The Brethren
Fortunes of France: Volume 1
by Robert Merle
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Pub Date Mar 03 2015 | Archive Date Jan 05 2015
Steerforth Press | Pushkin Press
Description
Two veteran soldiers retire to a castle in the wildly beautiful Périgord of sixteenth century France. But the country is descending into chaos, plagued by religious strife, famine, pestilence, bands of robbers... and, of course, the English.
In the course of their story we are introduced to a slew of vivid characters, including the fiery Isabelle, mistress of the castle, refusing to renounce her religious beliefs despite great pressure; the petty and meal-mouthed Francois, unlikely heir to the estate; the brave and loyal Jonas who lives in a cave and keeps a wolf as a pet; the swaggering soldier Cabusse; the outrageously superstitious Maligou, and Sarrazine, who once roamed as part of a wild gypsy band.
A sprawling, earthy tale of violence and lust, love and death, political intrigue and dazzling philosophical debate, The Brethren is the first step in an engrossing saga to rival Dumas, Flashmanand Game of Thrones.
Advance Praise
Advance Praise from the UK:
"Swashbuckling historical fiction... For all its philosophical depth [The Brethren] is a hugely entertaining romp... The comparisons with Dumas seem both natural and deserved and the next 12 instalments [are] a thrilling prospect." — Guardian
"A vivid novel by France's modern Dumas... [there is] plenty of evidence in the rich characterisation and vivid historical detail that a reader's long-term commitment will be amply rewarded." — Sunday Times
"Cleverly depicts France’s epic religious wars through the intimate prism of one family’s experience. It’s beautifully written too." — Metro.
"We're swept away by triumph, tragedy, action and adventure… It's a novel like this that makes reviewing one of the best jobs in the world." — The Book Bag, Five Star Review
“Historical fiction at its very best… The second instalment cannot be published too soon.” — We Love This Book
“A Sprawling, earthy tale of peril, love, lust, death, dazzling philosophical debate and political intrigue… an engrossing saga.” — Gransnet
"A master of the historical novel." — Guardian
"A spectacular evocation of sixteenth- and seventeenth-century France." — Independent
Advance Praise from Europe:
"His readers appreciate his recipe for writing that is as political as it is entertaining."— Deutschlandfunk
"Be warned: even just a few pages can lead to addiction." — Neckar-Tauber Trend
"With much wit, irony and a knack for juicy details, [Merle] brings alive his country's history." — Literatur-Report
"For fans of historical fiction, The Brethren is a delight to savour." — Thüringer Allgemeine
"Thrilling! Robert Merle rides his novel at full tilt across a richly eventful period of history." — Le Magazine Littéraire
"Robert Merle is one of the very few French writers who have attained both popular success and the admiration of critics." — Le Figaro
"A wonderful, colourful, breathlessly narrated historical panorama." — Zeitpunkt
"Breathes new life into the classic adventure story and great historical epic." — Les Nouvelles Littéraires
"France's greatest popular novelist." — Le Monde
"The Dumas of the twentieth century." — Neues Deutschland
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781782271239 |
| PRICE | $14.95 (USD) |
Average rating from 5 members
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