Gli angeli neri

by François Mauriac, Enrico Piceni (Translator)

The destinies of a young priest caught up in web of scandal and a man who's corrupted and ruined all who love him intertwine.

Genres: Thriller, Fiction, French Literature, France

244 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

François Charles Mauriac was a French writer and a member of the Académie française. He was awarded the 1952 Nobel Prize in Literature "for the deep spiritual insight and the artistic intensity with which he has in his novels penetrated the drama of human life." Mauriac is acknowledged to be one of the greatest Roman Catholic writers of the 20th century.

Reviews

[Denise Cosentino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mauriac è uno di quegli autori che riesce a rappresentare le oscurità dell'animo umano come in pochissimi sanno fare. Un premio Nobel meritatissimo.

[Anne Marie Quin · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's the brilliant depiction of the mind of a psychopath, who "came into the world with a gift…wearing on my face the mask that apes innocence". The story elucidates the consequences of this nature, whom he corrupts and how deeply, and the ramifications for them and for him, particularly toward the end of his life.

[guga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deep in psycological details on how the French contryside bourgeoisie (middle class) had, as the only aim, land conservation and enlargement, against any other moral principle.
Incredibly modern.

[Czarny Pies · Rating 1 out of 5]

Faute de pouvoir donne cinq étrons, je lui donne une étoile..
« Les anges noirs » est un roman d’un catholique fervent qui devrait pousser le lecteur vers la mécréance. L’intention de l’auteur semble être d’écrire l’histoire d’un pécheur qu’un curé héroïque s’arrache de l’enfer in extremis. En fait « Les anges noirs » raconte l’histoire d’un crapule peu intéressant qui commence comme séducteur et qui finit comme meurtrier. Ses forfaits risquent de compromettre les intérêts matériaux de sa famille de la bourgeoisie bordelaise. L’intervention du curé permet à la famille de travailler de concert afin de cacher le cadavre et de continuer leur vie hypocrite.


Je cherche depuis longtemps un deuxième roman de Mauriac au niveau de Thérèse Desqueyroux. « Les anges noirs » m'a déçu énormément.

[Samuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

In drawing his complex, conflicted characters, Mauriac is ever concerned with exploring the psychological and spiritual origins of human beings' moral failings. "The Mask of Innocence" deals with many of Mauriac's signature themes: avarice, lust, familial quarrels, and (somewhat more unique to this particular novel) murder. Gabriel Gradère's descent into utter depravity is chillingly conveyed, and the spiritual malaise that poisons the Desbats family is probed with a surgeon's exactitude. Yet not all is in darkness: the saintly young priest, Alain Forças, serves as a clear counterpoint to Gradére's wickedness; but it is the hallmark of Mauriac's genius that neither he nor Gradère, nor any of the characters for that matter, come across as morally simplistic props or cutouts. Each betrays the multiplicity of thought processes, convictions, and motivations that characterize a living, feeling human soul.

I took one star away from my review on account of Gerard Hopkins' translation, which does not live up here to the quality displayed in his translations of some of Mauriac's other works. On the whole it is not bad, but occasionally meaning is obscured by a poorly worded sentence. It would please me to see a more polished new translation of this brilliant novel.

[Josef Komensky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niet 3 sterretjes
Maar 3,5 sterretje

Gelijk aan het begin van het boek is er een fout opgetreden! Op de achterkant van het boek lezen wij dat er word gezocht naar een zekere Brigitta die een programmeur voor de geheime dienst was. Maar dat is eeen feit die word in de boek duidelijk pas ergens na bladzijde 150 !

Over spoilers dus gesproken.
Lezer komt terecht in een groep rechercheurs van IJslandse politie onder leiding van Katrin
( O.k er wordt eerst genoemd een mannelijke rechercheur met zoals gewoonlijk bijna onuitspreekbare naam die Katrin de zaak overdraagt, want hij wil / moet naar een vacantie )

Katrin en haar groep van vier musketeers met alweer onuitspreekbare namen zijn dus op zoek naar deze Brigitta over wij als de almachtige lezers weten dat zij een programmeur van de geheime dienst was waarvan dus onze groep rechercheurs weet helemaal niets alleen dat zij vanuit een disco spoorloos verdwijnen is.

Ik vond net de rechercheurs net de schurken niet echt interessant.
Misschien was het door hun in vele gevallen onuitspreekbare namen,
Misschien was het door manier van de misdaad onderzoek die lijkte meer op sessies van een een A A. Clubje.
Of misschien was het vanwege dat hele verhaal zonder actie was en gehele boek eigenlijk een groot praat verhaal was.

Einige lichtpuntje aan dit enorme drama was de naamwoord van de auteur waarin hij enkele interessante achtergrond informaties over Terrorist Information Awareness programma ter sprake bracht maar voor dat ongeveer twaalf bladzijden had ik zeker niet hoeft te lezen een boek van 328 bladzijden.

[Ahmed Abouelenin · Rating 2 out of 5]

رواية درامية تدور احداثها في بداية القرن العشرين
الكاتب بيتناول اللي بيدور في النفس البشرية و افكار الاحساس بالذنب و التكفير عن الذنب ده كمان بيتناول العلاقة داخل النفس البشرية بين ما هو روحي و معنوي و ما هو شهواني و مادي

[Erwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[hugo van der wildt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Birgitta verdwijnt spoorloos. Tijdens de zoektocht worden er veel mensen ondervraagt maar na enkele dagen nog steeds geen resultaat. Dan een opening met als resultaat een lijk. Nu moeten de volgende vragen beantwoord worden. Wie is de moordenaar. Waarom en het motief? Het moordwapen. De meeste mensen die tijdens de zoektocht zijn ondervraagt passeren weer langs de politie. Deze keer zit de moordenaar onder deze groep. Nog eens een echte whodunit.
Besluit: een aanrader.

[Terry Southard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite Mauriac. We read Woman of the Pharisees and Viper's Tangle in book club in previous years. Those were much better, in my opinion.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nu mă îndoiesc deloc, domnule abate, de groaza pe care v-o inspir. Deşi nu am stat niciodată de vorbă, mă cunoaşteţi – sau, mai degrabă, credeţi că mă cunoaşteţi, pentru că dumneavoastră aţi îndrumat-o pe Mathilde Desbats, verişoara mea... Să nu cumva să vă închipuiţi că acest lucru mă face să sufăr. Dacă există în lumea asta un om în faţa căruia aş vrea să-mi deschid inima, dumneavoastră sunteţi acela. Îmi amintesc de privirea dumneavoastră, când am venit ultima oară la ţară, atunci când ne-am întâlnit în vestibulul de la Liogeats. Aveţi ochii unui copil (cam câţi ani să aveţi, douăzeci şi şase?), un copil nevinovat dar care parcă ştie, dintr-o învăţătură primită de la Dumnezeu, până unde îi este dat omului să se înjosească, înţelegeţi-mă: nu din cauza odăjdiilor sau a ceea ce reprezintă costumul pe care-l purtaţi vreau să mă justific în faţa dumneavoastră. Ca preot, pentru mine nu prezentaţi interes. Pur şi simplu am convingerea că numai dumneavoastră mă puteţi înţelege. Sunteţi un copil, cum spuneam, chiar un copilaş, însă sunteţi prevenit. Şi îmi dau seama că şi ceea ce ocrotiţi înăuntrul dumneavoastră a fost supus ameninţărilor.
Vedeţi, înainte de a va spune ceea ce mă preocupă, vă dezvălui impresia pe care mi-o faceţi, aşa cum s-a format în puţinul timp în care v-am privit la Liogeats, în acea parohie sărăcăcioasă, umil slujitor legat de stâlp, înconjurat de acei ţărani sângeroşi... Dar nu vă temeţi, nu am dat crezare calomniilor. Sunt lucid, domnule abate şi fără să vă cunosc, vă citesc în suflet ca într-o carte. Biet nevinovat, am înţeles din primul moment câte necazuri o să vă aducă stabilirea surorii dumneavoastră la Liogeats! Pe această Tota Revaux am recunoscut-o imediat: o întâlneam deseori, împreună cu bărbatul ei, în Montparnasse, în Montmartre...

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

Vivid, visceral, and ascerbic. Surprisingly violent for Mauriac. This book won the Nobel...and yet, in the DC suburbs, no library had it. (?!?!) So I bought it. Now I will donate it to the library in hopes that they will expand their Mauriac collection, which is decidedly paltry. Enjoyable is not what comes to mind when you read Mauriac, but he writes in a captivating way that kind of shoots your eyebrows through your hairline. He is not predictable. I sure didn't expect a "thriller," yet, I now see that is a common shelf for this book, and I understand why. Like all his books, this one provokes really strong feelings and plenty of fodder for long debates on character, ethics, etc.

[Alessio Scalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sono stato tentato di abbandonarlo più volte, sono arrivato alla fine grazie alle minime svolte inaspettate di una trama da telenovela. A mio avviso scrittura lenta e pesante. Mauriac ha vinto il Nobel per la letteratura nel ‘52, probabilmente per merito di altre opere.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 虽然不是他最好的但无法抵挡HE的诱惑（雾）。转折点之后的部分非常了不起，严肃得吓人，是一种无法给作者带来自我满足的严肃性。（可以先看情节梗概再去读，就会意识到小说的展开和你的想象有多么本质的差别。） ​​​

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy to see why Mauriac was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, even when reading him in a dated translation. The observation and presentation of both character and place (a specific rural region of south west France) are exceptional. Gradere is compelling and repulsive - the charm oozes, the pretence at amorality and manipulation of others leaves the reader longing for him to be found out. My problem is that justice, when it comes, is not of this world, and it makes Gradere's 'redemption' within the control of the church (in the shape of the spiritually passionate but humanly pathetic Forcas) somewhat unsatisfactory. This book seems to ask if there are people who have basically 'sold their souls to the devil' and lets the reader explore. To me Mauriac paints pictures which confirm 'for all have sinned' and it's just a matter of degree. No angels here, flawed humans on display.

[Johan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad. Crime story without heroes. Difficult to read because of the Icelandic names. Why am I wriing this review in English when I read the Dutch translation? Habit, I guess.

[Nils · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall it was alright. Didn't really engage until very late, a few too many characters, some a bit obsessed about things. A weak 3.

[Hester · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many characters, with too many complaints and annoying little problems. The dialogues are often cringe worthy.

[Miles Chicken · Rating 4 out of 5]

The description of early morning in a French village where a criminal plots revenge on a priest is worth the read alone.

[P. Daniele Marletta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nel pieno spirito dei migliori romanzi di Mauriac, una storia e di grazia e redenzione.