The Gods Will Have Blood
108. Anatole France, The Gods Will Have Blood (trans. Frederick Davies)
This short novel tells the story of Évariste Gamelin, a young idealist who wholeheartedly believes in the tenets of the French Revolution. He admires its heroes such as Marat and Robespierre with an intensity bordering on worship, and he wants nothing more than to serve the glorious Republic. As the Reign of Terror spreads, even some of Gamelin’s own family and friends are threatened, but he remains faithful to the cause. Eventually, however, Gamelin must confront the logical consequences of his fanaticism as Paris turns against the very people who were its supposed liberators.
I thought this was a very interesting portrayal of the Reign of Terror and how it impacted the lives of ordinary Parisians. The different characters’ reactions to the political situation ring very true: there are the passionate Republicans, the defiant Royalists who fled France, the malcontents who complain in secret but who are afraid to denounce the new regime publicly, and the cynics who find the whole situation absurd. I found Gamelin extremely unsympathetic, but I really liked Brotteaux and Father Longuemare. Overall I liked this book and would recommend it to people who are interested in the French Revolution.