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El Duelo (1908)

by Joseph Conrad(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

8402067425 (ISBN13: 9788402067425)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Bruguera

review 1: Years ago, watching TV, flipping through the channels, one lame program after another, I came across a Napoleonic film midway through and stopped for a moment because I recognized Keith Carradine. Then I saw Harvey Keitel. Intrigued, I continued to watch and was quickly enthralled. The film was, I would later learn, The Duelists, Ridley Scott’s brilliant 1978 film. At the time, I did not even know the title of the show that I enjoyed so much, but later learned and saw the film again. Recently I learned that the film was based upon a short story by Joseph Conrad and I knew I had to read the novella. As I read, I could not help visualizing the scenes (renewed applause for the casting director) with Carradine as D’Hubert and Keitel as Feraud.Conrad’s work, titled ... moreThe Point of Honor and published in 1908, equally good as Scott’s film, is unusual for the Polish writer as it is neither a nautical tale nor one told from the perspective of the late 1800s. As much of a fan of Conrad’s as I am, I must concede that many of his works are brooding and introspective, and move slowly, especially while he lays the foundations for his setting and characterizations. This one, also somewhat unusual for Conrad, moves fast and is filled with action. Set in Napoleon’s army, it chronicles an ongoing vendetta between two Hussar officers and over a period of several years. Begun as an indolent, misunderstood duel, the two war against each other amidst the backdrop of Napoleon’s truculent reign. One point that Conrad makes, and it stands clear throughout the narrative, is that the duel actually benefitted the two. The martial contest made each work and strive a little harder, made the will to survive and prevail in their personal contest as earnest as the will to live through the bloody Napoleonic war years. Both officers in Napoleon’s army, and both “military to the bottom of the soul” the duel invigorated both and revived them when their fortunes were down. Similarly, the two experienced an odd intimacy. They were not friends, but Conrad showed how, between two warriors, the adversary may be as close, or even closer, than family.
review 2: Most of the time I read books that interest me and then other times I read to be challenged. This was one of those books that challenged me. I had no idea what the books was about but it was freebe for my Kindle. After reading a brief synopsis of the book I found myself having to find some information on the main theme and a little history of the time the book was written. The author Joseph Conrad, writes a tale of two officers in the French Army who fought a series of of duels in the midst of Napoleonic wars on some futile pretext. This pretext was never disclosed and I think Conrad invented one. The book starts in 1800 and last until 1815. There is a lull in the Napoleonic wars and the French soldiers are enjoying a moment of peace. Napoleon Bonaparte prohibits combat with civilians by his soliders. One of his commanders, Lieutenant Feraud seriously wounds a nephew of a Mayor of a French town. A general has sent one of his officers Lieutenant Armand d'Hubert to make inquiries about this charge. He is ordered to find him and bring him back to the barracks where he will be put under house arrest. From then on for the next 15 years, Feraud will be obsessed with the idea of settling his dispute with d'Hubert by dueling with him. Conrad is a good story teller. The reader might need to do a little homework on the art of dueling which was very popular in France during this time to settle a dispute. I enjoyed the book and I also found out a little about French History during the Napoleon era. less

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