El Verdugo Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley 9781495214400 Books
Download As PDF : El Verdugo Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley 9781495214400 Books
The clock of the little town of Menda had just struck midnight. At that moment a young French officer, leaning on the parapet of a long terrace which bordered the gardens of the chateau de Menda, seemed buried in thoughts that were deeper than comported with the light-hearted carelessness of military life; though it must be said that never were hour, scene, or night more propitious for meditation. The beautiful sky of Spain spread its dome of azure above his head. The scintillation of the stars and the soft light of the moon illumined the delightful valley that lay at his feet. Resting partly against an orange-tree in bloom, the young major could see, three hundred feet below him, the town of Menda, at the base of the rock on which the castle is built. Turning his head, he looked down upon the sea, the sparkling waters of which encircled the landscape with a sheet of silver.
El Verdugo Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley 9781495214400 Books
El Verdugo (The Executioner), a short story by Honoré de Balzac, was originally published in 1830. Though very brief, like all of the components of Balzac's body of work known as the Comédie Humaine, it is considered an individual work of literature in its own right, and is distributed by Amazon or Project Gutenberg as a stand-alone ebook file.The story takes place in Spain, in the small town of Menda, at a time when Spain is under French occupation. Victor Marchand, a young officer in the French military, has been stationed in Menda with his battalion of soldiers, partly to defend the coast from British attack and partly to keep an eye on the local Spanish nobleman, the Marquis de Leganes, who may be acting in collusion with the English. Despite the suspicions surrounding the Marquis, Marchand has a cordial relationship with the family and has even fallen in love with one of the Marquis's daughters. Then one lovely night, the tranquility of this peaceful Spanish village is shattered by unexpected treachery.
Though the story deals with military matters, Balzac chose not to classify this tale under the Scenes of Military Life category of the Comédie Humaine, but rather under the Philosophical Studies category, which gives some indication that it won't be a typical war story. El Verdugo depicts a tragic and disturbing event, one that inspires contemplation of life, death, love, and honor. Unfortunately, it does little more than depict this event. Upon completion, the reader can't help wishing it were longer, more fleshed out, and had capitalized more on its merits. Even an epilogue of more than one paragraph would have been a big help. As it stands, it's like a pivotal scene torn from the pages of an excellent novel. Absent that excellent novel, one can't help wondering what the point of it all is, except to produce a profound and affecting sadness. Nevertheless, anyone who's ever enjoyed Balzac's writing should read El Verdugo. For such a brief story, it packs a powerful emotional punch.
Product details
|
Tags : El Verdugo [Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. The clock of the little town of Menda had just struck midnight. At that moment a young French officer,Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley,El Verdugo,Createspace,1495214400,Literature & Fiction - General
People also read other books :
- The Sea-Wolf (Annotated) - edition by Jack London. Literature & Fiction eBooks @ .
- My Happy Place Art Therapy Coloring Book (Coloring Books) (Volume 1) (9781523277155) Tammy Groves Thornton Books
- Iron War Dave Scott, Mark Allen, and the Greatest Race Ever Run (Audible Audio Edition) Matt Fitzgerald, Seth Michael Donsky, Audible Studios Books
- Isosceles Moon eBook Keith C Blackmore
- My Spirit's Musings Nadine Drayton-Keen 9781498490078 Books
El Verdugo Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley 9781495214400 Books Reviews
This short story, part of Balzac's Comedie Humaine, has a title meaning 'The Executioner'. The first part seems a million miles from such violence as a young French officer (occupying Spain) is lounging on a parapet amid the orange blossoms. But an incident ensues which brings us in just a few pages to an horrific ending...
El Verdugo (The Executioner), a short story by Honoré de Balzac, was originally published in 1830. Though very brief, like all of the components of Balzac's body of work known as the Comédie Humaine, it is considered an individual work of literature in its own right, and is distributed by or Project Gutenberg as a stand-alone ebook file.
The story takes place in Spain, in the small town of Menda, at a time when Spain is under French occupation. Victor Marchand, a young officer in the French military, has been stationed in Menda with his battalion of soldiers, partly to defend the coast from British attack and partly to keep an eye on the local Spanish nobleman, the Marquis de Leganes, who may be acting in collusion with the English. Despite the suspicions surrounding the Marquis, Marchand has a cordial relationship with the family and has even fallen in love with one of the Marquis's daughters. Then one lovely night, the tranquility of this peaceful Spanish village is shattered by unexpected treachery.
Though the story deals with military matters, Balzac chose not to classify this tale under the Scenes of Military Life category of the Comédie Humaine, but rather under the Philosophical Studies category, which gives some indication that it won't be a typical war story. El Verdugo depicts a tragic and disturbing event, one that inspires contemplation of life, death, love, and honor. Unfortunately, it does little more than depict this event. Upon completion, the reader can't help wishing it were longer, more fleshed out, and had capitalized more on its merits. Even an epilogue of more than one paragraph would have been a big help. As it stands, it's like a pivotal scene torn from the pages of an excellent novel. Absent that excellent novel, one can't help wondering what the point of it all is, except to produce a profound and affecting sadness. Nevertheless, anyone who's ever enjoyed Balzac's writing should read El Verdugo. For such a brief story, it packs a powerful emotional punch.
0 Response to "[HSD]≡ PDF Gratis El Verdugo Honore De Balzac Katharine Prescott Wormeley 9781495214400 Books"
Post a Comment