A Classical French Romance

Captain Fracasse by Théophile Gautier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'd never heard of this novel or the author before I took a chance on the book, but I'm glad I did (take a chance, I mean). I liked it quite a bit.

Written in a style similar to Sir Walter Scott or Alexandre Dumas, this historical romance tells the story of an impoverished nobleman, the baron de Sigognac, who who walks away from his crumbling chateau to survive as an actor in a troop, hoping he may find some way to improve his family's fortunes. Along the way, he falls in love with a beautiful, sweet young actress named Isabelle. Though she loves him back, she refuses to consider marrying him as her place in society is too low and would compromise the dignity of his position. He accepts her answer but does not give up hope, and he continues to travel and perform with the troop so that he can be near her.

The actors have some success, but the young woman's beauty draws the attention of an unscrupulous nobleman, Vallombreuse, who tries to seduce her. When she rejects him and de Sigognac defends her honor in a duel, injuring Vallombreuse, he instead attempts to have the baron killed. His lackeys fail in numerous attempts, though they eventually succeed in kidnapping the young woman.

The resolution is satisfying and entertaining, which is about all one can hope for in such novels, though the character of Vallombreuse is redeemed a bit too much for my taste. However, the affecting scenes with de Sigognac's loyal cat, dog, and horse, left behind through most of the action and reunited in the end, seemed rather modern, and I liked that touch.

On my scale, I'd say it falls just short of "awesome" but is nicely ensconced in the "very good" range, and I recommend it for those who like Scott or Dumas and would like to read another novel kinda like that set in 1600s France.

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