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Les Six Compagnons #2
Les Six Compagnons et la pile atomique
Sac au dos, et en route ! Les Compagnons de la Croix-Rousse profitent des vacances pour aller voir en Provence leur petite camarade Mady.
Le chien Kafi est du voyage, cela va de soi. Et l’aventure commence aussitôt !
On campe dans un bois, près de la cité atomique de Marcoule : voilà Kafi qui disparaît en pleine nuit. Premier mystère.
On s’installe au Moulin Jaune : voilà qu’apparaissent dans le voisinage des campeurs qui se livrent à de bizarres allées et venues nocturnes. Second mystère.
Compagnons, attention !
Le chien Kafi est du voyage, cela va de soi. Et l’aventure commence aussitôt !
On campe dans un bois, près de la cité atomique de Marcoule : voilà Kafi qui disparaît en pleine nuit. Premier mystère.
On s’installe au Moulin Jaune : voilà qu’apparaissent dans le voisinage des campeurs qui se livrent à de bizarres allées et venues nocturnes. Second mystère.
Compagnons, attention !
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1964
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
May 3, 2022
Les Six Compagnons are a series of middle grade books that feels like it were like the Famous Five, but written by Marcel Proust. There is a sharpening of existentialism regarding this 2nd adventure in this book. The provincial setting for the book was not well defined, but it did not seem kiddie. Due to lack of details, being a book that was programmed and designed to be short, there is no room for world building. But, the book does enough for people from France, or people who lived in small communities back in the 40s, and for children who grew up with this series.
The star of the show, Kafi the dog, will always find relevance and justify its billing throughout each of the books that I will definitely read. Contrary to Timmy from Blyton's pen, this dog is realistically portrayed. I think that this is due to a limited level of meddling with the given attributes of the dog. There is barely mention of Tidou, Kafi's master, trying to fit human thoughts in Kafi's head. That is very much welcome here. Timmy was silly. Kafi is one of the band, while remaining a companionable pet.
Whenever the group of Six debate among themselves, we are privy to their logic. This is gratifying. Logic goes out of the window in not only middle grade books, but also action movies or spy movies where there is little deliberating. In Les Six Compagnons, there is scarce straying from the path of common sense. I would like to take a moment to highlight the little description of the boys. There is Tidou, then Le Tondu, who has alopecia, then La Guille, and Gnafron. I forget the last one of the band. This is not bad for someone bad with names. This proves that the characters stay in the memory.
For such a small book that has no clout or hype, and not accompanied by fanfare, it is uncanny how I was wrong about the plot. I have solved a few of the mystery books that I read, but was given a false impression. I sided with Les Six, and not with the disabled character Mady. Mady was right about something that the six thought was immutably their affair. They were wrong, and I was wrong.
I enjoyed this middle grade book, but it is not perfect. There is a tedious development of the plot. Most of the explanations of the mysteries were plausible, but some simply did not fly. There were also stuff that was conveniently caused by misfortune. Other events were happily originated by luck. Coincidences are rife, and the antihero of the book was someone that caused more puzzlement than any thrill that his presence augured.
Despite all of this, here was a book that was plucky and had a lot of heart. From the beginning I thought that the story would advance without Kafi being around. This would mean a kidnapping once more. Gladly this was not the case. The children were wiser beyond their years. I think that any child alone is as clueless as an ant. But when galvanised by groupwork, the same individual rises above childishness and embraces his or her responsibilities. This is true of almost all adults too.
The last chapter was devoted completely to the victorious and festive feast that rewarded the courage of the children. Personally I thought the fare brought to the feast was too minimal. Having said that, this book was set in the 40s, and then they had more restraint. After the adventure's climax, there is a symbolic posing before the cameras of newsmen. This was a second climax. I am happy to say that, again, this book deals with conclusions way better than the books whose success Bonzon, the writer, tried to emulate, with not similar success, but with a notoriety of its own. I will definitely give the 3rd book a whirl.
The star of the show, Kafi the dog, will always find relevance and justify its billing throughout each of the books that I will definitely read. Contrary to Timmy from Blyton's pen, this dog is realistically portrayed. I think that this is due to a limited level of meddling with the given attributes of the dog. There is barely mention of Tidou, Kafi's master, trying to fit human thoughts in Kafi's head. That is very much welcome here. Timmy was silly. Kafi is one of the band, while remaining a companionable pet.
Whenever the group of Six debate among themselves, we are privy to their logic. This is gratifying. Logic goes out of the window in not only middle grade books, but also action movies or spy movies where there is little deliberating. In Les Six Compagnons, there is scarce straying from the path of common sense. I would like to take a moment to highlight the little description of the boys. There is Tidou, then Le Tondu, who has alopecia, then La Guille, and Gnafron. I forget the last one of the band. This is not bad for someone bad with names. This proves that the characters stay in the memory.
For such a small book that has no clout or hype, and not accompanied by fanfare, it is uncanny how I was wrong about the plot. I have solved a few of the mystery books that I read, but was given a false impression. I sided with Les Six, and not with the disabled character Mady. Mady was right about something that the six thought was immutably their affair. They were wrong, and I was wrong.
I enjoyed this middle grade book, but it is not perfect. There is a tedious development of the plot. Most of the explanations of the mysteries were plausible, but some simply did not fly. There were also stuff that was conveniently caused by misfortune. Other events were happily originated by luck. Coincidences are rife, and the antihero of the book was someone that caused more puzzlement than any thrill that his presence augured.
Despite all of this, here was a book that was plucky and had a lot of heart. From the beginning I thought that the story would advance without Kafi being around. This would mean a kidnapping once more. Gladly this was not the case. The children were wiser beyond their years. I think that any child alone is as clueless as an ant. But when galvanised by groupwork, the same individual rises above childishness and embraces his or her responsibilities. This is true of almost all adults too.
The last chapter was devoted completely to the victorious and festive feast that rewarded the courage of the children. Personally I thought the fare brought to the feast was too minimal. Having said that, this book was set in the 40s, and then they had more restraint. After the adventure's climax, there is a symbolic posing before the cameras of newsmen. This was a second climax. I am happy to say that, again, this book deals with conclusions way better than the books whose success Bonzon, the writer, tried to emulate, with not similar success, but with a notoriety of its own. I will definitely give the 3rd book a whirl.
April 26, 2015
Je n'hésiterai pas à donner 5 étoiles à ce livre. Très belle aventure avec Kafi et très belle histoire.
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February 7, 2023Une fois passé outre le réalisme - 6 gamins de 12 ans et un chien se tapent 240 km en 3 jours sur des vélos rafistolés evec des bouts de ficelle (et tout le mystère en lui même)- c'est plutot un livre marrant à lire. Pas de la haute littérature... mais c'est une collection qui a diverti et donné envie de lire à des milliers d'enfants!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews