Ninety-Three

Ninety-Three
By Victor Hugo

I am told that Victor Hugo wrote this book from passed down experience of his grandfather had. Imagine if your grandpa to you a story about his World War II experience and you the novelist and wrote a book about it. How do you keep the facts in order as you impart your reaction to grandpa’s story? How does grandpa’s story square up with everyone else’s story? Does it matter? There is a lot of Hugo family heritage or folklore in this book as Hugo poses great questions through human drama. He again does a great job of casting the players in a story that is once again colorfully set in the west of France.

Characters: The Royalist held an ideal that the old ways of easily identified rules prevailed. Family & King. The values held with in those rules found one man conceding to another on the grounds of his family heritage. Or otherwise said the successes of one man could be passed down to another as his free choice. Nobility came with an obligation to uphold the family name and therefore the nobleman instilled this upon his heirs. Whether this is accomplished or not is another story. Honor is put forth as the trait in mankind that provides his compass to navigate his decisions, which lead to his relative bearing on society. The Royalist in the story are led by Marquis Lentenac who is ruthless and takes no prisoners and offers no quarter to the enemy.

The Revolutionist held an ideal that the new ways where difficult to negotiate rules prevailed. Family, city, country. The values held with in those rules found man conceding to another on the grounds of his country’s heritage. Nobility came with an obligation to uphold the rules of citizenship and therefore the nobleman left noble heritage to the community. Honor is put forth as the trait in mankind that provides his compass to navigate his decisions which lead relative his bearing on society. The Revolutionist in the story are led by Vicount Gauvain who is ruthless and takes no prisoners and offers no quarter to the enemy where the enemy is in uniform and engaged in battle.

Setting: The Parisian, French represented the revolutionist as a city of new ideals against countryside of Vendees, Breton. While Hugo does not necessarily elaborate on the cause and effect of a need for more rules in the city versus the country; he does characterize the city dweller as more educated and capable of seeing the need for social rule. Given is that they live in close quarters where it is easier to come across differences and see the need for civil law. Being less exposed to differences Hugo portrays the Vendee dweller of the countryside as simpler in thought but more loyal to his virtues.

Hugo does not in prose put is finger on cause and affect, but he does riddle the book with his notorious poetic metaphors of opposites as the two sides engage in conflict. As an example metaphor: “Hope would be the greatest power on earth if were not for desperation.” And every time Hugo does this, the reader finds his reading paused in thought. (at least for me) Eventually, the thoughts become entangled. In the end Hugo delves into the struggle within man as reason wrestles with feeling. I say this because the setting is with the mind of man and you the reader become a part in it.

Authors message: Within the authors message I heard him say that upon any social storm, this one being a civil war a moral compass is found in your honor. There was really little difference between the opposing forces and a lot more in common which requires a well thought out compass to choose right from wrong. On a grander stage Hugo writes “When the rights of man is lost in the bureaucracy of justice that includes the scribblers”(press) “that right is lost, just the same as in a monarchy”. There is civil justice and there is higher justice. Hugo poses a question: that man grapples with ideals –v- absolutes. ………feelings –v-reason. How does a person arbitrate one without the other?

Storyline: The story obviously takes place during the French Revolution, which for all practical purpose by 1793 takes the form of a civil war. The two characters that provide the catalyst for Hugo’s message are Cimourdain a priest who raised Gauvain and Michelle Flechard a mother who was order shot by Lentenac. To make the story filled with family suspense Gauvain and Lentenac are relatives. The story is filled with chivalry, deceit, cynicism, love, human drama, and intrigue as one force captures another force only to find their leaders heroically trade places. At the climax of the story when one opposing forces save the three surviving children of Michelle Flechard from a fire, ideals are reconciled and the heroes play their part.

But are they heroes? To be heroes I would have ended the book differently. Hugo leaves the reader with a lot to think about. But other than pointing out the conflicts within man and society his heroes answer no questions in my mind. Of course the questions he poses are difficult so do not be dismayed. Or maybe I an just a little thick headed. I would enjoy sharing my ending with those who have read the book. Hugo’s other possible ending lay within the final chapter, but he lets it slip away along with the answer to the question he poses.

But I’ll also leave you with this question: Is history a tale of the actual events or is history a tale of your reaction to the events?