Jacques Menetrier, the son of a cookshop owner, finds his quiet life turned upside down when the wayward monk, Jerome Coignard, takes him under his tutelage. The pair soon find themselves in the employ of eccentric theorist M. DâAsterac, translating ancient documents on spirits of fire.
Soon, Jacques' new life is thrown into chaos when he is reunited with the beautiful Catherine, whereupon he enters a love triangle that threatens to bring his whole world tumbling down.
âThe Queen Pedauqueâ (1892) is one of Anatole Franceâs lesser-known works but holds its own as a hilarious and compelling tale. Philosophical and farcical in its own right, âThe Queen Pedaqueâ is reminiscent of classic comedic philosophical novels that came after it, such as Iris Murdochâs âUnder the Netâ and Sartreâs âThe Age of Reasonâ.
A must-read for fans of Franceâs work, or anyone hoping to read a true French Classic from a best selling Nobel Laureate.
François-Anatole Thibault (1844 â 1924), better known as Anatole France, was a French journalist, poet, novelist, and Nobel laureate for literature. Spending much of his early life in his fatherâs bookshop, France quickly rose to prominence as a respected author of over 25 works.
A French Classicist writer with a style reminiscent of Voltaire and FĂ©nĂ©lon, Franceâs work has a strong preoccupation with scepticism and hedonism. He is best remembered for his classic French novels âLa RĂŽtisserie de la Reine PĂ©dauqueâ (1893) and âLe Crime de Sylvestre Bonnardâ (1881). Franceâs works have had a historic legacy, and he is recognised today as one of Franceâs most prominent authors.