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Fortune de France #1
The Brethren
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 2015.
Two veteran soldiers retire to a castle in the wildly beautiful Périgord 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, Flashman, and "Game of Thrones."
Two veteran soldiers retire to a castle in the wildly beautiful Périgord 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, Flashman, and "Game of Thrones."
416 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
174 people are currently reading
1517 people want to read
About the author
Robert Merle
121 books265 followersBorn in Tebessa located in ,what was then, the French colony of Algeria. Robert Merle and his family moved to France in 1918. Merle wrote in many styles and won the Prix Goncourt for his novel Week-end à Zuydcoote. He has also written a 13 book series of historical novels, Fortune de France. Recreating 16th and 17th century France through the eyes of a fictitious Protestant doctor turned spy, he went so far as to write it in the period's French making it virtually untranslatable.
His novels Un animal doué de la raison (A Sentient Animal, 1967), a stark Cold War satire inspired by John Lilly's studies of dolphins and the Caribbean Crisis, and Malevil (1972), a post-apocalyptic story, were both translated into English and filmed, the former as Day of the Dolphin. The film The Day of the Dolphin bore very little resemblance to Merle's story.
He died of a heart attack at his home La Malmaison in Grosrouvre near Paris.
His novels Un animal doué de la raison (A Sentient Animal, 1967), a stark Cold War satire inspired by John Lilly's studies of dolphins and the Caribbean Crisis, and Malevil (1972), a post-apocalyptic story, were both translated into English and filmed, the former as Day of the Dolphin. The film The Day of the Dolphin bore very little resemblance to Merle's story.
He died of a heart attack at his home La Malmaison in Grosrouvre near Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 124 reviews
October 11, 2014
The subject matter of this novel appealed to me: its backdrop is the sixteenth-century wars of religion in France, seen through the lens of a noble household in the Périgord, near Sarlat. This is the first of a thirteen-novel series by the academic and novelist Robert Merle, written across a quarter of a century (1977-2003), tracing the life of one of the sons of the household, Pierre de Siorac. The novels, collectively entitled Fortune de France, are very well known in France, but have only just begun to appear in English. I read the first volume, The Brethren, in the recently issued Pushkin Press translation by T. Jefferson Kline.
That may have been a mistake. Reading up on the novel a little after finishing it, I discovered that a striking feature of the original novels is that they are written in an approximation to sixteenth-century French. Presumably this virtuoso feat on Merle’s part contributes to the reputation the novels have acquired in France. T. Jefferson Kline makes no real attempt to reproduce the linguistic texture of the original, other than throwing in the occasional lexical archaism (he is especially fond of “wenches,” and I spotted a stray “’Sblood” at one point). I imagine the experience of reading the original would equate more to something like reading a skillfully archaizing novel like As Meat Loves Salt. If I ever pursue the series, I think I’ll probably try to read the next volume in French.
I have to say that I don’t think I’ll be in an extreme hurry to do so, however. The historical setting of these novels is undoubtedly fascinating, and the protagonist’s personal trajectory is set up in a promising manner: son of a Huguenot father and a Catholic mother, just setting off to Montpellier to train as a doctor as the first novel ends, and equipped with a properly assorted duo of brothers (potential nasty-piece-of-work elder brother and heir François and angelic, illegitimate, redhead younger brother Samson). There’s also, in the background, a sprawling baronial-agricultural household, with a small army of colorful retainers of all stripes, male and female, headed by “the brethren,” Pierre’s widowed father, Jean de Siorac, and his old military brother-in-arms, Jean de Sauveterre.
There are several things that rather spoiled this novel for me, however. Merle is in such Dumas-like territory in this work (La Reine Margot. in particular), that it’s impossible not to make comparisons, and I must say on the evidence so far Merle is much clunkier than Dumas in the way in which he integrates his history with his fiction. In fact, I’ve rarely read a historical novel that is quite so unrelenting in splicing together its fiction with long passages of straight historical narrative, undigested and unintegrated. I found this a little wearisome even though I am interested in the history, and I can imagine some readers being put off entirely.
The other thing that detracted from my pleasure in this book was the extraordinary sexism of its representation of women. I’m not hypersensitive about this kind of thing. I read a lot of pre twentieth-century literature, and I’m used to reading in a historicizing manner, taking account of the belief-systems of the time when a work was written. Historicize as I might, though, I did find Merle pretty exceptional in the relentlessly one-dimensional character of his portrayal of female characters. In fact, I was rereading Boccaccio’s The Decameron for professional reasons at the same time that I was finishing Merle’s novel and found it quite amusing how much more varied and interesting and open-minded Boccaccio managed to be about women, writing six centuries earlier. Virtually the first thing we hear about every single female figure in Merle’s novel is the size of her breasts, and in many cases that remains these figures’ most salient characteristic (not only in a literal sense). At points I felt I was watching a Russ Meyer film set in sixteenth-century France. Other than a ravening, “Eve-like” sexual appetite; a nurturing instinct most apparent in the lushly endowed wet nurse Barberine; and a high degree of superstition, religious and otherwise, it’s hard to think of another character trait possessed by any of the quite numerous female characters in the book. Oh, yes—Pierre’s mother gets a bit of “aristocratic” coldness and social snobbishness in addition to her redoubtable cleavage, and Cathérine de’ Medici, who appears offstage in the historical backstory, gets the usual “Machiavelli in petticoats,” poison-you-as-soon-as-look-at-you stereotypical baggage.
At times, Merle’s tunnel vision can even be quite amusing. There’s one point in the narrative when Pierre’s father rescues a former family servant from a plague-ridden town (this isn’t really a spoiler; it’s a very minor incident). This follows a passage which I found one of the best in the novel, chilling in its account of the effects of the plague, and interesting in the details it gives of the logistics of epidemic management (Merle doesn’t stint on his research).
The woman to be rescued has been locked up for some time in isolation in a quarantined plague house after her employer died of the illness. What kind of state someone would be in after an experience of this kind is difficult to imagine. The psychological impact of this traumatic experience is the least of Merle’s concerns, though—why bother with women’s psychology when they have many more interesting features to talk about? The woman, Franchou, appears at the window “her face drawn but good color in her cheeks … revealing two beautiful breasts barely contained in her bodice.” I guess we have to be thankful, at least, that they’re not “undulating” or “palpitating,” which women’s bodies do rather a lot of in this novel.
I mean, really.
That may have been a mistake. Reading up on the novel a little after finishing it, I discovered that a striking feature of the original novels is that they are written in an approximation to sixteenth-century French. Presumably this virtuoso feat on Merle’s part contributes to the reputation the novels have acquired in France. T. Jefferson Kline makes no real attempt to reproduce the linguistic texture of the original, other than throwing in the occasional lexical archaism (he is especially fond of “wenches,” and I spotted a stray “’Sblood” at one point). I imagine the experience of reading the original would equate more to something like reading a skillfully archaizing novel like As Meat Loves Salt. If I ever pursue the series, I think I’ll probably try to read the next volume in French.
I have to say that I don’t think I’ll be in an extreme hurry to do so, however. The historical setting of these novels is undoubtedly fascinating, and the protagonist’s personal trajectory is set up in a promising manner: son of a Huguenot father and a Catholic mother, just setting off to Montpellier to train as a doctor as the first novel ends, and equipped with a properly assorted duo of brothers (potential nasty-piece-of-work elder brother and heir François and angelic, illegitimate, redhead younger brother Samson). There’s also, in the background, a sprawling baronial-agricultural household, with a small army of colorful retainers of all stripes, male and female, headed by “the brethren,” Pierre’s widowed father, Jean de Siorac, and his old military brother-in-arms, Jean de Sauveterre.
There are several things that rather spoiled this novel for me, however. Merle is in such Dumas-like territory in this work (La Reine Margot. in particular), that it’s impossible not to make comparisons, and I must say on the evidence so far Merle is much clunkier than Dumas in the way in which he integrates his history with his fiction. In fact, I’ve rarely read a historical novel that is quite so unrelenting in splicing together its fiction with long passages of straight historical narrative, undigested and unintegrated. I found this a little wearisome even though I am interested in the history, and I can imagine some readers being put off entirely.
The other thing that detracted from my pleasure in this book was the extraordinary sexism of its representation of women. I’m not hypersensitive about this kind of thing. I read a lot of pre twentieth-century literature, and I’m used to reading in a historicizing manner, taking account of the belief-systems of the time when a work was written. Historicize as I might, though, I did find Merle pretty exceptional in the relentlessly one-dimensional character of his portrayal of female characters. In fact, I was rereading Boccaccio’s The Decameron for professional reasons at the same time that I was finishing Merle’s novel and found it quite amusing how much more varied and interesting and open-minded Boccaccio managed to be about women, writing six centuries earlier. Virtually the first thing we hear about every single female figure in Merle’s novel is the size of her breasts, and in many cases that remains these figures’ most salient characteristic (not only in a literal sense). At points I felt I was watching a Russ Meyer film set in sixteenth-century France. Other than a ravening, “Eve-like” sexual appetite; a nurturing instinct most apparent in the lushly endowed wet nurse Barberine; and a high degree of superstition, religious and otherwise, it’s hard to think of another character trait possessed by any of the quite numerous female characters in the book. Oh, yes—Pierre’s mother gets a bit of “aristocratic” coldness and social snobbishness in addition to her redoubtable cleavage, and Cathérine de’ Medici, who appears offstage in the historical backstory, gets the usual “Machiavelli in petticoats,” poison-you-as-soon-as-look-at-you stereotypical baggage.
At times, Merle’s tunnel vision can even be quite amusing. There’s one point in the narrative when Pierre’s father rescues a former family servant from a plague-ridden town (this isn’t really a spoiler; it’s a very minor incident). This follows a passage which I found one of the best in the novel, chilling in its account of the effects of the plague, and interesting in the details it gives of the logistics of epidemic management (Merle doesn’t stint on his research).
The woman to be rescued has been locked up for some time in isolation in a quarantined plague house after her employer died of the illness. What kind of state someone would be in after an experience of this kind is difficult to imagine. The psychological impact of this traumatic experience is the least of Merle’s concerns, though—why bother with women’s psychology when they have many more interesting features to talk about? The woman, Franchou, appears at the window “her face drawn but good color in her cheeks … revealing two beautiful breasts barely contained in her bodice.” I guess we have to be thankful, at least, that they’re not “undulating” or “palpitating,” which women’s bodies do rather a lot of in this novel.
I mean, really.
March 13, 2024
Напълно бях забравила, че навремето тъкмо този хубав историческо-приключенски роман ме запозна с Франция на католици и хугеноти, хванали се за гушите.
За съжаление поредицата не е преведена у нас, но за почиталите на приключенско-историческия жанр ще е попадение. Ще потърся и останалите части на английски.
За съжаление поредицата не е преведена у нас, но за почиталите на приключенско-историческия жанр ще е попадение. Ще потърся и останалите части на английски.
May 21, 2021
The first book in a series called Fortune of War which is set in 16th C France & revolves around the religious wars of the era. It’s a period I know a little about mostly through film rather than study so hoping for knowledge as much as entertainment.
It’s narrator isn’t even born when we start & the history of the family is told to us in chunks of time as no sooner we have acquainted ourselves with this period of the family & their surroundings we jump forward a few more years, and this is all in the first two chapters…. It’s a little difficult to follow in terms of flow early doors but the short anecdotal style of tales are enjoyable enough for the most. The short stories show how the “brethren” was put together, which is that of two brothers returning from war with four of their serving soldiers who end up working for them along with craftsmen they hire locally & servants….. and so the entourage grew as children were bore & wives “found” for the menfolk…..
We finally settle down a bit when Pierre (the narrator) is six years old where we are now more familiar with his family, servants, surroundings & lifestyle. I loosely say servants for although they get a wage & are fed they are very much subservient to the master of the family & his strict rules & latterly his religion. The family had acquired a name through valour in battle unlike some who jus give themselves a title & all of a sudden call themselves “Dukes” who live in the surrounding area.
The early “story” is one more of the social history of the Duke (Pierre’s father) & his entourage, if it was an earlier setting you might even call it a clan, giving a flavour of the life of a 16th C French subject. Interspaced in this story is the ever-growing conflict between Catholic & Huguenot faiths of which the Brethren are mainly reformists (Huguenot) or in some cases reluctant conversions. The Duke we learn is a moderate & so tries to keep out of the war which appears to be going on all around with massacres aplenty among the local populous with atrocities carried out by both sides.
I took to it after a confusing start, its amusing in it’s way at times & I enjoyed the narrators early life experience & adventures. It does however jump around a fair bit all the way through & the ride is not always smooth as at some junctures you get assaulted by names/places which are jus as soon forgotten until later in the book.
The character development is good after a difficult start where each of the Duke’s servants evolve over time or through a side story/plot to their role in the affair.
I would say come the end ive not really learnt much history, it was more about the characters & their interaction within the household of the brethren. I have though got to know the family, the “brethren” as they are called.
Im giving it a straight 3, I likely could have scored higher but it is a disjointed read at times & doesn’t really give you a smooth ride, rough around the edges you might say for all it’s charm. I did have to take a break at about 2/3rds otherwise im not sure I would have finished it, but im glad I picked it up again as the last third had much more flow about it.
A series I will give another go to see how the storytelling evolves.
It’s narrator isn’t even born when we start & the history of the family is told to us in chunks of time as no sooner we have acquainted ourselves with this period of the family & their surroundings we jump forward a few more years, and this is all in the first two chapters…. It’s a little difficult to follow in terms of flow early doors but the short anecdotal style of tales are enjoyable enough for the most. The short stories show how the “brethren” was put together, which is that of two brothers returning from war with four of their serving soldiers who end up working for them along with craftsmen they hire locally & servants….. and so the entourage grew as children were bore & wives “found” for the menfolk…..
We finally settle down a bit when Pierre (the narrator) is six years old where we are now more familiar with his family, servants, surroundings & lifestyle. I loosely say servants for although they get a wage & are fed they are very much subservient to the master of the family & his strict rules & latterly his religion. The family had acquired a name through valour in battle unlike some who jus give themselves a title & all of a sudden call themselves “Dukes” who live in the surrounding area.
The early “story” is one more of the social history of the Duke (Pierre’s father) & his entourage, if it was an earlier setting you might even call it a clan, giving a flavour of the life of a 16th C French subject. Interspaced in this story is the ever-growing conflict between Catholic & Huguenot faiths of which the Brethren are mainly reformists (Huguenot) or in some cases reluctant conversions. The Duke we learn is a moderate & so tries to keep out of the war which appears to be going on all around with massacres aplenty among the local populous with atrocities carried out by both sides.
I took to it after a confusing start, its amusing in it’s way at times & I enjoyed the narrators early life experience & adventures. It does however jump around a fair bit all the way through & the ride is not always smooth as at some junctures you get assaulted by names/places which are jus as soon forgotten until later in the book.
The character development is good after a difficult start where each of the Duke’s servants evolve over time or through a side story/plot to their role in the affair.
I would say come the end ive not really learnt much history, it was more about the characters & their interaction within the household of the brethren. I have though got to know the family, the “brethren” as they are called.
Im giving it a straight 3, I likely could have scored higher but it is a disjointed read at times & doesn’t really give you a smooth ride, rough around the edges you might say for all it’s charm. I did have to take a break at about 2/3rds otherwise im not sure I would have finished it, but im glad I picked it up again as the last third had much more flow about it.
A series I will give another go to see how the storytelling evolves.
April 15, 2017
This book is a historical novel narrated in the first person voice of a fictional character named Pierre de Siorac living in the Perigord region of southwest France. This is the first book of a thirteen book series and covers Pierre's early years from his birth in 1552 to 1567.
To help orient readers of this review, the time period covered by this book is after the beginning of the Reformation (1517) and before the Bartholomew's Day massacre (1572). I mention St. Bartholomew's Day massacre because the narrator of this story is raised in a Huguenot community, so we as readers know something ominous about the narrator's future.
This book series was published between 1977 and 2003 and is slowly being translated into English. I think only the first three books have been translated thus far. It is my understanding that this book series is popular in France and has a reputation for being carefully based on historical research.
The time covered by this book was not a particularly good time to be alive. Brigands roamed the countryside which made travel and commerce hazardous. It's a time when disease, plague, famine and death were frequent and unpredictable. And as if that's not bad enough, intercommunity conflict between Catholics and the Huguenots was endemic. Religious differences were generally considered to be a justifiable motive for murder.
The story highlights miscellaneous details of life such as sleeping arrangements of the children, role of the wet-nurse, work at harvest time, raising of livestock, milling of grain, and medical practices. Of course military and policing action were part of life then too. From time to time the story's narration pauses to bring the reader up-to-speed regarding international politics and royal decrees from faraway Paris.
The book provides a credible description of life at that time. However, in my opinion only reader's with a particular interest in that era of European history will find it of interest.
To help orient readers of this review, the time period covered by this book is after the beginning of the Reformation (1517) and before the Bartholomew's Day massacre (1572). I mention St. Bartholomew's Day massacre because the narrator of this story is raised in a Huguenot community, so we as readers know something ominous about the narrator's future.
This book series was published between 1977 and 2003 and is slowly being translated into English. I think only the first three books have been translated thus far. It is my understanding that this book series is popular in France and has a reputation for being carefully based on historical research.
The time covered by this book was not a particularly good time to be alive. Brigands roamed the countryside which made travel and commerce hazardous. It's a time when disease, plague, famine and death were frequent and unpredictable. And as if that's not bad enough, intercommunity conflict between Catholics and the Huguenots was endemic. Religious differences were generally considered to be a justifiable motive for murder.
The story highlights miscellaneous details of life such as sleeping arrangements of the children, role of the wet-nurse, work at harvest time, raising of livestock, milling of grain, and medical practices. Of course military and policing action were part of life then too. From time to time the story's narration pauses to bring the reader up-to-speed regarding international politics and royal decrees from faraway Paris.
The book provides a credible description of life at that time. However, in my opinion only reader's with a particular interest in that era of European history will find it of interest.
March 23, 2015
"The Brethren" is a wonderful, lusty novel grounded in the history of early 16C France. Merle describes the structure of his book quite well in his foreword:
This approach is brilliant. Merle balances historical anecdotes with personal passages and establishes the atmosphere of the period in both large and minute details. The conflict between Protestants and Catholics is not only clear, it is also passionately rendered, which made it easier for me to understand the motivations behind terrible acts of violence. I also grasped some of the more personal conflicts that occurred at chateau Mespech, especially after the Brethren decide to take their stand on religion.
Speaking of, the concept of "the Brethren" is awesome and just as mesmerizing as the camaraderie that Dumas depicted in The Three Musketeers. The medieval romantic ideals that remain attractive to this day manifest throughout this novel and contribute to some dramatic and exciting scenes. I gobbled this novel up as both an historical survey and a lush, full work of fiction.
I will now shelve this book feeling both buoyant and heavy-hearted; the former, because I loved reading this book, loved the feel of its pages, loved the look of its simple, elegant cover, loved living in its words; the latter, because 12 volumes remain in this story and the second does not appear in English translation (thank you Pushkin Press!) until September of this year. Then again, I can look forward to these books being in my life for some years to come.
"It is a concentric tail, whose first circle is a family, second circle a province and third a kingdom, whose princes receive no more attention than is necessary to understand the happiness and unhappiness of those who, far away in their baronial courts, depended on their decisions." (7)
This approach is brilliant. Merle balances historical anecdotes with personal passages and establishes the atmosphere of the period in both large and minute details. The conflict between Protestants and Catholics is not only clear, it is also passionately rendered, which made it easier for me to understand the motivations behind terrible acts of violence. I also grasped some of the more personal conflicts that occurred at chateau Mespech, especially after the Brethren decide to take their stand on religion.
Speaking of, the concept of "the Brethren" is awesome and just as mesmerizing as the camaraderie that Dumas depicted in The Three Musketeers. The medieval romantic ideals that remain attractive to this day manifest throughout this novel and contribute to some dramatic and exciting scenes. I gobbled this novel up as both an historical survey and a lush, full work of fiction.
I will now shelve this book feeling both buoyant and heavy-hearted; the former, because I loved reading this book, loved the feel of its pages, loved the look of its simple, elegant cover, loved living in its words; the latter, because 12 volumes remain in this story and the second does not appear in English translation (thank you Pushkin Press!) until September of this year. Then again, I can look forward to these books being in my life for some years to come.
August 15, 2024
Masodszori olvasásra is teljesen 5 csillag.
Szép, történelmi, izgalmas és érdekes könyv, nagyon jól megágyaz a 13 kötetes eposznak. Allitolag Merle az eredeti franciában az egész sorozatot 16-17. századi nyelvezettel irta (nice) és ezt a forditasban is igyekeztek legalább 1 kicsit a magyarhoz igazitani. Régies szavak, kicsit terjengősebb mondatok, kedélyes, "apámuramos" az egész és nagy öröm olvasni.
Jöhet a többi.
Szép, történelmi, izgalmas és érdekes könyv, nagyon jól megágyaz a 13 kötetes eposznak. Allitolag Merle az eredeti franciában az egész sorozatot 16-17. századi nyelvezettel irta (nice) és ezt a forditasban is igyekeztek legalább 1 kicsit a magyarhoz igazitani. Régies szavak, kicsit terjengősebb mondatok, kedélyes, "apámuramos" az egész és nagy öröm olvasni.
Jöhet a többi.
December 3, 2015
I vividly remember watching one of the many three musketeer movies for the first time as a seven year old and being thoroughly enchanted by the pervasive violence and high jinks. I also find the Huguenots, especially the diaspora, really interesting as well. So a history of violent sword brandishing Hugenots was always going to play well with me. There is hopefully much for people who don't share my predilections to enjoy in this historical fiction. Written from the perspective of a young boy growing up in a Protestant barons household it is well researched and engagingly written account of both the times and a fun escapist set of stories and adventures.
As a sidenote, the authors obsession with breast feeding is either a touch of genius in terms of capturing the thoughts of a teenage boy or a misguided attempt to appeal to a particular demographic usually served by other publications.
It's a fun read, not the most brilliant historical fiction book I have ever read but a really pleasant and informative way to spend a couple of hours. Looking forward to the next in the series.
As a sidenote, the authors obsession with breast feeding is either a touch of genius in terms of capturing the thoughts of a teenage boy or a misguided attempt to appeal to a particular demographic usually served by other publications.
It's a fun read, not the most brilliant historical fiction book I have ever read but a really pleasant and informative way to spend a couple of hours. Looking forward to the next in the series.
April 5, 2015
Compte tenu de mes goûts, voilà un livre assez proche du "livre parfait" !
La qualité d'écriture est renversante : émerveillement garanti à chaque phrase, qu'il s'agisse de dialogue ou de récit...
Je compte bien lire les 13 volumes, et je viens d'ailleurs d'acheter le second (même si, conformément à mon habitude, mon prochain livre sera dans un autre style et une autre époque).
Je recommande très chaudement à toute personne intéressée par l'histoire de France (ici, le XVIe siècle) et/ou du christianisme (ici, guerres entre catholiques et protestants).
La qualité d'écriture est renversante : émerveillement garanti à chaque phrase, qu'il s'agisse de dialogue ou de récit...
Je compte bien lire les 13 volumes, et je viens d'ailleurs d'acheter le second (même si, conformément à mon habitude, mon prochain livre sera dans un autre style et une autre époque).
Je recommande très chaudement à toute personne intéressée par l'histoire de France (ici, le XVIe siècle) et/ou du christianisme (ici, guerres entre catholiques et protestants).
February 11, 2009
The first book of a series of 13 books. Very well written, even by using some medieval French, the story starts under the reign of Catherine de Medicis and Charles IX.
July 31, 2023
C'était très bien, l'histoire principale est intéressante et j'aime beaucoup le style d'écriture.
Par contre je trouvais les passages historiques plutôt ennuyeux quand ils n'avaient pas de rapport avec les personnages fictifs.
Par contre je trouvais les passages historiques plutôt ennuyeux quand ils n'avaient pas de rapport avec les personnages fictifs.
February 13, 2018
Drawn to the book by the enticing description on the cover - action, exhilarating blend of adventure and romance - my disappointment grew as I trudged through the chapters, expecting to be immersed in this "swashbuckling" and "lusty, fast paced and heady" read. Ignoring my frustration, I battled on, determined to give Robert Merle's first volume of 'Fortunes of France' a fair turn.
In reality, the novel proved to be a grudging plod through 16th century France; a fictionalised history lesson, seen through the eyes of a Huguenot family in Catholic France, set during the religious wars between 1547 and 1565.
Perhaps clouded by or lost in translation, to describe it as swashbuckling is an exaggeration at best, and more accurately a misrepresentation. I found it easy it put down, with my initial interest in collecting the full 13-volume set, gradually evaporating. After a hard slog, I managed to finish it.
The author has been likened to Dumas, but in my opinion, his storytelling lacks the romance, attraction and fluidity of the master's Three Musketeers.
In reality, the novel proved to be a grudging plod through 16th century France; a fictionalised history lesson, seen through the eyes of a Huguenot family in Catholic France, set during the religious wars between 1547 and 1565.
Perhaps clouded by or lost in translation, to describe it as swashbuckling is an exaggeration at best, and more accurately a misrepresentation. I found it easy it put down, with my initial interest in collecting the full 13-volume set, gradually evaporating. After a hard slog, I managed to finish it.
The author has been likened to Dumas, but in my opinion, his storytelling lacks the romance, attraction and fluidity of the master's Three Musketeers.
June 23, 2017
This is the first in a long series of novels based around the religious wars in Sixteenth and Seventeenth Century France. The central family are Huguenot and this offers an unusual perspective on French history. A combination of social, religious and political history, with a strong seasoning of classic French storytelling in the style of Dumas or Hugo, make this an entertaining and compelling read. Volumes Two and Three are also available in translation, so I will be pursuing them with some fervour.
January 11, 2018
Hankering for fiction set in sixteenth century France? I recently discovered THE FORTUNES OF FRANCE by Robert Merle, a series of thirteen historical novels that span the years 1547 to 1661. Written in French from 1977 to 2003, the books follow the Siorac family of Périgord through the tumultous Wars of Religion and into the reign of the Bourbon kings. The first three novels (THE BRETHREN, CITY OF WISDOM AND BLOOD, and HERETIC DAWN) have recently been translated into English by Professor T. Jefferson Kline and published by Pushkin Press. Having just ripped through the first volume, I fully understand why this captivating series has sold over five million copies in France.
Pierre de Siorac, a Huguenot doctor turned spy, narrates the first six books; his son picks up the thread in the remaining volumes. In Book I, THE BRETHREN, Pierre recounts the establishment of the Siorac family in remote southwestern France. Consulting his father’s Book of Reason, a combination diary and account book, for information on events that occured before his own birth, Pierre describes the arrival of his father Jean de Siorac and his comrade in arms, Jean de Sauveterre, in Périgord after successful service in the French army. The pair, close as real brothers (hence, “The Brethren”), pool their plunder to buy the castle of Mespech, a neglected property they soon coax into a thriving estate. Staunch Protestants, they work to establish Mespech as a reformed stronghold, but the resistance of Jean’s wife Isabelle, a devout and unwavering Catholic, complicates their plans and threatens their allegiances. Furthermore, as soldiers and wealthy landowners, the two Jeans must constantly weigh their loyalty to Catholic king and country against steadfast devotion to their new faith.
The clash between Catholicism and Calvinism--strife that plunges France into an era of long and bloody wars--not only defines the novel's political landscape but colors the characters' interactions. The religious impasse between Pierre's parents affects their children’s relationships with them and with each other, as well as the servants’ and retainers’ relationships with their overlords. Many of the servants continue their Catholic practices in private, and the two Jeans often disagree on how strictly to punish infractions against the Protestantism they impose on family and estate. Moreover, Mespech’s adherence to the Reform, long undeclared, causes friction with neighbors and municipal authorities. In recounting the events of his childhood, Pierre finds his loyalty torn between respect and admiration for his Protestant father and attachment to his Catholic mother and the female servants who raise him. His engaging voices captures the tone of a difficult era, one which forced people to make difficult choices between the demands of heart and mind and soul. With great finesse, author Robert Merle chanels the religious strife fracturing the kingdom into the specific personal conflicts that power the narrative, showing how the abstractions of competing religious philosophies play out in concrete fashion within intimate circles of family and friends.
Despite its theological underpinnings, however, THE BRETHREN reads like a swashbuckling novel reminiscent of an Alexandre Dumas. A master at creating original and memorable characters, from defiant gypsies to doting wetnurses to disabled veterans to blustering butcher-barons, Merle embroils his large cast in an endless series of entertaining and cleverly interwoven escapades. Quick-paced and wide-ranging, the novel unfolds with delightful Rabelaisian exuberance. At the end of this first volume, with Mespech secure and flourishing, young Pierre, as second son, sets out for Montpellier to take up medical studies. Ready and eager to follow, I look forward to his continued adventures. With twelve more volumes to read, I'm certain to be busy for quite some time!
Pierre de Siorac, a Huguenot doctor turned spy, narrates the first six books; his son picks up the thread in the remaining volumes. In Book I, THE BRETHREN, Pierre recounts the establishment of the Siorac family in remote southwestern France. Consulting his father’s Book of Reason, a combination diary and account book, for information on events that occured before his own birth, Pierre describes the arrival of his father Jean de Siorac and his comrade in arms, Jean de Sauveterre, in Périgord after successful service in the French army. The pair, close as real brothers (hence, “The Brethren”), pool their plunder to buy the castle of Mespech, a neglected property they soon coax into a thriving estate. Staunch Protestants, they work to establish Mespech as a reformed stronghold, but the resistance of Jean’s wife Isabelle, a devout and unwavering Catholic, complicates their plans and threatens their allegiances. Furthermore, as soldiers and wealthy landowners, the two Jeans must constantly weigh their loyalty to Catholic king and country against steadfast devotion to their new faith.
The clash between Catholicism and Calvinism--strife that plunges France into an era of long and bloody wars--not only defines the novel's political landscape but colors the characters' interactions. The religious impasse between Pierre's parents affects their children’s relationships with them and with each other, as well as the servants’ and retainers’ relationships with their overlords. Many of the servants continue their Catholic practices in private, and the two Jeans often disagree on how strictly to punish infractions against the Protestantism they impose on family and estate. Moreover, Mespech’s adherence to the Reform, long undeclared, causes friction with neighbors and municipal authorities. In recounting the events of his childhood, Pierre finds his loyalty torn between respect and admiration for his Protestant father and attachment to his Catholic mother and the female servants who raise him. His engaging voices captures the tone of a difficult era, one which forced people to make difficult choices between the demands of heart and mind and soul. With great finesse, author Robert Merle chanels the religious strife fracturing the kingdom into the specific personal conflicts that power the narrative, showing how the abstractions of competing religious philosophies play out in concrete fashion within intimate circles of family and friends.
Despite its theological underpinnings, however, THE BRETHREN reads like a swashbuckling novel reminiscent of an Alexandre Dumas. A master at creating original and memorable characters, from defiant gypsies to doting wetnurses to disabled veterans to blustering butcher-barons, Merle embroils his large cast in an endless series of entertaining and cleverly interwoven escapades. Quick-paced and wide-ranging, the novel unfolds with delightful Rabelaisian exuberance. At the end of this first volume, with Mespech secure and flourishing, young Pierre, as second son, sets out for Montpellier to take up medical studies. Ready and eager to follow, I look forward to his continued adventures. With twelve more volumes to read, I'm certain to be busy for quite some time!
November 25, 2018
This is the first in a series of 13 books following the fortunes of a noble household during the religious wars in 16th century France. I enjoyed the historical setting, but while the religious strife of the period makes for a fascinating backdrop, I just didn't have the patience for the endless religious household squabbles among the characters and found the book entirely too longwinded. And then there's the sexism pretty much oozing off the pages, which is offputting in the extreme.
August 12, 2024
J'avoue que la plume de Merle me plaît véritablement, même si ce roman a quelques longueurs, il est plaisant à lire et donne envie de connaître la suite.
August 9, 2010
An amazing book! I never would have thought that reading about the religious wars in France in the 16th century can be so interesting (a topic which I'm normally not really interested in).
Of course it's not all about history but tells about the family of the Baron de Siorac and especially about his second son Pierre. We learn a lot about his childhood and Pierre tells us a lot of interesting, funny and sad incidents at the castle of Mespech. The time frame is around 1550 to 1566.
It's the first part in a 13 volume series and I really want to read the other parts as well.
Of course it's not all about history but tells about the family of the Baron de Siorac and especially about his second son Pierre. We learn a lot about his childhood and Pierre tells us a lot of interesting, funny and sad incidents at the castle of Mespech. The time frame is around 1550 to 1566.
It's the first part in a 13 volume series and I really want to read the other parts as well.
March 14, 2016
A pretty fun historical adventure story about a Hugenot family struggling to survive in mid 16th century Framce. If you like Three Mustketeers sort of stuff and can deal with the (probably hisotrically accurate) racism and sexism it's pretty enjoyable. Or "le good" as the French might say :)
September 12, 2025
Most nem csúszott olyan könnyen mint anno tiniként, mert cselekmény az nem nagyon van, de ettől függetlenül nagyon értékelem a hangulatot meg azt a fajta prózát, amit Merle használ (és tök király a fordítás)
Read
October 31, 2008Magnifique, splendide, et encore, ce n'est que le tout début d'une longue série qui se bonifie au fil des volumes...
September 6, 2018
I've been thinking for a long time to write about the first volume of Robert Merle's French story. Then, now that the Helikon publisher again allowed me to return to the readership, I decided that time had come and I shared the thoughts. First, when I was 15 when I discovered Robert Merle's French History in my cross-parents' library, I decided to take it off the shelf and start reading it. Needless to say, I did not like it, and in the first place, I was having trouble with his language, then with the way of writing, and the way the story was promiscuousness. So he did not really like me at all. In 2018. I saw Helikon publisher again releasing this series in Europe Publishing House,. I was thinking a lot about buying, reading or lending, and eventually I bought the first volume. I was afraid because I read the critical remark of many people and the praise of the volume. I report read it. I would like to add two remarks to the comments described here.
1. First, if you want to cover all the hiding places of the world of historical threads and actions you have to live in the very novelty of yourself. I noticed that I often missed reading and did not pay attention enough, but secretly I remarked it was not a bad book, but it is only a reading crisis that I can not concentrate 100%. The book has a rhythm. Surely everybody noticed that there are books that can go faster and there are works and writers that can be read very slowly. If I would like to make an athletic match then I can compare the writer to the Marathonists. I admit these writers are quite forgotten nowadays, but there are hopefire direct not saying names. I do not want to use big words, but the first volume is brilliant.
2.
One of the brilliant examples of religious warfare is how Isabelle does not want to accept the new religion. Listening in the library room, let us here list the virtues of the volume and praise it, but I do not think that this monumental novelist needs confirmation.
I can offer everyone a warm heart over a certain age limit. The book is a malt whiskey. For many decades, she is waiting for her release in the basement of a cobbler maturation. Expand the historical threads to taste the series of acts that will masterfully master the intrigue's inner world and take us when we stumble and fall silently on the couch then we find it to say that it was exceptional work.
1. First, if you want to cover all the hiding places of the world of historical threads and actions you have to live in the very novelty of yourself. I noticed that I often missed reading and did not pay attention enough, but secretly I remarked it was not a bad book, but it is only a reading crisis that I can not concentrate 100%. The book has a rhythm. Surely everybody noticed that there are books that can go faster and there are works and writers that can be read very slowly. If I would like to make an athletic match then I can compare the writer to the Marathonists. I admit these writers are quite forgotten nowadays, but there are hopefire direct not saying names. I do not want to use big words, but the first volume is brilliant.
2.
One of the brilliant examples of religious warfare is how Isabelle does not want to accept the new religion. Listening in the library room, let us here list the virtues of the volume and praise it, but I do not think that this monumental novelist needs confirmation.
I can offer everyone a warm heart over a certain age limit. The book is a malt whiskey. For many decades, she is waiting for her release in the basement of a cobbler maturation. Expand the historical threads to taste the series of acts that will masterfully master the intrigue's inner world and take us when we stumble and fall silently on the couch then we find it to say that it was exceptional work.
April 21, 2020
Robert Merle – Fortune de France
Vorab – ich mag die meisten Bücher von Robert Merle, er hat einen tollen Schreibstil und ist ein unterhaltsamer Geschichtenerzähler. Trotzdem habe ich bislang von der 13 bändigen Romanfolge über die französische Geschichte von 1550 bis 1643 die Finger gelassen – der Umfang schreckte mich ab.
Egal, die Neugier hat gesiegt und ich habe mit „Fortune de France“ die Reihe eröffnet.
Merle erzählt am Schicksal der Adelsfamilie Siorac aus der kleinen Baronie Mespech im Perigord die große französische Geschichte der Reformationszeit. Brutale Gemetzel im Namen des Glaubens erschüttern das Land, fragilen Vereinbarungen zwischen Hugenotten und Paptisten folgen blutige Kämpfe, der Riss geht durch alle Bevölkerungsschichten und Landesteile.
Mittendrin die de Sioracs, der Vater ein altgedienter und geadelter Soldat kauft mit seinem Waffenbruder die Burg Mespech und baut geschickt den Familienbesitz aus, er selbst hängt dem reformierten Glauben an, seine Frau jedoch ist eine treue Katholikin. In diesem nicht immer einfachen Klima wachsen seine Kinder heran. Während Kriege gegen England den französischen Adel einigen, kommt es in Friedenszeiten immer wieder zu Ausschreitungen und bürgerkriegsartigen Auseinandersetzungen im Land. Geschickt manövriert Mespech durch diese Zeiten, königstreu und doch hugenottisch, mit glücklicher Hand bei Zukäufen und Sparsamkeit kann de Siorac seinem Nachkommen eine gute Kindheit ermöglichen und auch das Leben seiner Untertanen erträglich gestalten. In der kleinen Welt Mespechs erlebt der Leser den Hauch der großen Geschichte jener Jahre, der auch diesen Ort streift. Zugleich wird aber auch das Leben der Bewohner erzählt, egal ob Soldat, Steinhauer, Amme oder Magd – Merle versteht es ihr Schicksal geschickt in die Geschichte einzubinden und so ein buntes Gemälde dieser Zeit zu malen. Glücksmomente wie die Geburt der Kinder, eine gute Ernte oder der lukrative Feldzug zur Befreiung Calais, Spannung wenn Überfälle oder die Pest drohen, aber auch Momente der Trauer, wenn es heißt liebgewonnene Charaktere zu verabschieden machen dieses Buch so unterhaltsam und verpacken die sonst so trockene Geschichtsschreibung in ein anregendes Vergnügen.
Vorab – ich mag die meisten Bücher von Robert Merle, er hat einen tollen Schreibstil und ist ein unterhaltsamer Geschichtenerzähler. Trotzdem habe ich bislang von der 13 bändigen Romanfolge über die französische Geschichte von 1550 bis 1643 die Finger gelassen – der Umfang schreckte mich ab.
Egal, die Neugier hat gesiegt und ich habe mit „Fortune de France“ die Reihe eröffnet.
Merle erzählt am Schicksal der Adelsfamilie Siorac aus der kleinen Baronie Mespech im Perigord die große französische Geschichte der Reformationszeit. Brutale Gemetzel im Namen des Glaubens erschüttern das Land, fragilen Vereinbarungen zwischen Hugenotten und Paptisten folgen blutige Kämpfe, der Riss geht durch alle Bevölkerungsschichten und Landesteile.
Mittendrin die de Sioracs, der Vater ein altgedienter und geadelter Soldat kauft mit seinem Waffenbruder die Burg Mespech und baut geschickt den Familienbesitz aus, er selbst hängt dem reformierten Glauben an, seine Frau jedoch ist eine treue Katholikin. In diesem nicht immer einfachen Klima wachsen seine Kinder heran. Während Kriege gegen England den französischen Adel einigen, kommt es in Friedenszeiten immer wieder zu Ausschreitungen und bürgerkriegsartigen Auseinandersetzungen im Land. Geschickt manövriert Mespech durch diese Zeiten, königstreu und doch hugenottisch, mit glücklicher Hand bei Zukäufen und Sparsamkeit kann de Siorac seinem Nachkommen eine gute Kindheit ermöglichen und auch das Leben seiner Untertanen erträglich gestalten. In der kleinen Welt Mespechs erlebt der Leser den Hauch der großen Geschichte jener Jahre, der auch diesen Ort streift. Zugleich wird aber auch das Leben der Bewohner erzählt, egal ob Soldat, Steinhauer, Amme oder Magd – Merle versteht es ihr Schicksal geschickt in die Geschichte einzubinden und so ein buntes Gemälde dieser Zeit zu malen. Glücksmomente wie die Geburt der Kinder, eine gute Ernte oder der lukrative Feldzug zur Befreiung Calais, Spannung wenn Überfälle oder die Pest drohen, aber auch Momente der Trauer, wenn es heißt liebgewonnene Charaktere zu verabschieden machen dieses Buch so unterhaltsam und verpacken die sonst so trockene Geschichtsschreibung in ein anregendes Vergnügen.
June 4, 2017
Set in sixteenth-century France during the civil wars between Huguenots and Catholics, The Brethren is told as a reflection by the now 25 year old son of one of the Brethren. It starts with how the Brethren met and continues up to the protagonist Pierre's departure from home to study medicine as a teenager. Warning: there are a lot of dry passages about the political moves of the kings of France and religious battles.
This book was written in the 1970s by a man. That's really all you need to understand what irked me about this book. The book is sexist, objectifying women to a gross degree. This is really a book written by men for men. The female characters are all flat, only described in importance based on their relationships to the men of the story. The serving women's identities are wholly tied up in their physical appeal. I don't know how many times I had to read about the wet nurses' large white breasts. Pierre at 10, not to mention his father in adulthood, are always transfixed by this woman's large white breasts when she breastfeeds. The younger women are described by their haunches and breasts as well.
One could argue that this view of women stays in line with how sixteenth-century men treated women. True. But Pierre so often makes inciteful realizations about other social conditions in the sixteenth century, like his father's amassing of wealth at the workers' expense or the hypocritical nature of demanding religious freedom but then forcing servants to convert to your own religion, that I don't believe that this is just Merle keeping in line with medieval attitudes. Since he bestows on Pierre and his father an understanding of many injustices in their society, Merle's treatment of women is inexcusable.
This book was written in the 1970s by a man. That's really all you need to understand what irked me about this book. The book is sexist, objectifying women to a gross degree. This is really a book written by men for men. The female characters are all flat, only described in importance based on their relationships to the men of the story. The serving women's identities are wholly tied up in their physical appeal. I don't know how many times I had to read about the wet nurses' large white breasts. Pierre at 10, not to mention his father in adulthood, are always transfixed by this woman's large white breasts when she breastfeeds. The younger women are described by their haunches and breasts as well.
One could argue that this view of women stays in line with how sixteenth-century men treated women. True. But Pierre so often makes inciteful realizations about other social conditions in the sixteenth century, like his father's amassing of wealth at the workers' expense or the hypocritical nature of demanding religious freedom but then forcing servants to convert to your own religion, that I don't believe that this is just Merle keeping in line with medieval attitudes. Since he bestows on Pierre and his father an understanding of many injustices in their society, Merle's treatment of women is inexcusable.
July 25, 2020
The Brethren (Fortune de France, #1) by Robert Merle
This is the first book in the adventure-filled epic 'Fortunes of France,' one of France's best-loved historical fiction series. This is volume one - which is a stand-alone book - and it goes from 1545 - two years before the death of King Francois I - until 1566, a year after the Meeting of Bayonne.
Robert Merlse chooses two fictional veterans of the French king's wars, Jean de Siorac and Jean de Sauveterre, as they settle to a castle - Mespech - in the wildly beautiful Périgord region of sixteenth-century France as the means to tell the story. Narrated from the first person point of view of Jean de Soirac's second son, Pierre, we are taken to a country that is descending into chaos, plagued by religious strife, famine, pestilence, bands of robbers... and, of course, the English.
Religion takes first place among the story - as both Jeans are Huguenots (Protestants) and are constantly fighting the fierce Catherine de Medici, who was queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, by marriage to King Henry II, and Queen mother of kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III from 1559 to 1589 and an avid Catholic.
The narrative is exciting, easy to follow and the book is a sprawling, earthy tale of violence and lust, love and death, political intrigue, and dazzling philosophical debate.
This is a wonderful read for those of us who love historical fiction!
This is the first book in the adventure-filled epic 'Fortunes of France,' one of France's best-loved historical fiction series. This is volume one - which is a stand-alone book - and it goes from 1545 - two years before the death of King Francois I - until 1566, a year after the Meeting of Bayonne.
Robert Merlse chooses two fictional veterans of the French king's wars, Jean de Siorac and Jean de Sauveterre, as they settle to a castle - Mespech - in the wildly beautiful Périgord region of sixteenth-century France as the means to tell the story. Narrated from the first person point of view of Jean de Soirac's second son, Pierre, we are taken to a country that is descending into chaos, plagued by religious strife, famine, pestilence, bands of robbers... and, of course, the English.
Religion takes first place among the story - as both Jeans are Huguenots (Protestants) and are constantly fighting the fierce Catherine de Medici, who was queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, by marriage to King Henry II, and Queen mother of kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III from 1559 to 1589 and an avid Catholic.
The narrative is exciting, easy to follow and the book is a sprawling, earthy tale of violence and lust, love and death, political intrigue, and dazzling philosophical debate.
This is a wonderful read for those of us who love historical fiction!
December 20, 2018
It took me quite a while to get in to this but by the end I was keen to read the next book (although maybe not keen enough to read all 13 in the series...). Apparently in the original the book is written in ‘old style’ French and although it has not been translated in to the English equivalent, which would be Elizabethan, it is written (I presume purposely) in quite a stilted way that does give the impression of a book written well before the 1970s. Unfortunately that, along with a pretty narrow view of women (even if fair for the times) and occasional very confusing, dry and detailed descriptions of historical events, almost made me give up.
I am glad that I persevered because eventually it all clicked in to place, and although the issues with women and history remained, I at least found the language easier and as I began to be able to link the story to contemporaneous British history I was able to better understand the history and context (thank goodness for the mentions of Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart). In the end I really enjoyed looking at a period in history that I am only used to seeing from the other side and I also grew attached to the characters so definitely want to see where the story takes them next.
I am glad that I persevered because eventually it all clicked in to place, and although the issues with women and history remained, I at least found the language easier and as I began to be able to link the story to contemporaneous British history I was able to better understand the history and context (thank goodness for the mentions of Elizabeth I and Mary Stuart). In the end I really enjoyed looking at a period in history that I am only used to seeing from the other side and I also grew attached to the characters so definitely want to see where the story takes them next.
June 18, 2022
Rating this book was a little tricky. I really enjoyed parts of it, and parts of it were pretty boring to me. This novel introduces the characters that are in this series. It focuses on the boy, Pierre, and his relationships with his father, brothers, mother, and others that he cares about. Pierre's father is a physician who owns a chateau. He has three sons, and only the oldest will inherit the property. Pierre always was interested in medicine, so his father sends him to Montpelier to get his education to become a man of medicine. That is where Book 1 ends ... he and his brother are off to university to study to have careers. The parts I liked focused on the relationships of Pierre and others. The parts I didn't care for focused on the incessant wars and royalty of the time. The time period is in the first half of the 16th century during the Reformation when the Huguenots were in direct opposition to the Roman Catholic Church.
January 5, 2017
Pendant que d'autres dévoraient La chambre des dames, je trippais sur cette série moyennâgeuse de Robert Merle. J'en garde peu de souvenirs, mais bon, on dirait que tout livre s'efface tranquillement et inévitablement de ma mémoire, quelle que soit sa valeur (mais je n'ai qu'à relire quelques pages pour que tout resurgisse du néant).
Ce dont je me souviens par contre c'est d'avoir été totalement séduite par cette série, ado ou jeune adulte, au point de les aligner coup sur coup. C'était un peu comme le prolongement naturel des Rois maudits, qui demeure mon plus grand coup de coeur franchouille avec Pennac et Dumas.
Ce dont je me souviens par contre c'est d'avoir été totalement séduite par cette série, ado ou jeune adulte, au point de les aligner coup sur coup. C'était un peu comme le prolongement naturel des Rois maudits, qui demeure mon plus grand coup de coeur franchouille avec Pennac et Dumas.
January 15, 2023
My absolute favorite book series of all time. For any history fiction fan, it’s a must - and honestly it’s not even that much of a fiction. it’s astonishing how historically accurate this series is, how deep Merle went to uncover the happenings in the 16th century France. I’m interested in history in general, but thanks to these books, there is no era in no country I know more about - and I’m Hungarian. But despite being so detailed about the historical happenings, it’s incredibly entertaining as well. Both protagonists, father and later son, are lovable and their adventures (and countless affairs…) are capturing, we can’t help but accompany them through their life.
I read this series the first time when I was 14, and I go back to rereading the whole things at least every 3-5 years since. It is realy peak historical fiction.
I read this series the first time when I was 14, and I go back to rereading the whole things at least every 3-5 years since. It is realy peak historical fiction.
September 7, 2017
Written from the point of view of a second son growing up in a Huguenot family, The Brethren by Robert Merle describes the life in 16th Century France, a time of religious wars, power struggles, plagues and famines. People more interested than I am in the time and place may find this novel to be better than the three stars that I'm giving it. Although for my taste the book did not rate more stars, it was good enough that I'll probably try the next book in Merle's Fortunes of France series.
December 18, 2022
Zbožňuju historické romány a tohle je jeden z těch, který se opravdu povedl. Je vidět, že autor si dal práci se sběrem historických dat i zkoumáním archaického jazyka, protože tato kniha by mohla posloužit jako učebnice francouzské historie 16. století. To však neznamená, že by šlo o nějaký suchopárný výčet historických událostí, naopak: kniha se čte příjemně, dialogy mají ,,šťávu", přítomno je i napětí, romantika a humor,... Rovněž oceňuji věrohodné popisy života ve středověké Francii. Za mě oba palce nahoru!
January 16, 2018
A first class work of historical fiction.
The setting and the pace feel quite precise; the time is delineated with detail and without excessive attention to swashbuckling diversions.
The precision and focus on the people and the small aspects of normal life in Mespech, sets the grander picture of this time of religious upheaval in France in real lives.
I look forward to the next fourteen volumes!
The setting and the pace feel quite precise; the time is delineated with detail and without excessive attention to swashbuckling diversions.
The precision and focus on the people and the small aspects of normal life in Mespech, sets the grander picture of this time of religious upheaval in France in real lives.
I look forward to the next fourteen volumes!
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