- Paperback: 396 pages
- Publisher: Wildside Press (August 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0914028626
- ISBN-13: 978-0914028628
- Product Dimensions: 1.4 x 2.2 x 0.2 cm
- Shipping Weight: 499 g
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,819,289 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Book Description
The Revolt of the Angels (1914), often considered France's most profound novel, tells the story of Arcade, the guardian angel of Maurice d'Esparvieu, who falls in love and joins the revolutionary movement of angels.
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First Sentence
BENEATH the shadow of St. Sulpice the ancient mansion of the d'Esparvieu family rears its austere three stories between a moss-grown forecourt and a garden hemmed in, as the years have elapsed, by ever loftier and more intrusive buildings, wherein, nevertheless, two tall chestnut trees still lift their withered heads. Read the first page
Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt
BENEATH the shadow of St. Sulpice the ancient mansion of the d'Esparvieu family rears its austere three stories between a moss-grown forecourt and a garden hemmed in, as the years have elapsed, by ever loftier and more intrusive buildings, wherein, nevertheless, two tall chestnut trees still lift their withered heads. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | Excerpt
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.7 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews)
29 of 34 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not your ordinary plot, Jan 16 1999
By James Hercules Sutton - Published on Amazon.com
The book tells the story of an archbishop's guardian angel who starts reading the bishop's books on Theology and becomes an atheist. The angel moves to Paris, meets a woman, has his wings fall off & takes up the harp to make a living, since he can't handle harmony. Then he meets the Devil. This is a very funny book, by the world's greatest ironist. A wonderful read for those who smile at people who pray on TV while squinting. Elegant prose even in English, better in French; a quintessential skeptic at his best.
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heavenly Coup, July 13 2006
By lee freke "journalist" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Revolt of the Angels (Paperback)
Yes, Anatole France was a Nobel Prize laureate; No, that is part reason enough to read him (Who can name six laureates). If you need to be convinced, try The Revolt of the Angels.An angel, Arcade, leaves heaven, comes to earth, uses his invisibility to steal books from a library, after which he joins a host of fallen brethren with plans to overthrow god. Fantastic? Think again. In the hands of France, the plot is a mere jot; he is more interested in expressing his contrarian view of the universe.
His knowledge of history and religious texts is amply demonstrated; however the main draw is his cynical philosophy and his virtuosity in descriptions. When one of the angels delivers a tirade, the lifespan of the universe is captured in paragraphs: Original sin is a fable concocted by god, the Reformation was started Luther "all swollen with beer and theology," and god's thunderbolt was stolen by Franklin. According to France, god foresees everything, yet is surprised by the most probable event. France is not interested in orthodoxy, this is not religious satire to make you laugh; this is one that causes you to painfully shake your head and smile.
The conclusion is obvious, but it brings us back to reality - nothing will change. By the end of this impressive work of literature we discover only one angel is in revolt and it is not Arcade. It is Anatole France.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Revolt of the French?, May 29 2006
By wiredweird "wiredweird" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Revolt of the Angels (Paperback)
There's a lot to work with in this idea. Angels exist on earth, lots of them, including many assigned duties as guardian angels. God's in his heaven, and all's right with the world.But, at the hands of master satirist France, all is not right with the world. The god in this story is a petty, tinhorn tyrant. He has arrogated himself power of life and death over this world's little beings, but with no true understanding of the clockwork perfection of even his assigned corner of this universe. Many of those angels on earth have defected, and are plotting an insurrection against that god's dictatorial rule. They secure funding, they stockpile bombs of horrific power, and they brace themselves for the struggle ahead.
I'm no scholar of the French revolution, but one point of similarity leaps out: the rebels' near-total lack of plan for what happens after the current in-crowd is outed. And, once the angels take on some features of earthly flesh, they fall victim to many of the ills that human flesh is heir to. Those include love of money, love of women, and love of the anarchic plotting in itself.
There's a lot to like in this novel by Nobel winner France, but also a few things that didn't work for me. France move his plot forward using an alternation of many viewpoints - a technique that works poorly for maintaining cohesion in a story. This translation, from 1914, is generally readable and enjoyable, but a few of its phrases seemed stilted by today's standards. And, although I enjoyed the narrative, I was not always sure how the family story of the d'Esparvieus matched the larger story around it. France makes up for any failings, of course, in his repartee, including some well-place barbs at America and Americans.
//wiredweird
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