Louisiana

Louisiane #1

by Maurice Denuzière

Questo grande romanzo famoso in tutto il mondo è la saga di una famiglia di piantatori, I Damvilliers, nella quale domina Virginie, una donna affascinante e ambiziosa, intelligente e volitiva il cui destino di identifica, nell'arco di un cinquantennio, con quello di Bagatelle, una grande piantagione di cotone sulle rive del Mississippi. Immigranti e schiavi, aristocratici di origine francese e numerosi altri personaggi ci fanno rivivere -attraverso le loro vicende quotidiane, le loro passioni, le loro ambizioni- l'apogeo e poi il declino leggendario Sud in un "affresco" magistrale che fonde fantasia e realtà, romanzo e storia.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Romance, France, Fiction, Historical

480 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1977

About the author

Après des études dans le journalisme et un début de carrière dans l'aéronautique navale, il se lance dans le journalisme. En 1951, il devient chroniqueur pour France-Soir et le journal Le Monde. Passionné par l’écriture, il est l’auteur de plusieurs best sellers. Maintenant devenu un auteur assez célèbre, il est surtout connu pour sa suite romanesque intitulée Louisiane, en 6 volumes (1977-1987).
Maurice Denuzière, grand reporter devenu écrivain, après avoir passé neuf ans à France-Soir, sous la direction de Pierre Lazareff, et seize ans au journal Le Monde, à l'époque d'Hubert Beuve-Méry, a quitté le journalisme en 1978.
Best-seller international grâce à Louisiane, il a publié une trentaine d’ouvrages.
Ses six gros volumes de la série Louisiane, les quatre romans de la série Helvétie et les trois tomes de la série Bahamas font qu'il est considéré comme l'un des maîtres du roman historique.
Il a reçu divers prix littéraires, en France — notamment, prix Claude-Farrère 1961, prix Alexandre-Dumas 1977 — et Bancarella en Italie.
Il a été nommé Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres en janvier 2010

Reviews

[Sergio]

Bellissimo e affascinante romanzo ambientato nelle produttive terre coltivate a cotone nella Louisiana dell'Ottocento e ha come protagonista una bellissima e volitiva donna, Virginia Trégan che, ereditata la piantagione lasciatale dal padre, saprà renderla un esempio di abile conduzione manageriale, superando le inevitabili avversità che le si faranno incontro negli anni grazie al suo carattere e al suo fascino di donna; accanto a lei la splendida figura maschile di Clarence Danridge, giovane uomo provato dalla sventura ma capace di tenere testa a ogni contrarietà, saldo nei suoi principi e nella sua affabile convivenza con la giovane padrona. Un'opera di letteratura che si dispiega come impeccabile affresco dell'America dell' Ottocento prima, durante e dopo la Guerra di Secessione.

[Emanuela]

I really appreciated this book, its history and the style of Denuzière's writing; love, tragedy and history, the author describes very well the slave condition of the 1830-60s ages in South America, as well as the Civil War between North and South. Hope that the second book of this saga is beautiful than the first!

[SyL]

If I had to choose what I loved the most in this book, is how much care goes into the characters. No one is treated like generic background noise; every single person has such a distinct, peculiar presence that they never blur together. The narrative makes sure everyone gets their own backstory and payoff sooner or later. It’s genuinely impressive—and a real form of art—how even teenage figures like Virginie’s two sons with their eccentricities are turned into some of the most fascinating parts of the whole story.

To balance that personal focus, Denuzière adds detailed deep-dives into military tactics, plantation economics, and politics, which can occasionally feel more like a historical report than seamless storytelling, but I really appreciated the weight it added. It gives the drama a solid, authentic foundation so you actually understand the forces pushing these characters around.
A rich, thoroughly rewarding read.

[Laura]

Pretty straightforward story, basically gone with the wind, only way less interesting. You never really get to know the people the story is about (Clarence Dandrige and Virginie Trégan), so frankly I never really cared what happened to them. Add to that the endless explanations of what is going on in the years leading up to the Civil War and the truly horrible translation I had, and you have yourself a very uninteresting read. The two stars are for the part in which, [spoiler] spoiler: all the children die and the book gets somewhat interesting [/spoiler].

Do not recommend.

[Lucie De Serres]

Très intéressant d'un point de vue historique... le Roi-Coton, l'aristocratie française implantée en Louisiane, la guerre de Sécession, l'esclavagisme etc. Lecture un peu difficile au début, le style de l'auteur nous semble venir du siècle dernier, c'est un peu lourd mais on s'habitue... Les personnages sont attachants, notamment Clarence Dandrige, l'intendant de la plantation dont la philosophie est intéressante.

[Kiki⚜Franglaise]

Un "Autant en emporte le vent" made in France marqué par des personnages ambigus et nuancés, une intrigue et un arrière-plan historique solides, qui ne rougit pas de la comparaison avec son illustre prédécesseur. Et enfin des protagonistes esclaves qui ne sont pas cantonnés aux nounous et autres caméristes... Romanesque et instructif sur les liens entre la Louisiane et la France au milieu du XIXe s.

[Karina]

Una bella saga famigliare, con le nozioni storiche fanno profondamente immergere nella vita del Sud della Louisiana, una bella epoca del passato.
.

[Adeline]

I've read a good number of books set in the antebellum/civil war South over the years (thanks to my grandmother's bookshelves rather than a particular hobby) and Denuzière's Louisiane is by far the best one and my favourite. Or at least it's at the very top of the list alongside Margaret Walker's Jubilee.

The writing is impeccable and intelligent, and the dense historical research is fascinating. I love the characters who are multilayered and deliciously human - no delicate and virginal southern belle stereotype here. Louisiane is probably my favourite of the series, and as enjoyable as when I first read it almost twenty years ago.

[romie]

tbh I didn't finish it, I kinda liked the story but the descriptions were too longgggg I had to stop reading it was to much !
if their were less description I think I could've manage to read it entirely, but gosh ! the descriptions ! too much...

[Pia Slegers]

Helemaal in het boeiende verhaal van de historie meegezogen.

[Ratratrat]

un po' Via col vento alla francese, m soprattutto un po' didascalico sulla vita del Sud in parte francofono, ovviamente sono passati diversi anni dopo via col vento e qua la protagonista è un tantino più disinvolta

[Chris Bertrand]

C’était très beau et j’ai adoré l’action. Il y avait des moments forts, mais le livre était trop lent et trop littéraire pour moi.

[The Reading Bibliophile]

Lu ado, j'en ai un bon souvenir. A relire un jour?

[Annita]

Nulla che non sia già stato scritto- meglio-dalla Mitchell.