Riassunto
Riassunto di Le imprese del Brigadiere Gerard
A chi è rivolto
For readers who love fast adventure with a smile, Napoleonic history with a lighter touch, and a vain but lovable narrator whose tales brim with spies, duels and narrow escapes.
Che cos’è questo libro
The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard is a book of linked stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes. The tales first appeared in a magazine in the 1890s and were gathered into a book in 1896. Doyle had read the memoirs of Napoleon's officers with great pleasure, and he wanted to bring that world to life with a hero of his own. The result is Etienne Gerard, a colonel of hussars, who tells his adventures as an old man.
Gerard is brave, quick, and a little ridiculous. He is certain that he is the finest swordsman and the finest horseman in the French army, and he says so often. The joke is that he is often right about his courage and almost always wrong about his cleverness. You get war, spies, chases, duels and narrow escapes, all told with warmth and a sly sense of humour. Along the way you also get a picture of the Napoleonic wars as the men in the saddle might have felt them. Let us begin with the man who tells the tales.
In questo riassunto
- 1Meet Gerard, hero and chief admirerFree
- 2A soldier's world of horse and sabre
- 3Wit and nerve get him out of trouble
- 4Napoleon and the great men in the background
- 5Vanity, loyalty and the comedy of honour
- 6How Doyle builds the stories
Punto chiave 1 di 6
Meet Gerard, hero and chief admirer
The first thing to know about the book is its voice. Etienne Gerard tells every story himself, and he tells it as an old soldier would to listeners who have heard of his fame and want more. He does not hide his pride. He lists his qualities with total sincerity, and he rarely allows that any other officer might have done as well.
This voice is the engine of the whole collection. Doyle lets Gerard praise himself while the events around him show a more complicated picture. A reader soon learns to enjoy the gap between what Gerard says and what actually happens. He means every boast, and that is exactly why the boasts are funny and also oddly touching.
Gerard is a colonel of hussars, the light cavalry of the French army, famous for dash, bright uniforms and a taste for danger. He serves under the Emperor and loves him with a loyalty that nothing shakes. He also loves his horse, his regiment, the ladies he meets, and the glory of France.
The result is a hero who is easy to laugh at and just as easy to like. He never sneers at anyone and he never gives up. When trouble comes, he rides straight into it, and the pleasure of the book is to ride along beside him.
That’s 1 of 6 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
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Questions about Le imprese del Brigadiere Gerard
What is The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard about?
It is a collection of linked adventure stories about Etienne Gerard, a French hussar officer in Napoleon's army. He tells them as an old man, and they mix war, daring missions, comic vanity and narrow escapes.
Who is Brigadier Gerard?
Gerard is a fictional French cavalry colonel invented by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is brave, loyal to Napoleon and very proud of himself, and he is the narrator of every tale in the book.
Is Brigadier Gerard a true story?
No, Gerard is invented, though the wars, the Emperor and many of the settings are real. Doyle drew on the memoirs of Napoleonic officers. The stories first appeared in magazine form in the 1890s.
Is The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard hard to read?
No. The language is clear and lively, and each story stands alone. You do not need to know Napoleonic history to follow the plots, though a little background adds to the fun.
Is it worth reading if I like Sherlock Holmes?
Yes, if you enjoy Doyle's storytelling. The mood is lighter and more comic than Holmes, but you will find the same brisk plots, clear style and sense of surprise.