Raphael Sabatini: Scaramouche

[Kara Ortiez]

Just reread Scaramouche again. It's a gripping read for those that like swashbuckelrs. The politcial statements the hero makes are still valid and sadly it seems not applied. The outcome is predicatble, as are many of Sabatini's novels but well worth the read. Also recommend the Sea Hawk. It takes a chapter to adapt to the prose but once you've entered that and bcome familiar with that world it's well worth the ride.

[mtpspur]

If I may advise St Martin's Summer and Chivalry by Sabatini are highly readable. Captain Blood is my all time favorite which gets read and reread every few years or so. Been collecting him for years. Avoid Strolling Saint--my least favorite of his. I'm onthe verge of getting the last two novels I need for my collections--Love at Arms and Shame of Motley otherwise I'm missing several of the short story collections. Nice to know he's not forgotten.

[Kara Ortiez]

Have you tried www.bookfinder.com? There are several editions of Shame of Motley there, new paperbacks and older hardbacks.

[mtpspur]

Already on order thru my local dealer (publisher Wildside press) but I may use this for the Historical Nights Entertainments and Turbulent Tales. Ony have vol #2 of Nights. Thanks.

[Kara Ortiez]

One of my fave quotes from the novel:

"I desire a society which selects its rulers, from the best elements of every class and denies the right of any class or corporation to usurp the government to itself - whether it be the nobles, the clergy, the bourgeoisie, or the proletariat. For government by any one class is fatal to the
welfare of the whole." Scaramouche, Rafael Sabatini

[Paul Harang]

Captain Blood is all I've read by him, and it's great. More "Arg, ye matey!" than Steinbeck's Cup of Gold, but not quite as good a book. Very entertaining.

[dfloyd]

many years ago. Now I have reread Scaramouche, The Sea Hawk, and Captain Blood. Good adventure stories, but I enjoy Dumas more and he wrote better dialog. Just finished reading all of the Dumas' Marie Antoinette Romances which consist of many volumes from Marie Antoinette's journey from Austria to France until her journey to the scaffold. To learn French history, reading Dumas is to the French Revolution as Shakespeare is to the War of Roses.