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Scaramouche
(Scaramouche #1)
by
“Last Wednesday he had been engaged in moving an audience of Rennes to anger; on this Wednesday he was to move an audience of Guichen to mirth...”
Once he was André-Louis Moreau, a lawyer raised by nobility, unconcerned with the growing discontent among France’s lower class—until his friend was mercilessly struck down by a member of the aristocracy.
Now he is Scaramouche. Sp ...more
Once he was André-Louis Moreau, a lawyer raised by nobility, unconcerned with the growing discontent among France’s lower class—until his friend was mercilessly struck down by a member of the aristocracy.
Now he is Scaramouche. Sp ...more
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Mass Market Paperback, 359 pages
Published
June 1st 2001
by Signet
(first published 1921)
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Start your review of Scaramouche (Scaramouche, #1)

4.5 stars for this swashbuckling historical novel, written in 1921 by Rafael Sabatini, set during French Revolution times in the late 1700s. Andre-Louis Moreau is a young lawyer of unknown parentage, but has a protective godfather, Quentin de Kercadiou, a local lord in Brittany, France. Andre-Louis is very fond of de Kercadiou’s niece Aline, so when he finds out she’s planning on accepting a proposal from the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr for practical reasons, not love, he’s deeply disappointed. Th
...more

At the dawn of the French Revolution, when Aristocrats are about to tumble down into the toxic precipice, there lived in the village of Gavrillac, Brittany, with his Godfather, Andre-Louis Moreau. A young lawyer of unknown origin, now, but earlier when the infant Andre-Louis was brought there, Quentin de Kercadiou, Lord of that settlement, announces that he is the "Godfather", the people are amused. Obviously the child is a product of an ill-fated romance, and Monsieur Kercadiou, is the father,
...more

"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
Everybody and their brother quote the opening sentence of the book and no wonder: it really is very much quotable. In this case I do not want stand up in the crowd and there you have it.
André-Louis Moreau was born from unknown parents and raised by a local lord Quentin de Kercadiou. Thanks to him André-Louis received a good education and became a lawyer. We are talking about France right before the revolution.

Try as he co ...more
Everybody and their brother quote the opening sentence of the book and no wonder: it really is very much quotable. In this case I do not want stand up in the crowd and there you have it.
André-Louis Moreau was born from unknown parents and raised by a local lord Quentin de Kercadiou. Thanks to him André-Louis received a good education and became a lawyer. We are talking about France right before the revolution.

Try as he co ...more

This reviews can be found on Amaranthine Reads.
"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
André-Louis Moreau, a country lawyer with no idea and no care for his birth-heritage, witnesses the murder of his eloquent friend by a swarthy aristocrat and swears vengeance, yet the laws of pre-Revolution France do not equate to justice for all and he is forced to flee for his life when he stirs up Revolutionary madness within the citizens of France. He finds safety with a tr ...more
"He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
André-Louis Moreau, a country lawyer with no idea and no care for his birth-heritage, witnesses the murder of his eloquent friend by a swarthy aristocrat and swears vengeance, yet the laws of pre-Revolution France do not equate to justice for all and he is forced to flee for his life when he stirs up Revolutionary madness within the citizens of France. He finds safety with a tr ...more

Jan 15, 2018
Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-romance,
historical
He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.”
One of the best opening lines I've ever read!
I'm sure this will end up being one of my favourite (re)reads of the year.
A fast paced read that seamlessly merges André-Louis story with real history and leaves you wanting to read more of both. The style is romantic, but the romance(s) are of the realistic sort. (view spoiler) and that he is a very f ...more

Aug 30, 2011
Terry
rated it
it was amazing
Recommends it for:
lovers of swashbucklers, historical fiction and witty repartee
I wavered between four and five stars on this one, but I totally have to go with the five. It’s just that awesome. I was actually a little surprised at how much I loved this book. I mean, I love swashbucklers and historical fiction…Dumas père is my man, but the only other Sabatini novel I’ve read, Venetian Masque, I found to be a little underwhelming so I did not expect this from Sabatini. Speaking of Dumas, I almost think that _Scaramouche_ can be placed in the same company as that master’s gre
...more

Seminal novels have a curious tendency of being very much unlike the genres they inspire. It's something I've explored before, in
The Lord of the Rings
(fantasy),
The Virginian
(western), and
The Moonstone
(mystery), and Scaramouche definitely resembles the latter two in how they stray from what we might expect.
Firstly, we have an unusually introspective, complex protagonist. Much less the dashing hero, we are shown a doubting cynic, a recluse who sees the cruel inequality of the wor ...more
Firstly, we have an unusually introspective, complex protagonist. Much less the dashing hero, we are shown a doubting cynic, a recluse who sees the cruel inequality of the wor ...more

Jan 24, 2018
Jaya
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classicus,
unapologetic-romance-reads-2018,
audio,
re-reads,
kindle,
slo-mo-ros,
mmxviii,
la-venganza,
popsugar-18,
historical
"From the Robe to the Buskin, and now from the buskin to the Sword! What will be the end of you I wonder"
It is always a gamble to re-read your childhood favourites. Lately I'v had a couple of bad hits while trying to revoke the passion towards a few books that I worshipped as a child. Scaramouche, is one of those titles.
Without going into the details of the book, I am happy to conclude that after more than a decade I have a better understanding of this book. This is a story of swashbucklin ...more

Andre-Louis Moreau is the Scaramouche of fame. I am delighted with this knowledge, as it finally helps me to solve one of the many mysteries of Queen. But more than that, I am absolutely delighted with the work in general. Sabatini's evocation of the heady, tense, uncertain, firecracker days before the beginning of the French Revolution of 1789 is beautifully done. I classified this as fantasy because I believe that it is painted brightly enough to sear into my imagination as much as any Middle
...more

Scaramouche was a marvellous surprise. I'd never read Sabatini before as I harboured the prejudice that an adventure novel written in 1922 would feel cliché, out-of-date, and ultimately disposable. Instead, Scaramouche surprised me at every turn.
The character of André-Louis Moreau has qualities both admirable and execrable. We admire his daring, eloquence, and instinctive sense of justice that transforms his outrage over the killing of his friend by a nobleman into a life of danger, even as we c ...more
The character of André-Louis Moreau has qualities both admirable and execrable. We admire his daring, eloquence, and instinctive sense of justice that transforms his outrage over the killing of his friend by a nobleman into a life of danger, even as we c ...more

I have enjoyed many classics this year and Scaramouche is one of those gold nuggets not a lot of people know about. If there is another classic I can compare it to—it would be the Count of Monte Cristo. Seriously? YUP!! Granted, the Count is much longer since Scaramouche is about a third of the size, but both books follow the revenge plot with elements of friendship, swashbuckling sword fights, and of course—love.
To be brief, Scaramouche is about a Frenchman, Andre-Louis Moreau, who plans to av ...more
To be brief, Scaramouche is about a Frenchman, Andre-Louis Moreau, who plans to av ...more

Aug 27, 2017
Cphe
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017,
classic,
obsession,
romance,
angst,
guardian-1000-2017,
historical,
historical-romance,
suspense
Really sorry that it's taken me so long to read this engaging historical romance played out against the background of the French Revolution.
Filled with engaging characters it's a swashbuckling tale delivered with wonderful atmosphere. Many reviews already on offer. For a "free ebook" I had no issues at all with the quality of this edition. Time well spent. ...more
Filled with engaging characters it's a swashbuckling tale delivered with wonderful atmosphere. Many reviews already on offer. For a "free ebook" I had no issues at all with the quality of this edition. Time well spent. ...more

This is a book about a fictional character who lived in Brittany, France, at the time of the French Revolution. It is a plot oriented tale. The central character, André-Louis Moreau, is educated as a lawyer. He is of the aristocracy. A close friend is killed and Moreau wants retribution. He has a gift for words, which gets him into trouble and then he must hide. We watch his path as buffoon in a troupe of traveling actors to becoming a fencing-master, a politician and a revolutionary. We watch h
...more

I read Scaramouche in the 1950s. Scaramouche was originally published in 1921. I was unaware there were a number of books published as a series. This book “Scaramouche: A Romance of the French Revolution” was originally published in 1947. I remember I enjoyed the story but cannot remember much about the storyline; so, I decided to read this book instead of Scaramouche.
Our protagonist is André-Louis Moreau, a lawyer raised by nobility. The story is set in the French Revolution. Moreau is accused ...more
Our protagonist is André-Louis Moreau, a lawyer raised by nobility. The story is set in the French Revolution. Moreau is accused ...more

Thunderbolt of Lightning, Very, Very Frightening
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, Will You Do the Fandango?


This a rollicking romantic adventure, circa 1921, following the life, loves and transformation of Andre-Louis Moreau in the years leading up to the late 18th Century French Revolution, from cynical lawyer to comic actor (playing clownish Italian character Scaramouche) and, ultimately, into a swashbuckling romantic. It's no literary treasure though.
If you enjoyed Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeer ...more
Scaramouche, Scaramouche, Will You Do the Fandango?


This a rollicking romantic adventure, circa 1921, following the life, loves and transformation of Andre-Louis Moreau in the years leading up to the late 18th Century French Revolution, from cynical lawyer to comic actor (playing clownish Italian character Scaramouche) and, ultimately, into a swashbuckling romantic. It's no literary treasure though.
If you enjoyed Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeer ...more

I couldn't actually find the edition I read...but I loved this book. Find it read it you won't regret it. High adventure, romance, intrigue, betrayal.... So buckle on you swash and sally forth.
Set in the midst of the French revolution this is a very satisfying "high adventure" of swordplay and romance... (of course it's by Sabatini, what else should we expect?)
Enjoy.
***UPDATE****
I just reread this...again. I've read it several times and like it immensely, it rates among my favorite novels.
I'm a ...more
Set in the midst of the French revolution this is a very satisfying "high adventure" of swordplay and romance... (of course it's by Sabatini, what else should we expect?)
Enjoy.
***UPDATE****
I just reread this...again. I've read it several times and like it immensely, it rates among my favorite novels.
I'm a ...more

You know you want to.
So most people recognize "Scaramouche" from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, but the original story started in the 17th century in the Italian theater. You probably recognize him when you see him:

In Sabatini's story Andre-Louis Moreau witnesses the death of his best friend at the hands of a nasty aristocrat, and thus dedicates his life to taking down the mean ol bastard. Andre-Louis goes into hiding as - surprise! - Scaramouche in a traveling troupe. Then there's plenty of swashbu ...more
So most people recognize "Scaramouche" from Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody, but the original story started in the 17th century in the Italian theater. You probably recognize him when you see him:

In Sabatini's story Andre-Louis Moreau witnesses the death of his best friend at the hands of a nasty aristocrat, and thus dedicates his life to taking down the mean ol bastard. Andre-Louis goes into hiding as - surprise! - Scaramouche in a traveling troupe. Then there's plenty of swashbu ...more

Jan 14, 2009
Wealhtheow
rated it
liked it
Recommends it for:
fans of the Scarlet Pimpernell, In the Name of the Wind, or the Princess Bride
Recommended to Wealhtheow by:
Kelly
Shelves:
battle-of-wits,
historical
Written in the 1920s but set directly before the French Revolution, this is the story of a young lawyer from the provinces, Andre-Louis. Raised and educated among the nobility, he has not the wealth, parentage, or hypocrisy needed to remain in their midst. When the Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr viciously and cold-bloodedly kills Andre-Louis's best friend, a naive priest, Andre swears vengeance. The corrupt system of laws is no help, and Andre is turned from his home and profession for his trouble-ma
...more

A stupendous adventure novel!
It's been a while since I've enjoyed a swashbuckler, mostly because the adventures often are overly melodramatic in the classics, but this one has just the exact amount to be enjoyable and not off-putting, and since the character at one point becomes an actual Comédie actor playing the role of the buffoon, whatever histrionics there are in the plot doesn't feel out of place and goes well with the main lead's personality. And Sabatini does establish the personality o ...more
It's been a while since I've enjoyed a swashbuckler, mostly because the adventures often are overly melodramatic in the classics, but this one has just the exact amount to be enjoyable and not off-putting, and since the character at one point becomes an actual Comédie actor playing the role of the buffoon, whatever histrionics there are in the plot doesn't feel out of place and goes well with the main lead's personality. And Sabatini does establish the personality o ...more

First line: "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
According to Wiki, "Scaramouche" also called Scaramuccia, means a roguish buffoon character in the commedia dell'arte.
A great novel, it reminds me Dumas pere books, with a lot of twisting plots, duels and plenty of historical figures, like Marat, Danton , Marie Antoinette and so on.
A decade later after Scaramouche publication, Sabatini wrote a sequel, Scaramouche the Kingmaker text , which was not as well rece ...more
According to Wiki, "Scaramouche" also called Scaramuccia, means a roguish buffoon character in the commedia dell'arte.
A great novel, it reminds me Dumas pere books, with a lot of twisting plots, duels and plenty of historical figures, like Marat, Danton , Marie Antoinette and so on.
A decade later after Scaramouche publication, Sabatini wrote a sequel, Scaramouche the Kingmaker text , which was not as well rece ...more

July 2018 reread via audiobook narrated by Simon Vance: 4.5* Vance does an excellent job narrating this classic but the way I listened to it (mostly in the car) prevented me from being as caught up in the story as I have reading the paperback. Still a rollicking good tale about the last few years leading up to the French Revolution!
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I loved the 1952 movie with Stewart Granger so much I decided to go to the source & read the book... The book is amazing! It had so much more depth than the mov ...more
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I loved the 1952 movie with Stewart Granger so much I decided to go to the source & read the book... The book is amazing! It had so much more depth than the mov ...more

I just finished and loved to distraction The Beloved Vagabond by William J. Locke. Paragot, the main character, reminded me of the first line in Scaramouche "He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad."
...more

I was prompted to read this by its similarities with my favourite book of all time - Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers. While Sabatini is no Dumas, I still found this incredibly enjoyable and exactly what I've been looking for since I ran out of Musketeers novels to read. I find the French history fascinating, though I feel this would have been more enjoyable if I did know the names and bullet points regarding the French Revolution. The focus here, though, is on how this history affected the
...more

4.5 stars. Wow! What an exciting ride...I really enjoyed this fast-paced, exciting adventure set during the French Revolution. If I hadn’t read this along with the Goodreads Retro Reads group for our January group read, I doubt if I would’ve picked it up on my own - and that would’ve been a shame. I want to try new (to me) authors and books in 2018, and this is a delightful group to do that with.
I can also use this book for the Book For All Seasons challenge, reading a book set during a revoluti ...more
I can also use this book for the Book For All Seasons challenge, reading a book set during a revoluti ...more

I'm listening to B.J. Harrison's reading via his wonderful The Classic Tales podcast. It's been a while and I'm greatly enjoying this third time through the story.
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I reread this in preparation for an SFFaudio discussion in a few weeks. It's about time they tried some Rafael Sabatini and I'm proud to have pushed it upon them. The only thing better than my initial reading was listening to Robert Whitfield's (a.k.a. Simon Vance) excellent narration, thanks to my library.
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Extremely ...more
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I reread this in preparation for an SFFaudio discussion in a few weeks. It's about time they tried some Rafael Sabatini and I'm proud to have pushed it upon them. The only thing better than my initial reading was listening to Robert Whitfield's (a.k.a. Simon Vance) excellent narration, thanks to my library.
=========
Extremely ...more

Before the reader has had time to settle in, the beloved friend of Monsieur Moreau (soon to be known as Scaramouche) - the pair being young petites bourgeoises with noble dreams of a France committed to liberté, égalité, fraternité - is slain by the haughty and unyielding aristocrat the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr (one of literature's great antagonists), husband-to-be of Scaramouche's cousin Aline. Our hero - less one dear friend - will be forced to flee the long arm of justice after being condemn
...more

This book just wasn't for me. I really didn't like the author's writing style. I thought the pace was uneven. Too many long political discussions, with some action sequences in between. An OK read.
...more

André-Louis Moreau is a young lawyer in the small village of Gavrillac who knows much of the human world. Therefore he doesn't much care for it. Also, he being of the Grumbling Cynics, he is often heard muttering a variation of a miserable little chant about seeing little hope for humanity and all that. Anyways, his best friend on the other hand, still believes in the existence of such silly heroes of the old myths as Equality and Justice. So when one day he stumbles upon a dead man in the woods
...more

Jan 06, 2010
K.
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
French Revolution students
Shelves:
blood-and-morality-tales
Interesting book. Went well with Les Mis as it deals with the beginnings of the French Revolution. Nicely fleshed out some historical names Hugo mentions but doesn't define.
Things I liked:
*Sabatini must have had an enormous personal vocabulary. There were so many words that I've never even seen before, and I've seen quite a few words. That's always fun, although I didn't take the time to look them up.
*High moral tone. Hero is the epitome of self-made man who pulls himself up by his own bootstr ...more
Things I liked:
*Sabatini must have had an enormous personal vocabulary. There were so many words that I've never even seen before, and I've seen quite a few words. That's always fun, although I didn't take the time to look them up.
*High moral tone. Hero is the epitome of self-made man who pulls himself up by his own bootstr ...more

If you've never read any Rafael Sabatini, then I urge you to do so. He writes historical novels that are at least as good as Sir Walter Scott's, if not slightly better. This particular one concerns Andre-Louis's adventures as a part of the french Revolution, its build-up and subsequent events.
Scaramouche is a character from the Comedia dell' Arte whose characteristics fit the protagonist to a T. Sabatini has an easy style and keeps the interest up throughout the novel. There's a second one with ...more
Scaramouche is a character from the Comedia dell' Arte whose characteristics fit the protagonist to a T. Sabatini has an easy style and keeps the interest up throughout the novel. There's a second one with ...more
topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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Retro Reads: Scaramouche Group Read Feb 2018 Spoiler thread | 24 | 27 | Feb 12, 2018 12:15PM | |
Retro Reads: Scaramouche Group Read Feb 2018 Book 3 | 10 | 22 | Feb 12, 2018 12:05PM | |
Retro Reads: Scaramouche Group Read Feb 2018 Books 1-2 | 48 | 35 | Feb 08, 2018 11:20AM | |
Around the World ...: Discussion for Scaramouche | 10 | 31 | Apr 16, 2017 01:14PM |
Rafael Sabatini (1875 - 1950) was an Italian/British writer of novels of romance and adventure. At a young age, Rafael was exposed to many languages. By the time he was seventeen, he was the master of five languages. He quickly added a sixth language - English - to his linguistic collection. After a brief stint in the business world, Sabatini went to work as a writer. He wrote short stories in the
...more
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“He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.”
—
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“...it is human nature, I suppose, to be futile and ridiculous.”
—
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