Scaramouche

"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad..." Thus begins "Scaramouche", the novel that made Rafael Sabatini famous. The novel follows the adventures of Andre-Louis Moreau through the years immediately prior to, as well as during, the French Revolution. The bastard son of unknown parents, raised by his country-squire godfather and educated as a lawyer, Moreau starts out without any political convictions. However, that changes after he is forced to witness the death of his politically-active best friend in an unequal duel with a powerful aristocrat, a duel contrived by the aristocrat with the specific purpose of killing the young man in order to silence his "dangerous eloquence". Moreau vows to avenge his friend, not with the sword, but by assuming the voice of the dead man, despite the fact that he doesn't really share his friend's convictions. Thus Moreau begins playing the first of may roles that he is to assume in the course of the story; including revolutionary orator, actor, fencing instructor and politician. This is a fast-moving story that sweeps the reader along through a series of surprising twists. Not least of those twists is Moreau's career as a member of a troop of Commedia Dell'Arte actors. Pursued by the police on a charge of sedition, Moreau persuades the troop to make him part of their company. Among them he assumes the role of Scaramouche, the cold, sly and glib trickster who manipulates the characters and the action without ever taking an active hand himself. It is a part Moreau finds singularly suited to his personality. It is also a role that, to some degree, he continues to play in all his subsequent careers. On the run once again and broke, Moreau winds up in Paris, where he manages to secure a job as an assistant instructor in a fencing academy. There he hones his skill as a swordsman until fate provides yet another twist. In the National Assembly the Aristocrats have been killing off the proletariat delegates in contrived duels. The proletariat party needs a swordsman to counter them and Moreau, remembered for his fiery oratory and know to be an expert fencer, is the obvious choice. Not a man of action, Moreau at first demurs, until he learns that the man who killed his friend is the leading swordsman on the Aristocratic side. Andre-Louis Moreau is a fascinating literary character; resilient and versatile, cold and calculating while still romantic, intellectual and at the same time swashbuckling. On one level his story concerns the social and political conditions of the French Revolution. However, on another level, it is a story of self-discovery because Moreau, in a very real sense, does not know who he really is, and so reinvents himself as conditions require. There are many characters and plot twists of which one need say nothing, since it would spoil the plesure of reading the book and finding out about them for oneself. Suffice it to say that this is a story with many layers and subtleties, and reading it is a rich and satisfying experience. One final note for those familiar with the Film versions. The 1952 film, while having much to commend it, is so different from the book that Sabatini's novel is scarcely recognizable. In fact, so may characters and plot points were altered or completely omitted in the 1952 movie that it is hardly Scaramouche at all. The rarely-shown 1923 silent film version, produced only two years after the publication of the novel, is much closer to the book, but still had many cuts and alterations. In order to truly appreciate this work, reading the book is a must. Therefore, by all means, read this highly-recommended book.

Published in 1921, Scaramouche was swashbuckling historical novelist Rafael Sabatini's breakout novel, after over two decades of writing. My first encounter with Sabatini, however, was reading his 1922 release Captain Blood last year, and so many of my thoughts on Scaramouche are in comparison to Captain Blood, which I enjoyed immensely. In Scaramouche, Sabatini introduces as our hero Andre-Louis Moreau, a provincial lawyer of uncertain parentage, raised by his godfather (wink wink, nudge nudge, say the locals), a minor noble. Andre-Louis' best friend Philippe de Vilmorin, a clergyman with a revolutionary bent and - unfortunately - a horrible swordsman, is goaded into a duel by the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr, since - this being 1788 France - the nobles aren't keen on revolutionary talk. The Marquis easily kills Philippe, and thereby earns the role of antagonist for this novel. Andre-Louis, though not a revolutionary himself, swears to take up his friends cause to overthrow the likes of the evil Marquis. Along the way to his eventual final confrontation with Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr, Andre-Louis takes on many roles - orator, actor, swordsman, politician - as his fortunes rise and fall, while France itself is in turmoil. The adventures Andre-Louis finds himself are intriguing and entertaining on their own. However, at times they seem to take him fare afield from his quest and the main thread of the narrative before eventually circling back around to it. They do eventually tie into things, and they have a part in making Andre-Louis the man he is at the end, but they nonetheless felt a bit tangential to me. Andre-Louis himself is a fun character. He has a sharp wit and a clever tongue. At times he's almost too capable, but he almost as often is held back by his flaws, which help keep him more human and believable than he might otherwise be. The setting itself is a great choice by Sabatini. There's a lot going on in revolutionary France, and Andre-Louis as often as not finds himself in the thick of it. Overall, Scaramouche is a good book, and I enjoyed it. My main problem with it is, really, that I liked Captain Blood quite a bit more. Peter Blood and his pirate adventures were more fun, more consistently entertaining, and more action-packed, while still having much of the political intrigue found in Scaramouche. Had I, like the reading public of the 1920's, read Scaramouche first and then Captain Blood, I probably would have enjoyed Scaramouche more. But, as it was, it kept coming up a bit shot of Captain Blood for me. If you're only going to read one, read Captain Blood. If you want to read both, I'd suggest Scaramouche first, so you can enjoy it without the comparisons to Sabatini's next novel. I listened to Scaramouche as read by Robert Whitfield (who also records as Simon Vance, audio book fans). Whitfield is up to his usual standards of audio excellence, bringing Andre-Louis and the rest to life, and putting on a good French accent when using the occasional French phase included by Sabatini. Whitfield is always a pleasure to listen to. Overall, I recommend Scaramouche. However, it just isn't quite as good as Sabatini's Captain Blood. Still, I remain a fan of Sabatini, and plan to read The Sea Hawk and other books from Sabatini, because - in the end - Sabatini's great at historical fiction, intrigue, swashbuckling, and is a lot of fun.

Why have I never heard of this book before!!! Seriously one of the best books I have EVER read, and I downloaded it on Kindle for free as a lark. This book was written in the 1920 and should be included on the lists of classics that everyone should read. From the first sentence of the book, I was hooked, line and sinker: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad." From then on, I couldn't put the book down. André-Louis Moreau is one of the most fascinating characters in literature. I say that with confidence having read a ton of classics. It is a revenge story tempered with a love story that takes place in the years leading up to the French Revolution. The intelligent and witty André-Louis compels you through each of his many adventures with numerous twists and turns that will both surprise and delight. He goes from country lawyer, to revolutionary, to comedic actor, to fencing instructor, then to a member of the government, before throwing everything to the wind. To list the events of this plot would be to rewrite half the book. The audacious intensity of this character had me captivated throughout without pause, and his development as he discovers both himself and his own motive is remarkable. The conclusion stunned me with its genius and was one of the most satisfying endings I have ever read in this sort of story. I honestly don't have a single criticism of this novel and wish one day to write something approaching the greatness of this work. I will most likely read this again, and I rarely read anything twice. I am confident I will be just as delighted the second, third, and fourth time I read this. Goodness! I still have goosebumps from the book even as I write this. If you haven't read it, you really must! It is truly amazing!

Published almost a century ago, Scaramouche is well worth reading even now -- for one thing, unlike some more recent novels, it actually has a plot. A good one! Andre-Louis Moreau is supposedly the illegitimate son of a local seigneur; witty, cynical, and intelligent. He is indifferent to the revolutionary rhetoric around him at the close of the 18th century in France until his close friend is provoked into a duel with one of France's greatest swordsman, M. le Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr. His friend's murder (the poor victim, a seminarian, was clearly maneuvered into a duel he could not win) changes Andre-Louis into a passionate revolutionary, whose mission is to seek justice for his friend's death. Forced to flee after he tries to accuse the Marquis of murder, Andre-Louis joins up with a Commedia dell'arte troupe, where he becomes the stock comic character "Scaramouche." More importantly, he makes the company's fame as its "writer" and falls in love with the troupe director's daughter. Once again, M. le Marquis is a problem, making Andre-Louis's fiancée his mistress. Disillusioned, Andre-Louis goes to Paris, where he goes from actor to swordsman in this tale of "the best of times" and "the worst of times." Though my own opinion of the French Revolution is closer to Edmund Burke's than it is to Andre-Louis's, Sabatini is fair both to the upper-class "aristos" and the common "sans-cullotes." If you like romantic passion and first-rate swordplay in a novel with more than one twist to the plot, this is your book.

As you may gather from the other reviews about “Scaramouche,” this classic book is absolutely fascinating. Beyond the normal adventure, romance, and plot comments, I thought I’d share my thoughts on two other aspects of the book. First, it focuses on the French Revolution time frame of 1789-1792, the year before the “Ninety-Three” Terror. Second, it focuses on the concept of strategy. It is the second concept upon which I’d especially like to comment. As the book progresses, a young law student is drawn into learning drama by playing Scaramouche, the stock “little skirmisher” clown of 1500s Italian theater, with a traveling actor troupe. He then proceeds to learn fencing and swordplay and finally winds up using all these learned skills (law, dramatic/persuasive exposition, and swordplay) as he wins a political post in the French National Assembly. The time the hero spends mastering swordplay is especially intriguing, as he devises an ingenious plan of stringing one attack to another after another while all the time maintaining the initiative to force his opponent into surrender, if not death. At any rate, the hero uses all his strategy-enhancing skills to pursue his nemesis in a revolutionary background with moral tension reminiscent of Victor Hugo’s “Ninety-Three.” Bottom-line, highly recommended! Of possible interest, if you’re interested in strategy and the French Revolution: George Washington's Liberty Key: Mount Vernon's Bastille Key – the Mystery and Magic of Its Body, Mind, and Soul , a best-seller at Mount Vernon, and Strategy Pure and Simple: Essential Moves for Winning in Competition and Cooperation

This is a historical novel, describing the beginning of the French Revolution, i.e. the period around 1790, plus or minus a few years. The main character, Andre-Louis Moreay is of unknown parentage, but has been brought up under the protection of his landed-gentry godfather. Andre-Louis is well educated and has a gift for glib rejoinders. He has no firm political views, but becomes politicized when his best friend is murdered by a marquis, allegedly under cover of a duel. Andre-Louis vows revenge. First off, he gives a speech, channeling the fervent ideas of his murdered friend, which is considered to be seditious by the nobles, in particular the murderer of his friend. The nobles seek to arrest Andre-Louis so he can be hanged for sedition. Andre-Louis seeks cover by joining an itinerant band of actors, actors in the tradition of <em>Commedia dell'Arte</em>. In that tradition, each actor has a pat role, rich buffoon, jokester, inamorata, etc. One such role is <em>Scaramouche</em>, a glib schemer, the role Andre-Louis obtains. He excells in that role, and again, during one of his scenes manages to stir up the populace against the nobles, in particular the murdering marquis who happens to be in the audience. Andre-Louis must once again flee for his life, and ends up in Paris, where he becomes a fencing master. I could go on, but I won't. One might better read this book for one's self. It's rather good. Sabitini is a master story teller and an astute observer of the human condition. Another benefit of reading this book is that one will also learn something about the root causes of the French Revolution and how things proceeded. An added bonus for me was that I read the part about the storming of the Bastille on Bastille Day. How cool is that?

I have known of SCARAMOUCHE all my life, and I am in my seventies. I own a copy of the 1952 MGM film with Stewart Granger and Mel Ferrer. I had read a couple of author Rafael Sabatini's other books: CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK. None of this prepared me for SCARAMOUCHE, the novel. The movie skates over the surface of the much deeper lake of this story. The character Andre-Louis Moreau, driven by a dark desire for revenge, has a scheming soul, an agile mind, and a talent for doing anything he tries at the supreme level. We follow him into revolutionary politics, the theater, and finally to becoming Paris's reigning fencing master. We share in his obsession for avenging the murder of his friend by the hand of a proud, even arrogant, marquis. These two cross each other's paths from the earliest days of the French Revolution through the debates, the uprising, the Bastille, and to the beginnings of the Reign of Terror. (By the way, I do not believe I have ever read a novel of the French Revolution before in which the revolutionaries are the good guys.) SCARAMOUCHE has not picked up any rust in the ninety years since its publication. It is a splendid adventure and a provocative read.

It was well worth reading. Gave me a view of the times of the French Revolution, the hardships of the peasants, and the all-powerful position of the nobility that finally led to bloodshed - for many years, first under the rebels and then under tyrants and finally Napoleon. years, although we didn't hear all that in this book. It seems the protagonists escaped the worst by going to Germany before the worst of times.