The Sainte-Hermine Novels

Book excerpt: The two lesser-known novels of Duma introduce a reader into the advantageous Napoleonic world, full of courtesy and noble heroes, tragic love stories, duels, political intrigues, and people ready to defend their ideas at the cost of their lives. "The Companions of Jehu" sends us to the early days of the Napoleonic era, as Napoleon himself only started his stellar political career as a First Consul. The story tells about the opposition between the adherents of royalty and Napoleon supporters. Yet, a reader can't find a clear villain on any side. Both the royalists and their political foes display honor and nobility, and neither side makes the reader less sympathetic. After "The Companions of Jehu," Dumas wrote "The Whites and the Blues," which he called the most strictly historical of his works. Although it was created later, it is actually a prequel to "The Companions of Jehu." The book covers the turbulent times following the French Revolution, before the Napoleon era. In those times, belonging to the wrong political party could cost a life. It tells us about young people dragged into the political turmoil, where they were forced to fight for their lives and ideals. Interestingly, one of the characters was inspired by Dumas' friend Charles Nodier. The ones who read and Loved "The Companions of Jehu" will be surprised to meet their favorite heroes a couple of years younger, when their views were just shaped, and their fates outlined.