Coup de Grâce by Marguerite Yourcenar

Translated from the French by Grace Frick
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1957; 151 pages
First published 1939

From the publisher:
Set in the Baltic provinces in the aftermath of World War I, Coup de Grâce tells the story of an intimacy that grows between three young people hemmed in by civil war: Erick, a Prussian fighting with the White Russians against the Bolsheviks; Conrad, his best friend from childhood; and Sophie, whose unrequited love for Erick becomes an unbearable burden.


My Thoughts:

This was my introduction to Marguerite Yourcenar's writing: Coup de Grâce is a book I've had in my "must read" stack for several decades now, and I'm glad I finally got around to reading it even though I can't say it's destined to go on my list of favorites.  The writing is beautiful and the story, though a bit chaotic, is one that sticks with you after you've closed the book.

The short novel is narrated in first person by the book's main character, Erick von Lhomond, an aristocratic young officer fighting against the Bolsheviks in the 1917-1922 civil war.  Erick, his childhood friend Conrad and some of their fellow officers and soldiers are sheltering in a house on Conrad's family estate, waiting to advance in the fighting.  Conrad's aunt and his sister Sophie are also in residence -- along with a female servant, they are the only women in the group of men.  Early on, we learn that Sophie had been assaulted by one of the soldiers, although she tries to keep the fact a secret for as long as possible. 

We get only the story that Erick sees fit to tell, and it's hard to know exactly how dependable a narrator Erick is.  He certainly doesn't come across as admirable or likable, so I suppose we have to believe he's honest.  Of the other characters in the book, I think only Sophie was distinct and memorable.  Some of her actions are a little hard to understand -- but she loves Erick apparently to distraction, and Erick does not love her.  (Erick is actually more interested in Conrad, and memories of their youth together.)  So I guess we're to assume that unrequited love can drive a person to sad and dangerous lengths.  Well, it makes a good story anyway.

It's a short, quick read, and the writing is brilliant.  I don't want to give away much more of the plot, but I'll just say that the ending is very sad.  Well, it's a war story, after all.  Sad, but satisfying. 

Monday Reading Update

"CMS Reading by Gaslight" 1884, William Stott (1857-1900)

I did quite a bit of reading last week -- managed to finish two books I've had going for a couple of weeks now, and a few that have been on my TBR list longer than that.  Even though several of them were really short, I still feel that I accomplished quite a lot.  It's unlikely that I'll be able to keep up that pace, but at least I've made a good beginning for the year.

Finished last week

• Andrew's Brain, by E.L. Doctorow
• The Book Boy, by Joanna Trollope
• Fog Magic, by Julia L. Sauer
• The Only Problem, by Muriel Spark
• The Universe Versus Alex Woods, by Gavin Extence

Reading this week

• Ten Lords A-Leaping, by C.C. Benison

Waiting in the wings

• The Asylum, by John Harwood.  I've had this one for many months now - finally getting around to starting it.
• Gone-Away Lake. Elizabeth Enright.  Another book I'm reading for the Newbery Reading Challenge.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. If you want to let the world know what books you're going to be reading this week, head on over to her blog and leave your link. It's also a great way to discover new books and new blogs.

Teaser Tuesdays: Ten Lords A-Leaping

This week my teaser lines come from Ten Lords A-Leaping by C.C. Benison.  I really haven't started this one -- I just recently received it from the publisher.  It's the third and latest book in Benison's Father Christmas Mysteries series, featuring Tom Christmas, amateur sleuth and vicar of the idyllic little English village of Thornford Regis.  I haven't read either of the other books in the series, so I'm not exactly sure who's who and what's what yet, but anything with a character named Father Christmas has to be worth taking a look at, right?  This snippet comes from p.148:

"I say, Grandmama," Max began as they passed into a cool dark hall, his voice rich with import. "I have some astonishing news....Uncle Olly's gone and snuffed it."
Miranda giggled.
"Miranda!" Tom cautioned.
"Sorry, Daddy." She turned her head to look back up at him, but she didn't appear remorseful.

Uncle Olly who's "gone and snuffed it" was Lord Morborne, who's been found dead (apparently strangled) in the center of a labyrinth on his estate. Now that certainly appears promising, doesn't it?  Sounds like a combination of Agatha Christie and Downton Abbey -- which should be right down my street, dontcha know.

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by mizB at Should Be Reading. If you'd like to read more teasers, or take part yourself, just head on over to her blog.

And please feel free to leave me a link to your Teaser Tuesday post in your comment here.

2014 Chunkster Reading Challenge

I was going to give this one a miss this time around, since I'm pretty much committed to reading shorter books this year.  But there are two or three massive tomes I'd like to get through, too.  So I'm signing up for the 2014 Chunkster Reading Challenge, hosted this year by Vasilly.

For the purposes of the challenge, a chunkster is a book with 450 or more pages; it can be fiction or nonfiction, and e-books and audiobooks are allowed.  If you need inspiration, you can find some good chunkster suggestions over on the challenge blog. 

One really nice thing about this year's challenge is there are no set levels of participation - you can set your own level without being locked into a predetermined number of books.  I'm going to aim for just two big books this year: 

1. Ten Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison (490 pages)
2.

Hoping to do a little better than that, but two might just be all I can handle. 

Book Beginnings: The Only Problem by Muriel Spark

This week I've been reading Muriel Spark's short novel The Only Problem, first published in 1984.  These are the opening lines:

He was driving along the road in France from St Dié to Nancy in the district of Meurthe; it was straight and almost white, through thick woods of fir and birch.  He came to the grass track on the right that he was looking for.  It wasn't what he had expected.  Nothing ever is, he thought.

Initial Thoughts:  Well, my first thought was that I'd really, really love to get back to France someday.  Other than that, the opening didn't exactly grab me.  But I've read enough Muriel Spark to know that no matter how mundane the book may seem at the start, amazing things will emerge.  She was such a wonderful writer.  And this is another book I've been meaning to read for a couple of decades now. Glad I finally got around to it. 

Rose City Reader hosts Book Beginnings on Fridays. As she says, the idea is to post the first sentence (or so) of the book you're currently reading, along with any first impressions or thoughts you have about the book, the author, etc.  It's a wonderful way of adding new books to your must-read list, and a chance to connect with other readers and bloggers.

2014 Mount TBR Challenge

Hosted by: Bev @ My Reader's Block

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014

I honestly thought I had already signed up for this challenge.  Apparently not, though - so I'm doing it now.  I'm always trying to reduce the size of that "must read someday" list/pile, so this challenge is something I really need.

All the guidelines are available over at the challenge announcement/sign-up site (HERE).  I'll be signing up at the "Pike's Peak" level (read 12 books).  I don't really have a list ready (although I have SOME of my TBR list posted over at GoodReads), so I'll just add titles as I go:

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WWW Wednesdays

WWW Wednesdays is a weekly reading event hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

Right now I'm reading (and enjoying) The Only Problem, by Muriel Spark

and Fog Magic, by Julia L. Sauer (also enjoying):

Just a couple of chapters left to read in each of those.

Recently I've finished Coup de Grâce, by Marguerite Yourcenar.

 

Up next?  Well, I still have a few more pages to go in the first book I started this year - The Universe Versus Alex Woods, by Gavin Extence:

The fact that it's taking me so long to finish it definitely doesn't reflect on the quality of book; it's an excellent read.  And when I'm done with Alex and the Universe and everything, I think I might try something for the Vintage Mystery Bingo reading challenge.  Possibly Too Many Cooks, by Rex Stout

or The Man in the Queue, by Josephine Tey.

That should keep me busy for the rest of the month.  Now I'm off to see what everybody else is reading.