Οι θεοί διψούν

by Anatole France, Τάκης Μπαρλάς (Translator)

Όπως οι μεγάλοι κυκλώνες στην τυφλή τους μανία δεν αφήνουν τίποτα όρθιο ισοπεδώνοντας και καθαρίζοντας το έδαφος, έτσι και οι μεγάλες επαναστάσεις ξεριζώνουν και ανατρέπουν συθέμελα το παλιό για να χτίσουν στη θέση του το καινούργιο. Το '89, η πρώτη μεγάλη κοινωνική και πολιτική επανάσταση, ανέτρεψε και εκμηδένισε ό,τι ως τότε θεωρούνταν αιώνιο, ιερό και απαραβίαστο ανοίγοντας για την ανθρωπότητα μια νέα εποχή ελευθερίας και προόδου. "Οι θεοί διψούν" του Ανατόλ Φρανς αυτές τις Μεγάλες Μέρες απηχούν και ζωντανεύουν μ' όλες τις εξάρσεις και τις μικρότητές τους.

Genres: Fiction, Classics, Historical Fiction, France, French Literature, French Revolution, Literature

239 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1912

About the author

French critic Anatole France, pen name of Jacques Anatole François Thibault wrote sophisticated, often satirical short stories and novels, including Penguin Island (1908), and won the Nobel Prize of 1921 for literature.

Anatole France began his career as a poet and a journalist. From 1867, he as a journalist composed articles and notices.

In 1869, Le Parnasse Contemporain published La Part de Madeleine of his poems. In 1875, he sat on the committee in charge of the third such compilation. He moved Paul Verlaine and Stéphane Mallarmé aside.

Skeptical old scholar Sylvester Bonnard, protagonist of famous Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard (1881), embodied own personality of the author. The academy praised its elegant prose.

Anatole France in La Rotisserie de la Reine Pedauque (1893) ridiculed belief in the occult and in Les Opinions de Jerome Coignard (1893) captured the atmosphere of the fin de siècle.

People elected him to the Académie française in 1896.
People falsely convicted Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish army officer, of espionage. Anatole France took an important part in the affair, signed manifesto of Émile Zola to support Dreyfus, and authored Monsieur Bergeret in 1901.

After the nearsighted Abbot Mael baptized the animals in error, France in later work depicts the transformation into human nature in 1908.

People considered most profound La Revolte des Anges (1914). It tells of Arcade, the guardian angel of Maurice d'Esparvieu. Arcade falls in love, joins the revolutionary movement of angels, and towards the end recognizes the meaningless overthrow of God unless "in ourselves and in ourselves alone we attack and destroy Ialdabaoth."

People awarded him "in recognition of his brilliant literary achievements, characterized as they are by a nobility of style, a profound human sympathy, grace, and a true Gallic temperament" in 1921.

In 1922, the Catholic Church put entire works of France on the Index Librorum Prohibitorum (Index of Prohibited Books).

He died, and people buried his body in the Neuilly-sur-Seine community cemetery near Paris.

Reviews

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

my greatest fears are:
1- sharks
2- being alive during the french revolution.

fear 2 was born of this book.

[2020 edit: fuuuuuuuuuuccvcccccjkj]

[AiK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Анатоль Франс создал удивительный роман о французской революции периода якобинской диктатуры. Удивительно то, как он препарировал общество, экономику, настроения и террор, когда граждане с упоением казнят своих сограждан. Написанный в 1912 году, роман предвосхитил реалии будущего красного террора, но как тонко писатель подметил человеческую природу во время раскола общества на непримиримые два лагеря – способность и готовность доносить, часто совершенно бездоказательно, и такая же способность и готовность не просто наказывать за проступки или убеждения или просто сгоряча сказанные слова, а в самом прямом смысле рубить головы, причем казнить даже родных и близких. Он показал зловещую природу голода, сопутствующего революциям и создаваемому переделом собственности, неуверенностью поставщиков продовольствия. Для развязывания террора нужна жертва – во Франции это был Марат, которого немедленно канонизировали. Революция – это власть толпы, но толпа состоит из индивидуумов и многие из них не прочь поквитаться со своими обидчиками. Трибуналы – это самосуды, причем очень скорые, беззаконные, поскольку приговоры выносятся не на основе законов, а больше на эмоциях, лозунгах, собственных понятиях и понимании справедливости, патриотизма или приверженности идее или личности. Удивительно преображение скромного художника Эвариста Гамлена, идеалистически взирающего на мир с возвышенными, но своеобразными представлениями о справедливости, по рекомендации или протекции мадам де Рошмор, вдовы прокурора, принятому в революционный трибунал, в кровожадное чудовище десятками и сотнями отправляющему на гильотину не только аристократов, но и служанок, и грузчиков, и все во имя спасения Отчества. Из-за массовости казней судопроизодство упрощалось, поскольку не было времени разбираться в сути дел. Но произошел переворот. Робеспьера казнили, а с ним и всех остальных. Такой же скорый суд и та же «святая гильотина» пришли и на голову Гамлена. Революция закончилась, настал мир, Франция окунулась в развлечения. Читая эту книгу, понимаешь, что лучше обществу развиваться эволюционно. Но если нет развития, если общество застыло в кажущейся стабильности, это влечет к революционным настроениям. Поэтому правители должны всегда помнить о необходимости постоянных эволюционных изменений.

[Nercs · Rating 2 out of 5]

بدترین کتابی که می‌تونستم باهاش سال جدید رو شروع کنم!
فلوبر درباره کتاب «تربیت احساسات» میگه می‌خواستم یه کتابی بنویسم که توش هیچ اتفاقی نیفته. در این که موفق شد این کار رو انجام بده حرفی نیست؛ ولی باید بگم آناتول فرانس دیگه شورشو درآورده.
«خدایان تشنه‌اند» تو یه جمله میخواد بگه بعد انقلاب کبیر، یه سری به اصطلاح انقلابیون خودشون رو گم کردند و از دوره "ستمشاهی" بیشتر گند زدند توی مملکت. حالا آناتول به زور خواسته یه رمان از این دربیاره و چهارتا پرسوناژم ریخته اون وسط.
چرا خوندمش؟ چون هم اسم کتاب قشنگ بود، هم اسم نویسنده. :)

[Shahin · Rating 4 out of 5]

آنجا که آدمی خیال میکند که حقیقت را در دست دارد ، تبدیل به موجودی خونخوار و خشن میشود

[P.E. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jamais on ne fait le mal si pleinement et si gaiement que quand on le fait par conscience.

Radiophonic reading offered by France Culture / Les dieux ont soif, lu par Michel Bouquet (diffusion sur France IV Haute-Fidélité le 1er janvier et le 13 juillet 1954).

-----

L'écrivain :

Anatole France, pour l'état civil François Anatole Thibault, né le 16 avril 1844 à Paris, et mort le 12 octobre 1924 à Saint-Cyr-sur-Loire (Indre-et-Loire), est un écrivain français, considéré comme l’un des plus grands de l'époque de la Troisième République, dont il a également été un des plus importants critiques littéraires. Il devient une des consciences les plus significatives de son temps en s’engageant en faveur de nombreuses causes sociales et politiques du début du XXe siècle. Il reçoit le prix Nobel de littérature pour l’ensemble de son œuvre en 1921.


Quatrième de couverture de l'édition du Livre de Poche :

Quand il choisit pour titre ce mot de Camille Desmoulins, Anatole France ne veut nullement rejeter sur une fatalité tragique les atrocités de la Terreur. Ce texte admirable décrit l'horreur du fanatisme, l'obscurantisme gagnant les Lumières elles-mêmes, la barbarie prenant le masque du progrès. En 1912, ce livre du patriarche de la Gauche française qui dénonçait les excès de la Révolution fut accueilli comme un paradoxe. Aujourd'hui, cette représentation alarmée de l'histoire se lit comme une lucide préface à l'horrible XXe siècle, un avertissement contre l'ignorance et la peur qui engendrent la bêtise, la grande tueuse. »


Mon avis :

L'exposition du cadre révolutionnaire au travers de descriptions extensives me paraît par endroits maladroite et les dialogues convenus, parfois peu crédibles, forcés, tant ils sont riches en éléments d'exposition. Ils donnent l'impression d'entendre des marionnettes débattre sur commande. Mais au plan pédagogique, je crois que ça offre un bon plan d'ensemble sur l'époque de la Convention. D'ailleurs, de vivre sous un climat de conformisme politique sanctionné par un régime de terreur, ça a forcément une influence sur les confidences que veulent bien se faire des interlocuteurs. Finalement, les dialogues sont peut-être plus crédibles qu'il n'y paraît.

Ce qui a remporté ma sympathie, c'est la façon dont Anatole France montre comment la passion politique d'Évariste Gamelin déteint sur toutes les autres formes de passion et de relations humaines, toujours rapportées à la première, évaluées et soupesées à l'aune de la première. La passion amoureuse se teint de l'actualité politique révolutionnaire. Ce qui a tendance à me rappeler la nature des relations amicales et amoureuses dans plusieurs des romans de Milan Kundera, qui prennent pour décor la Tchécoslovaquie communiste.

Cette histoire aide aussi à se convaincre que, si les régimes changent et se succèdent au gré des réformes et des révolutions, la nature humaine, elle, se montre bien moins prompte au changement.


Related works:

Les Origines De La France Contemporaine, Tome 1
La Révolution française déclare la guerre à l'Europe : L'embrasement de l'Europe à la fin du XVIIIe siècle
Histoire des guerres de Vendée
Nouvelle histoire des guerres de Vendée
L'Enjomineur : 1792


1984
La Plaisanterie


La bande-son :
Le réveil du peuple (1795)

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_R%C3...

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.625* of five, rounded up because it should be required reading for those remotely interested in history, sociology, or psychology

The Publisher Says: Published in 1912, when Anatole France was sixty-eight, The Gods Will Have Blood is the story of Gamelin, an idealistic young artist appointed as a magistrate during the French Revolution. Gamelin's ideals lead him to the most monstrous mass murder of his countrymen, and the links between Gamelin and his family, his mistress and the humanist Brotteaux are catastrophically severed. This book recreates the violence and devastation of the Terror with breathtaking power, and weaves into it a tale which grips, convinces and profoundly moves. The perfection of Anatole France's prose style, with its myriad subtle ironies, is here translated by Frederick Davies with admirable skill and sensitivity. That The Gods Will Have Blood is Anatole France's masterpiece is beyond doubt. It is also one of the most brilliantly polished novels in French literature.

Anatole France was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1921.

My Review: The journey through the Terror of the French Revolution made by artist Évariste Gamelin, aspiring bourgeois to Jacobin true believer to his inevitable fall after the Coup de Thermidor. One man's life journey explores the entire *amazing* and enthralling course of the defining break between the Old World Order and the New.

This book was a Book Circle read. Frederick Davies translated this work very ably, in that the prose is supple and muscular. The book is inexorably gripping...to start is to need to finish...and the historical developments, so well-known to M. France, are explored fully without being windy and drawn out.

I love the French Revolution as a fictional backdrop. How can you heighten suspense more than set a book against the backdrop of a murderous rampage that changed the world? Can't say that for most massacres. The history of the French Revolution is equally enthralling to me. I read the entire Encyclopedia Britannica article on it, fascinated and riveted, while I was recovering from mumps one spring in the 1960s. Been hooked ever since.

I detested Évariste Gamelin. Start to finish, he ticked me off, made me ill, caused my blood pressure to spike to unsafe levels, and my shouting at the book (ineffective, sad to say) drove the dog to sleep on Puppy-mommy's bed. Getting that engaged with a book is a Good Thing. It means I've invested my feelings in the experience. This book is 100 years old this year. The events chronicled took place 220 years ago. It's as vibrant and exciting today as ever.

Recommended for all lovers of history, especially as this translation is a crappy 99¢. Read it, and weep. And weep. And weep some more for the death of innocence and the myriad innocents caught in the war of the powerful against the rest of us.

[Paul Bryant · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ordinary day in 1793 on the Place de Concorde in Paris

First Citizen : I denounce you, Citizen, as a traitor, a royalist and a general all-round scumbag!

Second Citizen : Mais non, mon frere, it is YOU who are the reactionary serpent here, so I denounce YOU! So there!

Third Citizen: Aha – I denounce both of you! You vipers of filth and whatnot.

First and Second Citizens: What?? No chance! WE denounce YOU!

**

Yes, it’s Reign of Terror time, Robespierre has just become the big kahuna and the tumbrils are a-rolling. (I must say you never seem to see tumbrils these days but I think those Deliveroo guys could use them for large orders).

The spirit of the times was summed up by a funny cartoon entitled

Robespierre having guillotined everyone in France now guillotines the guillotiner

And I guess a little bit later, himself.

So this is the story of a young wannabe painter guy with a strong sense of social justice who gets appointed as one of the local magistrates – he doesn’t know judicial procedure from a dead haddock but neither do his fellow magistrates, who are called upon to vote guilty or innocent on the bedraggled prisoners before them. Now and again they like the look of a particular defendant but mostly it’s thumbs down, off with their heads. And this is where this novel could have been great. Because our rather pompous, sweet, romantic young guy is just the right type, it turns out, to make the bloodthirstiest guillotiningest judgements on everybody in Paris. Almost, it’s the study of the psychology of the terrorist, how an apparently nice enough guy can look at a parcel of his fellow creatures and nod and say yes, they must die, without losing five minutes’ sleep. But there is just not enough investigation of the psychology of our antihero Evariste Gamelin. He remains an untortured blank-faced dealer of death until death deals with him.

There are some great touches in this book. One former aristocrat, now living in a garret with a leaky roof, says :

I do not deny the fact that sometimes it rains on my bed. It is a trifling inconvenience. And on fine nights I can see the moon, symbol and confidant of lovers. … Of course the same thing makes the cats create a fine row outside in the gutter. But we must forgive love if it makes cats caterwaul on the gutter, considering how it fills the lives of men and women with betrayal and torment.

And I particularly liked the portrait of the Parisians stunned into indifference by the years of momentous events passing before their eyes until they are just completely bored by the Revolution.
But in the end, and I don’t think this was Anatole France’s fault at all, his novel turned out to be a repository of every cliched idea about the French Revolution I ever had.

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 - 4 stars

What happens when we let an idea, an ideal of what humanity ought to be, perhaps even a good one of what it could be, consume us? What happens when the idea becomes more important than the people it is meant to represent? What happens when this idea becomes a god to be worshipped blindly and that god thirsts for human blood in the name of necessity and perfection? Well, the answer is pretty self-evident I guess.

Anatole France’s The Gods will Have Blood aka The Gods are Athirst shows just such a crisis, when the Revolution in France, meant to topple the unjust regime of monarchy and aristocracy in the name of the downtrodden people, became transmuted into a literal Terror, where madam Guillotine reigned supreme and all were suspect. Even those in authority were not safe from the accusing glances and denunciations of all and sundry, and the heroes and champions of liberty of today were all too soon the martyrs and victims of tomorrow. At this time of turmoil we are introduced to the young painter Évariste Gamelin, living in poverty with his widowed mother in a garret in Paris, dreaming of possible fame as an artist and ardently committed to the revolutionary cause. His neighbour, the ci-devant nobleman and secular philosopher Maurice Brotteaux, now makes children’s puppets and reads his Lucretius, giving aid to his neighbours when he can and grumbling about the deceitful nature of the revolution and its adherents. Finally there is Élodie Blaise, the voluptuous daughter of a clever printseller who has thus far proven able to navigate the tempestuous seas of the revolution and still manage to make a profit amidst the poverty that surrounds her, who pursues the handsome young Gamelin with a desire that is almost bestial in its hunger.

We see Gamelin at first as a young man of great feeling and sensibility. Unable to bear the suffering of a young mother unable to feed her newborn child, he gives her half of his loaf, the last available at the baker’s and he goes hungry while he gives his old mother the other half. He is smitten with ardour for the beauteous Élodie, but approaches her with only the most trepidatious of steps. Soon, however, we see that Gamelin’s ardent sensibility is a double-edged sword, for it is that which has caused him to throw in his lot whole-heartedly with the Jacobins, willing to accept any sacrifice or demand made by them in the name of liberty, fraternity, and equality. Gamelin soon becomes a juror sitting in judgment over the many suspected traitors and conspirators that the Jacobins aver will be the downfall of all they have fought for. Some of these victims sacrificed in the name of the new government are former leaders and politicians like Danton and Desmoulins caught on the wrong side of the winds of politics, or generals unable to win the victories desired by the authorities against “the enemies of the people”. In the true spirit of ‘equality’ espoused by the powers that be, however, the vast majority of these victims are merely poor souls caught in the net of avarice and fear that permeates the city. Denounced by friends and neighbours they are bakers and prostitutes, soldiers and priests deemed dangerous by virtue of an ill-considered utterance or the chance of being on the wrong side of a hungry mob waiting for bread at a bakery.

These courts soon become nothing more than a death machine, accepting that all accused are guilty and sending them to their deaths by the dozen (without the needless excess of examining evidence and questioning the accused) after mere single trials are deemed inefficient. The real tragedy of all of this is that this Terror was not simply the act of evil men, but of those of a normal, or even good character who were either too weak in the face of fear, too enamoured with the call of power, or too trusting in the aims of the Revolution to fight against it. Gamelin becomes a true believer. He adheres to the dictates of his party with a religious fervour and can placidly send to the guillotine all with whom he is presented for is it not the fault of these headstrong victims that such extreme measures are taken? It certainly cannot be that of the virtuous state that longs only for the regeneration of mankind.

Élodie soon becomes inordinately enamored of Gamelin. Added to his mere physical attractions are those of authority. This young man, who holds in his hands the power of life and death over all of Paris, becomes irresistible. Her dreams of love are mingled with those of blood, and at one point

…at the thought of the knife at her neck, all her flesh melted in an ecstasy of horror and voluptuous transport.

For his part Gamelin’s mind becomes fevered and burdened by the weight of the enormity of his actions and it is only in the languishing arms of Élodie that he can find repose. These two youths, each thirsting for more blood, though for decidedly different reasons, cannot truly rest and seem unable to understand the obvious reasons for their uneasiness and distress.

On the other side we see Brotteaux. A former aristocrat and man of pleasure who while he denies the truths preached on behalf of both God and man is contrariwise unable to accept the suffering of those he sees around him. Despite his professed creed of indifference we see him constantly aiding those in need in both small and large ways. Whether this is in the shape of the defrocked priest Pére Longuemare who regrets his own cowardice at the Revolution’s outset and admires the conviction of the atheistic philosopher with whom he has many a spirited argument, or the young prostitute Athenaïs who is by turns a lamb and a lion in the face of persecution, or even Gamelin’s mother, sitting hungry in the empty garret she shares with her son the avenger, Brotteaux puts himself out for the individuals he meets in disdain for the great mass of the people…nothing more than a mob that thirsts for death.

Both sides of the spectrum will of course come into contention. Is it any wonder who, in the short term at least, will win? I’m uncertain after reading this who was worse, the idealists who promulgated the ideas that led to these acts of terror and death, or the fickle mob that heeded them thoughtlessly and became the true god of the title that thirsted for blood. This was an excellent examination of the period of the Terror in France. The various levels of society and points of view, the varied stresses that pushed on individuals making them act both more and less than human, are all well presented. Mankind in all its complexity is on view here in a pitiable tale of idealism and evil, a cautionary tale of the need to see the trees that make up the forest. If we forget that even the mob is made up of individual people, then we are destined to be nothing more than a mere atom in its makeup, a fragment of the nameless masses that are swayed by history instead of human affection.

The story ends with ‘normalcy’ apparently reinstated, the people freed from the tyranny of one set of revolutionaries and granted an apparent respite from the hunger of the guillotine. This respite will be short-lived and it is ironically the materialist Brotteaux who becomes an unwitting prophet. In an utterance which will be used against him by the very people he warns he foresees a day when “…one of these warriors you make gods of swallows you all up like the stork in the fable who gobbles up the frogs.” The Revolution and the Terror were not the end of the upheavals France was to experience in these days. The cult of personality was also going to consume them in the name of a Corsican soldier with an iron will and a genius for war.

[Nazanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

اولین مطلبی که با خواندن کتاب های تاریخی به ذهن متبادر
می شود همان بیان معروف است
تاریخ تکرار می شود
و چه جمله زیبایی دارد آن بزرگوار که عبرتها چه بسیار و عبرت گیرندگان چه اندکند...

و اما کتاب

ماجرای آن در بستر فضای خاص و پر التهاب پس از انقلاب فرانسه میگذرد و شخصیت اصلی آن، آواریست گاملن،جوان ساده و نقاشی هست که بنا بر اتفاقات داستان تبدیل به یکی از اعضای هیئت انقلابی می شود و از قضا یکی از بی رحم ترینشان تا آنجا که گیوتین برایش تبدیل به یک شی مقدس می شود :
!ای کشتار نافع
!ای کشتار مقدس
!ای گیوتین محبوب

و اگرچه گاهی در خلوت خویش دچار شک می شود که آیا کردارش درست است یا خیر اما همواره به یک نتیجه می رسد و آن برحق بودن اعمال و تصمیماتش هست و حتی در پارک خطاب به کودکی میگوید :
ای بچه! تو آزاد و خوشبخت بزرگ خواهی شد و این آزادی و خوشبختی را به گاملن فرومایه مدیونی من بی رحم هستم برای اینکه تو خوب باشی تا فردا همه فرانسوی ها همدیگر را در آغوش کشند در حالیکه اشک شادی از دیده فرو می ریزند

ص ۲۹۲: اواریست در میان ازدحام توده به نرمی اشک می ریخت و خدا را سپاس می گفت زیرا می دید عصر سعادت و کامیابی آغاز می شود
با خود می گفت سرانجام خوشبخت و پاک و بی گناه خواهیم شد چنانچه بدنهادان و فرومایگان بگذارند افسوس که بدنهادان و فرومایگان نمیگذاشتند هنوز شکنجه ها لازم بود هنوز ریختن خونهای ناپاک ضرورت داشت...

و اواریست گاملن در نهایت خود به همان معشوقی می پیوندد که همیشه آن را می ستود: گیوتین


با اینکه مضمون جالبی داشت اما موقع خواندن کتاب چندان راحت نبودم فقط به یک دلیل : ترجمه

از همان صفحات ابتدایی حس می کردم ترجمه در خیلی از جملات و عبارات خشک و زبره! یا شبیه دری که لولاهاش خیلی وقته که روغن نخورده ! و این باعث می شد نتونم چندان با کتاب ارتباط برقرار کنم
حتی گاهی تصور میکردم دارم مطلبی بی ارتباط با صفحات قبلی را میخوانم مثلا دو سه شخصیت جدید یکدفعه وارد داستان می شدند و به هیچ دلیل در باقی صفحات اسمی ازشان دیده نمی شد

به نظرم برای خواننده ای که می خواهد کتابی را از زبانی دیگر به زبان مادری اش مطالعه کند بی شک مهم ترین شاخصه ، کیفیت و ساختار ترجمه آن اثر هست
حتی مهم تر از محتوای کتاب
حیف آثار بزرگی که تحت الشعاع یک ترجمه نه چندان خوب، ارزش و مفاهیمش آن طور که باید منتقل نمی شود و حتی دلزدگی خواننده را نسبت به کتابی که همیشه تعریفش را شنیده به دنبال دارد

با خودم فکر کردم این یکی از کتابهایی هست که ترجمه ش حتما به یک بازبینی و ویراستاری جدید نیاز دارد
��می که سرچ کردم به مصاحبه دکتر غیاثی برخوردم که اتفاقا ایشان هم این اثر را ترجمه کرده اند وقتی بخشی از این مصاحبه را که مربوط به همین کتاب و همین ترجمه هست خواندم دیدم تصورم در مورد ترجمه چندان نادرست هم نبوده
بخش مورد اشاره مصاحبه رو در ادامه میذارم :

"من «خدایان تشنه‌اند» را اوایل انقلاب، سال‌ شصت‌وسه ترجمه کردم. پیش‌تر البته آقای عمادی ترجمه‌ای غلط‌غولوط از این کتاب منتشر کرده بود. اتفاقا روزی در مجلسی ایشان را دیدم، گفتند: آقا ما این کتاب را چاپ کردیم، چرا شما دوباره ترجمه کردید؟ گفتم: برای اینکه شما از تکه‌هایی از کتاب رد شده‌اید و ترجمه نکردید. به همین دلیل ترجمه من که چاپ شد، ناشر روی چاپ اول آن باندی زد و نوشت: متن کامل. کاظم عمادی خیلی ترجمه کرده بود، من در جوانی چندین کتاب ایشان را خوانده بودم، اما به‌نظرم فرانسه را چنان‌که باید نمی‌دانست. خودش هم هرجا را که دشوار بود یا فکر می‌کرد به درد نمی‌خورد، ترجمه نکرده بود. خب، آناتول فرانس، نویسنده بزرگی است. نمی‌شود تکه‌هایی از کتاب او را ترجمه نکرد. "



به هرحال خدایان تشنه اند کتابی هست که ارزش خواندن دارد و اگر یک ترجمه خوب را خوانده بودم احتمالا چهار یا حتی پنج ستاره میدادم

[Maryam Bahrani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each book I read offers a new perspective. In this post, I share my thoughts on this book in Persian and English. I hope this will be enjoyable for you :)


هر کتابی که می خوانم دریچه ای به دنیایی جدید است.تو این نوشته دیدگاه و تجربه ام از مطالعه ی این کتاب رو به دو زبان فارسی و انگلیسی با شما به اشتراک می ذارم امیدوارم خوندنش براتون لذتبخش باشه :)


Persian (فارسی)


رمان خدایان تشنه‌اند اثر آناتول فرانس، روایتی ژرف و تامل‌برانگیز از فرانسهٔ پس از انقلاب ارائه می‌دهد—عصری که شور انقلابی در پوشش عدالت به ابزاری برای خشونت بدل می‌شود. نویسنده در انتخاب عنوان اثر از جمله‌ای استفاده می‌کند که ریشه‌اش در تاریخ آزتک‌هاست: «خدایان تشنه‌اند.» راهبه‌های بتکده خطاب به پادشاه خود مونته‌زوما چنین گفتند، و کامی دِمولن، روزنامه‌نگار دوران انقلاب فرانسه، همین عبارت را در نقد دادگاه‌های خون‌ریز به کار گرفت. این جمله نه‌تنها معنای نمادینی در دل اثر دارد، بلکه به‌خوبی لحن هشداردهندهٔ رمان را شکل می‌دهد و فضایی می‌آفریند که مرز میان آرمان و جنون را می‌کاود.

انتخاب شخصیت از جهان هنر 🎨

اواریست گاملن، نقاش جوان، به‌عنوان شخصیت اصلی رمان انتخابی تأمل‌برانگیز است. هنرمندان به‌دلیل حساسیت زیباشناختی و ارتباط عمیق با تحولات اجتماعی، معمولاً جزو نخستین گروه‌هایی‌اند که ضرب‌آهنگ تغییرات را حس کرده و بازتاب می‌دهند. گاملن در آغاز، چهره‌ای عدالت‌خواه و آرمان‌طلب دارد، اما در مواجهه با قدرت، رفته‌رفته به ابزار همان ساختارهایی بدل می‌شود که پیش‌تر به نقدشان برخاسته بود. این دگرگونی تدریجی، به‌طرزی دقیق، روند فرسایش آرمان‌ها را در دل ساختارهای سیاسی نمایش می‌دهد.


پیوندهای ذهنی با جهان فکری
زولا و اوئیسمانس 🧠

حین مطالعهٔ اثر، فضایی درونی برایم خلق شد که مرا به یاد شخصیت‌های رمان «بیراه» از ژوریس-کارل اوئیسمانس انداخت—به‌خصوص در علاقه‌مندی به هنر، پیچیدگی‌های درونی، و برخورد تند با ایدئولوژی‌ها. این حس، اگرچه کاملاً شخصی است، اما نشانه‌ای‌ست از این واقعیت که آناتول فرانس از نزدیکان فکری زولا و اوئیسمانس بود؛ نویسندگانی که دغدغه‌های انسانی و نقد اجتماعی در آثارشان جایگاه برجسته‌ای داشت. آن‌چه در شخصیت گاملن دیده می‌شود، بازتابی‌ست از همان جریان فکری مشترک.

بافت نمادین روایت🕯️

رمان خدایان تشنه‌اند تنها بازگویی یک تحوّل سیاسی نیست؛ بلکه بستری سرشار از نمادهای چندلایه است. از گیوتینی که به‌عنوان نماد عدالت تقدیس شده، تا عشق‌هایی که زیر فشار ترس و تعصب آرام‌آرام خاموش می‌شوند—هر عنصر داستانی آینه‌ایست برای نقد نظام‌هایی که ادعای حقیقت دارند، اما در عمل با خشونت و حذف، آن را سرکوب می‌کنند. این نمادها نه تنها به داستان عمق و رنگ می‌بخشند، بلکه ذهن خواننده را به تأملی فراتر از متن دعوت می‌کنند؛ جایی که معنا در دل تضادها شکل می‌گیرد.

قدرت تصویرسازی و غوطه‌وری ذهنی 📖

یکی از برجسته‌ترین نقاط قوت این رمان، از نگاه من، تصویرسازی ذهنیِ پویایی‌ست که فرانس با مهارتی کم‌نظیر خلق می‌کند. پاریسِ انقلابی، دادگاه‌های سرد و سخت، گفتگوهای پرتنش و خیابان‌های مضطرب—همه با چنان وضوحی به تصویر کشیده شده‌اند که خواننده خود را کاملاً در بطن وقایع حس می‌کند؛ نه فقط در نقش ناظر، بلکه گاه در جایگاه شرکت‌کننده‌ای درگیر در تصمیم‌گیری‌های شخصیت‌ها. این غوطه‌وری شناختی تجربهٔ خوانش را به سطحی نزدیک‌تر به درگیری عاطفی می‌برد.


در آستانهٔ تأمل، جایی که روایت خاموش می‌شود و اندیشه آغاز 🌌

خدایان تشنه‌اند اثری‌ست که در دل روایتی تاریخی، سوالات اخلاقی و انسانی پیچیده‌ای را پیش می‌کشد. آناتول فرانس با بهره‌گیری از شخصیت‌پردازی دقیق، فضای تاریخی ملموس، و نمادهایی پرمعنا، موفق شده رمانی خلق کند که هم آینه‌ای برای گذشته است، هم ابزاری برای تأمل در حال. این اثر برای خواننده‌ای که از ادبیات، انتظار بیش از روایت دارد—تأمل، تجربه، و پرسش‌گری—پاسخی دقیق و پُرمایه فراهم می‌کند.
در لحظه‌هایی که عدالت با خشونت هم‌صدا می‌شود، مخاطب ناگزیر به درنگ است—آیا آنچه به نام حقیقت انجام می‌شود، واقعاً حامل روشنایی‌ست؟
وقتی هنرمند، قاضی، یا عاشق در مسیر قدرت از خود تهی می‌شود، چه چیزی از انسان باقی می‌ماند؟
و آیا ما هنوز توان آن را داریم که آرمان را از ایدئولوژی تشخیص دهیم؟
این پرسش‌ها، پس از خواندن اثر، در ذهن باقی می‌مانند—نه برای رسیدن به پاسخ، بلکه برای تأملی عمیق‌تر بر نقش انسان در طوفان تاریخ و انتخاب‌های دشوارش.

English (انگلیسی)

“The Gods Are Athirst” by Anatole France offers a profound and contemplative portrayal of post-revolutionary France—an era in which revolutionary fervor, cloaked in justice, becomes a tool of violence. The author’s choice of title draws from Aztec history: “The Gods Are Athirst.” Temple priestesses once addressed their king Montezuma with this phrase, and Camille Desmoulins, a journalist during the French Revolution, invoked it to criticize the bloody tribunals of the time. The phrase not only holds symbolic weight within the novel but also sets its warning tone, crafting a space that explores the fragile boundary between idealism and madness.

A Character Drawn from
The World of Art 🎨

Évariste Gamelin, a young painter, is a thought-provoking choice as the novel’s protagonist. Artists, due to their aesthetic sensitivity and deep ties to societal currents, are often among the first to sense and reflect change. Gamelin initially embodies justice and noble ideals, but under the influence of power, gradually transforms into a tool of the very systems he once criticized. This slow metamorphosis masterfully illustrates how ideals erode within political structures.

Mental Resonance with the Worlds of Zola and Huysmans 🧠

While reading, I immersed myself in an inner atmosphere reminiscent of characters from " Against Nature" (À Rebours) by Joris-Karl Huysum—especially in their artistic interests, inner complexities, and fierce confrontations with ideology. Though this feeling is personal, it underscores that Anatole France was intellectually close to Zola and Huysumans—writers known for their humanistic concerns and sharp social critique. Gamelin’s character echoes this shared intellectual lineage.

The Symbolic Fabric of the Narrative🕯️

The Gods Are Athirst isn’t merely a direct recounting of political upheaval—it serves as a fertile ground for symbolic layering. From the guillotine, revered by society, to loves that fade under the shadow of fear and fanaticism, all these elements help critique systems that outwardly claim truth yet in practice enact violence and erasure. These symbols add depth and richness, inviting the reader to reflect beyond the story's surface.

The Power of Imagery and Mental Immersion 📖

One of the novel’s greatest strengths, for me, lies in the vivid mental imagery France masterfully creates. Revolutionary Paris, the grim tribunals, tense dialogues, and anxious streets—all are depicted with such clarity that the reader feels fully present in the events—not merely as an observer but, at times, as a participant entangled in the characters’ decisions. This cognitive immersion brings the reading experience closer to emotional engagement.

At the Threshold of Contemplation—Where Story Falls Silent and Thought Begins 🌌

The Gods Are Athirst raises complex ethical and human questions through its historical narrative. With precise character development, a palpable historical setting, and powerful symbols, Anatole France has crafted a novel that reflects the past while serving as a lens through which to ponder the present. For readers who seek more than just a story—those who desire reflection, experience, and inquiry—it delivers a rich and resonant response.

In moments when justice echoes with violence, the reader cannot help but pause—Is that which is done in the name of truth truly illuminating?
When the artist, judge, or lover is emptied by the lure of power, what remains of the human soul?
And do we still possess the ability to distinguish ideals from ideology?

These questions linger after reading—not to be definitively answered, but to invite deeper contemplation of humanity’s role amid the storms of history and the burdens of choice.

[od1_40reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally published in 1912, Anatole France’s fictional account of The Reign of Terror during the French Revolution does a wonderful job of capturing the tension, paranoia and fear of the years 1793-1794.

It seems to meander a bit too much at the beginning, but by the middle and then onwards to the end, the full extent of the revolution comes into play. I had to put the book down at one point, as the tension got too much!

It does require a lot of prior knowledge of this period in French history, particularly in terms of the historical figures depicted and the timeline of the revolution. No explanation of events is given. The author assumes readers’ understanding of what would’ve been fairly recent events back in 1912. (Fair to say, I did not read the Introduction by Frederick Davies, which may prove useful!)

If you have an interest in, and therefore knowledge of, the events of the French Revolution I think you’ll really enjoy this book!

[Behzad · Rating 4 out of 5]

به نظرم خیلی رمان خوبی بود.
هم خواندنی بود و قصۀ خوبی میگفت و آدم رو میکشوند به آخرش؛ هم فلسفه و محتوای تفکر برانگیزی داشت و هم شخصیت های به یاد ماندنی و متفاوتی.

رمان در مورد پاک سازی ها و کشتار و اعدام پس از انقلاب فرانسه است. یک جور سرگذشت انقلابهاست این رمان که نشون میده اینکه میگن انقلاب فرزندان خودش رو میخوره یعنی چه.

به طور خلاصه، رمان در مورد جوان نقاش و هنرمندی است که از طرفداران دو آتشۀ انقلاب است و به مرور به صف پاسداران انقلاب در میاد و در راه اونچه که خودش حق و درست میدونه به کارهایی دست میزنه که او رو از روح و جان هنری خودش بسیار دور میکنه.
و پایان رمان هم بسیار تکان دهنده و جالب بود.

[tyranus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mutlak monarşinin yıkılıp yerine Cumhuriyetin kurulduğu Fransız Devrimi, tarihte kendi çocuklarını (devrimi yapanları) yiyen devrim olarak akıllarda yer edinmiştir. Ünlü-ünsüz, yoksul-aristokrat ayrımına bakılmaksızın bir yığın insanın giyotinle kurban edildiği bir kökten değişimdir. Lakin henüz emekleme çağında olan bu değişim, Cumhuriyetçilerin "hain arama" ve "içimizdeki düşmanlar" paranoyasıyla adeta bir kıyıma dönüşür. Kralı deviren Cumhuriyetçilerin uyguladığı baskı öyle bunaltıcı bir hal alır ki, gelen gideni aratır misali, halk, Cumhuriyeti kuranlara muhalifliğini "çok yaşa kral, yaşasın kral" sloganları atarak göstermeye başlar.

Devrime ihanetle ya da karşı devrimci (kralcı) olmakla suçlananlar arasında o kadar farklı görüşte insan var ki, kurban edilenlerin gerçekten suçlu olup olmadığı belli değildir; daha ziyade rastgele ya da kurayla seçilmiş kurbanlar gibidir. Bununla birlikte, koşullar, duygu ve düşünceler o kadar sık değişir ki, bu değişime ayak uydurmak pek mümkün olmasa gerek ki, bir gün önce baş tacı edilen, "en ateşli devrimci" diye omuzlarda yükselen biri, ertesi gün giyotinde kendini bulabilmiş mesela. Bu absürd durumun neticesinde Fransız Devriminin fitilini ateşleyen, Bastille Hapisanesi baskınını düzenleyen ve kralın devrilmesinde başrolü oynayan birçok devrimci de "hain"damgasıyla giyotine götürülür.
Kitabı okuyunca, büyük kazanımların büyük vebalini, bir paranoyanın insanları sürüklediği bunaltıcı atmosferi okuduğunuzu farkediyorsunuz. İyi okumalar...


"Elveda dost, hiçliğe sizden önce gidiyorum. İleride daha iyi bir biçim vermesi için, beni oluşturan elemanları doğaya seve seve iade ediyorum, zaten benim işime hiç yaramadı." (giyotine giden bir idam mahkumunun mahkum arkadaşına vedası)

"Ben öleceğime üzülüyorum, çünkü sizden daha çok zevkle yaşadım hayatı. Oysa siz zaten bir ölü gibi yaşadınız, ölümden de bunun için korkmuyorsunuz!" (kitaptan bir alıntı)

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Faranaj · Rating 4 out of 5]

پروست بارها در کتاب "در جستجوی زمان از دست رفته" به آناتول فرانس اشاره می‌کند. همین باعث شد که این کتاب را برای شروع بخوانم. داستان و شخصیت پرداز چیره‌دستی‌ست فرانس. او را یکی از الگوهای پروست برای نوشتن می‌دانند.

جورج_اورول معتقد بود فرهنگ جامعه‌ای که کسی مثل او را داشته باشد تضمین است.

سارتر وجدان روشنفکری را از او آموخت. از هیچ شروع کرد و به نوبل ادبیات رسید. مردی که بار عصر خود را به‌دوش کشید و … فراموش شد.

از «تورات بی‌ایمانان» تا «خدایان تشنه‌اند» و «عصیان فرشتگان» آن‌چنان نقدی به کلیسای کاتولیک و کل دین وارد کرد که گفته‌اند واتیکان پیغام فرستاد “گستاخی را از حد گذراندی” جواب او در در روزنامه پاریسی زمان Temps تنها یک جمله از مارکس بود:

“نقد دین، سرآغاز هرگونه نقد دیگری‌ست”

در مراسم نوبل ۱۹۲۱ گفت
“مشکل این است که نادانان خود را دانا و دانایان خود را نادان فرض می‌کنند”
بخت‌ یار بود که نبود تا سوزاندن کتاب‌هایش به دست نازی‌ها را ببیند. شاید می‌دانست و برای همین در «جزیره پنگوئن‌ها» نوشته بود “سعادتمند کسی است که جانب غفلت را در زندگی کاملا ترک نکند”
سارتر درباره‌اش نوشت “فرازمند زیست و رفت او برای حقیقت ،خستگی ناپذیر‌ جنگید” بار عصرش را بر دوش داشت.‏
‏
➖➖➖➖➖➖➖
از متن کتاب:

اپیکور می‌گوید:
یا خدا می‌خواهد از شر و بدی جلوگیری کند و نمی‌تواند،
یا می‌تواند و نمی‌خواهد،
یا نمی‌تواند و نمی‌خواهد،
یا می‌خواهد و می‌تواند.
اگر می‌خواهد و نمی‌تواند، ناتوان است.
اگر می‌تواند و نمی‌خواهد، شریر است.
اگر نمی‌تواند و نمی‌خواهد ناتوان و شریر است.
اگر می‌خواهد و می‌تواند، پس چرا جلوگیری نمی‌کند؟

[Irena Pasvinter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Les dieux ont soif (The Gods are Thirsty) tells the story of Évariste Gamelin, a young painter passionate about revolution and liberty, who struggles to earn his bread in revolutionary Paris of 1793. When a rich and well-connected patroness procures for him a place of a juror on the Revolutionary tribunal, mild and earnest Évariste puts all his passion and earnestness into judging the fates of the enemies of the revolution. It's the Reign of Terror, and the sacred guillotine demands more and more victims to save the revolution of the people from the encroachment of its endless enemies. When the Terror rules, sacrificing human lives for the purpose of highest good, nobody is safe, not even its headsmen.

Written in 1912, this subtle exploration of what terror and search of enemies does to society in general and human soul in particular, has since been reenacted in real life on numerous occasions and is still being reenacted today.

[Catherine Vamianaki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Υπάρχουν πολλά στοιχεία γύρω από την γαλλική Επανάσταση. Ισως περιμενα κατι παραπάνω...

[Afkham · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the book despite a not so perfectly translated version I had. It is meticulously detailed in describing people, their characteristics, opinions and behavior and also in describing locations. Though I find some statements a bit pretentious and not natural for that specific situation.

The similarity of people and the incidents throughout the time and place is unbelievable. While devouring every sentence, I was thinking of some people I knew who leaved in another country in another time, definitely far enough from French revolution; People who could be retrieved from the lines of Les dieux ont soif.

The odd and unique point is I don’t think I ever despised or could despise any protagonist more than Gamelin! Yet I couldn’t stop reading! Well done France!

[Masih Reyhani · Rating 5 out of 5]

نخستین اثری که از «آناتول فرانس» و [تا جایی که حافظه‌ام یاری می‌کند] نخستین اثری که از کلاسیک فرانسه می‌خواندم.

کتاب در کوران انقلاب فرانسه روایت می‌شود و حکایت زندگی افراد مختلف در این دوره‌ی مهم تاریخی است. شخصیت اصلی داستان نقاش بخت‌برگشته‌ای است که قدم به عرصه‌ی سیاست می‌گذارد.

کتاب را بسیار دوست داشتم، ترجمه‌ی «محمدتقی غیاثی» هم به گمانم بی‌نظیر بود. مکالمات «بروتو» مخصوصا آن قسمت‌هایی که با «کشیش پیر» بود را واقعا دوست داشتم. تصور می‌کنم که این کتاب بتواند مرا به مطالعه‌ی عمیق در مورد انقلاب فرانسه مجاب کند...

شاید در آینده، کتاب را بازخوانی کنم؛ در این صورت، این نویسه را به‌روز می‌کنم.

[Moshtagh hosein · Rating 3 out of 5]

این کتاب رو من پیشتر به عنوان مدخلی برای خواندن کتاب جزیره پنگوئن‌ها و آشنایی به مدل نوشتن نویسنده تهیه کردم.
خیلی قلم خوب و سرراستی داره نویسنده و در واقع این کتاب کنایه از جنون است که خدایان انقلاب و ارتجاع فرانسه را تشنه خون کرده بود.
نویسنده نشان دادم که مردم در زمان بحرانهای سیاسی و اجتماعی ازتاریخ درسی نمیگیرند!

[Czarny Pies · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ce roman qui est tres bien écrit et qui exprime un point de vue avec lequel je suis en accord m'a laissé un peu froid. La raison est que le protagonist est une ordure. Quand a la fin, il subit le sort qu'il mérite le lecteur, comme l'auteur meme, on est bien content.

L'intrigue se déroule à Paris pendant la revolution francaise au moment ou le Terreur est a son sommet. Le heros, Evariste Gamelin, est un revolutionnaire fervent. Dans sa vie personnelle, il a des bons et des mauvais cotés. C'est un fils modele qui accepte de tres bon gré les responabilité de nourrir et loge sa mere veuve. C'est un peintre moyen qui n'arrive pas as s'établir.

Quand la chance met sur le tribunal revolutionnaire, son mauvais coté prend le dessus. Evariste se revele d'etre un bourreau monstreux. Il condamne systematiquent tout les accuses qui se presentent devant lui meme si les preuves manquent. En fait il condamne meme ceux qui semblent etre exonérés par les preuves. Il semble avoir deux mobiles. Primo, il a peur de trahir la revolution par surcroit de clemence. Secundo, il veut regler des comptes personnelles. Il se fait l'idée que son amante a été seduite par un noble. En fait, le type en question est comme lui un petit bourgeois et son amie semble a participer a leur liaison de son propre gré les yeux ouverts.

Sur le tribunal, le héros court d'un acte abominable après un autre. Il condamne à la mort quelqu'un qui croit etre le séducteur de son amie mais qui n'est pas, le père de son amie, plusieurs amis, la personne qui l'a fait nommé au tribunal, l'amant de sa soeur et d'autres innocents innombrables.

Finallement, Evariste a son tour sous le guillotine et tout le monde est bien content. Son amante renoue alors avec le sécucteur qui n'était pas.

Les Dieux ont soif est une fable assez bien réussi. J'avais le prejugé avant de le commencer que les revolutions mettent souvent des souvent qui n'ont ni l'intelligence ni le caractere morale nécessaire et qui finissent par faire des atrocités. Cependant le simple fait d'etre en accord avec l'écrivain ne veut pas dire forcément que l'on prend grand plaisir a passer du temps en compagnie d'un protagonist si inique. C'est à vous de juger. Il faut reconnaitre au moins que cette sale histoire est bien présentée.

[M&A Ed]

انقلاب فرانسه یکی از مهمترین اتفاقات تاریخ جهان است و چه خوب است که روایت ��تفاقات بعد از انقلاب فرانسه از زبان "پادشاه نثر فرانسه" بازگو گردد. اتفاقاتی پس مهیب که آدمی را یاد چرخه ی تکرار می اندازد. روایت آدم های انقلابی که بعد از به قدرت رسیدن تغییر خلق و خو می دهند و "آزادی" قربانی سبعیت آنان می گردد. آنقدر این سبعیت پررنگ می گردد که حتی روابط خانوادگی نیز نادیده گرفته می شود و خواهر را به قربانگاه می فرستند. آناتول فرانس چه خوب توانسته این موضوع را بیان کند که مردم در بحران ها تاریخ را از یاد می برند.
توجه به رویدادها، دقت در انعکاس اندیشه ها، فضاسازی و ساخت صحنه ها ار نقاط قوت کتاب بود.

[Γιώργος Ζωγράφος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Τι σημασία έχουν οι πρόσκαιρες στερήσεις και οι κακουχίες; Η Επανάσταση θα κάνει ευτυχισμένο όλο το ανθρώπινο γένος για πολλούς αιώνες.

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Έπρεπε να αδειάσουν οι φυλακές που είχαν ξεχειλίσει· έπρεπε να δικάζουν, να δικάζουν χωρίς διακοπή και ξανάσασμα.

------------------

Δεν μπορούσαν να φανταστούν πως ήταν δυνατόν να υπάρχουν άνθρωποι με διαφορετικά φρονήματα απ’ αυτούς χωρίς να’ ναι φαύλοι κι εγκληματίες. Κι επειδή πίστευαν πως αυτοί μονάχα κατείχαν την αλήθεια, τη σοφία, το υπέρτατο αγαθό, φορτώνανε στους αντιπάλους τους την πλάνη και το κακό. Νιώθανε τον εαυτό τους ισχυρό: Βλέπανε το Θεό.

Στο Παρίσι του 1793, λίγους μήνες μετά τις σφαγές του Σεπτέμβρη του 1792 και τέσσερα χρόνια μετά την κατάληψη της Βαστίλλης, επικρατεί ο απόλυτος Τρόμος. Επιτροπές Γενικής Ασφάλειας, Επαγρύπνησης και «Κοινής Σωτηρίας» στήνονται σε όλα τα Διαμερίσματα της πόλης, οι Ιακωβίνοι με τον Ροβεσπιέρο και τον Μαρά είναι στην εξουσία και χιλιάδες άνθρωποι φυλακίζονται με την κατηγορία της κατασκοπείας, της υπονόμευσης της Επανάστασης, του υπερβολικού φανατισμού, της αδιαφορίας, του ότι είναι υποστηρικτές του Μπρισό, του Νταντόν, του Ρολάν, του Πετιόν και δεκάδων άλλων πρώην ηρώων του λαού και νυν προδοτών, της υποστήριξης της μοναρχίας και δεκάδων άλλων κατηγοριών. Έτσι εμείς γνωρίζουμε έναν νεαρό ζωγράφο, θερμό υποστηρικτή της Επανάστασης και φανατικό Ιακωβίνο, τον Εβαρίστ Γκαμελέν, που μένει με τη μητέρα του σε ένα άθλιο οίκημα μαζί με δεκάδες άλλους στα υπόλοιπα «διαμερίσματα». Στο Παρίσι που μαστίζεται από το λιμό και τις εχθρικές επιθέσεις των βασιλοφρόνων, ο Εβαρίστ φαντάζεται μια πολιτεία όπου εδρεύει η Δημοκρατία και είναι ένας νέος συμπαθής και φιλεύσπλαχνος. Όλα αλλάζουν με την ίδρυση των Επαναστατικών Δικαστηρίων στα οποία καταδικάζονται εις θάνατον δια λαιμητόμου οι αντιφρονούντες στο καθεστώς του Ροβεσπιέρου την εποχή της Μεγάλης Τρομοκρατίας. Ο Εβαρίστ γίνεται ένορκος και στέλνει εκατοντάδες ανθρώπους στο θάνατο χωρίς καμία εξέταση της υπόθεσης και με λιγοστά ή ανύπαρκτα στοιχεία. Το βιβλίο έχει φινάλε αρχαίας τραγωδίας…

Το «Οι θεοί διψούν» του Ανατόλ Φρανς είναι ένα βιβλίο αριστοτεχνικά γραμμένο που αποδίδει με απόλυτη πιστότητα τα γεγονότα την εποχή του Μεγάλου Τρόμου στο Παρίσι. Οι θεοί λοιπόν διψούν για αίμα, για θυσία, ώστε να χτιστεί η Επανάσταση, να εξολοθρευθούν οι εχθροί του Ροβεσπιέρου που σαν φίδι έφαγε την ίδια του την ουρά. Ο Φρανς δημιουργεί πολύ ενδιαφέροντες χαρακτήρες που τους εντάσσει στο ιστορικό πλαίσιο με ιδιαίτερη μαεστρία, με ζωντανούς διαλόγους και ενδιαφέρουσα ροή γεγονότων, το βιβλίο αυτό είναι ταυτόχρονα τρομερά ενδιαφέρον από λογοτεχνική άποψη και φοβερά χρήσιμο από ιστορική. Μια ιδέα ριζοσπαστική όπως η Επανάσταση του ‘89, ένας τυφώνας που ξερίζωσε το παλιό, κατάφερε να καταστραφεί στο τέλος με τους λανθασμένους χειρισμούς των «αδιαφθόρων φίλων του Λαού». Διαβάστε το για να χαρείτε την όμορφη γραφή του Φρανς και να ζήσετε στο πετσί σας το τερατούργημα που γεννήθηκε από τις στάχτες της Βαστίλλης, που τόσο μοιάζει με το τρομερό έτερο κόκκινο τέρας…




Ντελακρουά, Η Ελευθερία οδηγεί το Λαό: Αρχή της Επανάστασης.



Ανώνυμου, Η εκτέλεση του Ροβεσπιέρου: Το τέλος της Τρομοκρατίας.

[cọng rơm · Rating 5 out of 5]

rùng rợn rởn tóc gáy (dù ngu sử trình độ văn hóa kém trí nhớ tan tác nên thiệt ra đọc hồi cũng không biết mẹ nào là mẹ nào phe nào là phe nào và sự kiện nào là sự kiện nào...)
cuối cùng sau nhiều năm, rất nhiều năm, rất rất nhiều năm, đã thích được một nhân vật nam trong sách, và lý do thích thiệt logic, bởi vì ông Brotteaux chính là thầy Huy

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you liked A Tale of Two Cities and enjoy reading on that mess we call the French Revolution, you might enjoy this echo of Dickens by Anatole France. Considering its publication in 1912, I expected it to be stuffier and more dated, but overall, it moved rather well. The plot is predictable and the emotions are predictably played, but qu'expectez-vous?

The focus here is on the ruin of one young Revolutionary fanatic named Gamelin who is given a position of power (magistrate on the Revolutionary Tribunal). From here, in the name of the cause and Robespierre (or the dead Marat, if you will), he did a lot of Nero-like thumbs down on men, women, and children during the time of the Terror. Off they went to the guillotine.

Eventually Gamelin becomes like any supporter of an extreme cause or person -- blind. No amount of logic or reason or empathy can help him see the error of his ways. His man and his cause is doggedly right, no matter what. At a key juncture, one victim warns another: "Above all, do not appeal to the magistrates.... They are not men, they are things: you cannot explain yourself to things."

It's voices like that which ring down through the decades. We have among us still in this world "things" beyond reason. Save your breath and hope they will, as Robespierre and Friends did, bury themselves in time.

[Natia Morbedadze · Rating 4 out of 5]

საფრანგეთის რევოლუცია ის ეპოქაა, რომელში ცხოვრებას მტერსაც კი ვერ უსურვებ. ერთი ტირანია დამარცხდა, მაგრამ მეორემ არ დააყოვნა. ვერც ახალმა "ღმერთებმა" დაიოკეს წყურვილი და გილიოტინამ "უმასპინძლა" სამეფო ოჯახს, არისტოკრატებს, ფინანსისტებს, შემდეგ უბრალო ხალხზე - პატიოსან მუშებზე, მოვაჭრეებზე, სასულიერო პირებზე, ემიგრანტებზე, მეძავებზე გადავიდა, ბოლოს კი არ დაინდო თვით მაქსიმილიან რობესპიერი და ისინიც კი, ვისაც რევოლუციამ ადამიანობა წაართვა და სისხლისმსმელ არსებებად აქცია... სისხლის მდინარემ გადარეცხა მთელი ქვეყანა და უამრავი უდანაშაულო მოქალაქე იმსხვერპლა.

[Warren Fournier · Rating 5 out of 5]

All must kneel before Saint Guillotine!

One of the most interesting periods in history, at least for me, is the Reign of Terror, because the more I learn about it, the more lessons I find can be applied to contemporary culture. Enter Anatole France, the 1922 Nobel Prize winner for Literature, whose novel "The Gods Are Athirst," alternately translated as "The Gods Will Have Blood," brilliantly takes one year in this historical event and uses it as the backdrop for a heart-rending and terrifying fictional drama that really can put things in perspective for us today.

The entire French Revolution is a poster-child for how easily things can spiral out of control. Beginning as a simple protest to raise awareness about the rights of the French working class poor, the so-called Third Estate, a chain of power vacuums afforded opportunists ample reason to seize control and almost destroy an entire country. No one living in France at the end of the 18th Century could have imagined that an age-old government would be overthrown in order to create a new utopia, an enlightened government by the People and for the People, only to have this new progressive government be exponentially more tyrannical and oppressive than anything experienced before, eventually having to be replaced by the very monarchy everyone saw so fit to overthrow in the first place.

But the acolytes of Revolution were just so damn sure they were right! They were so confident that they were the goodies and not the baddies! What went wrong?

Well, like the Salem witch trials, the Spanish Inquisition, the German Final Solution, the Haitian massacre, the genocide in Rwanda, and numerous other periods in history, good intentions often respond to economic pressures and social unrest, but fail to take into account the human herd tendencies to form fads, clicks, mass hysteria, and mob mentality. As Nietzsche pointed out, once an "other" is identified, a systems solution that is unprepared to deal with the spreading mass reaction to that threat, or which is outright exploited and fostered by those seeking to gain power through the new system, devolves into devastating evil.

The main antagonist of this novel, Évariste Gamelin, represents the almost religious fervor that infects extremist suppliants of a political or social movement. He is the face of the everyday bloke who takes on the role of patriot without practicing self-awareness or even being informed. He is young, a mediocre painter, takes good care of his momma, and overall comes across as a nice guy. In one very touching scene, he gives half of his meager ration of bread to a single mom and the other half to his own mother, a courageous act of self-sacrifice. This makes his fate all the more tragic, for when he is promoted to sit on the jury of the Revolutionary Tribunal, his zeal to do the right thing turns him into a human monster.

Unlike his mother, he was too young to remember or appreciate life under the old regime, and yet is convinced that the Revolution will make everything better for ever and ever. "Never tell me the Revolution is going to establish equality, because men will never be equal," says his mother. "...and let them turn the country upside down to their heart's content, there will still be great and small, fat and lean in it."

But Gamelin will not be deterred. On the jury, he spirals into ever increasing madness, gleefully seeking out those without sufficient fealty to the new government, silencing dissenting voices and finding traitors on every corner, until he even begins to turn his righteous condemnation on those he loves.

Three characters that Gamelin must eventually confront are an atheist, a priest, and a prostitute, all of whom circumstances have brought together and who developed a tight bond. The relationships between this motley crew are humorous and sweet, and by the climax, the reader has come to be so fond of them that our sympathy for the hundreds of anonymous innocent people that Gamelin has already sent to the guillotine comes into sharp focus as we bite our nails at what will happen to our heroes.

Not so subtlety, Anatole France based Gamelin on the Greek hero Orestes, particularly as portrayed by the writer Aeschylus, who was driven mad as a consequence of following the orders of Apollo, or Reason, the Golden Calf of the Revolution.

The novel was published in 1912. Just two years later, the conflict of WWI would begin. Six years later in Russia, the Romanov family would be brutally murdered under Lenin's orders. Anatole France was keenly aware of politics and brewing hatreds across the globe, and was making the point that we should not make the same mistake as his own nation in the late 1700s. He identified the crucial error as the assumption that humans are inherently good, and it is only government institutions that corrupt. The inevitable outcome of such a Rousseauvian belief is that progressives tend to think that if there are problems in their country that the old institutions are the cause of all society woes. Thus, there is nothing to learn from or to cherish from what has taken so many years to build. It all needs to come down. Through abolition of fallible institutions, the natural goodness in humanity as bestowed by God would be restored. Anatole France points out that history says otherwise. The execution of the French king only led to more mass slaughter and the worst economy that France had ever seen, while all the while a new class of elite scrambled to ascend to godlike status. The great Revolution brought no new Age of Man. It only ate itself.

Don't think that Anatole France was a staunch conservative who saw all change or social reform as some kind of left-wing conspiracy (to use American vernacular). He was a devout socialist who even supported Russia's own revolution. But he was cautious and often pessimistic, approaching social change through persuasive argument and appealing to common ground--he said that no one who has fallen on hard times, whether rich or poor, deserves to live in a gutter and starve. He was pessimistic because he understood human psychology and how easily public servants fall to malversation. If he had been a Russian citizen at the time or could foresee the future, he no doubt would have been appalled to discover another Reign of Terror.

"Mankind posseses characteristics that Revolutions cannot change."

It wasn't progressive goals to which he was opposed, but the means that has been used to achieve them. His Revolutionary France is a bleak landscape of paranoia ruled by gods thirsty for blood. The enemies of the new Republic were not merely limited to Royalist sympathisers. He refers often to the "ci-devant," people who were once something but are no longer, such as financiers or soldiers now reduced to odd jobs like designing playing cards. If they dressed nicely, if not a bit behind the times, or looked moderately well off, they might be pulled to pieces by brainless mobs who thought they were aristocrats. Religion is also a prime target, with clerics constantly under suspicion, and old ladies selling devotional jewelry being hauled off to jail, for no faith is allowed except for worship of the State. Even a toymaker may be arrested if a psychotic delegate of the Committee for General Security believes the painted faces of Scaramouch puppets look too much like Robespierre.

There is a great scene early on where the crowd is cheering Murat who is being paraded through the streets. Instead of smiling and waving to his people, he eyes everyone sternly and suspiciously, paranoid that even among this devoted crowd there may be traitors. Are these the kind of leaders that so many French died for? Is this paranoid and sickly man the kind of person that really cares about the people?

Anatole France was a genius who used extensive research to weave an allegorical drama with minute historical details to create a crystal clear psychological snapshot of a crucial point in time. I am not sure why this author is not taught more in schools or discussed as much in literary circles these days, but I can venture a guess.

A major complaint about his writing is that he uses a great deal of cultural references and sets his stories in historical backdrops that may have meant a lot to the people of France, but which modern English audiences have little knowledge or connection. I would say this is valid. But this is no different from what we see in modern books.

For example, I read a lot of contemporary horror, much of which is written to appeal to readers decades younger than me. As a result, I sometimes feel excluded because it is tempting to assume that the writer is making it clear with the constant winks and nods via unfamiliar references that the story is not meant for me. But this is not always true, and besides, reading doesn't always have to be a passive experience. I find that looking up references with which you are not familiar can greatly improve your understanding of an author and the message of a book, and can really immerse you in the worldview of the characters.

Take it from me--I cannot stand misuse of references. I admit that it is true that less mature writers tend to rely far too much on pop culture, therefore immediately dating their work and dooming their legacy beyond a certain generation. Furthermore, some writers inundate their stories with tons of obscure academic references in some naive attempt to convince an audience that you have to be an intellectual to "get it." Another common mistake is when writers feel compelled to insert biased sociopolitical references in a story that is otherwise completely divorced from such themes, making the references feel shoehorned and unnecessarily devisive. Too often it seems as if a writer has felt compelled to show what team they are on so as to gain favor with the perceived fads and fashions of a target demographic, publishing company, or award jury. When references are employed in these manners, the story suffers.

I do not feel that this is the case here. Like the work of Proust, who likely used Anatole France as a model not only for his character Bergotte, but also to develop his own writing style, this novel is a painting adorned with artistic references known to the characters of his story, and it helps to look up these references and get a clear picture of what is being described. This is subtle world-building that requires active participation by the reader, one that opens up new levels of meaning and helps the reader learn a thing or two.

So overall, I do encourage everyone to check out Anatole France. This novel is a good place to start. It is high literature that remains incredibly accessible with a little effort on the part of the reader. After a mildly sluggish start, the pace is otherwise excellent, and you'll find yourself not wanting to put it down. Full of tension, suspense, horror, and laughs, all woven together with rich attention to historic detail, incredible sensitivity and pathos, efficient yet expansive character development, and a sense of quirky irony, the whole thing is a beautifully written example of how powerful cultural satire can be without being preachy. Highly recommended!

SCORE: 5/5

WORD OF THE DAY: Sybarite

[Gencay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tanrılar Susamışlardı’da Anatole France, Fransız İhtilali’nin en kanlı dönemini sarsıcı ve etkileyici bir şekilde resmediyor. Roman boyunca, başkahraman ressam Gamelin’in ideolojik saplantılarının, sözde devrim uğruna nasıl bir canavara dönüştüğüne tanıklık ediyoruz. Eser, devrimin idealist başlangıcının nasıl yerini acımasızlık, fanatizm ve bireysel çıkar hesaplarına bıraktığını gösterirken, insan doğasının karanlık yanlarını da sorgulatıyor. Zaman ve koşullar değişse de, insan doğasının özünde pek de değişmediği fikrini güçlü biçimde hissettiriyor. Bu yönüyle kitap, sadece tarihsel bir dönem romanı olmakla kalmayıp, adalet, güç ve inanç gibi kavramları derinlemesine işleyen felsefi bir yapıt olarak da öne çıkıyor. Fransız Devrimi’ne ilgi duyan herkesin okuması gereken önemli bir eser.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This work is another exploration of the ease and passion we have for rendering harm unto our fellow beings, this time through the affairs of Évariste Gamelin, an excited promoter of guillotine justice during the French Revolution. Wasn’t the French Revolution really disguised anarchy? Take note, those who admire the black flag.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

'The Gods Will Have Blood' distinguishes itself from other novels of French Revolution I've read by its fantastic level of cynicism. France's writing reveals the bitter ironies of the Terror, marshalling a fascinating cast of characters. At the centre of the narrative is Gamelin, an idealistic young artist who lives in an attic with his mother. He becomes part of the Revolutionary Tribunal and, as he sees it, fights to preserve the Revolution by sending traitors to their death. The major figures of the time, notably Robespierre, cast a strong shadow over the book, but rarely intrude directly. Indeed, it is often demonstrated that characters are concerned with the daily matter of earning a living or seducing a conquest, not politics. The closeness and contrast between mundane life and sudden, shocking condemnation to death is repeatedly, powerfully demonstrated. The arbitrary nature of Terror is a major theme.

I feel compelled to compare this novel with 'Les Misérables', which is deeply idealistic and in places idealises the sacrifice of life for abstract principles. (Naturally it bears noting that events in Les Mis begin more than twenty years after the Terror, which took place from 1793-4.) Although this is something of an overgeneralisation, Hugo tends to characterise social problems as institutional, requiring reform of structures. France appears uninterested in such analysis, rather he dwells on the personal level of struggle to survive. The characters in 'The Gods Have Blood' seem less aware of the institutions binding their actions than those of 'Les Mis'. On the other hand, France's characters are more human and less absolute. Their morals are definitely looser, too, which both rings true and adds piquancy. I loved the female characters energy and lack of tedious saintliness.

Many small moments in 'The Gods Will Have Blood' stand out as striking. Julie's fondness for dressing up in men's clothing. The artists' gallivant out to the countryside, seemingly idyllic until one member of the party jokingly calls the other by the name of a recently disgraced politician. The angry tirades of Athénaïs the baby-faced prostitute. The death of Citizen Trubert, who absent-mindedly said he was very well whilst coughing up blood. The prisoners playing at 'Revolutionary Tribunal', not only rehearsing their likely fate on Earth but also their punishments in Hell.

My favourite moment, though, is probably when the atheist epicurean Brotteaux invites a homeless priest to stay with him. Brotteaux refuses the priest's thanks, protesting that his kindness stems from, 'that egotism which inspires all men's acts of generosity and self-sacrifice' and also because, 'I've nothing better to do'. The friendly discussion between the two apparent philosophical opposites is fascinating. There and elsewhere, France rather subversively presents a determinedly cynical man who believes in nothing as seemingly the wisest character in the book. This is very interesting contrast to Hugo, whose avowedly cynical character Grantaire is described as a weak drunkard, who only achieves greatness by embracing death for an ideal (love, if not liberty). Whilst Brotteaux by no means benefits from his clear-eyed view of the Terror, France definitely paints him as admirable. He and Gamelin are contrasted powerfully by way of their thoughts and actions, although their eventual fates are identical.

I think that France has captured a perspective on the final phase of the French Revolution that I've not read before. 'The Gods Will Have Blood' is a brilliantly written novel, although the introduction claims it loses quite a bit in translation. I might try and get hold of a copy in French. For quite a short book, it feels very substantial. It'll stay in my mind, of that I'm sure.