রূপসী বন্দিনী

by Rafael Sabatini, Qazi Anwar Hussain (Translator)

প্রায় চল্লিশ বছর বয়সী এক প্রবীণ যোদ্ধাকে দায়িত্ব দিলেন ফ্রান্সের রানি: দোফিনির সুরক্ষিত দুর্গ কোন্দিয়াক থেকে উদ্ধার করে আনতে হবে রূপসী এক তরুণী বন্দিনীকে। মহাবিপদেই পড়েছে মসিয়ো গাখনাশ। একটা মেয়েকে উদ্ধার করে আনতে চলেছে ও ভয়ঙ্কর এক নিষ্ঠুর, লোভী মহিলার কবল থেকে; অপর একজন মহিলার আদেশে! ও যদি এখন সব গুবলেট করে ফেলে, দোষটা কী ওর?

Genres: Adventure, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Classics, Historical, Romance, British Literature

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1909

About the author

Rafael Sabatini (1875 - 1950) was an Italian/British writer of novels of romance and adventure. At a young age, Rafael was exposed to many languages. By the time he was seventeen, he was the master of five languages. He quickly added a sixth language - English - to his linguistic collection. After a brief stint in the business world, Sabatini went to work as a writer. He wrote short stories in the 1890s, and his first novel came out in 1902. Sabatini was a prolific writer; he produced a new book approximately every year. He consciously chose to write in his adopted language, because, he said, "all the best stories are written in English. " In all, he produced thirty one novels, eight short story collections, six nonfiction books, numerous uncollected short stories, and a play. He is best known for his world-wide bestsellers: The Sea Hawk (1915), Scaramouche (1921), Captain Blood (1922) and Bellarion the Fortunate (1926). Other famous works by Sabatini are The Lion's Skin (1911), The Strolling Saint (1913) and The Snare (1917).

Reviews

[Farhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

একেবারে খাঁটি মধ্যযুগীয় প্রেমে জবজবে হালকা বীরত্বের মশলা মেশানো রোমান্টিক নভেল। কিন্তু আজকাল যখন সবকিছুতেই প্রায় জোর করে মানব চরিত্রের 'ডার্ক' ব্যাপার-স্যাপার নিয়ে অহেতুক জটিল প্লট নিয়ে প্যাঁচানো চলছে, আর করোনাকালে সময়টাও বেশ বিষণ্ন, তখন এরকম প্রায় রূপকথা পড়তে খারাপ লাগে না। নিজেকে মহা শক্তিশালী একরোখা নায়ক যার বাহুতে লাজুক সুন্দরী, আর সবশেষে নায়কের জয়, ভাবতে ভালই লাগে। কাজীদা'র অনুবাদ মানে বাড়তি একটা পাওনাও বটে।

[Julie Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, this is funny. I didn't realize until just now that I reread this book so much! That's how you know it's a delightful book!

==========

What?! It's evidently been almost a year again ... and I find myself rereading this delightful (still) book. I didn't realize I was falling into this pattern until seeing my comment from last June - below.

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Hey, it's been (almost) a year. Time to reread this delightful book!

============

The life of an heiress is in jeopardy and her only hope is to place her trust in the wiles of a middle-aged swordsman with no use for "women's troubles." As the plots of the conspirators converge it will take all the wiles and accumulated wisdom of Martin Marie Rigobert de Garnache uncover their identity, to save Valerie de La Vauvraye and keep his promise to his Queen.

What a fun swashbuckler this was, truly one of Sabatini's better books and surely an homage to Alexandre Dumas's adventures.

As mentioned in the summary above, Garnache is wily, wise, and an accomplished swordsman but the bane of his career has been his unbridled temper. Watching him struggle to overcome it and the result of his ill-timed explosions is a lot of fun because we can sympathize with his frustration.

He despises the fairer sex, "Let me tell you that this is the first time in my life that I have been concerned in anything that had to do with women." This makes it more ironic when the main players in the story are all women: the Queen of France, the girl he must rescue (who turns out to be completely admirable) and the wicked, willful Marquise de Condillac is his equal, foiling his attempts repeatedly. Poor Garnache does nothing but deal with women, except when he's sword fighting, of course.

Definitely recommended for light reading.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was on the hunt for something not overly taxing and this light adventure/historical romance hit the spot. Don't feel overwhelmed by an urge to rush out and read everything Sabatini's ever done but this was definitely a fun way to give my brain a break. So long as you don't take it too seriously, the OTT style is pretty enjoyable.

[Truls Ljungström · Rating 3 out of 5]

Denna historia är en arvsjakt i Dauphine. Hjälten är där av plikt, totalt ointresserad av den person som är tänkt att tvångsgiftas för arvets skull, bortsett från att hon råkar stå under Drottningens beskydd. Skurken är egentligen inte eländig, utan mest hungrig efter det han ser som sitt eget - faktum är att arvslagarna kan ses som en skurk bland många, vilket säkert var vad Sabatini, som om jag minns rätt hyllade Napoleons upprivande av fideikomissen, ville. Satan, nu blir jag osäker på om det var vad han tyckte - saksamma, i detta läge betonar vi "om jag minns rätt", och låter det stå så.

För de som uppskattar historiska romaner, och framförallt värjfäktning, är denna bok ett lämpligt, om än knappast inspirerande, tidsfördriv.

[Dannica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My third Sabatini. Not as good as Captain Blood or Scaramouche but more of a classic swashbuckler, perhaps, with a straightforward "save the girl from the tower" type of plot. There were some good fight scenes and the scheming was very fun to watch.

[Leslie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A gripping, romantic masterpiece, which starts a little slowly, then generates such suspense that it is a real page turner. Adventure, romance and brilliant writing. This is possibly my favourite Sabatini, although the two Scaramouche books, and the Venetian Masque are strong contenders.

[Redsteve · Rating 4 out of 5]

St Martin’s Summer features a different protagonist as compared to many other Sabatini novels: he has a bad temper (He makes D'Artagneon in the first parts of The Three Musketeers appear positively restrained.), rather misogynistic, and middle-aged. Despite what some of the other reviewers have stated, St. Martin’s Summer is NOT set in the 18th century, although this is understandable, as this edition – a cheap computer reproduction – uses a painting of the Battle of Yorktown for the cover art. The book is set in France and since the regent is Marie de Medici, which makes it set sometime between 1610 and 1617. Like many other books by this author, the prose is exceptionally purple. And while the heroine is good-hearted and courageous, she also swoons at the drop of a plumed, high-crowned hat. However, the only character whose bosom does any heaving is the villainess – who is very strong-willed and not shy about grabbing a dagger and having at . The story features damsels in distress, sword-fights, disguises, leaps from castle windows, insouciant banter, and people returning from the dead. Very satisfying ending. 4 stars.

[Remus Mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this one written quite differently from any Sabatini I've read before. It has a consistent humour throughout with a hilarious finale! It is exciting because more actually happens in every chapter than Sabatini's other novels. The selection of characters work great for this tragicomedy especially the main character who is very likable opposed to the bland protagonists in other Sabatini stories.

[Sheri South · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the masterpiece that is SCARAMOUCHE, but it's fun to watch Martin Marie Rigobert de Garnache--fortyish, misogynistic, and hot-tempered to boot--fight his way out of one predicament after another. And (of course) do the one thing he's sworn all his life to avoid: succumb to the charms of a woman.

[Richard Subber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saint Martin's Summer, published in 1909, is a historical romance. This is Sabatini's signature style. Think of it as a very high-toned beach book…
Spoiler alert: if you think you’re going to get a big helping of heaving bosoms and sweaty ravishment, maybe you should pick another book…
Here's my take on Saint Martin’s Summer:

Jason Bourne would be bored in Dauphiny.
Dauphiny is a sleepy, rural French province, but there is occasional sword play, and some moat diving, so Bourne wouldn't be bored all the way to tears…
Let’s just face up to it, in your classic Romantic novel about 18th century French dowager marquises and blundering bounders and dashing heroes and cherishable maidens and fat, simpering seneschals, you're going to get more talk than titillation, and more argument than action. So be it.
Sabatini deftly creates his tale of principled, introspective people trying for success, both villainous and otherwise.
His characters have deep appeal—they're always trying to do the right thing, or at least trying to do a bad thing the right way…e.g., Grenache knows he must save the girl, and he knows he will love her deeply…
They care deeply—about the ones they love, about their success in a milieu that maximizes opportunity for deception, and ultimately minimizes the prospect of getting away with a betrayal or self-dealing or moral weakness.
Sabatini is a colorful storyteller, and he tells a great story about things that count.
Read more of my poems and book reviews here:
http://richardsubber.com/

[Jennifer Ritchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in 1500s France and Dauphiny, this is another gripping historical romance/adventure novel from the great Rafael Sabatini.

I love Sabatini’s writing style. He can really turn a phrase! This novel isn’t one of his most well-known, but I actually liked it better than some of the more famous ones like Scaramouche and Bellarion. Part of the charm for me, I think, is the fact that the protagonist of this book isn’t particularly young, like Bellarion, and isn’t a Superman like many of Sabatini’s other main characters. Garnache is middle-aged and grumpy, and he keeps losing his temper at the worst possible times. His story is nevertheless hugely entertaining as it proceeds to a satisfying, if rather contrived, conclusion.

That contrived conclusion is the reason I gave the book four stars rather than five, and it’s probably the reason this book isn’t considered an equal to some of Sabatini’s masterpieces like Captain Blood. In order to have the “big reveal” at the end, there had to be so many odd circumstances, so many misunderstandings, and so many obvious questions left unasked by all the characters that the plot really stretched beyond believability.

I still contend, however, that this book is absolutely worth reading. The excellent prose, the gripping plot, the swashbuckling derring-do, and the clear delineation between what is honorable and what is dishonorable make this one a real keeper.

[Pushpa Rao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Martin Marie Rigobert de Garnache, sometime soldier, is an emissary of the Queen-Reagent of France. His mission, in answer to a plea to the Queen, is to extricate Mlle Valerie de Vouvraye from the loathsome constraints placed upon her by the stepmother of her absent fiancé, Florimond de Condillac, the Marquise de Condillac. The fabulously beautiful and wealthy widow would like the young heiress to marry her son Marius, rather than her stepson who is off adventuring in Milan for the past 3 years with nary a word. God willing he is dead or so she hopes.
Garnache is something of a misogynist and a hothead; a trait that has dogged his life. He feels that this mission of his is hardly worth his time. However, he underestimates the determination of the powerful and unscrupulous Marquise, her son and their many minions. How he manages to foil her plans despite all the myriad ploys laid in his path and is somehow caught himself is the tale. Delightful and resolved in true Sabatini style.

[Rachelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's odd that I love this book so. Why? At times, I wonder that it is Sabatini, when the writing is poor. I wonder if his editor took a vacation. How many times can he say "white" or "supple"?

And yet - by the time I reach the end (this is the second time) my heart is full of emotion. Martin is the heart and soul here - if only Sabatini had had a strong editor to guide his prose in order to craft this into something that would let more people understand and appreciate this wonderful character and beautiful story.

So, if you randomly picked this, you might struggle. But if you love Sabatini, I say take a chance. Perhaps by the end you'll be dissatisfied.

But it is entirely possible you will come to know and love a fantastic, special, true manly man hero of a wonderful and exaggerated adventure.

[Marko · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The life of an heiress is in jeopardy and her only hope is to place her trust in the wiles of a middle-aged swordsman with no use for "women's troubles." As the plots of the conspirators converge it will take all the wiles and accumulated wisdom of Martin Marie Rigobert de Garnache [to] uncover their identity, to save Valerie de La Vauvraye and keep his promise to his Queen."

A great swashbuckler with a fun romance plot. Some of the twists of the plot are a bit obvious, but Sabatini makes them work nevertheless. There's enough action to please action fans and enough romance to please romance fans.

[Simon Mcleish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Business as usual from Sabatini - historical caper romance.

[Melinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is not your average Sabatini novel. Though there are plenty of sword fights, evil plots, bad guys and royals - our hero is singularly different. Not only is he over 40, but he does not particularly like women. He sees them as the root of much trouble. He is a deputy for the Queen Regent in France, on a mission to rescue a damsel under duress and bring her to Paris to the Queen's protection. The fact that he works for a woman, has to rescue another from yet a third woman leaves him feeling unhappy and unappreciated. This does does not get in the way of him doing what honor demands of him and he does it quite well. There is one problem that makes him quite human, just as he is about to win the day his temper gets in the way. After treachery, double-dealing, chicanery and masquerading our hero finally learns his lessons.

This is a thumping good read by Sabatini. I recommend it highly to anyone who likes historical fiction, or just a beautifully written novel. Sabatini turns a phrase like no other while writing stories of adventure. It is simply a pleasure to read.

[Kori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not one of Sabatini's best known works, but well worth the read. The characters may be a little dated by today's standards, but the main villainess is deliciously evil while the hero has just enough of a temper to make him extremely likeable. I couldn't put it down, and consider it one of his best works alongside Scaramouche, The Sea Hawk and Captain Blood.

[Seema Khan Peerzada · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is not a classic Sabatini book as one may expect, but there are some moments of excitement in the plot. To my taste Captain Blood and Seahawk were way better, rather they were outstanding! The characterization and flow is true blue Sabatini, with Garnache locking your interest throughout and being the reason I wished to complete reading the book. It is good for a quick read.

[Pandora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actually re-reading. I somehow forgot to add this one to my list. It one of Sabtini fun stories like The Lion's Skin and Scarmouche. The story start with a Knight who doesn't like women being sent to rescue one.

[Lee Fosseen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An ode to one favorite author by another favorite author - what's not to love?

[Tahsina Syeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Sabatini novel. The protagonist in this book is awesome and endearing at the same time.

[Abdullah Al Morshed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Main Book - St.Martin's Summer

[কালো ঘোড়া · Rating 5 out of 5]

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