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Umbra Citadelei
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About the author
Emmanuel Roblès
83 books14 followersEmmanuel Roblès est un écrivain français.
D'une famille ouvrière, il est reçu à l'Ecole Normale d'Alger.
Il obtient de faire son service militaire à Blida, puis à Alger où il se lie aux jeunes écrivains groupés autour du libraire-éditeur Edmond Charlot qui vient de publier "L'Envers et l'Endroit" d'Albert Camus.
Il s'inscrit à la Faculté des Lettres pour préparer une licence d'espagnol tout en collaborant à "l'Alger républicain" dont Albert Camus est rédacteur en chef et qui publiera "la Vallée du paradis". Ce roman d'Emmanuel Robles (le second après l'Action) parut en feuilleton sous le pseudonyme d'Emmanuel Chênes.
La guerre oblige Emmanuel Robles à cesser ses études et il devient interprète auxiliaire de l'armée, puis officier-interprète jusqu'à ce que le général Bouscat, commandant l'air en Afrique du nord, le nomme correspondant de guerre en 1943. Cette période est pour lui très mouvementée et lui vaut, en particulier, les émotions fortes de plusieurs accidents d'avion.
Après la guerre il s'efforce de vivre de sa plume à Paris et collabore à divers quotidiens et hebdomadaires: Le Populaire, Gavroche, Combat, Aviation Française, etc. Repris pas la nostalgie d'Alger, il y retourne en 1947 et fonde une revue littéraire "Forge".
Durant cette année 1947, et sous le coup de l'émotion soulevée par les évènements de mai 1945 en Algérie, il écrit "Les Hauteurs de la ville", roman qui obtient le Prix Fémina l'année suivante. Il écrit également sa première pièce "Montserrat".
Parallèlement à sa création littéraire, Robles voyage beaucoup. De son séjour au Mexique en 1954, il a rapporté le thème de son roman "Les Couteaux" et de son voyage au Japon en 1957, celui de son récit "L'homme d'Avril".
Il se tournera ensuite vers le cinéma: il collaborera avec Luis Bunuel pour Cela s'appelle l'Aurore et Lucchino Visconti pour l'adaptation de l'Etranger de Camus ainsi que pour des dialogues et des adaptations télévisées.
D'une famille ouvrière, il est reçu à l'Ecole Normale d'Alger.
Il obtient de faire son service militaire à Blida, puis à Alger où il se lie aux jeunes écrivains groupés autour du libraire-éditeur Edmond Charlot qui vient de publier "L'Envers et l'Endroit" d'Albert Camus.
Il s'inscrit à la Faculté des Lettres pour préparer une licence d'espagnol tout en collaborant à "l'Alger républicain" dont Albert Camus est rédacteur en chef et qui publiera "la Vallée du paradis". Ce roman d'Emmanuel Robles (le second après l'Action) parut en feuilleton sous le pseudonyme d'Emmanuel Chênes.
La guerre oblige Emmanuel Robles à cesser ses études et il devient interprète auxiliaire de l'armée, puis officier-interprète jusqu'à ce que le général Bouscat, commandant l'air en Afrique du nord, le nomme correspondant de guerre en 1943. Cette période est pour lui très mouvementée et lui vaut, en particulier, les émotions fortes de plusieurs accidents d'avion.
Après la guerre il s'efforce de vivre de sa plume à Paris et collabore à divers quotidiens et hebdomadaires: Le Populaire, Gavroche, Combat, Aviation Française, etc. Repris pas la nostalgie d'Alger, il y retourne en 1947 et fonde une revue littéraire "Forge".
Durant cette année 1947, et sous le coup de l'émotion soulevée par les évènements de mai 1945 en Algérie, il écrit "Les Hauteurs de la ville", roman qui obtient le Prix Fémina l'année suivante. Il écrit également sa première pièce "Montserrat".
Parallèlement à sa création littéraire, Robles voyage beaucoup. De son séjour au Mexique en 1954, il a rapporté le thème de son roman "Les Couteaux" et de son voyage au Japon en 1957, celui de son récit "L'homme d'Avril".
Il se tournera ensuite vers le cinéma: il collaborera avec Luis Bunuel pour Cela s'appelle l'Aurore et Lucchino Visconti pour l'adaptation de l'Etranger de Camus ainsi que pour des dialogues et des adaptations télévisées.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 28, 2025
Umbra Citadelei by Emmanuel Roblès
Hell is paved with good intentions in a very good play- 8 out of 10
Great adaptation
I am not sure if this a romantic work, with a typical conflict between passion and reason, or it is just an impression.
In the conflict between the French and the Spanish that took place under the reign of Napoleon, there are some fierce fights.
The problem is that while the Spanish are under attack there is a split within their own ranks with a possible civil fight if not full scale war.
The two camps have many soldiers in their ranks and they are loyal to their respective commanders, who both appear to want the good of their people.
There are different perspectives and a real conflict when it comes to methods and ideals that separate the two Spanish camps.
The French seem to be the side that is clearly on the wrong side, representing the oppressor, occupying army.
The Spanish fight for their own territory and to keep the citadel from the title in their own hands, with valor and determination.
The general Enrique is willing to go to any extreme in order to win the victory and keep his troops and the civilians fighting.
He is played by the best actor in the world, alas, dead now- George Constantin
The general is using such cruel methods that he may appear sadistic, but it is all in the name of a good cause.
- Hell is paved with good intentions
So we can argue that in the name of victory and nationalism it is not good to sacrifice all other ideals for a Pirus win.
In order to teach the civilians and soldiers some lessons, General Enrique is executing a number of traitors and fugitives.
All this is summary and probably wrong justice, with the express intent to scare and make people fight with no other options.
The problem is that he turns against the colonel Suarez, who fought as a hero and obtained victories in fierce battles.
Furthermore, the troops under his command arte loyal to colonel Suarez and will attack to free him, if he is arrested.
There is an exhilarating if tense battle of wills, between two strong personalities who fight for the same cause, apparently, but from different angles.
The general is cruel to the French prisoners- he kills them all.
When a messenger comes from the French camp to offer conditions for surrender and a number of concessions there is even more atrocity.
General Enrique refuses the terms offered by the French and keeps one of the men sent with the offer prisoner.
- Tell your superiors that when the first canon shot is fired, I will kill this messenger
- I killed all the other prisoners!
There is no option left but to fight to the end after these barbaric acts, which would be condemned by history.
That is the opinion of colonel Suarez, but the general believes otherwise
- They will only consider the terrible battle fought here!
It is an excellent work, by an author I had not known about
Hell is paved with good intentions in a very good play- 8 out of 10
Great adaptation
I am not sure if this a romantic work, with a typical conflict between passion and reason, or it is just an impression.
In the conflict between the French and the Spanish that took place under the reign of Napoleon, there are some fierce fights.
The problem is that while the Spanish are under attack there is a split within their own ranks with a possible civil fight if not full scale war.
The two camps have many soldiers in their ranks and they are loyal to their respective commanders, who both appear to want the good of their people.
There are different perspectives and a real conflict when it comes to methods and ideals that separate the two Spanish camps.
The French seem to be the side that is clearly on the wrong side, representing the oppressor, occupying army.
The Spanish fight for their own territory and to keep the citadel from the title in their own hands, with valor and determination.
The general Enrique is willing to go to any extreme in order to win the victory and keep his troops and the civilians fighting.
He is played by the best actor in the world, alas, dead now- George Constantin
The general is using such cruel methods that he may appear sadistic, but it is all in the name of a good cause.
- Hell is paved with good intentions
So we can argue that in the name of victory and nationalism it is not good to sacrifice all other ideals for a Pirus win.
In order to teach the civilians and soldiers some lessons, General Enrique is executing a number of traitors and fugitives.
All this is summary and probably wrong justice, with the express intent to scare and make people fight with no other options.
The problem is that he turns against the colonel Suarez, who fought as a hero and obtained victories in fierce battles.
Furthermore, the troops under his command arte loyal to colonel Suarez and will attack to free him, if he is arrested.
There is an exhilarating if tense battle of wills, between two strong personalities who fight for the same cause, apparently, but from different angles.
The general is cruel to the French prisoners- he kills them all.
When a messenger comes from the French camp to offer conditions for surrender and a number of concessions there is even more atrocity.
General Enrique refuses the terms offered by the French and keeps one of the men sent with the offer prisoner.
- Tell your superiors that when the first canon shot is fired, I will kill this messenger
- I killed all the other prisoners!
There is no option left but to fight to the end after these barbaric acts, which would be condemned by history.
That is the opinion of colonel Suarez, but the general believes otherwise
- They will only consider the terrible battle fought here!
It is an excellent work, by an author I had not known about
Displaying 1 of 1 review