L'Archange et le Procureur

[amie-de-rimbaud.livejournal.com]

I read the novel L’Archange et le Procureur by Christophe Bigot over winter break and thought I’d briefly share a few of my thoughts. I was surprised to see such positive reviews online, since my own is rather lukewarm.

The story is narrated by Annette Duplessis, who is fulfilling the request of Horace (in a letter from Haiti) to impart his parents’ ‘true’ story. On the level of historical content, there weren’t any serious problems that I can remember. In terms of characterization, Bigot doesn’t glorify the Desmoulins couple; both have their flaws, related and qualified by Annette, the moral anchor of the novel. Saint Just is the most ‘evil’ presence; although he doesn’t appear much, his influence over Robespierre determines the fates of Camille, Lucile, and the Revolution. When she goes to plead for her daughter’s life, Annette glimpses a shirtless Saint Just in Robespierre’s bedroom.

When I first saw the title, I assumed that Lucile was the ‘archange,’ which made me wary of an idealized portrait. But it actually refers to a quotation from Marc Bloch that opens the novel (“L’histoire, à condition de renoncer elle-même à ces faux airs d’archange...”) and to Saint Just, who reminds Annette of an engraving in the Desmoulins home of the “archange de la liberté.” Lucile isn’t quite an angel, which is good; she ranges from coquettish to callous, but isn’t overall very interesting, her primary quality being extreme devotion to Camille.

The novel doesn’t take an especially new or different angle on the Desmoulins story. I’d recommend it if you have some time to spare, but it’s not a must-read for any Camille fan.