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zmull's review against another edition
2.0
Dumas' shorter adventures, like Georges, aren't nearly as well-known as his longer serialized novels, like The Three Mustketeers. This book seems to have languished in 19th century translations since it was written. Modern Library's new edition (and translation) is an attempt to breath some life into the novel. Georges is an anomaly for 19th century European works, in its focus on race. Georges, our hero, is one quarter African (like Dumas himself), thus fully non-white according to French social customs of the day. The story itself is fairly standard Dumas boilerplate - sword battles, heroism, love at first sight, pirates, and so on - only taking a sidetrip into the bizarre when Georges agrees to lead a slave revolt and murder all of the whites on the island (except his lady friend, of course). For all its talk of racial equality, Georges is an incredibly racist novel, by the standards of our time. Our hero fights for his place among whites, with little thought to his own slaveholding. Dumas protrayal of the slaves themselves leaves much to be desired. The two main slave characters are gross stereotypes. One is the purely heroic Christ-figure, the other is a scheming Judas. And the dispersing of the slave revolt is a chapter so demeaning it has to be read to be believed. Georges is not exactly a hidden Dumas classic, but it is a fascinating look at French racial attitudes. And a dude kills a shark with his barehands!
yakzino's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
missbryden's review against another edition
3.0
I learned about this book in [b:The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo|13330922|The Black Count Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo|Tom Reiss|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337693786l/13330922._SY75_.jpg|18538602] about Alexandre Dumas's father, and that, while his famous novels took some inspiration from his father's life and adventures, Georges is his only book that addressed issues of race.
Rating between 2 and 3 stars: I didn't particularly like it (3 stars) but it was engaging at times and the overall quality was more than ok (2 stars).
Maybe there was a lot of nuance I didn't understand or appreciate, but I was waiting for the depiction of the enslaved "blacks"/"Negros" (which words were both used interchangeably and repeatedly) to be redeemed but it never was, the narrator's language seemed to stay the same. While a couple characters, those that were named, had greater character value (like bravery, loyalty) for the most part they were described as primitive, lacking in intelligence, easily seduced by alcohol. One of the named characters, Laiza, said he and his brother were sons of a chief and not born to be slaves - who are born to be slaves, did the narrator/author believe that some were, that they were all so primitive and with no natural intelligence, that they were made for nothing else?
I was confused when the Munier servant Telemaque is offended by Jacques Munier wanting to shake his hand because Jacques deals in slaves on his ship, and has just brought some ashore to sell to the Muniers (which then becomes a family reunion). But Telemaque doesn't seem offended by his master and master's son and in fact tells the new enslaved how good a master Pierre Munier is.
Also while other races/ethnicities were depicted - it was quite a diverse population on this island apparently - they're mostly not positive, aside from maybe the Yamse celebration, about which the explanation of the Muslims' history was interesting, but the events didn't seem to have much point in the story aside from giving another instance for Georges and Henri de Malmedie to be fighting.
The heroine was sort of interesting in, at times, being the adventurous horseback riding, lying in meadows heroine that I picture 21st century period dramas liking to depict, and the story is admirable for Georges wanting Sara not to be given by her guardian uncle but for Sara to choose Georges herself, but other times the romance depiction was rather bland and as expected for something of its time.
Also the cover art, of several dark men of color and white women dancing at a fancy ball, does not represent an event in the book.
The revolt that creates the adventure towards the end of the book is carried out by the thousands of enslaved (but also other men of color?) against the whites, led by "mulatto" Georges. He's interested in leading because his one goal in returning to Ile de France/Mauritius is basically revenge against the white man, and white men in general, that demeaned him and his family on principle of their being mixed race. But despite accepting the position of leader of the many more men of color against the fewer white men, Georges continues to see it as all about him, that the men are fighting because of him, not that two groups were already planning a revolt of primarily enslaved against enslavers. Later on when Pierre is wondering why his grounds are so quiet, he find the enslaved women and children still in their quarters and learns the men were gone to the revolt. It reminded me of [b:North and South|156538|North and South|Elizabeth Gaskell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631548984l/156538._SY75_.jpg|1016482] when the factory workers strike which includes women and children but only the men gather for the union rally organizing and activity. This is the only mention of the women and children. When the thousands keep decreasing (through distraction via alcohol or fight and pursuit with the British soldiers) until there's only a few with Laiza and Georges, and the other couple hundred left escape with Pierre, nothing is said of the survivors, either of what was left of the rebels or of the women and children left on the plantations (and apparently the rebels had no concerns about the women and children and what the British soldiers etc. might have done to them). Laiza's apparent suicide seems pointless when Georges wasn't conscious enough to know that he killed himself in order to avoid being killed by the British. And the whole revolt seems pointless when Georges ends up back in prison, due to be executed, and nothing is said for any remaining rebels, their families, or whether slavery continues on the island afterwards.
The actual end seems quite abrupt but apparently it's a happy ending for the Muniers including for the union of Georges and Sara.
Rating between 2 and 3 stars: I didn't particularly like it (3 stars) but it was engaging at times and the overall quality was more than ok (2 stars).
Maybe there was a lot of nuance I didn't understand or appreciate, but I was waiting for the depiction of the enslaved "blacks"/"Negros" (which words were both used interchangeably and repeatedly) to be redeemed but it never was, the narrator's language seemed to stay the same. While a couple characters, those that were named, had greater character value (like bravery, loyalty) for the most part they were described as primitive, lacking in intelligence, easily seduced by alcohol. One of the named characters, Laiza, said he and his brother were sons of a chief and not born to be slaves - who are born to be slaves, did the narrator/author believe that some were, that they were all so primitive and with no natural intelligence, that they were made for nothing else?
I was confused when the Munier servant Telemaque is offended by Jacques Munier wanting to shake his hand because Jacques deals in slaves on his ship, and has just brought some ashore to sell to the Muniers (which then becomes a family reunion). But Telemaque doesn't seem offended by his master and master's son and in fact tells the new enslaved how good a master Pierre Munier is.
Also while other races/ethnicities were depicted - it was quite a diverse population on this island apparently - they're mostly not positive, aside from maybe the Yamse celebration, about which the explanation of the Muslims' history was interesting, but the events didn't seem to have much point in the story aside from giving another instance for Georges and Henri de Malmedie to be fighting.
The heroine was sort of interesting in, at times, being the adventurous horseback riding, lying in meadows heroine that I picture 21st century period dramas liking to depict, and the story is admirable for Georges wanting Sara not to be given by her guardian uncle but for Sara to choose Georges herself, but other times the romance depiction was rather bland and as expected for something of its time.
Also the cover art, of several dark men of color and white women dancing at a fancy ball, does not represent an event in the book.
Spoiler
The revolt that creates the adventure towards the end of the book is carried out by the thousands of enslaved (but also other men of color?) against the whites, led by "mulatto" Georges. He's interested in leading because his one goal in returning to Ile de France/Mauritius is basically revenge against the white man, and white men in general, that demeaned him and his family on principle of their being mixed race. But despite accepting the position of leader of the many more men of color against the fewer white men, Georges continues to see it as all about him, that the men are fighting because of him, not that two groups were already planning a revolt of primarily enslaved against enslavers. Later on when Pierre is wondering why his grounds are so quiet, he find the enslaved women and children still in their quarters and learns the men were gone to the revolt. It reminded me of [b:North and South|156538|North and South|Elizabeth Gaskell|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1631548984l/156538._SY75_.jpg|1016482] when the factory workers strike which includes women and children but only the men gather for the union rally organizing and activity. This is the only mention of the women and children. When the thousands keep decreasing (through distraction via alcohol or fight and pursuit with the British soldiers) until there's only a few with Laiza and Georges, and the other couple hundred left escape with Pierre, nothing is said of the survivors, either of what was left of the rebels or of the women and children left on the plantations (and apparently the rebels had no concerns about the women and children and what the British soldiers etc. might have done to them). Laiza's apparent suicide seems pointless when Georges wasn't conscious enough to know that he killed himself in order to avoid being killed by the British. And the whole revolt seems pointless when Georges ends up back in prison, due to be executed, and nothing is said for any remaining rebels, their families, or whether slavery continues on the island afterwards.
The actual end seems quite abrupt but apparently it's a happy ending for the Muniers including for the union of Georges and Sara.
arybo_'s review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
tallstoryteller's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
tctimlin's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
saralynnburnett's review against another edition
5.0
Using his own experience as material, Alexandre Dumas writes a great tale filled with racial strife.
booklifer's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
bethnellvaccaro's review against another edition
2.0
I just couldn't get into this book, which is not to say it isn't good. I suspect if you love Dumas' other books, you will love Georges. I may pick this back up at a later time.