Anatole France (1844–1924)

An absolutely peerless writer; I doubt that I could pick a page at random and not find something pithy or witty or amazingly insightful. The story follows the adventures of Jacques Tournebroche, a young man plucked from his father’s “restaurant” in the very early 17s by a travelling monk and scholar who teaches him Latin, Greek, and the classics. The two are hired by an alchemist to translate the works of ancient authors. Throw in some depressingly antisemitic rants relating to a Jewish character whose image panders to the worst stereotypes and you have what might even be called a rousing adventure story. Much of the book is devoted to satirizing the church and religion, though the book is actually based on a 17th-century occult text. There are innumerable references to ancient and medieval authors, many of whom are unknown. And yet, for all its challenges, I found it to be a real page-turner.… (more)

A collection of six stories by a master. Not his best stuff though, as with most books of his that I’ve read, when he’s “on” France is a true master stylist. The title story is about the magus, Balthasar, one of the three kings said to have visited Christ in the manger. As France's Nobel citation said, he had a “profound human sympathy” and he often wrote about religion, though he could be caustic about organized religion. I think the most accurate review I can give is that this is really a book for “completists”—those who feel compelled to read everything they can by a particular writer. The book definitely had its highlights, but—if I am being completely honest--they were too infrequent to merit a recommendation for the book as a whole. He wrote too many far better, more worthwhile books to spend your energies on this one. (If you’re curious, the entire volume (translated into English) is available at Project Gutenberg here.)… (more)

I like Anatole France; I think his gentle satire and immense learning are a wonderful vehicle for his pleasing prose. But sooner or later I suppose it is inevitable that even in a well-loved author, one will find a book that doesn’t measure up. Sadly—since I was eagerly anticipating this famous work—this was it. The tale is simple: nearsighted monk baptizes the penguins and God, after a curious theological debate, decides to turn the penguins into humans. The rest of the book follows the rise and fall of this “human” civilization and thus gives France the chance to skewer the "high points" of Western civilization. From time to time, flashes of brilliance. Far more often, just disappointing. Tedious even. The successful moments, the perfect set pieces, are simply too infrequent. Not recommended…but don’t let that keep you from France. You just need to choose something else.… (more)