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The Resurrection of Frédéric Debreu
Who wants a respectable retirement anyway?
Not Ted Prescott, genial visitor to Mailliot le Bois, here on an impulsive mission to seek out his past whilst heroically diminishing the sleepy French town's stocks of red wine.
But once the locals discover Ted's authentic renditions of regional hero Frederic Debreu's songs, life is suddenly not so straightforward...
Reluctantly persuaded that he might help put their town back on the map, Ted finds himself billed as humble French farm labourer 'Edouard Prescote'. Nonplussed as his self-conscious performances strike a chord, Ted finds himself drawn into a web of well-intentioned deceit that he finds increasingly hard to unravel.
Haunted by the loss of his missing brother, and with the hopes of an entire community riding on him, it soon becomes clear that there are other, more important things that he hasn't mentioned to his loved ones...
Not Ted Prescott, genial visitor to Mailliot le Bois, here on an impulsive mission to seek out his past whilst heroically diminishing the sleepy French town's stocks of red wine.
But once the locals discover Ted's authentic renditions of regional hero Frederic Debreu's songs, life is suddenly not so straightforward...
Reluctantly persuaded that he might help put their town back on the map, Ted finds himself billed as humble French farm labourer 'Edouard Prescote'. Nonplussed as his self-conscious performances strike a chord, Ted finds himself drawn into a web of well-intentioned deceit that he finds increasingly hard to unravel.
Haunted by the loss of his missing brother, and with the hopes of an entire community riding on him, it soon becomes clear that there are other, more important things that he hasn't mentioned to his loved ones...
- GenresFiction
299 pages, Paperback
Published May 5, 2016
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Alex Marsh
2 books14 followers"I love Alex Marsh's writing. It makes me laugh, think and wish I live in England." - Jill Twiss, writer, HBO's 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver'.
Alex Marsh was born in 1971 in Essex. His parents had worked in publishing in the fifties and sixties, and he grew up in a house piled high with books. These competed for space with paraphernalia from Australia, his Victoria-born grandfather having been known as ‘Mister Melbourne,’ a baker and local celebrity on Hampstead’s South End Green.
His childhood coinciding with the microcomputer revolution, Alex’s first professional writing job was as a teenage columnist for ‘Spectrum Adventurer’ magazine. Since then he’s written short columns for The Guardian, jokes for BBC Radio and guest-edited one of the UK’s biggest satirical news sites.
Alex’s alter-ego blog ‘JonnyB’s Private Secret Diary’ achieved internet fame with its eccentric snapshots of English rural life, gaining him an unexpected cult-status amongst US gun enthusiasts, a letter of apology from a national newspaper editor, and the distinction of being set as a text to ‘discuss’ in a mock A-level exam.
He lives in Norfolk.
Alex Marsh was born in 1971 in Essex. His parents had worked in publishing in the fifties and sixties, and he grew up in a house piled high with books. These competed for space with paraphernalia from Australia, his Victoria-born grandfather having been known as ‘Mister Melbourne,’ a baker and local celebrity on Hampstead’s South End Green.
His childhood coinciding with the microcomputer revolution, Alex’s first professional writing job was as a teenage columnist for ‘Spectrum Adventurer’ magazine. Since then he’s written short columns for The Guardian, jokes for BBC Radio and guest-edited one of the UK’s biggest satirical news sites.
Alex’s alter-ego blog ‘JonnyB’s Private Secret Diary’ achieved internet fame with its eccentric snapshots of English rural life, gaining him an unexpected cult-status amongst US gun enthusiasts, a letter of apology from a national newspaper editor, and the distinction of being set as a text to ‘discuss’ in a mock A-level exam.
He lives in Norfolk.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 11, 2025
The Resurrection of Frédéric Debreu is a gentle, funny, sometimes sad story that demonstrates how easy it is for people to get caught up in unintended situations that trap them and mess with their heads.
It concerns Ted Prescott, a man just retired, who moves with his wife Daisy from Derbyshire to Maillot, a village in rural France. They don’t have much money, so rent a run-down cottage (shack?) from a pseudo-farmer at the top of a steep hill. Ted is overweight and struggles with the hill, so uses his old car to get to the village most of the time, where he becomes friends with Gaston, the local café owner, the mayor and Casimir, a very old and irreverent rascal who likes to wind people up. Ted and Daisy moved to that remote part of France for two reasons: firstly, Ted’s brother had moved there decades ago and they lost touch, so while Ted doesn’t expect to find his long lost brother, he has it in mind to do a bit of searching in his retirement; secondly, Ted is obsessed by the music of Frédéric Debreu, who was from the village and is considered a local legend. His songs are, I would say, Dylanesque (though I know nothing about music), though somewhat risqué and earthy – a man of the people.
Ted’s brother Eric had sent him some records of Debreu a while after arriving in Maillot; Ted loved them so much he learned to play and sing them in a highly authentic way. He never performs them to others, however, just for his family. The main plot concerns what happens when the locals hear him perform a song informally and begin to make plans …
There are other characters and sub-plots, and the author, Alex Marsh, fleshes them out very well. Everyone in the book came across to me as people you might meet, and the events that happen seem very plausible – you could see it happening. The writing is very good, too, Mr Marsh knows his stuff.
As a stickler (see Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation for context) I hate the fact that Americanisms are ruining our language, and especially that no-one in the UK, it seems, uses the correct tense any more, whether speaking or writing, so my only criticism of this book is that Alex (or his editor) fell into the trap of saying ‘He was stood’ instead of ‘He was standing’ or ‘He stood’. STOP IT, IT'S WRONG!
I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat unusual book and highly recommend it. Mine is a signed copy because I just happened to be in Diss, Norfolk in 2016 (having driven my wife to a training course) and inevitably wandered into the local independent bookshop (wonderful place); Alex was there at a little table, proudly promoting his newly published book and smilingly signing them for the purchasers. How foolish I was to have waited so long to read it! Sorry, Alex, but it was WELL worth the wait.
It concerns Ted Prescott, a man just retired, who moves with his wife Daisy from Derbyshire to Maillot, a village in rural France. They don’t have much money, so rent a run-down cottage (shack?) from a pseudo-farmer at the top of a steep hill. Ted is overweight and struggles with the hill, so uses his old car to get to the village most of the time, where he becomes friends with Gaston, the local café owner, the mayor and Casimir, a very old and irreverent rascal who likes to wind people up. Ted and Daisy moved to that remote part of France for two reasons: firstly, Ted’s brother had moved there decades ago and they lost touch, so while Ted doesn’t expect to find his long lost brother, he has it in mind to do a bit of searching in his retirement; secondly, Ted is obsessed by the music of Frédéric Debreu, who was from the village and is considered a local legend. His songs are, I would say, Dylanesque (though I know nothing about music), though somewhat risqué and earthy – a man of the people.
Ted’s brother Eric had sent him some records of Debreu a while after arriving in Maillot; Ted loved them so much he learned to play and sing them in a highly authentic way. He never performs them to others, however, just for his family. The main plot concerns what happens when the locals hear him perform a song informally and begin to make plans …
There are other characters and sub-plots, and the author, Alex Marsh, fleshes them out very well. Everyone in the book came across to me as people you might meet, and the events that happen seem very plausible – you could see it happening. The writing is very good, too, Mr Marsh knows his stuff.
As a stickler (see Eats, Shoots and Leaves: The Zero Tolerance Approach to Punctuation for context) I hate the fact that Americanisms are ruining our language, and especially that no-one in the UK, it seems, uses the correct tense any more, whether speaking or writing, so my only criticism of this book is that Alex (or his editor) fell into the trap of saying ‘He was stood’ instead of ‘He was standing’ or ‘He stood’. STOP IT, IT'S WRONG!
I thoroughly enjoyed this somewhat unusual book and highly recommend it. Mine is a signed copy because I just happened to be in Diss, Norfolk in 2016 (having driven my wife to a training course) and inevitably wandered into the local independent bookshop (wonderful place); Alex was there at a little table, proudly promoting his newly published book and smilingly signing them for the purchasers. How foolish I was to have waited so long to read it! Sorry, Alex, but it was WELL worth the wait.
June 7, 2016
A thoroughly enjoyable read.
I thought this would be a simple story about and old couple retiring to the Mediterranean to live out simple days in the sun. Maybe not Ted and Daisy fall in love with a dilapidated old cottage, that becomes their home. But Ted (I loved his characterisation) doesn't like to keep things simple and soon he is not only making music - based on his love of the music of Frèdèric Debreu - he gets in much deeper than he plans.
An easy, lighthearted read, great for reading in the sun.
With thanks to goodreads firstreads and the publisher for a copy of the book to read and review.
I thought this would be a simple story about and old couple retiring to the Mediterranean to live out simple days in the sun. Maybe not Ted and Daisy fall in love with a dilapidated old cottage, that becomes their home. But Ted (I loved his characterisation) doesn't like to keep things simple and soon he is not only making music - based on his love of the music of Frèdèric Debreu - he gets in much deeper than he plans.
An easy, lighthearted read, great for reading in the sun.
With thanks to goodreads firstreads and the publisher for a copy of the book to read and review.
June 18, 2016
*I won this in a Good reads giveaway*
A fabulous story about men and their friendships, set in rural France. I laughed out loud. I cried. And I am now a fan of Frederic Debreu (whether he exists or not).
A great read. And it's refreshing to read about male friendships for a change. The females in this story are incredibly one dimensional but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.
A fabulous story about men and their friendships, set in rural France. I laughed out loud. I cried. And I am now a fan of Frederic Debreu (whether he exists or not).
A great read. And it's refreshing to read about male friendships for a change. The females in this story are incredibly one dimensional but it didn't detract from my enjoyment.
May 5, 2016
First of all, many thanks to RedDoor Publishing for my paperback advance review copy of The Resurrection of Frederic Debreu.
Ted Prescott and his wife Daisy are living in Mailliot le Bois, temporarily, before settling down to their retirement back in Derbyshire. Ted desperately wants to know what happened to his brother, who hasn't been in touch for years. He's also keeping a secret from Daisy, regarding their son, David. How long can he get away with not telling her the truth? I really warmed to Ted and Daisy, although I found Daisy to be quite harsh on Ted sometimes. I felt she was there for his sake, to let him get it out of his system, but didn't much care for the place herself which is a shame because it sounds lovely. A small, close knit town with a relaxed pace of life, strong sense of community and plenty of red wine. What's not to like?
Ted is a massive fan of Frederic Debreu and when the locals discover his talent for singing his songs he is soon roped in to more than he is comfortable with and again finds himself keeping it all from Daisy, knowing she wouldn't approve.
The Resurrection of Frederic Debreu is an easy, light-hearted read, but very well written. It's full of fabulous, larger than life characters, who are instantly likeable and very amusing, but it also has it's share of sadness.
Blog post - https://chataboutbooks.wordpress.com/...
Ted Prescott and his wife Daisy are living in Mailliot le Bois, temporarily, before settling down to their retirement back in Derbyshire. Ted desperately wants to know what happened to his brother, who hasn't been in touch for years. He's also keeping a secret from Daisy, regarding their son, David. How long can he get away with not telling her the truth? I really warmed to Ted and Daisy, although I found Daisy to be quite harsh on Ted sometimes. I felt she was there for his sake, to let him get it out of his system, but didn't much care for the place herself which is a shame because it sounds lovely. A small, close knit town with a relaxed pace of life, strong sense of community and plenty of red wine. What's not to like?
Ted is a massive fan of Frederic Debreu and when the locals discover his talent for singing his songs he is soon roped in to more than he is comfortable with and again finds himself keeping it all from Daisy, knowing she wouldn't approve.
The Resurrection of Frederic Debreu is an easy, light-hearted read, but very well written. It's full of fabulous, larger than life characters, who are instantly likeable and very amusing, but it also has it's share of sadness.
Blog post - https://chataboutbooks.wordpress.com/...
March 25, 2018
I want to stretch my reading horizons for 2018. I believe for each year of reading you should add something different to your reading life. This year, I have decided to read more fiction from around the world. First up in this reading endeavor is The Resurrection of Frederic DeBreu by England’s Alex Marsh.
Marsh has written an interesting novel about Englishman named Ted Prescott who arrives in a small French town, Mailliot Le Bois, determined to find out about his past. However, he has been discovered as one who can sing songs by a local great, Frederic DeBreu. As a result, Ted is coerced into taking on a persona to increase tourism for the town. However, the deception comes at a price and reveals what it costs Ted in terms of his family.
The Resurrection of Frederic Debreu was a breezy, gentle novel. I did find it a little verbose throughout the novel. But, I was entertained enough to keep reading. Ted Prescott reminded me of Ove from A Man Called Ove. I had a decent reading experience and glad I made this novel my first excursion into world fiction for the year.
Marsh has written an interesting novel about Englishman named Ted Prescott who arrives in a small French town, Mailliot Le Bois, determined to find out about his past. However, he has been discovered as one who can sing songs by a local great, Frederic DeBreu. As a result, Ted is coerced into taking on a persona to increase tourism for the town. However, the deception comes at a price and reveals what it costs Ted in terms of his family.
The Resurrection of Frederic Debreu was a breezy, gentle novel. I did find it a little verbose throughout the novel. But, I was entertained enough to keep reading. Ted Prescott reminded me of Ove from A Man Called Ove. I had a decent reading experience and glad I made this novel my first excursion into world fiction for the year.
November 21, 2016
Don’t we all have dreams of up-rooting our lives and trying a tree change or sea change? Ted and Daisy did. On retirement, this English couple hire out a tiny cottage (a generous description of the accommodation) in a charming French Village. But the simple life has its dramas too. As Ted soon discovers, it’s very difficult to hide his secrets when the distractions of modern life aren’t there to fill the background with noise. “The Resurrection of Frédéric Debreu” is a delightful adventure story, full of believable characters and charming settings. A great holiday read.
July 16, 2016
A very human book, obviously written with great love for all its characters. I had a wonderful time in the company of Ted and the population of Mailliot, and wished I could have continued reading about the life of the reluctant troubadour long after the book ended.
July 29, 2018
I loved this book. Ted Prescott is an everyman who avoids the anti-hero cliche of most everymen you encounter. Deftly written, with real wit that never descends into being clever for its own sake, it avoids cliche and every character is perfect.
It’s a bittersweet novel, which I always like, and it captures rural France perfectly as well as the English folks who adopt it as their home. Having done so myself for several years, I found the dialogue in particular to be spot on and the characters to be plucked straight of out the town square and in to the pages of this engrossing novel.
It’s essentially a comedy and kind of a fish-out-of-water book, but without giving too much away he’s not the fish he thought he was. There are a lot of laugh out loud moments, but it never descends into slapstick and there so many lines I wish I could read again for the first time.
I liked this even more than Marsh’s first novel Sex And Bowls And Rock And Roll, and although this is also funny, it’s a completely different book, with drama and suspense and some surprising turns that have you rooting for Ted the whole way. I loved this from the first page and can’t wait to read the next one.
It’s a bittersweet novel, which I always like, and it captures rural France perfectly as well as the English folks who adopt it as their home. Having done so myself for several years, I found the dialogue in particular to be spot on and the characters to be plucked straight of out the town square and in to the pages of this engrossing novel.
It’s essentially a comedy and kind of a fish-out-of-water book, but without giving too much away he’s not the fish he thought he was. There are a lot of laugh out loud moments, but it never descends into slapstick and there so many lines I wish I could read again for the first time.
I liked this even more than Marsh’s first novel Sex And Bowls And Rock And Roll, and although this is also funny, it’s a completely different book, with drama and suspense and some surprising turns that have you rooting for Ted the whole way. I loved this from the first page and can’t wait to read the next one.
November 4, 2016
I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this book, having become a bit jaded about books featuring late middle aged men, of which I seem to have read quite a few of late. However, I surprised myself by loving this book from start to finish. As a Francophile, I loved the French rural backdrop, and the gently caricatured cast and settings. This book has a great depth and is perfectly paced, with some very well-played, unexpected plot twists and a lovely, gentle sense of humour. Ted and his wife, and their relationship, are perfectly formed, and I grew to love them as the book progressed. The ending was perfect - and Alex delivered it beautifully. In all, a highly enjoyable, thought provoking, accomplished read. Please write more soon Alex!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews