Novels set in the French Revolution

Novels set in the French Revolution

Novels set in the French Revolution

The French Revolution was a social and political conflict that shook the Ancien Régime from 5 May 1789 to 9 November 1799. Characterised by the leadership of Napoleon Bonaparte and, by extension, the unrest in other countries, this historical period full of changes, intrigues, passionate loves and the fight for freedom has inspired dozens of writers.

From Victor Hugo to Alexandre Dumas and Charles Dickens, many authors have taken the French Revolution as a reference to take readers on a journey through the dark alleys of the Bastille, the battlefields where soldiers lived with the greatest fervour, and the salons of Parisian high society. But they have also portrayed an era of unparalleled cruelty and lust for power.

Best novels set during the French Revolution

14 Juillet — July 14 (2016)

Éric Vuillard wrote this work through the various perspectives of the anonymous people who suffered the ravages of the beginning of the French Revolution, as well as the previous events that led to the struggle. To do so, The author approaches history as a mix of "the novelistic, the historical and the documentary." Its protagonists are not great heroes, but rather characters who reflect social unrest through the storming of the Bastille.

Vuillard does not remain anchored in an anecdotal character, but seeks to reflect on how the past should function as a mirror in which we look at ourselves to build our present. In this sense, The author presents the French Revolution as a teacher who has left a legacy of lessons which is worth studying to prevent new conflicts.

Phrases of July 14th

  • "You have to write what you don't know."
  • «Precarization is a central issue for people today.»

Scaramouche (1921)

This is an exciting adventure novel written by Rafael Sabatini. It was set in the years before the French Revolution. The story follows André Louis Moreau, a young lawyer whose life takes a drastic turn when his best friend is murdered by the ruthless Marquis de La Tour d'Azyr.

Moved by the thirst for justice, André Louis is forced to flee and, on his way, adopts different identities: actor in a theatre company under the name Scaramouche, fencing master and eventually a key figure in the revolutionary movement.

Quotes of Scaramouche

  • —«You know, André, sometimes I think you have no heart.

—Probably because I sometimes betray my intelligence.

  • "Do you expect sincerity in man when hypocrisy is the keynote of human nature? We are fed by it, we are educated in it, we live by it; and we are seldom aware of it."

A Tale of Two Cities — A Tale of Two Cities (1859)

Dickens portrays the chaos and brutality of the French Revolution through the lives of its protagonists. Set in London and Paris, The plot tells the adventures of Charles Darnay, a French aristocrat who renounces his title on moral principles, and Sydney Carton, an English lawyer of great intelligence but consumed by his own self-destruction.

Both characters are united by their love for Lucie Manette, the daughter of a doctor who spent years unjustly imprisoned in the Bastille. However, when Darnay returns to France and is arrested for his lineage, the revolution marks him as an enemy of the people. In the midst of terror and the guillotine, Sydney Carton finds in this conflict an opportunity to redeem himself and give meaning to his life in an unforgettable act of sacrifice.

Quotes of History of two cities

  • "All we need is a strong desire to do what is right, and a firm resolution not to do what is wrong."
  • "Nothing is lost through peace; everything is lost through complacency."

Le Comte de Chanteleine — The Count of Chanteleine (1864)

De Julio Verne, is a historical work set specifically during the Vendée rebellion, a conflict between revolutionaries and monarchists in western France. The work shows the Count of Chanteleine, a nobleman loyal to the monarchy who faces brutal persecution by revolutionaries..

When his family and home are threatened, the Count joins the Royalist resistance to fight against the Republic in a guerrilla war full of betrayal, battles and heroism. In his fight for survival and justice, He will have to face former friends turned enemies and an uncertain destiny in the midst of the chaos of the revolution.

The red ribbon (2008)

The work is based on the life of Teresa Cabarrús, a fascinating woman who went from being a Spanish noblewoman to one of the most influential figures in revolutionary FranceBorn in Madrid and sent to Paris to marry the powerful Marquis de Fontenay, Teresa soon finds herself caught up in the turbulent events of the French Revolution.

From a submissive wife, she becomes a cunning strategist who manages to survive and prosper in a world dominated by terror and the guillotine. Her intelligence and charm lead her to interact with key figures of the time., including Robespierre and Napoleon, while using his influence to save lives and change the course of history.

Marie Antoinette. Bildnis eines mittleren Charakters — Marie Antoinette (1932)

It is a fictionalized biography that portrays with psychological depth and rigor Historical the life of the last queen of France before the Revolution. From her arrival at the court of Versailles as a young Austrian archduchess to her tragic end on the guillotine, Zweig shows the evolution of a woman who went from frivolity and luxury to resignation and sacrifice.

Through a vibrant and emotional story, the work explores her marriage to Louis XVI, the unpopularity that surrounded her for her extravagance and her alleged scandals, and how, in the face of the advance of the revolution, Marie Antoinette became a tragic and dignified figureZweig combines psychological analysis with captivating narrative, offering a nuanced and human portrait of a queen who was a victim of her time and her fate.

Other books set in France

  • Los Miserables, by Victor Hugo (1862);
  • A History of the French Revolution, by Thomas Carlyle (1837);
  • The player, by Claude Cueni (2008);
  • The Queen's Necklace, by Alexandre Dumas (1849 – 1850);
  • The Knight of Maison Rouge, by Alexandre Dumas (1845);
  • Ciudadanos, by Simon Shama (1989);
  • Age of Enlightenment, by Alejo Carpentier (1962);
  • The eight, by Katherine Neville (1988);
  • A violin sounded in Paris, by Maria Reig (2025);
  • Just one more day, by Susana Fortes (2025);
  • Paris woke up late, by Maximo Huerta (2024);
  • The Elegance of the Hedgehog, by Muriel Barbery (2007).

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