Thursday, December 15, 2011

Ebook Free The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle

Ebook Free The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle

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The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle

The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle


The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle


Ebook Free The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle

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The Brethren: Fortunes of France: Volume 1, by Robert Merle

Review

"There is a philosophical depth to the novel. . . one of the strengths of Merle’s novels [is] his ability to evoke the feeling and texture of everyday life as well as high politics. . . [The Brethren] has a credibly human solidity, and whets one’s appetite for the next volume, “City of Wisdom and Blood,” which will be published in the fall." — The Wall Street Journal"One of the many delights vouchsafed by Robert Merle's The Brethren is the sense that the author is astonished that what he's writing about actually happened. . . If there is a pattern to the narration—a dependable vacillation between personal exploit and public machination—the chronicle is also seductively contorted, with adventures sowed into other adventures. . . Pierre, then, is the human demilitarized zone separating his mother and father. His voice can be self-congratulatory though also generous and gently philosophical, reminiscent at moments of Merle's colleague Sartre. . . Feudal life can hardly seem more vivid than when Merle leaves the religious war to describe, through a smart translation by T. Jefferson Kline, a soul-strengthening day of haymaking or the swagger of a barrel-chested wet nurse with 'milk for sale.' Merle the English teacher repeatedly bows to Shakespeare. . . [The Brethren] is wise and audacious, constantly nudging up against the extraordinary." — The New York Times Book Review"The compelling first in a series of French historical novels, deftly translated and published for the first time in English. Château Mespech is a fiefdom relentlessly imperiled by the weather, Gypsy bandits, royal and religious duplicity, and the plague . . . Merle peoples his tale with memorable characters: villains, maids, legionnaires and townsfolk . . . Merle's is a French epic, more genteel than Dickens' poor-child English tales and less doleful than Tolstoy's Russian sagas." -- Kirkus Reviews"Swashbuckling historical fiction... For all its philosophical depth [The Brethren] is a hugely entertaining romp... The comparisons with Dumas seem both natural and deserved and the next 12 instalments [are] a thrilling prospect." — Guardian   "A vivid novel by France's modern Dumas... [there is] plenty of evidence in the rich characterisation and vivid historical detail that a reader's long-term commitment will be amply rewarded." — Sunday Times   "Cleverly depicts France’s epic religious wars through the intimate prism of one family’s experience. It’s beautifully written too." — Metro.   "We're swept away by triumph, tragedy, action and adventure… It's a novel like this that makes reviewing one of the best jobs in the world." — The Book Bag, Five Star Review   “Historical fiction at its very best… The second instalment cannot be published too soon.” — We Love This Book   “A Sprawling, earthy tale of peril, love, lust, death, dazzling philosophical debate and political intrigue… an engrossing saga.” — Gransnet   "A master of the historical novel." — Guardian   "A spectacular evocation of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century France." — Independent   Advance Praise from Europe:   "His readers appreciate his recipe for writing that is as political as it is entertaining." — Deutschlandfunk   "Be warned: even just a few pages can lead to addiction." — Neckar-Tauber Trend   "With much wit, irony and a knack for juicy details, [Merle] brings alive his country's history." — Literatur-Report   "For fans of historical fiction, The Brethren is a delight to savour." — Thüringer Allgemeine   "Thrilling! Robert Merle rides his novel at full tilt across a richly eventful period of history." — Le Magazine Littéraire   "Robert Merle is one of the very few French writers who have attained both popular success and the admiration of critics." — Le Figaro   "A wonderful, colourful, breathlessly narrated historical panorama." — Zeitpunkt   "Breathes new life into the classic adventure story and great historical epic." — Les Nouvelles Littéraires   "France's greatest popular novelist." — Le Monde   "The Dumas of the twentieth century." — Neues Deutschland 

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About the Author

Robert Merle was born in French Algeria, before moving to mainland France in 1918. A lifelong anglophile, Merle was a professor of English Literature at various universities, translating works including Jonathan Swift's Gullivers Travels into French. After the outbreak of war in 1939 he served as an interpreter with the British Expeditionary Force, and was captured by the German army at Dunkirk, the experience of which served as the basis for his post-war debut Weekend at Zuydcoote. Initially French publishers were wary of this book, put off by its foul language and sexual content, but at the urging of authors including Jean-Paul Sartre and Raymond Queneau it was snapped up by Gaston Gallimard and went on to win the Prix Goncourt. His much-loved Fortunes of France series was published over four decades, from 1977 to 2003, the final volume appearing just a year before his death of a heart attack in 2004.

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Product details

Series: Fortunes of France (Book 1)

Paperback: 416 pages

Publisher: Pushkin Press; Reprint edition (March 3, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1782271236

ISBN-13: 978-1782271239

Product Dimensions:

5.2 x 1 x 7.8 inches

Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review:

4.3 out of 5 stars

35 customer reviews

Amazon Best Sellers Rank:

#1,031,717 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

I didn't know this extensive series (Fortunes de France) about the life of a doctor and spy in late Valois and early Bourbon France and his son, but I decided to read it because of great reviews in the British press. It was compared to Maurice Druons extraordinary six volume series "The Accursed Kings", about the end of the Capetian dinasty and the beginning of the Hundred Years War, which I loved. This volume deals with the birth and early years of Pierre de Siorac, the protagonist. The Brethren of the title are Jean de Siorac, Pierre's father, and Jean de Sauveterre, two Huguenot soldiers who become bosom friends and decide to treat each other as brothers. The book narrates the ascent of The Brethren, as they buy land and become part of the aristocracy of the Périgord region in France. Against a background of wars with the English and the Spaniards, of civil and sectarian conflicts, of plague and famine, Merle tells a wonderful story of a tightly knit household (besides The Brethren and the children of de Siorac by multiple women it includes various household servants and retainers) enduring prospering. By the end Pierre leaves the family castle to study medicine in Montpellier, accompanied by his half-brother and a servant who is also a close friend. He has loved his father and honored his mother (this dual duty generates much conflict), has known love, sex and loss and is impelled forward by the irresistible high spirits of youth and health. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, En nos vertes années (I don't know the English title). Is it as good as Druon? It's different, not as tightly plotted, more diffuse, but nonetheless great reading.

Robert Merle is a superb French writer characterized by his insight into the quirks of human nature, and a knack for folksy, ironic first person narrative. Some of his books have been translated into English, of which Maleville [post-apocalyptic novel] is the best, and quite likely the best science fiction novel by any author. The Brethren is the first example of his historical fiction which has been translated into English. Having read it, I believe that I have a better understanding of the dynamics of the reformation, particularly in that the intolerance of the reformers for the Catholics matched that of the Catholics for the reformers, though perhaps with better justification. Some historical fiction fans may prefer less interjected history, but I found it informative, and Merle's narrative style reminded why I have read everything he wrote that is available in English.

The Brethren begins the saga of the Siorac family set in the Perigord region of France during the Reformation. The tumultuous struggle between Catholicism and emerging Protestantism is the backdrop within which this story enfolds. With a steady pace, and narrated by the younger son Pierre, the author tells the story of a family that endures warfare, plague, drought, and the challenges of daily living in the late 1500s, while exploring the depths of their conflicting faith. The author’s use of the “Book of Reason” as a way of conveying information across generations, as well as sharing emotions and words that cannot be said, was a very clever device that fit brilliantly within the story. Delightfully lovable characters adds to the story’s charm. Sumptuous descriptions—this one of the chambermaid—“a beautiful girl copiously endowed and of a placid nature, with vacant cow’s eyes that seemed endlessly to ruminate on a pastoral daydream” and enchanting vignettes, like the cooks infidelity magically forced upon her by a Gypsy captain, makes the story memorable and seductive.“However busy I might appear, I could do nothing but remember the past, chewing it over like a sad dog his leash, in thoughts that never ceased, even in bed, where I tossed and turned, burnt and shriveled on the embers of my sorrow.” This is no dry recitation of 16th century life, but a lively, fascinating tale. I am totally hooked.

I started reading "Fortune de France" in 1983 when I first discovered this amazing saga by Robert Merle. Back then, I had to wait for the next chapters to be written to read them. It was like watching Game of Thrones week after week and speculating on what was going to happen to the protagonists. After 13 books, Robert Merle died leaving me with a gaping hole. I have treasured those books, and they have followed me everywhere I lived. When I saw on Amazon that they had been translated in english, I knew I had to read them in english as well, thus re-discovering them. The translation is excellent, even with the old French language used in the French version comes across just as powerful as the original version. So far only 3 of the 13 books have been translated, but they will be as well and I am so looking forward to follow Pierre de Siorac, Miroul and the many characters imbedded in this historical fiction from Francois I to Louis IVX. I have bought this book for myself and for a friend and plan on buying a few more to send to my friends, hopping that someday, someone in Hollywood decides to make a TV series of this prolific saga.

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