The Horseman on the Roof

I read this in French "Le hussard sur le toit" and loved both the language and the story. Giono is less well-known to English readers than his Provençal fellow writer Marcel Pagnol, but his stories are lyrical, though there is a darker side to the traditional French peasant in Giono's vision. ( )

Different from his early novels, which in Germany probably would be classified as « Blut-und-Boden-Literatur », blood and soil literature, the later ones range, for my taste more amusing, in the category « adventure ».

First of a two part series (the 2nd book is titled 'The straw man' and for what it's worth there is another title 'Angelo' that refers to the same main character) this swashbuckling adventure story tells us about one Angelo Pardo and Italian nobleman and revolutionary traveling through the Provencal region of France and his mission to hook up with another revolutionary in the town of Manosque. As much a part of the story are 1) the Provencal region where Giono himself grew up which is beautifully rendered throughout and 2) an extremely deadly cholera epidemic that has the local authorities trying to seal off a vast area so that it won't spread throughout the country. And then there is Pauline a rich and beautiful lady married to a much older man who the ever gallant and somewhat ferociously adept with his sword Angelo takes upon himself to deliver back to her home and to her husband in one piece. This is a very exciting adventure story--especially once one gets into it a little way and Giono as a writer has a special talent for describing the natural wonders of his homeland. ( )