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Roux the Bandit: A Novel
A Frenchman flees his small mountain village to avoid service in World War I in a thoughtful, witty novel about the conflict of patriotism and conscience.
Deep in the Cévennes Mountains of southern France, a man called Roux refuses to heed the call to duty at the outbreak of war in 1914. Instead, he flees and hides in the hills, returning only occasionally to the farm where he left his mother and sisters.
The people of the valley condemn his desertion and hope the police will find his hideout and force him into the army. Then, as the months and the years go by, and the horrors of the trenches become known, the locals begin to understand Roux’s actions—but it is only at the end of the war that his fate will be decided.
In an atmospheric and often witty novel of life during wartime in a rural French community, André Chamson explores the questions of perception and morality, as well as the roles we play in the great historical events of our times.
Deep in the Cévennes Mountains of southern France, a man called Roux refuses to heed the call to duty at the outbreak of war in 1914. Instead, he flees and hides in the hills, returning only occasionally to the farm where he left his mother and sisters.
The people of the valley condemn his desertion and hope the police will find his hideout and force him into the army. Then, as the months and the years go by, and the horrors of the trenches become known, the locals begin to understand Roux’s actions—but it is only at the end of the war that his fate will be decided.
In an atmospheric and often witty novel of life during wartime in a rural French community, André Chamson explores the questions of perception and morality, as well as the roles we play in the great historical events of our times.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1925
About the author
André Chamson
104 books1 followerAndré 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 4, 2022
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.
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.
April 16, 2023
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.
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January 13, 2026A Book Owned by F. Scott Fitzgerald: https://static-prod.lib.princeton.edu...
September 30, 2021
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"
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews