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Scaramouche #1
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Set during the French Revolution, this classic novel of swashbuckling adventure and sweeping romance is also a thought provoking commentary on class, inequality, and the individual's role in society-a story that has become Rafael Sabatini's enduring legacy.
396 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1921
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About the author
Rafael Sabatini
692 books539 followersRafael 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).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 910 reviews
August 24, 2020
4.5 stars for this swashbuckling historical novel, written in 1921 by Rafael Sabatini, set during French Revolution times in the late 1700s. Andre-Louis Moreau is a young lawyer of unknown parentage, but has a protective godfather, Quentin de Kercadiou, a local lord in Brittany, France. Andre-Louis is very fond of de Kercadiou’s niece Aline, so when he finds out she’s planning on accepting a proposal from the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr for practical reasons, not love, he’s deeply disappointed. Things get worse when the Marquis, accosted by Andre-Louis’s best friend Philippe for having his gamekeeper shoot a poaching villager and leaving the villager’s family destitute, picks a fight with Philippe and ends up killing him in a duel with swords.
One thing leads to another, and soon Andre-Louis is on the run from de la Tour d'Azyr’s vengeance, with revenge in his own heart. We follow his adventures through the next few years, including taking up with a group of traveling theater players and learning to be an excellent swordsman. As a player, his chief role is as Scaramouche, a clown character who’s also a schemer. It fits his actual character extremely well. The hand of fate keeps bringing Andre-Louis back into contact with de la Tour d'Azyr until the tension-filled finale.
I enjoyed Scaramouche more than I expected: It’s a quick-paced story, and Sabatini manages to combine adventure and romance with some truly insightful writing. And as a bonus, I got Bohemian Rhapsody stuck in my brain for a few days!
So this happened.
This novel was first published in 1921, so it's free on Project Gutenberg. Mamma mia!
Group read with the Retro Reads group.
One thing leads to another, and soon Andre-Louis is on the run from de la Tour d'Azyr’s vengeance, with revenge in his own heart. We follow his adventures through the next few years, including taking up with a group of traveling theater players and learning to be an excellent swordsman. As a player, his chief role is as Scaramouche, a clown character who’s also a schemer. It fits his actual character extremely well. The hand of fate keeps bringing Andre-Louis back into contact with de la Tour d'Azyr until the tension-filled finale.
I enjoyed Scaramouche more than I expected: It’s a quick-paced story, and Sabatini manages to combine adventure and romance with some truly insightful writing. And as a bonus, I got Bohemian Rhapsody stuck in my brain for a few days!
So this happened.
This novel was first published in 1921, so it's free on Project Gutenberg. Mamma mia!
Group read with the Retro Reads group.
October 24, 2022
At the dawn of the French Revolution, when Aristocrats are about to tumble down into the toxic precipice, there lived in the village of Gavrillac, Brittany, with his Godfather, Andre-Louis Moreau. A young lawyer of unknown origin, now, but earlier when the infant Andre-Louis was brought there, Quentin de Kercadiou, Lord of that settlement, announces that he is the "Godfather", the people are amused. Obviously the child is a product of an ill-fated romance, and Monsieur Kercadiou, is the father, which the boy also believes (the child is well educated , sent to Paris, after the village school). The Lord, gruff, but loving, wears unfashionable clothes, more like a member of the 3rd estate, is not talking, Aline an orphan, stays in the home of her uncle Quentin, too. The two "cousins," raised together become very close, M.Moreau best friend is Philippe de Vilmorin, a frequent visitor. Andre- Louis ( "he was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad"), seeks revenge as the result of the arrogant Marquis de la Tour d' Azyr, killing Philippe in an uneven duel. His friend had gone to protest the slaying of a peasant Mabey, for stealing pheasants on the Marquis's land, ironically the victim, was studying for the priesthood ... M.Moreau was a sorrowful, indignant witness, promises revenge for this crime , against all reason, and advice, he travels to Rennes, to denounce the Marquis and is quickly dismissed by the unmoved, King's Lieutenant, makes an impassioned speech to an angry mob of discontented poor citizens, and flees for his life. The authorities want to hang him for sedition, not feeling the need for that, or the honor also, too drastic for his modest taste, he leaves town in an unceremonious way. Encounters Pierre Binet, the leader of a struggling acting troupe, joins the thespians and his pretty daughter Climene, the main reason, having seen her first. Falls madly in love with the lady, becomes engaged, she is quite ambitious, but still the gentleman, is infatuated with Aline, an impossible, ridiculous situation, a silly dream. And the cousin, is going to marry the hated rich Marquis, what to do ? The intelligent M. Moreau, writers the scripts, for the group, he "borrows " from famous plays and deceased authors, they don't mind anymore and becomes very successful. An unforeseen talented actor too , in the role of Scaramouche, a tremendous hit. Everyone enjoys the new actor, laughs commence steadily, his unexpected magic, on stage has customers very entertained , which is a pleasant surprise to Andre-Louis, maybe he has at last arrives at his true destiny. Then the rash young man causes another chaotic riot in the theater, one of the band's first indoor performances and last, the Marquis was in the audience. Runs away again and become a magnificent fencing master in Paris, an appropriate time for men to learn, later a member of the tumultuous Constituent National Assembly of seething France, and he a cynic, his fame has grown ... Lawyer, actor, swordsman and politician, but his main job is the ceaseless avenger, he can never rest or forget...The secrets will be revealed, complications arise but isn't life full of them ? A well told tale...very entertaining for everyone who still has love for adventure no matter their age or situation, by a terrific author of this genre..
September 30, 2022
*حيث جرت الدماء لا تنمو شجرة النسيان*
و هل هناك اكثر من دماء الثورة الفرنسية؟
في احدي أشهر كلاسيكيات المغامرات التاريخية يؤكد لنا رافييل ساباتيني الذي يتقن خمس لغات ان: أفضل القصص مكتوبة بالإنجليزية
هل المتألم يسعى جاهدا للخلاص من المه و لو بقطع راسه او التخلي عما بها كلياً؟
هل من الممكن ان تتماهي مع مباديء غيرك ؛و تحقق احلامه؛ و تعيش حياته لمجرد انك فقدته فجأة؟
تتبني معتقداته حتي تتحول فجأة
من متهكم ساخر لثائر مثالي؟
اندريه محامي مرح و ساخر و ربيب لكونت متفرد نجده يهتم مثل باقي الشباب بالخروج و الصيد و بالطبع بهيلين ابنة شقيق الكونت؛ و لكن مع ظهور الماركيز دي لا تور الذي يستدرج صديقه فلموران لمبارزة غير عادلة لان فصاحته خطيرة؛ سرعان ما نجد ان اهوال الثأر و الثورة محت عن وجهه ابتسامته الساخرة
لتبدأ رحلته
اولا: للانتقام بالقانون الذي تعلمه
و ثانيا: بالهرب من ذلك القانون الظالم
و ثالثاً :بالتمثيل علي الخاضعين لهذا القانون
و اخيرا بالانضمام لصناع جدد لقوانين جديدة
*الشهرة تقوم في الغالب علي الوهم*
كان التمثيل غريزة من غرائزه؛ فهل كانت قدرته علي التمثيل اقنعته هو شخصيا بهذا التغيير الشقلباظي في شخصيته؟
لا اعلم اذا كان اختصار صفحات الرواية للنصف قد اخل بمبررات الشخصية؛ المترجم عتيد و اسلوبه سلس و لكن هل حذف مونلوجات هامة لاندريه تبرر تحوله الحاد؟
في مغامراته سنقابل ممثلات و مهرجين؛ فرسان و معلمين؛ نبلاء و فلاحين
سنتجول بفرنسا قبيل و ابان الثورة الفرنسية لنراها بعيون اندريه مرتين أندريه المهرج المتخفي ثم المبارز المحنك
الكل وُلد بقدرة لا محدودة علي الابتسام و الضحك؛ و اذا آمنت انك في عالم مجنون ستصبح موهوبا في اضحاك البشر لانه بالتأكيد نضحك احسن ما نعيط
كانت قراءة الشهر الجماعية الصاخبة خفيفة سريعة ؛ هدفنا كان احياء تلك الكلاسيكية البسيطة التي فازت باكتساح في التصويت علي اختيارات العزيزة رحمة في اولي تجاربها الثورية الديمقراطية
و هل هناك اكثر من دماء الثورة الفرنسية؟
في احدي أشهر كلاسيكيات المغامرات التاريخية يؤكد لنا رافييل ساباتيني الذي يتقن خمس لغات ان: أفضل القصص مكتوبة بالإنجليزية
هل المتألم يسعى جاهدا للخلاص من المه و لو بقطع راسه او التخلي عما بها كلياً؟
هل من الممكن ان تتماهي مع مباديء غيرك ؛و تحقق احلامه؛ و تعيش حياته لمجرد انك فقدته فجأة؟
تتبني معتقداته حتي تتحول فجأة
من متهكم ساخر لثائر مثالي؟
اندريه محامي مرح و ساخر و ربيب لكونت متفرد نجده يهتم مثل باقي الشباب بالخروج و الصيد و بالطبع بهيلين ابنة شقيق الكونت؛ و لكن مع ظهور الماركيز دي لا تور الذي يستدرج صديقه فلموران لمبارزة غير عادلة لان فصاحته خطيرة؛ سرعان ما نجد ان اهوال الثأر و الثورة محت عن وجهه ابتسامته الساخرة
لتبدأ رحلته
اولا: للانتقام بالقانون الذي تعلمه
و ثانيا: بالهرب من ذلك القانون الظالم
و ثالثاً :بالتمثيل علي الخاضعين لهذا القانون
و اخيرا بالانضمام لصناع جدد لقوانين جديدة
*الشهرة تقوم في الغالب علي الوهم*
كان التمثيل غريزة من غرائزه؛ فهل كانت قدرته علي التمثيل اقنعته هو شخصيا بهذا التغيير الشقلباظي في شخصيته؟
لا اعلم اذا كان اختصار صفحات الرواية للنصف قد اخل بمبررات الشخصية؛ المترجم عتيد و اسلوبه سلس و لكن هل حذف مونلوجات هامة لاندريه تبرر تحوله الحاد؟
في مغامراته سنقابل ممثلات و مهرجين؛ فرسان و معلمين؛ نبلاء و فلاحين
سنتجول بفرنسا قبيل و ابان الثورة الفرنسية لنراها بعيون اندريه مرتين أندريه المهرج المتخفي ثم المبارز المحنك
الكل وُلد بقدرة لا محدودة علي الابتسام و الضحك؛ و اذا آمنت انك في عالم مجنون ستصبح موهوبا في اضحاك البشر لانه بالتأكيد نضحك احسن ما نعيط
كانت قراءة الشهر الجماعية الصاخبة خفيفة سريعة ؛ هدفنا كان احياء تلك الكلاسيكية البسيطة التي فازت باكتساح في التصويت علي اختيارات العزيزة رحمة في اولي تجاربها الثورية الديمقراطية
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September 5, 2022
This reviews can be found on Amaranthine Reads.
"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
André-Louis Moreau, a country lawyer with no idea and no care for his birth-heritage, witnesses the murder of his eloquent friend by a swarthy aristocrat and swears vengeance, yet the laws of pre-Revolution France do not equate to justice for all and he is forced to flee for his life when he stirs up Revolutionary madness within the citizens of France. He finds safety with a travelling troupe of comedic actors and becomes the buffoonish character of Scaramouche, all the while being pursued by treachery, romance and that ever inevitable Revolution that he so carelessly sparked.
This is the best book I've read all year. It is the best book I have read for many a good year, too. It is sublimely written with its almost Wildean turn-of-phrase and the protagonist, Scaramouche née André-Louis is one of the most captivating characters I have come across for some time. It has wit and personification of the most debase of human nature through its characters and yet there is an almost timid nature to their countenance. I became aware of this book through the Queen song-of course, how else?-and I don't think I can thank Freddie Mercury enough for everything else, as well as this.
"Meanwhile he could drown his vexation in Burgundy. At least there was abundance of Burgundy. Never in his life had he found Burgundy so plentiful."
Scaramouche, from the Italian comedy-theatre Commedia dell'arte, is a sly and conceited fellow and that is reflected in the character of André-Louis, who plays him so marvellously and convincingly. There is a deftness to anything André-Louis puts his mind to and it seems that he cares for little except the one thing he is concentrating on, whether it be vengeance or playing the fool in a travelling theatre.
Now, let us speak of why I have not given this five stars. I will confess that it should be denoted as a 4.5, 4.6 or even a 4.9 star-rated book, but I cannot abide giving half stars as it smacks of laziness to me. First and foremost, although I adored learning more about the French Revolution, there were times when it felt almost like an info dump, though they were few and far between. These times jolted the flow of what is an adventure with quick speech and a flowing storyline that never seems to cease and though no life, not in the least André-Louis', is non-stop action, the disjointed feeling this gave to it was a bit too heavy. The beginning, I felt, was also a little slow: though the setting needed to be set, of course, it was not as it could have been.
There were also times during the narrative when the author, Sabatini himself, would step back and speak to us, the reader, as if André-Louis was a real person and this was his biography, and the narration would shift from a third-person telling of this rogue's story in to a reeling off of facts which again disjointed my enjoyment. There is also to be taken in to consideration the fact that I was in doubt as to whether I should give it five stars. It is a five-star worthy book, but I am a harsh critic and if there is doubt it will not happen. Of the 872 books I have read, only 25 are five-star rated books and even then I could confidently downgrade half of those if I so choose.
It is a beautiful book. So splendid, so meaningful and so harshly unknown to all. It is a Classic that deserves to be treated like one and I am so exuberantly happy to see that it is rated on average as a 4.05 on GoodReads. It's also extraordinary given how many books Sabatini has written (at least 30) that he is not more well-known and I mourn for him much I do the other fabulous authors we so disdainfully ignore.
"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
André-Louis Moreau, a country lawyer with no idea and no care for his birth-heritage, witnesses the murder of his eloquent friend by a swarthy aristocrat and swears vengeance, yet the laws of pre-Revolution France do not equate to justice for all and he is forced to flee for his life when he stirs up Revolutionary madness within the citizens of France. He finds safety with a travelling troupe of comedic actors and becomes the buffoonish character of Scaramouche, all the while being pursued by treachery, romance and that ever inevitable Revolution that he so carelessly sparked.
This is the best book I've read all year. It is the best book I have read for many a good year, too. It is sublimely written with its almost Wildean turn-of-phrase and the protagonist, Scaramouche née André-Louis is one of the most captivating characters I have come across for some time. It has wit and personification of the most debase of human nature through its characters and yet there is an almost timid nature to their countenance. I became aware of this book through the Queen song-of course, how else?-and I don't think I can thank Freddie Mercury enough for everything else, as well as this.
"Meanwhile he could drown his vexation in Burgundy. At least there was abundance of Burgundy. Never in his life had he found Burgundy so plentiful."
Scaramouche, from the Italian comedy-theatre Commedia dell'arte, is a sly and conceited fellow and that is reflected in the character of André-Louis, who plays him so marvellously and convincingly. There is a deftness to anything André-Louis puts his mind to and it seems that he cares for little except the one thing he is concentrating on, whether it be vengeance or playing the fool in a travelling theatre.
Now, let us speak of why I have not given this five stars. I will confess that it should be denoted as a 4.5, 4.6 or even a 4.9 star-rated book, but I cannot abide giving half stars as it smacks of laziness to me. First and foremost, although I adored learning more about the French Revolution, there were times when it felt almost like an info dump, though they were few and far between. These times jolted the flow of what is an adventure with quick speech and a flowing storyline that never seems to cease and though no life, not in the least André-Louis', is non-stop action, the disjointed feeling this gave to it was a bit too heavy. The beginning, I felt, was also a little slow: though the setting needed to be set, of course, it was not as it could have been.
There were also times during the narrative when the author, Sabatini himself, would step back and speak to us, the reader, as if André-Louis was a real person and this was his biography, and the narration would shift from a third-person telling of this rogue's story in to a reeling off of facts which again disjointed my enjoyment. There is also to be taken in to consideration the fact that I was in doubt as to whether I should give it five stars. It is a five-star worthy book, but I am a harsh critic and if there is doubt it will not happen. Of the 872 books I have read, only 25 are five-star rated books and even then I could confidently downgrade half of those if I so choose.
It is a beautiful book. So splendid, so meaningful and so harshly unknown to all. It is a Classic that deserves to be treated like one and I am so exuberantly happy to see that it is rated on average as a 4.05 on GoodReads. It's also extraordinary given how many books Sabatini has written (at least 30) that he is not more well-known and I mourn for him much I do the other fabulous authors we so disdainfully ignore.
March 13, 2023
لقد تعودت معكم اصدقائى هنا على الجودريدز على الصراحة والاعتراف بالحق فضيلة 😁
عند طرح هذه الرواية كأحد خيارات القراءة الجماعية كنت مترددة كثيرا فى قرائتها بل وكنت افكر ان اتنحى جانبا وان لا اشارك فى القراءة لكن مثلما تنادينى النداهة وينادينى حدسي فى اختيار الروايات وجدت فى النهاية نداء ان أبدأ فيها واحاول وان لم تعجبنى أتركها . وجاءت أراء الاصدقاء الذين سبقونى بالبدء بها مشجعة لذا بدأتها والحمد لله جذبتنى وأكملتها .
واخص بالشكر صديقتي رحمة على طرح هذه الرواية التى لولاها لم أكن لأعرفها ولا اقراها ❤🌷 وشكر آخر للصديق أحمد طه الذى عثر على هذه النسخة النادرة للرواية🌷 وشكرا لاصدقاء القراءة الجماعية على الرفقة الجميلة والممتعة دامت دوما تجمعاتنا الجميلة 💖
لقد كان النمر فيما مضي سيد الغابات . وظل قرونا عدة مصدرا لفزع الوحوش جميعا وبينهما الذئب . ولكن الذئب تبرم آخر الأمر بهذه الحالة . فجمع زملائه حوله . وألف منهم عصبة للدفاع عن كيانهم . ووجدت العصبة انها قوية بإتحادها .. فشرعت تطارد النمر . وكانت النتيجة وبالا على السيد المستبد
تدور أحداث الرواية خلال فترة الثورة الفرنسية . أندريه لويس مورو محام شاب مجهول النسب قام بكفالته منذ الطفولة الكونت دي كركاديو .لينشأ في كنفه ومع ابنة اخيه هيلين .
الماركيز دى لاتور هو نموذج لواحد من النبلاء واصحاب الأراضى ونموذج للشجع والدنائة والخبث .
فيليب دى فلورمان صديق أندريه لويس المقرب الذى كان ذنبه فى الحياه انه فصيح وان فصاحته من النوع الخطر وهو نموذج لشاب من الثورة يرفض الظلم ويقف له .
انهم لايتورعون عن أية جريمة لاسكات الشعب واهدار حريته
انهم عجزوا عن ارهابنا فشرعوا في قتلنا
وشخصيات اخرى نلتقى بها على مدار الرواية .
حدث يؤدى لاخر ونتابع معا اندريه وهو يمر بتغيرات نتيجة للاحداث وتتغير معها وظائفه لكن العامل المشترك فيهم انه كان يبرع وينجح فى كل مايقوم به ويحصل على إعجاب الاخرين بما يقوم به. كما كان يبرع فى كتم مشاعره وافكاره والظهور بالبرود واللامبالاة حين يريد فلا تستطيع ان تستشف افكاره ومشاعره الا نادرا.
ونتابع حياته فى ظل الاحداث السياسية التى تمر بفرنسا وما أدى الى حدوث الثورة الفرنسية .
- أنت واحد من أولئك الاوغاد الذين ساهموا في أحداث الثورة .
-- ان هؤلاء الاوغاد لم يفعلوا اكثر من المطالبة بالدستور الذي وعد به الملك .. والذنب في الثورة ذنب النبلاء الذين ارادوا الحيلولة دون انفاذ وعد الملك
وهنا ارغب فى ذكر امر فكرت به اثناء قرائتي فى البداية عن سكارموش فتركت الرواية لأبحث هل لها معنى خاص وليست اسم الشخصية ؟؟ فبحثت عن كلمة سكارموش
سكاراموش هو شخصية ثابتة في مسرحيات الكوميديا في القرنين ١٦ و ال ١٧ . وهو رجل أسباني ثري، يرتدي دائمًا ملابس سوداء، وهو مدع كاذب. وظهر فيما بعد في الأدوار الهزلية بفرنسا، وفي التمثيل الصامت بإنجلترا
الرواية حلوة وممتعة واسلوبها سلس وبسيط
لكن حسيت انى محتاجة اقول حاجة عن النهاية، الرواية اتكتبت فى عصر ومكان مختلف وممكن كانت رائعة فى زمنها بس ممكن بالنسبالنا تبقى اوفر شوية " فيلم قديم حبتين " بس غير كده الرواية حلوة وتستحق القراءة
واكيد طبعا فى ناس هتعجبها النهاية انا بتكلم عن راى الشخصى
١٧ / ١١ / ٢٠٢٠
عند طرح هذه الرواية كأحد خيارات القراءة الجماعية كنت مترددة كثيرا فى قرائتها بل وكنت افكر ان اتنحى جانبا وان لا اشارك فى القراءة لكن مثلما تنادينى النداهة وينادينى حدسي فى اختيار الروايات وجدت فى النهاية نداء ان أبدأ فيها واحاول وان لم تعجبنى أتركها . وجاءت أراء الاصدقاء الذين سبقونى بالبدء بها مشجعة لذا بدأتها والحمد لله جذبتنى وأكملتها .
واخص بالشكر صديقتي رحمة على طرح هذه الرواية التى لولاها لم أكن لأعرفها ولا اقراها ❤🌷 وشكر آخر للصديق أحمد طه الذى عثر على هذه النسخة النادرة للرواية🌷 وشكرا لاصدقاء القراءة الجماعية على الرفقة الجميلة والممتعة دامت دوما تجمعاتنا الجميلة 💖
لقد كان النمر فيما مضي سيد الغابات . وظل قرونا عدة مصدرا لفزع الوحوش جميعا وبينهما الذئب . ولكن الذئب تبرم آخر الأمر بهذه الحالة . فجمع زملائه حوله . وألف منهم عصبة للدفاع عن كيانهم . ووجدت العصبة انها قوية بإتحادها .. فشرعت تطارد النمر . وكانت النتيجة وبالا على السيد المستبد
تدور أحداث الرواية خلال فترة الثورة الفرنسية . أندريه لويس مورو محام شاب مجهول النسب قام بكفالته منذ الطفولة الكونت دي كركاديو .لينشأ في كنفه ومع ابنة اخيه هيلين .
الماركيز دى لاتور هو نموذج لواحد من النبلاء واصحاب الأراضى ونموذج للشجع والدنائة والخبث .
فيليب دى فلورمان صديق أندريه لويس المقرب الذى كان ذنبه فى الحياه انه فصيح وان فصاحته من النوع الخطر وهو نموذج لشاب من الثورة يرفض الظلم ويقف له .
انهم لايتورعون عن أية جريمة لاسكات الشعب واهدار حريته
انهم عجزوا عن ارهابنا فشرعوا في قتلنا
وشخصيات اخرى نلتقى بها على مدار الرواية .
حدث يؤدى لاخر ونتابع معا اندريه وهو يمر بتغيرات نتيجة للاحداث وتتغير معها وظائفه لكن العامل المشترك فيهم انه كان يبرع وينجح فى كل مايقوم به ويحصل على إعجاب الاخرين بما يقوم به. كما كان يبرع فى كتم مشاعره وافكاره والظهور بالبرود واللامبالاة حين يريد فلا تستطيع ان تستشف افكاره ومشاعره الا نادرا.
ونتابع حياته فى ظل الاحداث السياسية التى تمر بفرنسا وما أدى الى حدوث الثورة الفرنسية .
- أنت واحد من أولئك الاوغاد الذين ساهموا في أحداث الثورة .
-- ان هؤلاء الاوغاد لم يفعلوا اكثر من المطالبة بالدستور الذي وعد به الملك .. والذنب في الثورة ذنب النبلاء الذين ارادوا الحيلولة دون انفاذ وعد الملك
وهنا ارغب فى ذكر امر فكرت به اثناء قرائتي فى البداية عن سكارموش فتركت الرواية لأبحث هل لها معنى خاص وليست اسم الشخصية ؟؟ فبحثت عن كلمة سكارموش
سكاراموش هو شخصية ثابتة في مسرحيات الكوميديا في القرنين ١٦ و ال ١٧ . وهو رجل أسباني ثري، يرتدي دائمًا ملابس سوداء، وهو مدع كاذب. وظهر فيما بعد في الأدوار الهزلية بفرنسا، وفي التمثيل الصامت بإنجلترا
الرواية حلوة وممتعة واسلوبها سلس وبسيط
لكن حسيت انى محتاجة اقول حاجة عن النهاية، الرواية اتكتبت فى عصر ومكان مختلف وممكن كانت رائعة فى زمنها بس ممكن بالنسبالنا تبقى اوفر شوية " فيلم قديم حبتين " بس غير كده الرواية حلوة وتستحق القراءة
واكيد طبعا فى ناس هتعجبها النهاية انا بتكلم عن راى الشخصى
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November 11, 2020
من أجمل الروايات الكلاسيكية التي قرأتها، فهي مزيج بين الخيال والرومانسية، مليئة بالإثارة والتشويق.
الرواية عن مطاردة السلطة الفرنسية كل من ينادي بحق الشعب في المساواة مع طبقة النبلاء.
المكايد السياسية التي تديرها وتحبكها طبقة النبلاء في فرنسا ضد الشعب المقهور ومحاولتها قمع ثورته وسلب حقوقه في مجلس النواب الذي أُعطيت للشعب على مضض من قِبل الملك، انتهاء بقيام ثورة الشعب الفرنسي ضد الملك لويس السادس عشر وضد زوجته النمساوية المتعجرفة المسيطرة عليه.
سوف يفاجأ القارئ بالأدوار المختلفة لبطل الرواية “أندريه لويس” وهو يلعب دور المحامي، الممثل، السياسي، الثائر، المنتقم، استطاع الكاتب أن يجعل من “أندريه لويس” شخصيّة جذّابة تنحاز له ولمبادئه في الحياة .. المفاجأة الكبرى التي لن تخطر على بال القارئ ستتبدى في خاتمة الرواية.
اقتباسات من الرواية
لقد قامت في العالم جميع أنواع الحكومات الممكنة، وأفضت جميع التجارب إلى فشل ذريع لسبب واحد هو أن الإنسان لا يتغيّر .. فهو دائماً طمّاع، أناني، سيئ.
الرأسماليون هم الذين يحرضون أولئك الفقراء السذّج على أن يتظاهروا ويريقوا دماءهم في طلب الحرية المزعومة.
هل تستحق النتيجة كل هذا العناء والدماء؟ وهل يكون الشعب أسعد حالاً إذا حكمه المموِّلون والرأسماليون؟
أنت تسخر وتضحك يا سيدي، ولكن ترى هل تضحك على هذا النحو عندما يناقشك الله الحساب عن هذه الدماء التي تلطخ يديك؟
هل يجب أن يقال لك إن قتل الشخص الذي يخيفك هو الجبن بعينيه، وقتله بهذه الصفة هو النذالة بكل معانيها؟
قبّح الله أولئك الأشقياء، إنهم لا يتورعون عن أية وسيلة تخنق الشعب. إنهم عجزوا عن إرهابنا فشرعوا يمعنون فينا قتلاً.
إن الكراهية هي أسخف العواطف البشرية جميعاً.
يخيل إليّ أن حضرات السادة النبلاء لم يرقهم كلامي، ولا عجب، فحضرات النبلاء معروفون بكراهيتهم للحق.
الرواية عن مطاردة السلطة الفرنسية كل من ينادي بحق الشعب في المساواة مع طبقة النبلاء.
المكايد السياسية التي تديرها وتحبكها طبقة النبلاء في فرنسا ضد الشعب المقهور ومحاولتها قمع ثورته وسلب حقوقه في مجلس النواب الذي أُعطيت للشعب على مضض من قِبل الملك، انتهاء بقيام ثورة الشعب الفرنسي ضد الملك لويس السادس عشر وضد زوجته النمساوية المتعجرفة المسيطرة عليه.
سوف يفاجأ القارئ بالأدوار المختلفة لبطل الرواية “أندريه لويس” وهو يلعب دور المحامي، الممثل، السياسي، الثائر، المنتقم، استطاع الكاتب أن يجعل من “أندريه لويس” شخصيّة جذّابة تنحاز له ولمبادئه في الحياة .. المفاجأة الكبرى التي لن تخطر على بال القارئ ستتبدى في خاتمة الرواية.
اقتباسات من الرواية
لقد قامت في العالم جميع أنواع الحكومات الممكنة، وأفضت جميع التجارب إلى فشل ذريع لسبب واحد هو أن الإنسان لا يتغيّر .. فهو دائماً طمّاع، أناني، سيئ.
الرأسماليون هم الذين يحرضون أولئك الفقراء السذّج على أن يتظاهروا ويريقوا دماءهم في طلب الحرية المزعومة.
هل تستحق النتيجة كل هذا العناء والدماء؟ وهل يكون الشعب أسعد حالاً إذا حكمه المموِّلون والرأسماليون؟
أنت تسخر وتضحك يا سيدي، ولكن ترى هل تضحك على هذا النحو عندما يناقشك الله الحساب عن هذه الدماء التي تلطخ يديك؟
هل يجب أن يقال لك إن قتل الشخص الذي يخيفك هو الجبن بعينيه، وقتله بهذه الصفة هو النذالة بكل معانيها؟
قبّح الله أولئك الأشقياء، إنهم لا يتورعون عن أية وسيلة تخنق الشعب. إنهم عجزوا عن إرهابنا فشرعوا يمعنون فينا قتلاً.
إن الكراهية هي أسخف العواطف البشرية جميعاً.
يخيل إليّ أن حضرات السادة النبلاء لم يرقهم كلامي، ولا عجب، فحضرات النبلاء معروفون بكراهيتهم للحق.
January 24, 2018
He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.”
One of the best opening lines I've ever read!
I'm sure this will end up being one of my favourite (re)reads of the year.
A fast paced read that seamlessly merges André-Louis story with real history and leaves you wanting to read more of both. The style is romantic, but the romance(s) are of the realistic sort. and that he is a very flawed, self-aware hero.
His story and adventures were totally fascinating.
Since I remember loving Captain Blood even more, I am eager to get to a reread of that!
May 15, 2013
I wavered between four and five stars on this one, but I totally have to go with the five. It’s just that awesome. I was actually a little surprised at how much I loved this book. I mean, I love swashbucklers and historical fiction…Dumas père is my man, but the only other Sabatini novel I’ve read, Venetian Masque, I found to be a little underwhelming so I did not expect this from Sabatini. Speaking of Dumas, I almost think that _Scaramouche_ can be placed in the same company as that master’s great work _The Count of Monte Cristo_, no small praise from me. It doesn’t quite have the same level of intricate plotting as the latter, and I will never give pride of place to any but Monsieur le Comte, but it is still an awesome read filled with exciting ups and downs as we follow the trials and triumphs of the title character aka Andre-Louis Moreau. I actually noticed that Moreau shared some similarities with Dantès as a character, at least in the fact that both of them seemed to have a Batman-like ability to adopt nearly any skill they required to further their own ends. For Moreau this leads him to start out as a lawyer with exceptional reasoning and speaking skills, become a brilliant actor, stage writer and theatre impresario, then move on to master the art of the sword and become a maître d'armes, and finally to enter the realm of politics all within a span of two years. That’s ok, I don’t mind it if my heroes are super and Moreau pairs his ability with an acerbic wit and keen insight I found both refreshing and awesome.
I have to add here that I ‘read’ this as an audiobook downloaded from Librivox. Now the narrators from Librivox, given that it is a free site, can be…how to put this delicately? Crappy. Not so this one. The narrator Gordon Mackenzie was fantastic. He had just the right pacing, didn’t stumble on his words (you’d think that would be a prerequisite for narrating an audio book, wouldn’t you?), and was able to voice each character differently without sounding completely ludicrous. He even managed the French phrases and Latin epigrams with no apparent effort. Excellent job Mr. Mackenzie! I really think his work on this added to my already superlative enjoyment of the text itself.
Given that this is a classic I imagine that many already know the plot, at least in broad strokes: Andre-Louis Moreau is a bastard of no name, taken in as the “godson” of the local seigneur of the village of Gavrillac (amidst the knowing glances and whispers of the locals). He is a young man of intelligence and wit, known primarily for his acerbic tongue and incisive reasoning, who acts as the legal representative of his godfather, M. de Kercadiou. His best friend, Philippe de Vilmorin, is a young seminarian who also happens to have revolutionary political leanings. When a local peasant is summarily killed by a local noble, the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr, Philippe tries to convince the nobleman to recompense the dead man’s family for the deed. Incensed, and sensing in the eloquent young man one who could stir the mounting discontent of the people that is beginning to raise its head in France, d’Azyr decides he must get rid of this possible thorn in the side of his class. An expert fencer, perhaps the best in France, d’Azyr forces the fledgling Philippe into challenging him to a duel and handily dispatches the young man, whose own abilities with the sword are non-existent. It is this act of bald-faced murder (and the subsequent inability of the young lawyer to gain any justice from the established powers) that sends young Bruce Wayne, er Andre-Louis, on his road of vengeance against the man, and the class, that killed his friend in cold blood.
As we follow Andre-Louis in his quest we see him taking up the mantle left by his dead friend and using his own eloquence to stir up the crowds against their unjust masters. Forced into hiding when his name and actions become know, Moreau manages to join a travelling band of actors who mount plays based on the fading style of the Commedia dell'Arte and, after establishing himself as not only an excellent actor and writer, but even a company manager of some skill Moreau takes on the role of Scaramouche (one that is uniquely suited to his outlook and abilities) and proceeds to lead the troupe to the verge of fame and fortune. Along the way he falls in love and ultimately finds himself once again crossing paths with his avowed enemy, seemingly driven by the hand of fate. Moreau encounters numerous dangers and escapes in his years of hiding which I won’t recount here…read the book and enjoy them to the full yourself! Suffice it to say that the nascent revolution turns the tables and thrusts Andre-Louis into a position of power. It is a position that is not so easily taken advantage of, despite Andre-Louis’ apparent single-mindedness in regards to his quest, and the conclusion of the tale is satisfying and much more complex than one might be given to expect from a work in this genre.
I thought Sabatini’s prose was great. His turns of phrase, especially in the mouth of Moreau, were sublime and the text is littered with an abundance of bon mots. His characters also shine and often manage to attain a level of complexity that goes beyond the one dimensional duality of good-guy/bad-guy one might expect. While I was always cheering for Moreau and loved his character, he is not always an eminently likeable guy and even the sneering and vain arch-rival the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr manages to show himself to be something more complex than a mustachio-twirling villain. Bottom line: this book was great. I don’t know why I took so long to read it, but I’m very glad I finally did. I’ll be revisiting this one many times in the future.
Highly recommended.
Also posted at Shelf Inflicted
I have to add here that I ‘read’ this as an audiobook downloaded from Librivox. Now the narrators from Librivox, given that it is a free site, can be…how to put this delicately? Crappy. Not so this one. The narrator Gordon Mackenzie was fantastic. He had just the right pacing, didn’t stumble on his words (you’d think that would be a prerequisite for narrating an audio book, wouldn’t you?), and was able to voice each character differently without sounding completely ludicrous. He even managed the French phrases and Latin epigrams with no apparent effort. Excellent job Mr. Mackenzie! I really think his work on this added to my already superlative enjoyment of the text itself.
Given that this is a classic I imagine that many already know the plot, at least in broad strokes: Andre-Louis Moreau is a bastard of no name, taken in as the “godson” of the local seigneur of the village of Gavrillac (amidst the knowing glances and whispers of the locals). He is a young man of intelligence and wit, known primarily for his acerbic tongue and incisive reasoning, who acts as the legal representative of his godfather, M. de Kercadiou. His best friend, Philippe de Vilmorin, is a young seminarian who also happens to have revolutionary political leanings. When a local peasant is summarily killed by a local noble, the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr, Philippe tries to convince the nobleman to recompense the dead man’s family for the deed. Incensed, and sensing in the eloquent young man one who could stir the mounting discontent of the people that is beginning to raise its head in France, d’Azyr decides he must get rid of this possible thorn in the side of his class. An expert fencer, perhaps the best in France, d’Azyr forces the fledgling Philippe into challenging him to a duel and handily dispatches the young man, whose own abilities with the sword are non-existent. It is this act of bald-faced murder (and the subsequent inability of the young lawyer to gain any justice from the established powers) that sends young Bruce Wayne, er Andre-Louis, on his road of vengeance against the man, and the class, that killed his friend in cold blood.
As we follow Andre-Louis in his quest we see him taking up the mantle left by his dead friend and using his own eloquence to stir up the crowds against their unjust masters. Forced into hiding when his name and actions become know, Moreau manages to join a travelling band of actors who mount plays based on the fading style of the Commedia dell'Arte and, after establishing himself as not only an excellent actor and writer, but even a company manager of some skill Moreau takes on the role of Scaramouche (one that is uniquely suited to his outlook and abilities) and proceeds to lead the troupe to the verge of fame and fortune. Along the way he falls in love and ultimately finds himself once again crossing paths with his avowed enemy, seemingly driven by the hand of fate. Moreau encounters numerous dangers and escapes in his years of hiding which I won’t recount here…read the book and enjoy them to the full yourself! Suffice it to say that the nascent revolution turns the tables and thrusts Andre-Louis into a position of power. It is a position that is not so easily taken advantage of, despite Andre-Louis’ apparent single-mindedness in regards to his quest, and the conclusion of the tale is satisfying and much more complex than one might be given to expect from a work in this genre.
I thought Sabatini’s prose was great. His turns of phrase, especially in the mouth of Moreau, were sublime and the text is littered with an abundance of bon mots. His characters also shine and often manage to attain a level of complexity that goes beyond the one dimensional duality of good-guy/bad-guy one might expect. While I was always cheering for Moreau and loved his character, he is not always an eminently likeable guy and even the sneering and vain arch-rival the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr manages to show himself to be something more complex than a mustachio-twirling villain. Bottom line: this book was great. I don’t know why I took so long to read it, but I’m very glad I finally did. I’ll be revisiting this one many times in the future.
Highly recommended.
Also posted at Shelf Inflicted
August 17, 2011
Seminal novels have a curious tendency of being very much unlike the genres they inspire. It's something I've explored before, in
The Lord of the Rings
(fantasy),
The Virginian
(western), and
The Moonstone
(mystery), and Scaramouche definitely resembles the latter two in how they stray from what we might expect.
Firstly, we have an unusually introspective, complex protagonist. Much less the dashing hero, we are shown a doubting cynic, a recluse who sees the cruel inequality of the world and does his best to avoid it. Yet it is a world he must live in, and so he finds himself thrust again and again into complications from which he strives to extricate himself.
The second similarity with those other formative works is the quirky, meandering plot. It is certainly not what we would expect; we bear witness to only two swordfights in the book, one at the beginning, and one near the end (though a few others are mentioned).
The very beginning of the book is concerned mainly with the political philosophies which lead to the French Revolution. But we dispense with that rather quickly, and spend the following two thirds of the book exploring the forms and history of the Commedia Dell'Arte.
But, of course, I don't have to explain about that vital and influential form to you. Like me, you probably grew up around Commedia actors, and over a hundred or so scattered performances, witnessing the infinite variations on the theme and marveling at the extemporaneous wit of its sprightly practitioners. Perhaps you, like me, had a little stuffed bear named for the old miser, Pantalone.
But even a cave-dweller who had never heard of the Commedia, and did not recognize it in Pagliacci, Punch, and Pantos could derive amusement from the ways Sabitini explores it. His is not precisely a scholarly analysis, but more of a playful jaunt through the style, relating its plots and characters to the overblown melodramas which politics and social status inevitably produce.
At length he leaves the Commedia behind, and we are treated to an amusing view of the different forms and schools of fencing, and of its vital place in a culture of duelists--the ideal culture for a swashbuckling tale. Like most young men, I spent my time as both student and tutor of swordsmanship, so this was another delightful moment of youthful nostalgia--though again, Sabitini merely plays on the surface of the art of fencing. I could have done with a more in-depth discussion of line, distance, and form, perhaps with some diagrams, but it was amusing, nonetheless.
I was able to quickly guess the two-part 'twist' ending, but that was hardly bothersome, since it was only a small part of the book. It did nothing to lessen the delightful verve with which it was written, the complexity of the characters (including a very sympathetic villain), the many and varied inspirations, and the concise structure of the plot. Scaramouche is lively, intelligent, and like most pulps, devoid of pretension, showing once again that the best way to promote skill and wit is simply to demonstrate them.
Firstly, we have an unusually introspective, complex protagonist. Much less the dashing hero, we are shown a doubting cynic, a recluse who sees the cruel inequality of the world and does his best to avoid it. Yet it is a world he must live in, and so he finds himself thrust again and again into complications from which he strives to extricate himself.
The second similarity with those other formative works is the quirky, meandering plot. It is certainly not what we would expect; we bear witness to only two swordfights in the book, one at the beginning, and one near the end (though a few others are mentioned).
The very beginning of the book is concerned mainly with the political philosophies which lead to the French Revolution. But we dispense with that rather quickly, and spend the following two thirds of the book exploring the forms and history of the Commedia Dell'Arte.
But, of course, I don't have to explain about that vital and influential form to you. Like me, you probably grew up around Commedia actors, and over a hundred or so scattered performances, witnessing the infinite variations on the theme and marveling at the extemporaneous wit of its sprightly practitioners. Perhaps you, like me, had a little stuffed bear named for the old miser, Pantalone.
But even a cave-dweller who had never heard of the Commedia, and did not recognize it in Pagliacci, Punch, and Pantos could derive amusement from the ways Sabitini explores it. His is not precisely a scholarly analysis, but more of a playful jaunt through the style, relating its plots and characters to the overblown melodramas which politics and social status inevitably produce.
At length he leaves the Commedia behind, and we are treated to an amusing view of the different forms and schools of fencing, and of its vital place in a culture of duelists--the ideal culture for a swashbuckling tale. Like most young men, I spent my time as both student and tutor of swordsmanship, so this was another delightful moment of youthful nostalgia--though again, Sabitini merely plays on the surface of the art of fencing. I could have done with a more in-depth discussion of line, distance, and form, perhaps with some diagrams, but it was amusing, nonetheless.
I was able to quickly guess the two-part 'twist' ending, but that was hardly bothersome, since it was only a small part of the book. It did nothing to lessen the delightful verve with which it was written, the complexity of the characters (including a very sympathetic villain), the many and varied inspirations, and the concise structure of the plot. Scaramouche is lively, intelligent, and like most pulps, devoid of pretension, showing once again that the best way to promote skill and wit is simply to demonstrate them.
September 1, 2022
أولي قراءاتي لرفاييل ساباتيني الكاتب الايطالي البريطاني الذي كتب عن الثورة الفرنسية
سكاراموش هي رواية رائعة عن الثورة الفرنسية وكل ثورة في العالم
فهي تصف بدقة مع يحدث في الخفاء في الثورات
تدور القصة حول البطل أندرية لويس مورو الشاب الذي ينتمي لطبقة النبلاء علي الرغم من انه متبنى
بقدرته علي ان يصبح بارد وغير مبالي حتي لو كانت تستعر النيران في داخله
لا يبالي بثورة او فقراء او احوال بلاد طالما يعيش فقط مثلما يريد
لتنقلب حياته رأسا علي عقب بسبب صديقه فيليب دي فيلموران والذي فصاحته من النوع الخطر
وهناك ايضا الشخصية القميئة الأكثر شرا في عالم النبلاء وفي الرواية وهو المركيز دي لاتور وهو مثال الشر المطلق الذي يبحث فقط عن مصلحته الشخصية حتي ولو كانت علي حساب البشرية جمعاء
بسبب حادثه لصديقة تتحول حياة أندرية الي تجارب كثيرة تجعله يتعرف علي نفسه وعلي قدراته
من محامي في عالم النبلاء لممثل مع فرقه متنقله لمساعد في مدرسة تعليم السيف لمعلم لسياسي كبير
نتعرف عن طريقة أندرية علي سكاراموش ببروده وقدرته علي التمثيل واخفاء مشاعره
رواية رائعة تصف الحياه السياسية والكفاحات الشخصية والوطنية وحتي النفسيات البشرية المختلفة وبطريقة أكثر من رائعة
كانت تجربة رائعة مع أفضل اصدقاء لقراءة مميزة لشهر نوفمبر بترشيح من الصديقة العزيزة رحمة والنخسه النادرة لأحمد طه وتجميعتنا المميزة للأستاذة الجميلة نيرة هانم
وتجربة لن ننساها ابدا ممتعة وشيقة واتمني قراءة ممتعة لبقية الأصدقاء وللمرات القادمة بإذن الله 🌷🌷
سكاراموش هي رواية رائعة عن الثورة الفرنسية وكل ثورة في العالم
فهي تصف بدقة مع يحدث في الخفاء في الثورات
تدور القصة حول البطل أندرية لويس مورو الشاب الذي ينتمي لطبقة النبلاء علي الرغم من انه متبنى
بقدرته علي ان يصبح بارد وغير مبالي حتي لو كانت تستعر النيران في داخله
لا يبالي بثورة او فقراء او احوال بلاد طالما يعيش فقط مثلما يريد
لتنقلب حياته رأسا علي عقب بسبب صديقه فيليب دي فيلموران والذي فصاحته من النوع الخطر
وهناك ايضا الشخصية القميئة الأكثر شرا في عالم النبلاء وفي الرواية وهو المركيز دي لاتور وهو مثال الشر المطلق الذي يبحث فقط عن مصلحته الشخصية حتي ولو كانت علي حساب البشرية جمعاء
بسبب حادثه لصديقة تتحول حياة أندرية الي تجارب كثيرة تجعله يتعرف علي نفسه وعلي قدراته
من محامي في عالم النبلاء لممثل مع فرقه متنقله لمساعد في مدرسة تعليم السيف لمعلم لسياسي كبير
نتعرف عن طريقة أندرية علي سكاراموش ببروده وقدرته علي التمثيل واخفاء مشاعره
رواية رائعة تصف الحياه السياسية والكفاحات الشخصية والوطنية وحتي النفسيات البشرية المختلفة وبطريقة أكثر من رائعة
كانت تجربة رائعة مع أفضل اصدقاء لقراءة مميزة لشهر نوفمبر بترشيح من الصديقة العزيزة رحمة والنخسه النادرة لأحمد طه وتجميعتنا المميزة للأستاذة الجميلة نيرة هانم
وتجربة لن ننساها ابدا ممتعة وشيقة واتمني قراءة ممتعة لبقية الأصدقاء وللمرات القادمة بإذن الله 🌷🌷
November 23, 2020
لقد قامت فى العالم جميع الحكومات الممكنة. وأسفرت جميع التجارب عن فشل ذريع. لسبب واحد. هو أن الإنسان لا يتغير .. فهو دائماً جشع، أنانى وردئ.
November 17, 2020
"لكننا جميعًا ألاعيب في يد القدر... والقدرُ لاعبٌ ماهر.."
رواية لذيذة خفيفة استمتعت بها📖💙👌🏻
رواية لذيذة خفيفة استمتعت بها📖💙👌🏻
August 14, 2021
I couldn't actually find the edition I read...but I loved this book. Find it read it you won't regret it. High adventure, romance, intrigue, betrayal.... So buckle your swash and sally forth.
Set in the midst of the French revolution this is a very satisfying "high adventure" of swordplay and romance... (of course it's by Sabatini, what else should we expect?)
Enjoy.
***UPDATE****
I just reread this...again. I've read it several times and like it immensely, it rates among my favorite novels.
I'm also a fan of Rafael Sabatini. He was an incredibly prolific writer who for most of his life wrote at the rate of a book a year. He's probably best know today for this books, Captain Blood, The Sea-Hawk and to a slightly lesser extent The Black Swan because of the movies based on or by the same titles as these books. It can be difficult to track down other of his titles but on the whole he is a reliable writer.
I like this book especially (of course I haven't read all his books but I live in hope). There is a movie based on this novel, and it's a good movie. It's not really the same story as the novel though it is loosely based on it.
Here is a story that has a nice intricate plot line, it's got depth, humor and a action. Set in (during) the French Revolution we follow Andre-Louis Moreau who has been cared for raised and schooled by his godfather. Everyone assumes he's the "by-blow" of some member of the gentry (the assumption is it's probably his godfather M. de Kercadiou though not by Moreau). His life follows a path he himself never would have planed or expected. After his best friend is slain in a set up duel (his friend has no knowledge of the sword while the man who kills him is a master) Andre is drawn from his more or less shallow life into the political life that had cost his friend his life. Holding his best friend's body he swears vengeance.
From there the lives of Andre and the man who slew his friend are strangely entwined. Constantly crossing and recrossing one another's path they are each like the Nemesis of the other.
As noted I've read this many times and the twists are no longer surprises to me but the storytelling, the sardonic humor and the depth of the story still keep it fresh for me.
My highest recommendation.
Set in the midst of the French revolution this is a very satisfying "high adventure" of swordplay and romance... (of course it's by Sabatini, what else should we expect?)
Enjoy.
***UPDATE****
I just reread this...again. I've read it several times and like it immensely, it rates among my favorite novels.
I'm also a fan of Rafael Sabatini. He was an incredibly prolific writer who for most of his life wrote at the rate of a book a year. He's probably best know today for this books, Captain Blood, The Sea-Hawk and to a slightly lesser extent The Black Swan because of the movies based on or by the same titles as these books. It can be difficult to track down other of his titles but on the whole he is a reliable writer.
I like this book especially (of course I haven't read all his books but I live in hope). There is a movie based on this novel, and it's a good movie. It's not really the same story as the novel though it is loosely based on it.
Here is a story that has a nice intricate plot line, it's got depth, humor and a action. Set in (during) the French Revolution we follow Andre-Louis Moreau who has been cared for raised and schooled by his godfather. Everyone assumes he's the "by-blow" of some member of the gentry (the assumption is it's probably his godfather M. de Kercadiou though not by Moreau). His life follows a path he himself never would have planed or expected. After his best friend is slain in a set up duel (his friend has no knowledge of the sword while the man who kills him is a master) Andre is drawn from his more or less shallow life into the political life that had cost his friend his life. Holding his best friend's body he swears vengeance.
From there the lives of Andre and the man who slew his friend are strangely entwined. Constantly crossing and recrossing one another's path they are each like the Nemesis of the other.
As noted I've read this many times and the twists are no longer surprises to me but the storytelling, the sardonic humor and the depth of the story still keep it fresh for me.
My highest recommendation.
November 15, 2020
عودةٌ القراءة الجماعية بعد انقطاع طويل، مع عودة سكاراموش.
وكانت نعم العودة، مع اختيار صديقة مجموعتي القراءة الكبرى والصغرى، زهرة تشرين، التونسية رحمة.
في ذكرى مولدها، أعادها الله عليها بالصحة والعافية، ورزقها عمرا مديدا في قراءات نافعة.
عودةٌ من بوابة قصة أخرى من قصص الثورة الفرنسية التي لا أعرف عنها ولا آبه بها، ووجه آخر منها غير الذي قرأته في رواية قصة مدينتين
كانت رواية سلسة ولطيفة، رغم نهايتها الدرامية.
أردت أن أكون من أوائل الواصلين، لتكون هذه هديتي لرحمة، واعتذارا للأصدقاء عن عدم مشاركتي في القراءات السابقة.
أنتظركم عند خط النهاية 😉
وكانت نعم العودة، مع اختيار صديقة مجموعتي القراءة الكبرى والصغرى، زهرة تشرين، التونسية رحمة.
في ذكرى مولدها، أعادها الله عليها بالصحة والعافية، ورزقها عمرا مديدا في قراءات نافعة.
عودةٌ من بوابة قصة أخرى من قصص الثورة الفرنسية التي لا أعرف عنها ولا آبه بها، ووجه آخر منها غير الذي قرأته في رواية قصة مدينتين
كانت رواية سلسة ولطيفة، رغم نهايتها الدرامية.
أردت أن أكون من أوائل الواصلين، لتكون هذه هديتي لرحمة، واعتذارا للأصدقاء عن عدم مشاركتي في القراءات السابقة.
أنتظركم عند خط النهاية 😉
November 17, 2020
*"طالما أن هناك سلطة.. هناك مساوئ"
*"دعهم يقتلونني.. فالقتل صناعة يحذقونها"
رواية كلاسيكية تدور في فترة الثورة الفرنسية، عبارة عن ثلاثة أقسام لرحلة البطل وتغير وتطور شخصيته مع الأحداث، ممتعة وسلسة وعلى الرغم من بساطتها لكنها تركت انطباع جميل لديّ، ولأول مرة أستمتع بالحوارات ا��سياسية في رواية 👌
ما العامل المشترك بين الثورة والتمثيل والمبارزة؟
- هل إن الثورة أمام نظام فاسد ظالم، والوقوف وجهاً لوجه أمام طرف آخر في مشهد تمثيلي، كلاهما يعدّ نوعاً من المبارزة؟🤔
- هل إن التمثيل يعتبر ثورة على الواقع؟ والمبارزة تعتبر ثورة على الشعور بالضعف وانعدام الثقة بالنفس وثورة على الآخر الذي يظن نفسه لا يُقهر؟🤔
- هل إن المبارزة والثورة كلاهما يحمل بداخله قدراً من 'التمثيل' أو يحتاج إلى قدر من 'التمثيل' ليحقق الهدف منه؟🤔
*هل التمثيل ثورة ومبارزة، أم أن الثورة تمثيل ومبارزة، أم أن المبارزة تمثيل وثورة؟
*هل الانتقام والثأر كفيلان بتشكيل مبادئنا؟ وهل ألاعيب القدر كفيلة بتغيير تلك المبادئ؟
الرواية مليئة بالاقتباسات الرائعة، قراءة جماعية ذات نكهة ومكانة خاصة ورحلة مشوقة برفقة الأصدقاء ❤️
*"دعهم يقتلونني.. فالقتل صناعة يحذقونها"
رواية كلاسيكية تدور في فترة الثورة الفرنسية، عبارة عن ثلاثة أقسام لرحلة البطل وتغير وتطور شخصيته مع الأحداث، ممتعة وسلسة وعلى الرغم من بساطتها لكنها تركت انطباع جميل لديّ، ولأول مرة أستمتع بالحوارات ا��سياسية في رواية 👌
ما العامل المشترك بين الثورة والتمثيل والمبارزة؟
- هل إن الثورة أمام نظام فاسد ظالم، والوقوف وجهاً لوجه أمام طرف آخر في مشهد تمثيلي، كلاهما يعدّ نوعاً من المبارزة؟🤔
- هل إن التمثيل يعتبر ثورة على الواقع؟ والمبارزة تعتبر ثورة على الشعور بالضعف وانعدام الثقة بالنفس وثورة على الآخر الذي يظن نفسه لا يُقهر؟🤔
- هل إن المبارزة والثورة كلاهما يحمل بداخله قدراً من 'التمثيل' أو يحتاج إلى قدر من 'التمثيل' ليحقق الهدف منه؟🤔
*هل التمثيل ثورة ومبارزة، أم أن الثورة تمثيل ومبارزة، أم أن المبارزة تمثيل وثورة؟
*هل الانتقام والثأر كفيلان بتشكيل مبادئنا؟ وهل ألاعيب القدر كفيلة بتغيير تلك المبادئ؟
الرواية مليئة بالاقتباسات الرائعة، قراءة جماعية ذات نكهة ومكانة خاصة ورحلة مشوقة برفقة الأصدقاء ❤️
November 18, 2020
رواية حلوة نهاية بلح
August 5, 2021
While browsing the longlist of this year's booker prize, I found a book that sounded interesting. So I put it on hold in the library while leisurely reading reviews. And then I read this:
latest novel [...] is another profound meditation on suffering…
So I ended up reading Rafael Sabatini’s Scaramouche instead.
This is a pulpy, witty, swashbuckling historical pure fun in a book. We have all tropes of the genre done beautifully: mysterious parentage; ostensibly an evil scoundrel marquis, who wishes to marry our kind smart proactive resourceful heroine; revenge for the killing of the most honorable friend in cold blood; and duels, all against the backdrop of the French revolution.
Also revelations in the end are totally bananas and very melodramatic and I loved every crazy theatrical second of it.
latest novel [...] is another profound meditation on suffering…
So I ended up reading Rafael Sabatini’s Scaramouche instead.
This is a pulpy, witty, swashbuckling historical pure fun in a book. We have all tropes of the genre done beautifully: mysterious parentage; ostensibly an evil scoundrel marquis, who wishes to marry our kind smart proactive resourceful heroine; revenge for the killing of the most honorable friend in cold blood; and duels, all against the backdrop of the French revolution.
Also revelations in the end are totally bananas and very melodramatic and I loved every crazy theatrical second of it.
January 25, 2018
"From the Robe to the Buskin, and now from the buskin to the Sword! What will be the end of you I wonder"
It is always a gamble to re-read your childhood favourites. Lately I'v had a couple of bad hits while trying to revoke the passion towards a few books that I worshipped as a child. Scaramouche, is one of those titles.
Without going into the details of the book, I am happy to conclude that after more than a decade I have a better understanding of this book. This is a story of swashbuckling adventure, revenge, passion, betrayal, resolution and realisation of Andre-Louis Moreau, set in the background of the French countryside (and the cities alike) on the brink dismantling the centuries old seigneurial system with tenets of liberty, equality and fraternity. The last time I read the book the
This time around, the book felt more realistic with my some level of cognizance of nuances of human nature. There were no heroes or villains. Just people, acting according to societal norms and behaviour expected from them.
I will give a solid 4 stars to the book, it was an extremely satisfying read.
P.S: This was the book which aroused my undying curiosity and fascination with Fencing. Alas, am doomed to ever learn it myself.
P.P.S: I read the book alternating between the audiobook and the ebook. Simon Vance is one of the best narrators. He takes the pleasure of listening to a book, to another level, IMHO i.e.
November 19, 2020
"العالم كله مسرح،
وليس الرجال والنساء، كلهم، إلا ممثلين،
لكل دخوله ولكل خروجه،
وبين الإثنين حياتنا، حيث نلعب عدة أدوار"
شكسبير
أندريه مورو لم يكن سوى كما قال شكسبير ممثل أو سكاراموش البداية كانن كدوره كمحامي ريفي محسوب على طبقة النبلاء ثم يتبدل دوره ليصبح ممثل في فرقة تمثيل مسرحي متنقل هربا من ملاحقته بعد ان تسببت حادثة موت صديقه في تبدل ولائه إلى مؤازة ثورة الشعب ثم تتبدل الأدوار مرة أخرى ليصبح مبارز محترف بالسيف ثم نهاية يتقلد دور عضو مجلس النواب حديث الإنعقاد ليبارز بفصاحة لسانه وحرفية سيفه أعضاء المجلس من النبلاء وعلى رأسهم عدوه اللدود وقاتل صديقه الماركيز لا تور.
لم تكن كلها سوى أدوار تلقفها أندريه برحابة صدر ليثبت كل مرة أنه قادر على تحقيق النجاح وإثبات قدرته على المواجهة والحوز على جولات من التصفيق لمهارته في أن يتقمص الأدوار المختلفة ببراعة.
القراءة الجماعية لشهر نوفمبر بقيادة العزيزة أستاذة نيرة وبإختيار ديمقراطي وبمنافسة إنتخابية شرسة فاز سكاراموش أصغر إقتراحات الصديقة أميرة سوسة في يوم ميلادها رحمة وجهد مشكور للصديق أحمد طه في البحث عن تلك النسخة النادرة القديمة لنكتشف جميعا أنها كلاسيكية جيدة عن الثورة الفرنسية وكعادتها دائما تخرجني رحمة من مفضلاتي بإختيارات مختلفة مميزة💕
شكر موصول لأصدقاء رحلة القراءة الجماعية رفقتكم هي دائما الأقرب لقلبي ❤
"التاريخ مثل العجلة التي تدور وتعيد نفسها مرارا وتكرارا لأن طبيعة البشر لا تتغير بشكل كبير فما حدث من قبل سيحدث مرة أخرى"
جورج مارتن
January 13, 2009
Andre-Louis Moreau is the Scaramouche of fame. I am delighted with this knowledge, as it finally helps me to solve one of the many mysteries of Queen. But more than that, I am absolutely delighted with the work in general. Sabatini's evocation of the heady, tense, uncertain, firecracker days before the beginning of the French Revolution of 1789 is beautifully done. I classified this as fantasy because I believe that it is painted brightly enough to sear into my imagination as much as any Middle Earth would do. This is a swashbuckling adventure novel, make absolutely no mistake about that. (There's a lot more swashing than there is actual buckling, but it is very entertaining swashing about, so I don't take issue with it.) However, the sweeping, majestically romantic story conceals a wonderfully interesting historical document of the events that lead up to the storming of the Bastille, the dissolving of the Estates General, the bread riots, and the march to Versailles. To be sure, it is no mere recitation of events, but for our hero to get from one adventure to the next is dependent upon the historical events of the time. It gives the novel a depth that I was not expecting. The hero and various other characters spend a good chunk of their time reciting the beliefs of the period from all sides and having debates on philosophy. You find yourself getting very involved with their viewpoints, not merely the awesomely over the top insults and duels that follow.
The novel follows Andre-Louis Moreau from his start at comfortable home as the godson of a small-time, hardworking aristocrat and a country lawyer. After the murder of his best friend, a firebrand revolutionary priest, Andre-Louis swears vengeance upon the proud, ridiculously vile Marquis who committed this act. Unfortunately, he ends up with a warrant for his arrest fairly soon on in the novel, and is forced to go into hiding in a number of guises. The most entertaining of these disguises is Scaramouche, the Shakespearean fool character of the commedia dell'arte, a role which he is more or less forced into, but ends up suiting him quite perfectly. There are several very nice 'All the world's a stage' parallels drawn, as people tie on and shed masks of all kinds throughout the novel, sometimes confusing their own identities with the characters they play, sometimes being perceived as those identities by others when really they are absolutely no such thing inside. It is simply much easier and more comfortable to sit in those roles, and so they do. But the revolution will not let Andre-Louis sit still hiding from himself, and he's drawn along through a series of alternately hilarious and gothically awful scenes towards the dizzying end.
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT:
****
I was inclined to give this novel five stars about halfway through. There are several reasons that I did not:
1) Andre-Louis, our hero, is a Mary Sue. He is brilliant at everything he turns his hand to, succeeding first as a brilliant political orator, a playwright, an actor, a fencing master... the list goes on. There is nothing that he is not equal to, and more than that, that he will not be better at than anyone else within a remarkably short amount of time. It didn't bother me for the first 200 pages or so, but then I started really wearying with how in love Sabatini was with his hero the he absolutely /had/ to have every character marvel endlessly at his talent, and moon over his perfection. Sure, they call him heartless, some people are afraid of him, but it is only because he is such a God, you see! They are merely intimidated by his lack of weakness! Yes, I get that this is a gothic adventure novel and characters are projections and fantasies and meant to represent things and not be entirely realistic, but it is hard to really get into the suspenseful, *gasp, shock, awe!* aspect of the book if you never feel the slightest anxiety for the hero's safety. You never even feel the slightest anxiety for a slight embarrassment, because you just /know/ that he'll have the perfect one-liner to get himself out of the situation. The character tries to excuse this Mary Sue-ism in the last ten pages of the book, by saying that he's not really perfect because he's ended up running away from every good situation he's made for himself. But you see, it only makes him even more perfect, because he is troubled! And won't let his honor be compromised enough to stay!
2) The book is just too long for what its trying to be. And if its trying to be something else, then I have problems with it.
3) I felt like the end reveal was really cheap, and undermined one of the great points of the book. Sabatini takes up classism, and the nature v. nurture arguments. One of the cool things about Andre-Louis is that he's largely a self made man (if to an annoying degree), and from the lower classes, and a great example of why Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite should flourish. And then I felt like they took that all away when the big reveal at the end is that he's actually the son of two nobles, and they both make a point of telling him that whatever is good in him comes from them. The main character rejects it verbally, but belies this by his actions when he saves them both, succumbing to that "animal" sentimentality that he worked so hard to stay away from the whole book. Its both touching and kind of irritating. I hope that the point was that his self-made manhood and opinions were what mattered most, but I'm just not sure. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but Sabatini spent far too much time talking about class and the nature of the upper and lower classes for me to not think that he meant something by it.
... anyway, though. Otherwise a greatly enjoyable bit of escapism that I would highly recommend... if you don't over analyze like me.
The novel follows Andre-Louis Moreau from his start at comfortable home as the godson of a small-time, hardworking aristocrat and a country lawyer. After the murder of his best friend, a firebrand revolutionary priest, Andre-Louis swears vengeance upon the proud, ridiculously vile Marquis who committed this act. Unfortunately, he ends up with a warrant for his arrest fairly soon on in the novel, and is forced to go into hiding in a number of guises. The most entertaining of these disguises is Scaramouche, the Shakespearean fool character of the commedia dell'arte, a role which he is more or less forced into, but ends up suiting him quite perfectly. There are several very nice 'All the world's a stage' parallels drawn, as people tie on and shed masks of all kinds throughout the novel, sometimes confusing their own identities with the characters they play, sometimes being perceived as those identities by others when really they are absolutely no such thing inside. It is simply much easier and more comfortable to sit in those roles, and so they do. But the revolution will not let Andre-Louis sit still hiding from himself, and he's drawn along through a series of alternately hilarious and gothically awful scenes towards the dizzying end.
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT:
****
I was inclined to give this novel five stars about halfway through. There are several reasons that I did not:
1) Andre-Louis, our hero, is a Mary Sue. He is brilliant at everything he turns his hand to, succeeding first as a brilliant political orator, a playwright, an actor, a fencing master... the list goes on. There is nothing that he is not equal to, and more than that, that he will not be better at than anyone else within a remarkably short amount of time. It didn't bother me for the first 200 pages or so, but then I started really wearying with how in love Sabatini was with his hero the he absolutely /had/ to have every character marvel endlessly at his talent, and moon over his perfection. Sure, they call him heartless, some people are afraid of him, but it is only because he is such a God, you see! They are merely intimidated by his lack of weakness! Yes, I get that this is a gothic adventure novel and characters are projections and fantasies and meant to represent things and not be entirely realistic, but it is hard to really get into the suspenseful, *gasp, shock, awe!* aspect of the book if you never feel the slightest anxiety for the hero's safety. You never even feel the slightest anxiety for a slight embarrassment, because you just /know/ that he'll have the perfect one-liner to get himself out of the situation. The character tries to excuse this Mary Sue-ism in the last ten pages of the book, by saying that he's not really perfect because he's ended up running away from every good situation he's made for himself. But you see, it only makes him even more perfect, because he is troubled! And won't let his honor be compromised enough to stay!
2) The book is just too long for what its trying to be. And if its trying to be something else, then I have problems with it.
3) I felt like the end reveal was really cheap, and undermined one of the great points of the book. Sabatini takes up classism, and the nature v. nurture arguments. One of the cool things about Andre-Louis is that he's largely a self made man (if to an annoying degree), and from the lower classes, and a great example of why Liberte, Egalite, Fraternite should flourish. And then I felt like they took that all away when the big reveal at the end is that he's actually the son of two nobles, and they both make a point of telling him that whatever is good in him comes from them. The main character rejects it verbally, but belies this by his actions when he saves them both, succumbing to that "animal" sentimentality that he worked so hard to stay away from the whole book. Its both touching and kind of irritating. I hope that the point was that his self-made manhood and opinions were what mattered most, but I'm just not sure. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but Sabatini spent far too much time talking about class and the nature of the upper and lower classes for me to not think that he meant something by it.
... anyway, though. Otherwise a greatly enjoyable bit of escapism that I would highly recommend... if you don't over analyze like me.
November 16, 2020
هذه الرواية خاصة جدا عندي .لانها كانت النتيجة تصويت أصدقاء الرحلة التي كل ما عم تكبر و انا سعيدة بذلك
ولانها تتناسب مع ذكرى مولدي و كلاسيكية كما احب..
هناك تشابه كبير بينها و بين رواية بين مدينتين من ناحية الملمح التاريخي السياسي
الذي يتمَّاس مع وضع في بلادي .
كالعادة و انا اقرأ تذكرت هجيان تلك فترة و قوة كلمات
و جملة التي قالها احدى شخصيات
لم يستطيعوا اخافتنا فقرروا قتلنا .
الى متى سنبقى نرى هذه احداث تكرر امامنا ؟
إلى متى سنبقى نشاهد ان قلة قليلة من الاشخاص
تتحكم في مصير أمة كاملة .و ياريت تهتم لمصيرهم
كل اهتمام مصالح..الى متى و حتى متى ؟
سؤال اجاب عليه على عزت حين قال
لن يتغير المجتع الا على اساس التربية و ثورة تقوم من قاعدة و اساسها الفكر.
اضافة الى ملمح سياسي هناك قصة حب متسابكة الخيوط توقعاتها
بما انني ثاني واصلين لن اتحدث اكثر كي لا احرق احداث.
النجمة الرابعة لي هدية لتفسي 🌸😍😍😍💙
ولانها تتناسب مع ذكرى مولدي و كلاسيكية كما احب..
هناك تشابه كبير بينها و بين رواية بين مدينتين من ناحية الملمح التاريخي السياسي
الذي يتمَّاس مع وضع في بلادي .
كالعادة و انا اقرأ تذكرت هجيان تلك فترة و قوة كلمات
و جملة التي قالها احدى شخصيات
لم يستطيعوا اخافتنا فقرروا قتلنا .
الى متى سنبقى نرى هذه احداث تكرر امامنا ؟
إلى متى سنبقى نشاهد ان قلة قليلة من الاشخاص
تتحكم في مصير أمة كاملة .و ياريت تهتم لمصيرهم
كل اهتمام مصالح..الى متى و حتى متى ؟
سؤال اجاب عليه على عزت حين قال
لن يتغير المجتع الا على اساس التربية و ثورة تقوم من قاعدة و اساسها الفكر.
اضافة الى ملمح سياسي هناك قصة حب متسابكة الخيوط توقعاتها
بما انني ثاني واصلين لن اتحدث اكثر كي لا احرق احداث.
النجمة الرابعة لي هدية لتفسي 🌸😍😍😍💙
November 17, 2020
رفاييل ساباتينى
لا أعلم عن كتبه شي ولم أسمع بأسم هذه الرواية ،لولا ترشيحها من قبل العزيزة رحمة في القراءة الجماعية لشهر نوفمبر ..
ولأول مرة أقوم بتصويت لرواية وبنختارها ويعجُبني محتواها🥺
رحلة ممتعة بصحبة أندريه لويس وفلورمان ودى كركاديو وهيلين ..
عاش أندريه لويس في قرية تسمى جفريلاك ودرس المحاماة ومن بعدها شاء القدر أن يعمل في وظائف أخرى 🤓
وفي كل وظيفة يزاولها كان النجاح حليفه، أحبُ هكذا شخصيات تعتمد على نفسها مهما كان موقعها في البلد..
لم يعتمد على مكانة دي كركاديو بل شق طريقه بنفسه وذهب وتجول في قُرى عديدة ..
https://postimages.org
https://i.postimg.cc/jSRbfbwc/IMG-202...' border='0' alt='IMG-20201117-145141-721'/>
على الرغم من الحوارات السياسية الموجودة في الرواية إلا أنها لم تكن مُملة بالنسبة لي (:
لأنه واقع حال أي دولة في العالم وليس فقط في الوطن العربي (:
https://postimages.org/' target='_blank'>![]()
https://i.postimg.cc/7YnvwWs2/IMG-202...' border='0' alt='IMG-20201117-145457-604'/>
سكاراموش دمعت عيناي لدمعك عندما دمعت تلقيت الخبر الصادم ... ):
صعب أن نمثل القسوة دائمًا وعدم اللامبالاة ..
كانت قراءة موفقة لهذا الشهر😍😍
استمتعت بالقراءة معكم يا اصدقاء 💕
2020/11/17
لا أعلم عن كتبه شي ولم أسمع بأسم هذه الرواية ،لولا ترشيحها من قبل العزيزة رحمة في القراءة الجماعية لشهر نوفمبر ..
ولأول مرة أقوم بتصويت لرواية وبنختارها ويعجُبني محتواها🥺
رحلة ممتعة بصحبة أندريه لويس وفلورمان ودى كركاديو وهيلين ..
عاش أندريه لويس في قرية تسمى جفريلاك ودرس المحاماة ومن بعدها شاء القدر أن يعمل في وظائف أخرى 🤓
وفي كل وظيفة يزاولها كان النجاح حليفه، أحبُ هكذا شخصيات تعتمد على نفسها مهما كان موقعها في البلد..
لم يعتمد على مكانة دي كركاديو بل شق طريقه بنفسه وذهب وتجول في قُرى عديدة ..
https://postimages.org
https://i.postimg.cc/jSRbfbwc/IMG-202...' border='0' alt='IMG-20201117-145141-721'/>
على الرغم من الحوارات السياسية الموجودة في الرواية إلا أنها لم تكن مُملة بالنسبة لي (:
لأنه واقع حال أي دولة في العالم وليس فقط في الوطن العربي (:
https://postimages.org/' target='_blank'>
سكاراموش دمعت عيناي لدمعك عندما دمعت تلقيت الخبر الصادم ... ):
صعب أن نمثل القسوة دائمًا وعدم اللامبالاة ..
كانت قراءة موفقة لهذا الشهر😍😍
استمتعت بالقراءة معكم يا اصدقاء 💕
2020/11/17
November 21, 2020
احذر من أن تكون فصيحًا، واحذر أكثر من أن تكون فصاحتك من النوع الخطر، النوع الذي يجعل العقول تُفكر، والباطل تتصدع جوانبه
وهكذا كانت الفصاحة نقمة على أحدهما ونعمة على الآخر
في رواية كلاسيكية بطعم الثورة كتبها الكاتب الإيطالي البريطاني "رافائيل ساباتيني" عام 1921، لكنها تصلح لكل الأعوام ولكل الأماكن... ننتقل مع بطل الرواية "أندريه لويس مورو" المحامي الذكي والمرح في محطات مختلفة، منها ما هو ساخر ومنها ما هو دامي، لنرى فرنسا ما قبل الثورة وأثنائها ونرى طبقات الشعب المختلفة ما بين ظالم وثائر وحائر، وتظل عُملة الإنسان واحدة في كل وقت وأوان وما تفعله الثورات في الأوطان متشابه أيًا كانت لغة هذا الإنسان أو مكانه... وفي رحلة هروب البطل المستمرة داخل صفحات الرواية نهرب نحن أيضًا معه؛ نهرب من واقعنا لنعيش تفاصيل الحكاية الشيقة بكل ما فيها من ثورة وقسوة وتمرد وحب ودماء
نرى من خلال هذه الرواية الجميلة كيف يستمر الشر المتمثل في "المركيز دي لاتور" في ممارسة طقوس شره حتى النهاية... ونرى من خلال البطل كيف يمكن للإرادة وحب الحياة أن تضع الإنسان في كل مرة في قالب جديد من قوالب الحياة فتُجبره على تغيير عمله وأسلوب حياته بما يتماشى مع المرحلة التي يمر بها... نرى أيضًا كيف يمكن لإنسان أن يتبنى رأي شخص عزيز عليه لمجرد أنه فقده، ولكن هل يحدث هذا عادةً في الواقع أم على صفحات رواية فقط؟
وكانت أكثر الملامح والصفات التي تنطبق على "أندريه" بطل الرواية هي شخصية "سكاراموش" المهرج والمخطط، ولهذا برع فيها والتصقت به كجلده
في داخل كل منا ممثل يُخفيه لوقت الحاجة إليه، منا مَن يبرع في إظهاره وإلباسه الزي الذي يريده في الوقت والمكان الذي يريده، ومنا مَن يبرع في قتله لتغلب طبيعته في كل أوان.
فأي نوع من البشر أنت في تعاملك مع الممثل الذي يقبع بداخلك؟
وكم من الوقت تقضيه بصفتك أنت، وكم من الوقت تقضيه بصفتك الممثل الذي بداخلك؟
النهاية تحمل أكثر من مفاجأة، توقعت إحداها ولم أكن أتوقع مطلقًا الأخرى، ربما رآها البعض مُبالَغًا فيها، لكنها كانت ملائمة جدًا لروح البطل وحياته.
استمتعت بالرواية أكثر مما كنت أتوقع، ورغم ذلك شعرت بأنه ينقصها الكثير الذي كنت أنتظر أن أقرأه ولم أجده بها، لكن طيف هذه الأشياء التي افتقدتها كان يظهر في الانتقال السريع من فصل لآخر... وفي المجمل فإن الرواية ممتعة، والترجمة جميلة، والحبكة قوية، والحوارات بها لذيذة كقطعة حلوى
كانت قراءة جماعية مع مجموعة الأستاذة "نيرة"... وشكرًا "رحمة" على ترشيح هذه الرواية، التي لولا هذه القراءة الجماعية لما قرأتها... وشكرًا لكل أصدقاء القراءة، لقد استمتعت بقرائتها معكم 💜 🌷
وهكذا كانت الفصاحة نقمة على أحدهما ونعمة على الآخر
في رواية كلاسيكية بطعم الثورة كتبها الكاتب الإيطالي البريطاني "رافائيل ساباتيني" عام 1921، لكنها تصلح لكل الأعوام ولكل الأماكن... ننتقل مع بطل الرواية "أندريه لويس مورو" المحامي الذكي والمرح في محطات مختلفة، منها ما هو ساخر ومنها ما هو دامي، لنرى فرنسا ما قبل الثورة وأثنائها ونرى طبقات الشعب المختلفة ما بين ظالم وثائر وحائر، وتظل عُملة الإنسان واحدة في كل وقت وأوان وما تفعله الثورات في الأوطان متشابه أيًا كانت لغة هذا الإنسان أو مكانه... وفي رحلة هروب البطل المستمرة داخل صفحات الرواية نهرب نحن أيضًا معه؛ نهرب من واقعنا لنعيش تفاصيل الحكاية الشيقة بكل ما فيها من ثورة وقسوة وتمرد وحب ودماء
نرى من خلال هذه الرواية الجميلة كيف يستمر الشر المتمثل في "المركيز دي لاتور" في ممارسة طقوس شره حتى النهاية... ونرى من خلال البطل كيف يمكن للإرادة وحب الحياة أن تضع الإنسان في كل مرة في قالب جديد من قوالب الحياة فتُجبره على تغيير عمله وأسلوب حياته بما يتماشى مع المرحلة التي يمر بها... نرى أيضًا كيف يمكن لإنسان أن يتبنى رأي شخص عزيز عليه لمجرد أنه فقده، ولكن هل يحدث هذا عادةً في الواقع أم على صفحات رواية فقط؟
وكانت أكثر الملامح والصفات التي تنطبق على "أندريه" بطل الرواية هي شخصية "سكاراموش" المهرج والمخطط، ولهذا برع فيها والتصقت به كجلده
في داخل كل منا ممثل يُخفيه لوقت الحاجة إليه، منا مَن يبرع في إظهاره وإلباسه الزي الذي يريده في الوقت والمكان الذي يريده، ومنا مَن يبرع في قتله لتغلب طبيعته في كل أوان.
فأي نوع من البشر أنت في تعاملك مع الممثل الذي يقبع بداخلك؟
وكم من الوقت تقضيه بصفتك أنت، وكم من الوقت تقضيه بصفتك الممثل الذي بداخلك؟
النهاية تحمل أكثر من مفاجأة، توقعت إحداها ولم أكن أتوقع مطلقًا الأخرى، ربما رآها البعض مُبالَغًا فيها، لكنها كانت ملائمة جدًا لروح البطل وحياته.
استمتعت بالرواية أكثر مما كنت أتوقع، ورغم ذلك شعرت بأنه ينقصها الكثير الذي كنت أنتظر أن أقرأه ولم أجده بها، لكن طيف هذه الأشياء التي افتقدتها كان يظهر في الانتقال السريع من فصل لآخر... وفي المجمل فإن الرواية ممتعة، والترجمة جميلة، والحبكة قوية، والحوارات بها لذيذة كقطعة حلوى
كانت قراءة جماعية مع مجموعة الأستاذة "نيرة"... وشكرًا "رحمة" على ترشيح هذه الرواية، التي لولا هذه القراءة الجماعية لما قرأتها... وشكرًا لكل أصدقاء القراءة، لقد استمتعت بقرائتها معكم 💜 🌷
September 8, 2020
ফরাসী বিপ্লবের পটভূমিকায় লেখা চমৎকার একটা বই। চমৎকার দুই চরিত্র আন্দ্রে লুই আর মাখতি দ্যু লা তাজি। বিশেষ করে শেষের ক্লাইম্যাক্সটা দুদার্ন্ত। অনুবাদ খুবই ভালো হয়েছে। মাঝেমধ্যে যাত্রাপালার মত বড় বড় ডায়লগগুলো একটু বিরক্তিকর।
November 17, 2020
اول قراءة جماعية لي مع أصدقاء الموقع الرائعين 🥰❤️
سعيدة بصحبتكم🥰🌹
شكرا رحمة لترشيحك هذه الرواية 🌸
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كانت هذه قرائتي الأولى عن الثورة الفرنسية .. وزادت قناعتي بمدى تشابه البشرية عبر التاريخ وعبر القارات فهذه هي الطبيعة البشرية وسنة الكون .. سيظل هناك طبقية دائما وحكام تأسرهم السلطة وتعميهم الأنانية والطمع .. وفي المقابل سيظل هناك اناس يناضلون من اجل عالم أكثر عدالة..
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"لكي تقوم حكومة من النوع الخيالي الذي تتوهمه، حكومة منصفة تسوي بين الطبقات.. حكومة يستوي فيها الحاكم بالمحكوم لكي تقوم حكومة من هذا الطراز ينبغي أولاً أن تتغير طبائع البشر." .. أندريه
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رواية خفيفة ممتعة .. النجمة الرابعة من أجل قراءتي الجماعية الأولى ومتعة هذه الصحبة الجميلة❤️
سعيدة بصحبتكم🥰🌹
شكرا رحمة لترشيحك هذه الرواية 🌸
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كانت هذه قرائتي الأولى عن الثورة الفرنسية .. وزادت قناعتي بمدى تشابه البشرية عبر التاريخ وعبر القارات فهذه هي الطبيعة البشرية وسنة الكون .. سيظل هناك طبقية دائما وحكام تأسرهم السلطة وتعميهم الأنانية والطمع .. وفي المقابل سيظل هناك اناس يناضلون من اجل عالم أكثر عدالة..
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"لكي تقوم حكومة من النوع الخيالي الذي تتوهمه، حكومة منصفة تسوي بين الطبقات.. حكومة يستوي فيها الحاكم بالمحكوم لكي تقوم حكومة من هذا الطراز ينبغي أولاً أن تتغير طبائع البشر." .. أندريه
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رواية خفيفة ممتعة .. النجمة الرابعة من أجل قراءتي الجماعية الأولى ومتعة هذه الصحبة الجميلة❤️
July 10, 2017
Scaramouche was a marvellous surprise. I'd never read Sabatini before as I harboured the prejudice that an adventure novel written in 1922 would feel cliché, out-of-date, and ultimately disposable. Instead, Scaramouche surprised me at every turn.
The character of André-Louis Moreau has qualities both admirable and execrable. We admire his daring, eloquence, and instinctive sense of justice that transforms his outrage over the killing of his friend by a nobleman into a life of danger, even as we can recognize that he fails to truly believe the ideals he espouses on behalf of that same dead friend. André-Louis also has a cruel streak that allows him to ignore the suffering of those who he believes have wronged him.
Interestingly, this is where one of the aspects of classic novels that modern audiences generally dislike (myself in particular) – the omniscient narrator – plays an important role. The unnamed narrator, who uses the device of compiling the story through many of André-Louis' own writings, sometimes interposes himself to show the prejudices plaguing the hero as well as to undercut the protagonist's claims of indifference.
A second bias I had against the novel at the start was the belief that, being an old swashbuckling novel, it would be light on theme. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Set during the French Revolution – and shining a light on much of what was taking place outside of Paris during that time – Scaramouche is a meditation on class, on the unfairness of privilege, the venality of those who have it and even those who rail against it, and the struggle to find a side worth supporting during times when the two clash. The protagonist's unspoken desire for some kind of purity of philosophy or political argument mirrors our own.
There are troubling aspects of the novel to contend with, of course. Sabatini, writing from a place of privilege in the early twentieth century, portrays women as being creatures driven either by love or by ambition, without ever really acknowledging the social constraints that often forced them into one of those two positions. In this, Scaramouche is no worse than many or most novels, but given the work's sensitivity to notions of class, a modern reader almost can't help but wish Sabatini had turned his nuanced gaze to issues of gender.
Ultimately, though, the story, with its rich sense of drama, endeared the book to me. So many times a turn would come about that I didn't expect – something that rarely happens for me with modern fiction. Given the book is almost a hundred years old and has had elements lifted from it countless times before, this surprised and delighted me.
In terms of the prose, the language can be dense at times, especially for those of us accustomed to the more economical style of contemporary genre fiction, but it's worth the effort. Right from the first line Sabatini shows us the worth of his prose: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
That line singularly captures the spirit of Scaramouche, and carries the reader through every page.
* One last note: the edition I read came from the wonderful StandardEbooks.org, which takes public domain works and turns them into beautifully prepared and typeset ebooks for all platforms.
The character of André-Louis Moreau has qualities both admirable and execrable. We admire his daring, eloquence, and instinctive sense of justice that transforms his outrage over the killing of his friend by a nobleman into a life of danger, even as we can recognize that he fails to truly believe the ideals he espouses on behalf of that same dead friend. André-Louis also has a cruel streak that allows him to ignore the suffering of those who he believes have wronged him.
Interestingly, this is where one of the aspects of classic novels that modern audiences generally dislike (myself in particular) – the omniscient narrator – plays an important role. The unnamed narrator, who uses the device of compiling the story through many of André-Louis' own writings, sometimes interposes himself to show the prejudices plaguing the hero as well as to undercut the protagonist's claims of indifference.
A second bias I had against the novel at the start was the belief that, being an old swashbuckling novel, it would be light on theme. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Set during the French Revolution – and shining a light on much of what was taking place outside of Paris during that time – Scaramouche is a meditation on class, on the unfairness of privilege, the venality of those who have it and even those who rail against it, and the struggle to find a side worth supporting during times when the two clash. The protagonist's unspoken desire for some kind of purity of philosophy or political argument mirrors our own.
There are troubling aspects of the novel to contend with, of course. Sabatini, writing from a place of privilege in the early twentieth century, portrays women as being creatures driven either by love or by ambition, without ever really acknowledging the social constraints that often forced them into one of those two positions. In this, Scaramouche is no worse than many or most novels, but given the work's sensitivity to notions of class, a modern reader almost can't help but wish Sabatini had turned his nuanced gaze to issues of gender.
Ultimately, though, the story, with its rich sense of drama, endeared the book to me. So many times a turn would come about that I didn't expect – something that rarely happens for me with modern fiction. Given the book is almost a hundred years old and has had elements lifted from it countless times before, this surprised and delighted me.
In terms of the prose, the language can be dense at times, especially for those of us accustomed to the more economical style of contemporary genre fiction, but it's worth the effort. Right from the first line Sabatini shows us the worth of his prose: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
That line singularly captures the spirit of Scaramouche, and carries the reader through every page.
* One last note: the edition I read came from the wonderful StandardEbooks.org, which takes public domain works and turns them into beautifully prepared and typeset ebooks for all platforms.
April 26, 2024
’’أن الفلاح التعس لا يستطيع أن يخطو خطوة في الطريق العام . ولا أن يعبر جسراً.. أو يبتاع متراً من القماش في الأسواق.. دون أن يعترضه واحد من أذنابكم فيقتضيه ضريبة عن الخطوة التي خطاها’’
منذ فترة قصيرة، تسلمت عملي الأول في مجال الصحافة، ككاتب في مجال السياسة الخارجية والنقد الأدبي، ومن منكم يعرف إن الكتابة هي مجالي المفضل، وإن كنت أعلم أنني مجرد نقطة من رمل في بحر مزدحم بالماس والياقوت والجواهر، ولست أطمع إلا أن أصاحبهم بالإحسان وأتلقى من علمهم الكثير، فلن أكون كاتباً بارعأ على كل حال، وبذكر ذلك منذ وقتها وأشعر أن السياسة تلاحقني في كل أنحائي، تلاحقني في نومي وفي يقظتي، فهو كتابي الثالث في أقل من شهر الذي يدور حول القضايا السياسية. ونحن هنا نتحدث عن القضية الأقوى في أوروبا، الثورة الفرنسية.
’’دعني أحذرك يافتى بأنه ليس من الحكمة في شيء أن توجه الاتهام إلى أحد النبلاء.. فتلك جريمة يعاقب عليها القانون كما تعلم.’’
الثورة الفرنسية تعد واحدة من أطول ثورات أوروبا الحديثة حيث أمتدت لأكثر من 11 عام، دون الحديث عن الإضطرابات السابقة والتاليه لهذه الثورة، وتلك الثورة التعيسة، هي التي جائت بنابليون إلى العالم الحديث وكانت مهد لإستكمال الحضارة الفرنسية، ويمكن أن نعتبرها إنها الرحم الذي ولُد منه الجمهوريات، حيث أنهت هذه الثورة على الملكية، والنبلاء والطبقة الحاكمة، وجائت بالجمهوريات والنظام الليبرالي والكثيرمن الأفكار المختلفة التي شهدتها أوروبا في ذلك العصر، ولا تنسوا إنه في نفس الحقبة او بعدها بقليل كانت تستعد روسيا القيصرية لتغير جذري على أيد البلاشفة والعمال، دعونا لا نختتلف أنه سواء كان النظام جمهوري أو ملكي، فالديكتاتورية لا تموت تحت أي نظام، بل خالدة إلى يوم يبعثون.
سواء كانت تحت شعار الجمهوريات، أو تحت الراية العسكرية أو حتى تحت سيف الملوك والأمراء والنبلاء. وبنهاية الثورة الفرنسية ونجاحها، انتهت الفترة الأبشع في تاريخ فرنسا، وقٌتل الكثير من الشعب الفرنسي ومثلهم من طبقة النبلاء، ومنهم من رحل هارباً إلى بلجيكا وأرجاء أوروبا المختلفة
وبالمناسبة الثورة الفرنسية كانت على ثلاثة مراحل، كل مرحلة كانت مضطربة أكثر من قبلها، والمرحلة الاخيرة حسم فيها جميع الأمور تقريباً، ولكن شهدت فرنسا المزيد من اللإضطرابات ايضا بعدها،قد نجد المزيد في كتب التاريخ
’’ ميرابو العظيم: أذهب إلى أولئك الذين أرسلوك. وقل لهم أننا جئنا هنا بإرادة الامة.. وأننا لن نرحل إلا أمام أسنة الحراب’’
عندما نقرأ في كتب تولستوي، أو دوستويفسكي او نيقولاي غوغل، أو اي كاتب فرنسي في القرن الـ 19 تجد المبارزات هي عنوان الكتاب، فكل شخص يرد شرفه أمام المجتمع بالمبارزة بالسيف، وإما تنتهي بقتل أحدهم، او جرحه، وفي مبارزات نادرة قُتل الأثنان!. وأظن إنها من الصفات الخبيثة في انسان القرن الـ 19 وما قبل ذلك أيضاً، فالمبارزة قديمة بقدم تاريخ الانسان على الأرض، وبرغم الإختفاء الكامل لها الأن - لا تزال المبارزة معترف بها قانونياً في بعض الأماكن من أفريقيا وأمريكا اللاتينية ودول أخرى - إلا أن الأنسان اصبح يقتل أخيه بطرق أكثر وقاحة وبراعة من المبارزات عديمة الفائدة، فنحن في القرن الـ 21، عصر الحروب الذكية والبيولوجية، نحن في عصر كورونا وسقوط العراق وسوريا وفلسطين، نحن في عصر تحتضن الإمارات فيها إسرائيل كالأم الحانية، واظن إنه فعل بارزت فيه الإمارات ملايين العرب، وقتلتهم طوعاً. - ما علينا مش موضوعنا -
’’ لو أنك طعنته من الخلف لكان ذلك أجدي في اظهار شجاعتك في الشر. وجراتك في الأثم، ولكنك أشفقت من النتيجة رغم سلطانك وجبروتك.. فحجبت جبنك ونذالتك تحت ستار المبارزة ’’
وبخصوص النبلاء، فتلك الرواية تتناول قصة جيدة إلى حد كبير، يتناول الكاتب هنا ظلم النبلاء وطغيانهم الآثم وبطلنا في هذه الرواية هو آندرية لويس مورو، المحام البارع، والممثل سكاراموش! وقاتل السيف الأبرع في فرنسا، وهنا هي نقطة ضعف الرواية!؟ لا أعلم كيف تحول أندرية من محامي يعيش في طبقة النبلاء، إلى ممثل بارع على مسارح ضواحي باريس، وهو سكاراموش الخائن والعائد، إلى شخص يبارز بالسيف أمهر رجال فرنسا وينتصر عليهم! وإن كان أعلم انه حمل تلك الجينات الخبيثة في دمه المخضب بعطر النبلاء إلى نهاية حياته، وربما ذلك كان مبرر الكاتب لكن الرواية تفقد الكثير من المونولجات والحوارات الداخلية لشخصيات الرواية، فالسرد أصبح طفولي جداً لا يحترم الكتاب فيه عقل القارئ ابداً، لكن حتى لا اظلم الكاتب، فنحن قرأنا الرواية في نسختها المختصرة في سلسلة روايات الجيب، فبالطبع ربما يكون مختصر منها الكثير من الحوارات الداخلية والأحداث السياسية، والمبررات الضرورية لأبطال الرواية
وبالطبع لن اتحدث عن النهاية الساذجة! الهندية! السيئة جداً، " النهايات خلاص المترقبين" وانا كنت مترقباً للنهاية بشوق كبير، وعندما وصلت لها فقدت شغفي جداً بهذا الكتاب، وحمدت ربنا إنه كان مختصراً لأن تلك النهاية لو كانت بعد 600 صفحة على سبيل المثال، كنت هندم جداً!
بشكل عام رواية جيدة نوعاً ما، تثير فضولك حول فترة هامة في تاريخ أوروبا الحديث ونقطة تحول كبيرة في التاريخ المعاصر، وتثير فضولك نحو المزيد من الأدب الفرنسي للقرن الـ 19 واوائل القرن العشرين وإن كنت انا لست من أنصار الأدب الفرنسي.
وشكرا لجميع أصدقاء القراءة الجماعية
November 14, 2017
Hồi đầu khi mới nhìn thấy cái tựa của cuốn sách này, mình ngay lập tức liên tưởng tới một câu trong lời bài hát "Bohemian Rhapsody" của ban nhạc rock Queen: Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the Fandango?" :D Đọc cái plot thì mới biết nó là loại tiểu thuyết "áo choàng và thanh kiếm". Kiểu người thích tìm hiểu về thời xưa, thích đọc historical fiction như mình thì chộp được cuốn này như cá gặp nước ấy, thích quá!
Còn nói được gì nữa đây? Đơn giản “Scaramouche” là một quyển sách quá tuyệt vời. Từng câu từng chữ tác giả viết ra đều chứa đựng vẻ đẹp lôi cuốn của trí tuệ, của sự uyên thâm và thấu hiểu thời cuộc, được thể hiện thông qua những tranh luận của André-Louis. Và hành trình dấn thân vào sự điên rồ của thế giới để xác lập lại công lý của chàng trai này được đặt giữa bối cảnh một nước Pháp đang có sự chuyển mình mang tính lịch sử về phương diện chính trị, nơi Quý tộc đối đầu với Nhân dân, nơi Đẳng cấp Thứ Ba đứng dậy đòi lại quyền lợi cho mình, nơi phe bảo hoàng âm mưu đối chọi với những nhà cộng hòa. Và đó cũng là nơi mà vào năm 1789, Cách mạng Tư sản Pháp lần đầu tiên đã nổ ra, với sự kiện phá ngục Bastille, Paris ngập chìm trong biển máu và lửa, trong sự giận dữ điên cuồng của người dân. Đọc những đoạn André-Louis diễn thuyết và những đoạn miêu tả cảnh Cách mạng Pháp mà mình muốn nổi da gà, vì chúng quá hay, quá truyền cảm (có lẽ đây là lần đầu tiên mà mình nổi da gà khi đọc sách).
Đọc cuốn sách này giúp mình thấu hiểu hơn tình hình chính trị của nước Pháp lúc đó, khi mà như lời một nhân vật trong câu chuyện đã nói, sau đời vua Louis XIV (còn gọi là ông Vua Mặt Trời, Le Roi Soleil) thì chả có ông vua Pháp nào ra hồn cả. Và vua Louis XVI béo ị cùng bà vợ quen sống trong nhung lụa của ngài là Hoàng hậu Marie Antoinette rốt cuộc cũng chỉ là những con rối trong tay bọn quý tộc muốn duy trì những đặc quyền vô lý đã được ban cho chúng như kiểu “cha truyền con nối” của chế độ quân chủ. Mặc dù mình là một người rất thích những tước vị quý tộc và việc duy trì chế độ quân vương, nhưng quý tộc và quân vương như kiểu của nước Pháp thời đó thì mình hoàn toàn hiểu được vì sao cuối cùng dân Pháp lựa chọn biến quốc gia của họ trở thành nước cộng hòa. Quân vương vô dụng, quý tộc hám lợi lạm quyền như thế thì chém hết cho chừa! Đọc tới mấy cảnh sức mạnh dân chúng vùng lên làm mình muốn hát bài Quốc ca Pháp La Marseillaise quá trời ơi (hát thiệt đó nha, đoạn điệp khúc thôi :D):
Về chuyến phiêu lưu của André-Louis dưới hình ảnh của Scaramouche - kiếm sĩ không trái tim thì hay khỏi nói rồi nha. Tính cách anh này được xây dựng cũng quá sức hấp dẫn; nó là tổng hòa của nhiều mặt, nhiều yếu tố, những hỉ nộ ái ố, những tình cảm sâu sắc đậm chất con người (mà nói chung là đa phần các nhân vật trong này đều vậy) được che giấu đằng sau cái vẻ ngoài của một người Khắc kỷ. Con người luôn là một thực thể phức tạp, mang trong mình nhiều mảng và nhiều lớp suy nghĩ, hành động khác nhau, và nhân vật André-Louis thể hiện chính xác sự phức tạp đó. Tác giả phân tích tâm lý nhân vật quá hay, quá tài tình, đọc mà sướng rơn trời ơi.
Còn cái plot twist nữa thánh thần thiên địa ơi!!! Đọc gần tới chương cuối là mình là ngờ ngợ nhận ra cái twist rồi, vì làm gì còn người nào khác nữa chứ! Thế nhưng đến khi đọc được cái plot, biết là mình đã đoán đúng, mình cũng vẫn không thể nào ngừng cảm thấy bất ngờ được. Số phận đúng là oan nghiệt thật đó!!! Sao có thể??? Mà đúng là cái twist này giải thích được nhiều thứ, ví dụ như vì sao André-Louis có tiềm năng trở thành tay kiếm giỏi chẳng hạn :D
Thôi, mình không ghi cái twist đó ra đây rồi để thẻ spoiler đâu, vì chắc chắn sẽ có nhiều người bị cám dỗ mà click vào đọc, mà thế thì chả còn hay nữa :))) Ai muốn biết cú twist của thế kỷ là gì thì xin mời mua sách đọc nha (PR trá hình để làm giàu cho Nhã Nam ^^)
Còn nói được gì nữa đây? Đơn giản “Scaramouche” là một quyển sách quá tuyệt vời. Từng câu từng chữ tác giả viết ra đều chứa đựng vẻ đẹp lôi cuốn của trí tuệ, của sự uyên thâm và thấu hiểu thời cuộc, được thể hiện thông qua những tranh luận của André-Louis. Và hành trình dấn thân vào sự điên rồ của thế giới để xác lập lại công lý của chàng trai này được đặt giữa bối cảnh một nước Pháp đang có sự chuyển mình mang tính lịch sử về phương diện chính trị, nơi Quý tộc đối đầu với Nhân dân, nơi Đẳng cấp Thứ Ba đứng dậy đòi lại quyền lợi cho mình, nơi phe bảo hoàng âm mưu đối chọi với những nhà cộng hòa. Và đó cũng là nơi mà vào năm 1789, Cách mạng Tư sản Pháp lần đầu tiên đã nổ ra, với sự kiện phá ngục Bastille, Paris ngập chìm trong biển máu và lửa, trong sự giận dữ điên cuồng của người dân. Đọc những đoạn André-Louis diễn thuyết và những đoạn miêu tả cảnh Cách mạng Pháp mà mình muốn nổi da gà, vì chúng quá hay, quá truyền cảm (có lẽ đây là lần đầu tiên mà mình nổi da gà khi đọc sách).
Đọc cuốn sách này giúp mình thấu hiểu hơn tình hình chính trị của nước Pháp lúc đó, khi mà như lời một nhân vật trong câu chuyện đã nói, sau đời vua Louis XIV (còn gọi là ông Vua Mặt Trời, Le Roi Soleil) thì chả có ông vua Pháp nào ra hồn cả. Và vua Louis XVI béo ị cùng bà vợ quen sống trong nhung lụa của ngài là Hoàng hậu Marie Antoinette rốt cuộc cũng chỉ là những con rối trong tay bọn quý tộc muốn duy trì những đặc quyền vô lý đã được ban cho chúng như kiểu “cha truyền con nối” của chế độ quân chủ. Mặc dù mình là một người rất thích những tước vị quý tộc và việc duy trì chế độ quân vương, nhưng quý tộc và quân vương như kiểu của nước Pháp thời đó thì mình hoàn toàn hiểu được vì sao cuối cùng dân Pháp lựa chọn biến quốc gia của họ trở thành nước cộng hòa. Quân vương vô dụng, quý tộc hám lợi lạm quyền như thế thì chém hết cho chừa! Đọc tới mấy cảnh sức mạnh dân chúng vùng lên làm mình muốn hát bài Quốc ca Pháp La Marseillaise quá trời ơi (hát thiệt đó nha, đoạn điệp khúc thôi :D):
“Aux armes, citoyens,
Formez vos bataillons,
Marchons, marchons!
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons!”
(Trên wikipedia dịch nghĩa nè:
To arms, citizens,
Form your battalions,
Let's march, let's march!
Lest an impure blood
Soak our fields!)
Về chuyến phiêu lưu của André-Louis dưới hình ảnh của Scaramouche - kiếm sĩ không trái tim thì hay khỏi nói rồi nha. Tính cách anh này được xây dựng cũng quá sức hấp dẫn; nó là tổng hòa của nhiều mặt, nhiều yếu tố, những hỉ nộ ái ố, những tình cảm sâu sắc đậm chất con người (mà nói chung là đa phần các nhân vật trong này đều vậy) được che giấu đằng sau cái vẻ ngoài của một người Khắc kỷ. Con người luôn là một thực thể phức tạp, mang trong mình nhiều mảng và nhiều lớp suy nghĩ, hành động khác nhau, và nhân vật André-Louis thể hiện chính xác sự phức tạp đó. Tác giả phân tích tâm lý nhân vật quá hay, quá tài tình, đọc mà sướng rơn trời ơi.
Còn cái plot twist nữa thánh thần thiên địa ơi!!! Đọc gần tới chương cuối là mình là ngờ ngợ nhận ra cái twist rồi, vì làm gì còn người nào khác nữa chứ! Thế nhưng đến khi đọc được cái plot, biết là mình đã đoán đúng, mình cũng vẫn không thể nào ngừng cảm thấy bất ngờ được. Số phận đúng là oan nghiệt thật đó!!! Sao có thể??? Mà đúng là cái twist này giải thích được nhiều thứ, ví dụ như vì sao André-Louis có tiềm năng trở thành tay kiếm giỏi chẳng hạn :D
Thôi, mình không ghi cái twist đó ra đây rồi để thẻ spoiler đâu, vì chắc chắn sẽ có nhiều người bị cám dỗ mà click vào đọc, mà thế thì chả còn hay nữa :))) Ai muốn biết cú twist của thế kỷ là gì thì xin mời mua sách đọc nha (PR trá hình để làm giàu cho Nhã Nam ^^)
November 17, 2020
أول قراءة جماعية ليا وده كافي أنه يخلي الرواية دي مميزة جداً عندي❤️
الرواية كانت سلسة وشيقة واستمتعت بيها جداً،
شكراً لأعضاء الجروب الأعزاء.
الرواية كانت سلسة وشيقة واستمتعت بيها جداً،
شكراً لأعضاء الجروب الأعزاء.
June 18, 2016
This is a book about a fictional character who lived in Brittany, France, at the time of the French Revolution. It is a plot oriented tale. The central character, André-Louis Moreau, is educated as a lawyer. He is of the aristocracy. A close friend is killed and Moreau wants retribution. He has a gift for words, which gets him into trouble and then he must hide. We watch his path as buffoon in a troupe of traveling actors to becoming a fencing-master, a politician and a revolutionary. We watch his path from cynicism to idealism.
What is delivered is an adventure story with a dash of love thrown in. There is a mystery to be solved - who are his parents? I guessed this right from the start.
You shouldn't expect to learn about the French Revolution from this book even if Danton, Robespierre and Mirabeau do figure in the story. You learn perhaps a bit of the conflict between the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie in Brittany at the end of the 1700s.
You watch. The characters are as if in a play. The story is told. A little humor is thrown in. I have to acknowledge that even if I didn't give a hoot what happened to Moreau he is articulate. The writing is wordy.
The audiobook is narrated by Robert Whitfield / Simon Vance. He is easy to follow and the speed is fine, but I don't like the shrill intonations used for women.
In one word - the book was boring.
What is delivered is an adventure story with a dash of love thrown in. There is a mystery to be solved - who are his parents? I guessed this right from the start.
You shouldn't expect to learn about the French Revolution from this book even if Danton, Robespierre and Mirabeau do figure in the story. You learn perhaps a bit of the conflict between the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie in Brittany at the end of the 1700s.
You watch. The characters are as if in a play. The story is told. A little humor is thrown in. I have to acknowledge that even if I didn't give a hoot what happened to Moreau he is articulate. The writing is wordy.
The audiobook is narrated by Robert Whitfield / Simon Vance. He is easy to follow and the speed is fine, but I don't like the shrill intonations used for women.
In one word - the book was boring.
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