The Prussian Lieutenant

by Karl May

Paris, France–1814. The French emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, is defeated and faces banishment to Elba, while Prussian forces occupy the capital. A Hussar officer, Lieutenant Hugo von Löwenklau, comes to the rescue of a young Parisian woman, Margot Richemonte. This simple act, while ingratiating Hugo into her family, pits him against her calculating and opportunistic stepbrother, Captain Albin Richemonte. Margot’s stepbrother is determined to marry her off to the wealthy Baron de Reillac, all in an effort to extricate himself from his own mounting gambling debts. In the face of Margot’s blossoming romance with Hugo, the baron and the captain aren’t about to let the lieutenant whisk the lady away. Stopping at nothing to rid themselves of Löwenklau–even murder–they concoct a daring plot, ultimately exposing Hugo to Napoleon’s wrath. Outnumbered and overwhelmed, the lieutenant finds himself in the fight of his life, while trying to keep Margot out of the villains’ clutches.

441 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2021

About the author

Karl Friedrich May (also Karol May) was one of the best selling German writers of all time, noted mainly for books set in the American Old West, (best known for the characters of Winnetou and Old Shatterhand) and similar books set in the Orient and Middle East. In addition, he wrote stories set in his native Germany, in China and in South America.

May also wrote poetry and several plays, as well as composing music; he was proficient with several musical instruments. May's musical version of "Ave Maria" became very well known.

Reviews

[Timber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel privileged to have a personalized signed copy that I have kept in pristine condition!

The effort to translate this piece seemed significant. It appeared genuinely to remain as true to the original as possible, hinted at by the translator’s explanation at the beginning, and also notes for specific phrases - explaining their original German, their literal translation, and then their most relevant phrase in modern day. It seemed an overwhelming task and yet the book still flowed well in English. So the translation would be 4.5*.

The actual story I found quite humorous. As per some sections of the book, where the characters aren’t sure if their leg was being pulled, I had that sense when reading the book…Fortune seemed to favour the hero at every turn as he overheard and then thwarted wrongdoings right, left and center. In contrast, the main antagonists always seemed to be bumbling about with the wool pulled over their eyes. They tried to be elaborately clever, and yet still always got caught out! I could picture this as a comedy movie, but I’m not sure that it is meant to be comedic or not?! I’m not familiar with Karl May at all, so I will find out a little more now.

A touch of history was included through the Napoleonic wars setting, which ticked my historical novel box. It seemed to favour the Prussians, over the French, who themselves nothing compared to the brief appearance of ruffian Cossacks - so maybe some stereotype biases originating from a German author. However, I’m curious to see how the other novels in the series portray the conflicting nations during very tumultuous times.

So, overall an ‘interesting’ read that I’m not sure what to make of, but I will read the second novel in the series.

[Tracy Krauss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no idea what treasures I’d been missing! I’m talking about the work of German author Karl May, whom I’ll compare to Alexander Dumas of The Three Musketeers fame. Apparently, May is a well-established name among German speakers and writers of nineteenth century adventure classics, but not generally well known among English readers. Thankfully, author Robert Stermscheg has taken it upon himself to translate some these wonderful tales so that more people can enjoy the wit and humor of May’s work. This book, The Prussian Lieutenant, is accessible and engaging, thanks in part to a wonderful original story but also, I think, to Stermscheg’s ability to write in a way that is appealing to modern readers. His attention to detail and ability to make archaic idioms understandable is second to none. This is an adventure story with lots of swashbuckling, heroics, and romance. The heroes are altruistic and brave while the villains are what good villains should be – downright evil! I loved it and can’t wait to read the next book in the series.