The Miller of Angibault

by George Sand, Donna Dickenson (Translator)

The Miller of Angibault (1845) is George Sand's `arch-socialist' novel, according to the writer herself. Rejected by its original publisher as too violent an attack on property, it actually satirizes the utopian ideals of Paris reformers who try to put their naive plans into action among the
country folk of Sand's native Berry. The Miller of Angibault reflects both the ebullient political movements of its period and the despairing conviction that the Revolution of 1789 had changed nothing. This is a new translation which fully captures Sand's self-effacing humour and gentle
lyricism.

Genres: French Literature, Fiction, France

Paperback

First published January 1, 1845

About the author

Amantine Lucile Aurore Dupin de Francueil, best known by her pen name George Sand, was a French novelist, memoirist and journalist. One of the most popular writers in Europe in her lifetime, being more renowned than either Victor Hugo or Honoré de Balzac in England in the 1830s and 1840s, Sand is recognised as one of the most notable writers of the European Romantic era. She wrote more than 50 volumes of various works to her credit, including tales, plays and political texts, alongside her 70 novels.
Like her great-grandmother, Louise Dupin, whom she admired, George Sand advocated for women's rights and passion, criticized the institution of marriage, and fought against the prejudices of a conservative society. She was considered scandalous because of her turbulent love life, her adoption of masculine clothing, and her masculine pseudonym.

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

George Sand was the pen name of Armantine Lupin and this is the first of her work that I have read. It was written in 1845. It is one of Lupin’s pastoral and socialist novels with a focus on the rural poor. There is a varied cast of characters. Madame de Blanchemont (Marcelle) is married to an aristocrat and has a son called Edouard. Her husband has recently died and she has been left with a country estate, the state of which she is unaware of. Lenor is an educated Parisian working man. He and Marcelle have been in love for a while. It would seem that Marcelle’s husband’s death would free them to marry. However Lenor feels that on principle he cannot marry someone who has inherited wealth, even though it is not known how much. This is the conundrum at the start of the book.
Marcelle travels to her estate and that is where we meet the rest of the cast. The estate is rather run down and debt ridden and needs to be sold. We now meet Monsieur Bricolin a wealthy farmer local to the estate who wants to buy it. Bricolin is the villain of the piece as his focus is entirely on money and increasing his wealth. He lives with his wife, his daughter Rose and his aged parents. There is another daughter who has a serious mental health problem, apparently as a result of her parents not allowing her to marry the man she loved. On her travels Marcelle meets Grand-Louis, the miller of Angibault as per the title, who helps her and allows her to stay with him and his mother before she goes to stay with the Bricolins. Grand-louis is in love with Rose Bricolin, but her parents do not approve. Add a local beggar called Cadouche and a variety of locals and you have the cast. It is well written and the plot rolls along merrily with some twists and turns.
Lupin looks back on the legacy of the Revolution and what it has and hasn’t achieved, it also looks at human greed and the nobility of the human spirit. Most of the socialists at the time were focussing on urban poverty, but Lupin turned her gaze on the rural poor probably because of her own upbringing in the countryside. The outworking has a communitarian edge to it. In terms of gender Lupin does explore the control of men over daughters and wives. It is a good read, a bit too neatly tied up at the end, but nevertheless it’s a good introduction to Lupin.

[thebookofclocs · Rating 3 out of 5]

pas fan de la plume de George Sand mais j’ai dû lire ce livre pour mes cours et je dois dire que même si c’était long, le fond est assez intéressant et les questions traitées m’ont bien plu :)

[Lena Billiet · Rating 4 out of 5]

il m’a fallu toute une vie pour le lire mais cro cro bien mes amours

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting tale by George Sand, weaving her socialist ideals into a fairytale style story set in rural France.

[Trounin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Судьба Франции — постоянно взлетать и падать. Населяющие её люди подвержены быстрым общественным переменам — они всегда желают двигаться вперёд, даже если это направление ведёт в обратную сторону. Нет такого, чтобы отдельно взятое поколение французов не старалось изменить жизнь, им требуется пересматривать заслуги прошлого и строить новое понимание будущего. Беда же их нации сводится к постоянному возвращению к исходной точке: от чего пытались избавиться — к тому в итоге и пришли. Даже если брать для рассмотрения ситуацию середины XIX века, бурного времени до того небывалых технических революций, ничего существенным образом не поменялось — французы остались французами, обречёнными вернуться назад, забыв о новоявленных ценностях в угоду постоянной жажды изменять действительность, снова повторяя поступки прежних поколений.

(c) Trounin

[Steve Gordon]

Fantastico!

[Ce · Rating 4 out of 5]

what difference does it make to have or not money? a good tale that rescues some values that now are taken as just a joke

[Sasha Chewohin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Пока солнце не скрылось за горизонтом, рыжеволосый автомедон недурно справлялся со своей задачей. Он держался самой изъезженной, а следовательно — и самой разбитой, но зато и наиболее падежной дороги. Ему удалось благополучно преодолеть два или три ручья, следуя по колеям, оставленным на берегу проезжавшими здесь телегами.

Часы на соседней церкви пробили шесть, когда Лемор и Большой Луи дошли до кофейни папаши Робишона. Это был малюсенький домик, но ему было присвоено то громкое название, которое ныне красуется на вывесках непритязательнейших кабачков в самой что ни на есть провинциальной глуши: «Кофейня Возрождения». Ко входу вела узенькая аллея, обсаженная молодыми акациями и пышными георгинами. Дворик «для объяснений» примыкал к стене церкви готического стиля; стена была покрыта плющом и вьющимися розами; густые, сплетающиеся в шатры, заросли жимолости и ломоноса загораживали дворик от соседских взглядов и наполняли благоуханием утренний воздух. Цветы вокруг, аккуратно посыпанная песком земля делали этот уголок, где, ввиду раннего часа, еще не было людей, чрезвычайно уютным; он скорее подходил для любовных свидании, нежели для кровопролитных схваток.

В самом деле, не терпит ли в чем-то существенном ущерба этот интерес, что вызывает у нас романтическая история, хотя бы и весьма жизненная, когда мы не знаем, насколько примечательна была внешность главной героини? Недостаточно даже, чтобы нам сказали: «Она была хороша собой»; если нас берут за живое превратности ее судьбы и необычность обстоятельств, в которых она оказалась, то мы хотим Знать, блондинка она или брюнетка, высока или мала ростом, порывиста или мечтательна, предпочитает щегольские или скромные наряды; если нам говорят, что она идет по улице, мы бросаемся к окну поглядеть на нее и, в зависимости от впечатления, производимого ее обликом, либо начинаем симпатизировать ей, либо — так и быть — прощаем ей то, что она понапрасну привлекла к себе внимание публики.

[Richard Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like George Sand, and this is a very readable, pleasant novel, though it's probably more like a 3.5 to me.

The main character, Marcelle, is likable, and I'm rooting for her; and the title character, the miller, is pretty cool--though they don't end up together. And that's kinda the problem. Marcelle, a rich noblewoman who lost her husband and is finding their finances in a shambles, is in love with a man, Lemor, who despises money, like a good socialist (apparently) and she still has too much of it. He's so annoying and foolish and unbelievable that I thought sure the author would reveal that to Marcelle, but nope. She still likes him to the end. The notion that he couldn't marry her because she was too well off is just so... well, it's stupid. Just stupid. He's an idiot. The two of them are happier that all their money in the world burns up (oops--that's a spoiler) in a fire than if they'd been able to use it for anything at all.

Who thinks like this? Can you give some to charities and put some in an account for when your child grows up? Help out your neighbors, maybe? Can't you think of anything positive to do with money? Do you think it's the *money's* fault that France's upper class are out of touch?

Despite that annoying aspect to the story, it's mostly pretty entertaining, a decent read, with several other interesting and strange characters. Marcelle is inspecting her remaining property, trying to figure out a new life as a regular, semi-poor person, and because she's so kind she makes lots of good friends who look out for her. I enjoyed that aspect.

I felt 3.5 about the whole novel, but I like the author and want to do her a solid--so it's a 4 from me, dawg.

Modestly recommended.

[Leab · Rating 5 out of 5]

lecture pour l'université:

je ne pensais pas autant aimé mais j'ai été agréablement surprise par cette lecture !! j'ai adoré l'ambiance, les deux couples, je me suis laissée emporter sans rien voir venir et ça m'a beaucoup plus 🫶🏼 très hâte de lire d'autres livres de cette autrice !!

[D. Stark · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining and enchanting tale with strong characters...

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my absolute favorite books I read in any of my french classes at Tufts. Right balance of description and plot with interesting characters and backstories.

[JulieG_Quebec · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[David Flett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Charming.