Amédée Achard (1814–1875)

Like the "Three Musketeers" of Dumas it is a cloak and dagger novel narrating the coming of age of a young man this time during the "Grand Siecle" of Louis XIV and its wars of the Spanish Succession led in 1667-1672 against the Holy Roman Empire accross Flanders and the Spanish Netherlands.

With a combination of gothic fright and lush descriptions, Achard's prose is at its best when describing moonlight lit sword fights, romantic rendez-vous, secret conspirators and a thousand flags floating over the tents of the "Sun King" army.

You may visit Versailles to get a glimpse of what was once the light of Europe, but never will you have a better vision of the XVIIth century than through Achard's epic portrayals in his novel [Belle-Rose].

Granted that one may perfectly think that written in1847, one year before the great social revolution of 1848, Achard reminiscences of such glorious past may have been as many anachronisms.

But that was the privilege of the author and our enjoyment as readers.
1848 ruined financially Dumas. I do not have yet biographical elements of how Achard survived it and if anyone knows, please let us know.… (meer)