Roux the Bandit

by André Chamson

Set deep in the mountains of southern France, this charming short novel tells the story of a man from the Cevennes Mountains called Roux, who refuses to join the army at the outbreak of war in 1914. Instead, he flees and hides in the hills, only returning occasionally to the farm where he left his mother and sisters. The people of the valley condemn his desertion and they hope the police will find his hideout. But as the months and the years go by, and the horrors of the trenches become known, the local people start to understand Roux s actions. Roux begins to appear in the village more often, helping out and explaining that his decision was taken out of respect for the Bible. His arrest at the end of the War is therefore met with sadness and regret. Chamson explores questions of perception, morality and conscience with a lightness of touch coupled with an atmospheric picture of life in a WWI era rural community."

Genres: Fiction, Historical, French Literature, World War I, Novels

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1925

About the author

André Chamson (6 June 1900 – 9 November 1983) was a French archivist, novelist and essayist.

He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature, and was President of PEN International, the worldwide association of writers, from 1956 to 1959.

Chamson was the father of the novelist Frédérique Hébrard.

Reviews

[John Naylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting tale of someone who didn't go to war.

Set in the Cévennes region of France and beginning just before the start of the Great War it tells the story of the titular character using other people's experiences of him. How the perception of him changed as news of the war emerged.

I found the method of telling the story did add to the tale. Realising that the man wasn't exaggerated by the tellers of their experiences was a pleasant change to how some stories go. It raises questions that I feel could make some interesting discussions.

As with all translated books, I don't know if any changes were made by the translation but the story of the man who didn't go to war worked well in English too.

[Dorrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A poignant and thoughtful story following Roux, a young man guided by faith and conscience who flees to the mountains rather than fight in the trenches. An interesting novella which offers a glimpse of life in rural France during the Great War and how conscientious objectors are perceived within their own communities. However, it is how those perceptions change as the war progresses along with the feelings towards Roux that make this work such a worthwhile read.

[Lisa of Troy]

A Book Owned by F. Scott Fitzgerald: https://static-prod.lib.princeton.edu...

[Christelle Jesudian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Roux le Bandit est un roman récit paru en 1925 relatant au travers de divers narrateurs (Monsieur André, Finiels, le vieux Liron, Deleuze pour en citer quelques uns) la résistance pacifique de Roux surnommé 'le Bandit' après avoir choisi de survivre à la montagne (les Cévennes) plutôt qu'à la guerre (Celle de 14-18)... Grâce à son éloquence miraculeuse, il parvient progressivement à convaincre les uns et les autres des campagnards cévenols de sa mission: il ne peut se résoudre à tuer son prochain puisqu'il est écrit dans la Bible "Tu ne tueras point"