The Brethren - Brossura

Merle, Robert

4,12

1.432 valutazioni di Goodreads

Brossura

ISBN 10: 1782271236 ISBN 13: 9781782271239

Casa editrice: Pushkin Pr Ltd, 2015

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Consisting of 13 books written across 26 years, the adventure-filled epic Fortunes of France is one of France's best-loved historical fiction series. Never before published in English, book one, The Brethren, makes its debut in the US in the spring of 2015, followed in the fall by book two, City of Wisdom and Blood.

Two veteran soldiers retire to a castle in the wildly beautiful P�rigord of sixteenth century France. But the country is descending into chaos, plagued by religious strife, famine, pestilence, bands of robbers... and, of course, the English.

In the course of their story we are introduced to a slew of vivid characters, including the fiery Isabelle, mistress of the castle, refusing to renounce her religious beliefs despite great pressure; the petty and meal-mouthed Francois, unlikely heir to the estate; the brave and loyal Jonas who lives in a cave and keeps a wolf as a pet; the swaggering soldier Cabusse; the outrageously superstitious Maligou, and Sarrazine, who once roamed as part of a wild gypsy band.

A sprawling, earthy tale of violence and lust, love and death, political intrigue and dazzling philosophical debate, The Brethren is the first step in an engrossing saga to rival Dumas, Flashmanand Game of Thrones.

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Recensione:

'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' Christobel Kent, 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

'The mainstay of the novel is swashbuckling action... What stands out is Merle's eye for detail' Spectator

'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.' Bookbag, Five Star Review

'Cleverly depicts France's epic religious wars through the intimate prism of one family's experience. It's beautifully written too. Metro.

'Historical fiction at its very best... This fast paced and heady brew is colourfully leavened with love and sex and a great deal of humour and wit. The second instalment cannot be published too soon' We Love This Book

'This is old-fashioned story-telling. It has swagger and, vibrancy with big characters... A gripping story with humour and strength and real attention to historical detail" Mature Times

This enjoyable story has some of the wit of George MacDonald Fraser's 'Flashman'... Alexandre Dumas comes to mind too... [the remaining volumes] of this moving panorama are eagerly awaited'The Tablet

'A lively adventures anyone keen on historical fiction [should] look forward to the next instalment' Telegraph

'A master of the historical novel' Guardian

'The spectacular 13-volume evocation of 16th-17th-century France' Independent

'Merle's novel offers a sympathetic and highly imaginative view of a fraught time in French history... filled with originality, humanity, and insight'New Welsh Review

'The Brethren very quickly wins one over' Glasgow Herald

'The Dumas of the twentieth century' Neues Deutschland

'A wonderful, colourful, breathlessly narrated historical panorama' Zeitpunkt

'Robert Merle is one of the very few French writers who has attained both popular success and the admiration of critics. The doyen of our novelists is a happy man' Le Figaro

'Merle, whose Fortunes of France series is a best-seller in this country, has been hailed as a modern-day Dumas. This is a swash-buckling start'Connexion

'A highly anticipated tome that s been described as Game of Thrones meets The Three Musketeers' Mariella Frostrup on BBC Radio 4 s Open Book

'A bold invasion of Dumas territory... There is a philosophical depth to the novel... whets one's appetite for the next volume'

--Wall Street Journal

L'autore:

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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