η οποία είναι πραγματικά τρομακτική.
vanessakm's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, I liked this. I really, really liked this. Nobel Prize winner Anatole France wrote this novel about the bloodiest years of the French Revolution (approximately 1793-1794) as seen through the eyes of ordinary citizens. One is a struggling painter and patriot named Evariste Gamelin. One is a former aristocrat and tax collector named Maurice Brotteaux who lives in the attic above Gamelin. One is virtuous and one is evil. One is kind and one is bloodthirsty. But who is who may surprise you.
Alas, this is not the easiest book to describe. There are parts that are bedroom farce, there are parts that are philosophical treatise, there are parts that are historical fiction. All of it is readable, powerful and engaging. As the shadow of the Terror extends over the main characters, the story gets difficult to read yet impossible to put down. One scene near the end absolutely broke my heart. Many parts of the book left me with a lot to chew on, including the vital message that those who have tasked themselves with rooting out the conspiracies against them will never retire. This is quite simply the most accessible philosophical novel I've ever read. I also learned all kinds of random crazy facts about the Reign of Terror (did you know that prostitutes were put to death as enemies of the people?)
My only complaint is about the book's supplementary materials. The index provided is good but not thorough enough. Unless you are really familiar with this period of French history, expect to be a little lost. The Wikipedia article "A Timeline of the French Revolution" should help considerably. Ideally, the book should have included something like this. Otherwise, the translation is good and the prose feels very contemporary. This was a little hard to find but I really recommend it.
Alas, this is not the easiest book to describe. There are parts that are bedroom farce, there are parts that are philosophical treatise, there are parts that are historical fiction. All of it is readable, powerful and engaging. As the shadow of the Terror extends over the main characters, the story gets difficult to read yet impossible to put down. One scene near the end absolutely broke my heart. Many parts of the book left me with a lot to chew on, including the vital message that those who have tasked themselves with rooting out the conspiracies against them will never retire. This is quite simply the most accessible philosophical novel I've ever read. I also learned all kinds of random crazy facts about the Reign of Terror (did you know that prostitutes were put to death as enemies of the people?)
My only complaint is about the book's supplementary materials. The index provided is good but not thorough enough. Unless you are really familiar with this period of French history, expect to be a little lost. The Wikipedia article "A Timeline of the French Revolution" should help considerably. Ideally, the book should have included something like this. Otherwise, the translation is good and the prose feels very contemporary. This was a little hard to find but I really recommend it.
saulihavu's review against another edition
4.0
Le message de ce livre est éternel et il faut que l'on le garde en mémoire. L'idéalisme, l'espoir, la modernisation, la revolution ne justifient pas la violence. C'est un veritable cliché, mais l'enfer est pavé de bonnes intentions. 'Aucun rêve ne jamais mérite une guerre' donc 'mourrons pour les idées, mais la mort lente' etc. En ce temps dans lequelle nous vivons, je veux bien souligne ce message là.
laura_trap's review against another edition
4.0
This very short, very brisk novel was full of allegory to the ancient and classical stories from Rome and Greece. It is my only issue with the book was how much it relied on these stories and images to propel the characterization and plot, if a reader was unfamiliar it would be difficult at times to understand some of what was going on. The basis of the novel follows the deeply nationalistic, fanatic Gamelin as he gains a position as magistrate during the infamous Reign of Terror during the French Revolution. Gamelin falls victim to his own obsessions with liberty and his decent in a type of blind fanaticism for the safety of the Republic and he frequently compares Robespierre to various God. In fact, Christian religion is both revered and sneered at it. It is difficult to miss Anatole France's point - obsession and over indulgence lead to dangerous consequence no matter what the object in question is. There are moments of extreme discomfort in the novel - several instances of rape or women specifically taken advantage of. There is also the blatant use of the guillotine and the hundreds sent to a bloody bloody end. The moderate character is seen as the villain and eventually those who embody the moderates meet their unfortunate end. Overall, pretty decent book, albeit dark and broody. More similarities to the fanaticism under conservative American Republicans than I'd care to admit.
marthadude's review against another edition
I had this book assigned for a class, but my professor didn't focus on it all that much so I stopped reading it once it lost its relevance. Maybe I'll pick it back up in a few years, but then again maybe I'm kidding myself.
msand3's review against another edition
2.0
While I'm sure this novel might appeal to those with a passion for the revolution or an interest in French history, I found it to be too straight-forward and predictable. We understand within fifty pages where this journey will end. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Plots with inevitable outcomes or characters who symbolize larger ideals can reveal universal truths or give us greater insight into the human condition. Unfortunately, France's insight isn't very extraordinary: lust for vengeance is not justice, and those who seek blood often become the very monsters they fight against. This is not exactly an earth-shattering revelation. I like books that challenge my own preconceived notions, change my perspective (or attempt to do so), or offer a new way of understanding myself or my place in the world. France's novel doesn't do anything like this. It's a competent novel, but quite dull and forgettable, especially considering the literature being produced around the world at the same time of this publication.
aseel_reads's review against another edition
3.0
3.5
A very interesting and philosophical tale on the reign of terror
A very interesting and philosophical tale on the reign of terror