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danidep's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
beingshort's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lgpiper's review against another edition
3.0
As I understand it, this is one of those archetypical books of an earlier era in which noble, privileged Englishmen ran off to the French Foreign Legion so as to confront adventure and romance. They're all so honest, upright and noble, never noticing for a moment that they're hideously racist and are actively supporting a system of empire in which they think it's the white man's God-given right to plunder the wogs, or something. They euphamize this all by calling it "peaceful penetration". It sounds like a so-called conservative's approach to shrugging off an act of rape. "I didn't rape the woman, your honor, I was merely honoring her by an act of peaceful penetration."
Anyway, this is one of those kinds of books, once considered part of the swash-buckling adventure books all young boys grew up reading (at least in my father's time). It's not bad, really, but the assumed superiority of these people who had everything handed to them on a silver spoon, does get wearying. Of course that attitude is still with us. And also, of course, for the most part, people don't understand that. It's what they grew up with and most of us don't question much. We seem wired to go with the con so long as there's a veneer or silver polish on it.
Whatever, the book is split into roughly three parts. It begins with an officer of the French Foreign Legion coming up to an outpost where all the soldiers are dead, but have been propped up at the parapets so as to seem like the fort is still fully manned. The bugler climbs over the walls to investigate, then disappears. The officer then climbs over the walls, and finds the fort's commander has been bayoneted through the chest. He is clutching a letter, which purports to be a confession to a jewelry theft by one Michael Geste. Michael Geste is the nephew and ward of a Lady Patricia something-or-other, whose estate the French officer has visited a few times. On the way home, he tells his story to a British Officer who has been pining for Lady Patricia for 25 years or so. Naturally, they want to do a full investigation.
Then we cut to a scene of six idle, well coddled young people larking around on Lady Patricia's estate, in between sessions away at school. There are the three Geste brothers, Lady Patricia's daughter, Claudia, the daughter's orphan companion, Isobel, and another hanger on, Augustus, whom everyone hates. At some point, they are admiring a special blue sapphire that Lady Patricia owns. The lights go out, and when they come back on, the sapphire is gone. They do various forms of investigation, but can find neither the sapphire nor the thief. One by one, the Geste brothers disappear, so as to be noble and cast suspicion on themselves and away from everyone else. First goes Michael, the ringleader of the merry band of dependents. Then his twin Digby bolts. Finally, younger brother John, who is also the narrator of much of the story, leaves. They have all run off to join the French Foreign Legion for romance and adventure.
So, the third part of the book is John's telling about the romance and adventure in the Foreign Legion, his finding his brothers, and so forth. There's not much romance and adventure, actually, mostly tedium, tedium in the so-called action and tedium in the telling. Eventually, we get some resolution regarding the jewel theft and realize how truly noble and high minded these young men are, despite their being lackeys of the imperialist system, or something.
As I understand it, Wren wrote a bunch of subsequent off shoots from this book. Perhaps they are indeed filled with swash buckling adventure. This book, while interesting for its significance in helping to understand one's cultural history, seemed to be to be overly filled with people's thinking through their options regarding one method of action or another, and not all that much actual action, romance and adventure.
Anyway, this is one of those kinds of books, once considered part of the swash-buckling adventure books all young boys grew up reading (at least in my father's time). It's not bad, really, but the assumed superiority of these people who had everything handed to them on a silver spoon, does get wearying. Of course that attitude is still with us. And also, of course, for the most part, people don't understand that. It's what they grew up with and most of us don't question much. We seem wired to go with the con so long as there's a veneer or silver polish on it.
Whatever, the book is split into roughly three parts. It begins with an officer of the French Foreign Legion coming up to an outpost where all the soldiers are dead, but have been propped up at the parapets so as to seem like the fort is still fully manned. The bugler climbs over the walls to investigate, then disappears. The officer then climbs over the walls, and finds the fort's commander has been bayoneted through the chest. He is clutching a letter, which purports to be a confession to a jewelry theft by one Michael Geste. Michael Geste is the nephew and ward of a Lady Patricia something-or-other, whose estate the French officer has visited a few times. On the way home, he tells his story to a British Officer who has been pining for Lady Patricia for 25 years or so. Naturally, they want to do a full investigation.
Then we cut to a scene of six idle, well coddled young people larking around on Lady Patricia's estate, in between sessions away at school. There are the three Geste brothers, Lady Patricia's daughter, Claudia, the daughter's orphan companion, Isobel, and another hanger on, Augustus, whom everyone hates. At some point, they are admiring a special blue sapphire that Lady Patricia owns. The lights go out, and when they come back on, the sapphire is gone. They do various forms of investigation, but can find neither the sapphire nor the thief. One by one, the Geste brothers disappear, so as to be noble and cast suspicion on themselves and away from everyone else. First goes Michael, the ringleader of the merry band of dependents. Then his twin Digby bolts. Finally, younger brother John, who is also the narrator of much of the story, leaves. They have all run off to join the French Foreign Legion for romance and adventure.
So, the third part of the book is John's telling about the romance and adventure in the Foreign Legion, his finding his brothers, and so forth. There's not much romance and adventure, actually, mostly tedium, tedium in the so-called action and tedium in the telling. Eventually, we get some resolution regarding the jewel theft and realize how truly noble and high minded these young men are, despite their being lackeys of the imperialist system, or something.
As I understand it, Wren wrote a bunch of subsequent off shoots from this book. Perhaps they are indeed filled with swash buckling adventure. This book, while interesting for its significance in helping to understand one's cultural history, seemed to be to be overly filled with people's thinking through their options regarding one method of action or another, and not all that much actual action, romance and adventure.
chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
3.0
Adventures and interactions in the French Foreign Legion and other groups.
ozielbispo's review against another edition
4.0
Este livro de guerra e aventura conta a história de três irmãos que após o roubo de uma valiosa safira chamada blue water, pertencente à sua tia Patrícia Brandon, fogem da Inglaterra e se alistam na Legião Estrangeira Francesa. Por que os irmãos fugiram e se juntaram à Legião Estrangeira? Como esta decisão se relaciona com o roubo da joia preciosa? Quem roubou a " Blue Water" ?
Os três irmãos serão colocados em um forte perdido no norte da Nigéria, onde o "le cafard", a loucura do deserto devido à inatividade expectante, acaba afetando todo o destacamento.
Honra, Heroísmo e loucura irão tomar conta da vida destes jovens.
O livro tem um final surpreendente!
Beau Geste teve três adaptações para o cinema (a mais conhecida é a de 1939, dirigida por William A. Wellman e estrelada por Gary Cooper) e uma minissérie da BBC.
A edição que li foi traduzida brilhantemente por Monteiro Lobato.
Os três irmãos serão colocados em um forte perdido no norte da Nigéria, onde o "le cafard", a loucura do deserto devido à inatividade expectante, acaba afetando todo o destacamento.
Honra, Heroísmo e loucura irão tomar conta da vida destes jovens.
O livro tem um final surpreendente!
Beau Geste teve três adaptações para o cinema (a mais conhecida é a de 1939, dirigida por William A. Wellman e estrelada por Gary Cooper) e uma minissérie da BBC.
A edição que li foi traduzida brilhantemente por Monteiro Lobato.
itabar's review against another edition
3.0
I read this so long ago I don't remember anything about it except that I liked it.
viktoriya's review against another edition
1.0
This book was recommended to me by someone who read it as a teenager. I can see the appeal this book would have on a boy that age. All that heroism, adventures, running away from home, the mystery of a stolen jewel. Reading it at my "old" age I didn't really see all that appeal. I think this book would have benefited from a better editor. I can't tell you how many times I was about to give up reading this book.
midlifehedgewitch's review against another edition
3.0
Three and a half stars.
I've read a review of this book, the top rated review here on Goodreads, and I must say I am astounded!
I do wonder if this person read a different book to the one that I read. I found no pseudo Christian moralising in this book, and I must say I am absolutely astounded that the woman who wrote the top rating review seems to find such a strong Christian message in the novel . This is a book about honour, despair, death, war, adventure and loss. It's not a book that should be seized upon by doe-eyed US bible bashers to advance their own fairy tales.
Beau Geste is first and foremost a boys own adventure from the beginning decades of the 20th century. It provides a snapshot of the British Empire and the thinking of its upper class citizens at that time: rollicking adventure, personal loss and tragedies, and a little stiff-upper lipped British romance.
Whilst the writing is truly dated, and the first part of the book is in need of a desperately good edit, the remainder of the book scoots along at a cracking pace.
As I was reading it as research for a book I am writing, I enjoyed it a little more than I thought I was going to.
Tally go and all that, and to those who find religious moralising in the every shadow and pavement crack, may I remind you that what you're doing is no different to shamen finding portents in the entrails of sacrificial chickens!
I've read a review of this book, the top rated review here on Goodreads, and I must say I am astounded!
I do wonder if this person read a different book to the one that I read. I found no pseudo Christian moralising in this book, and I must say I am absolutely astounded that the woman who wrote the top rating review seems to find such a strong Christian message in the novel . This is a book about honour, despair, death, war, adventure and loss. It's not a book that should be seized upon by doe-eyed US bible bashers to advance their own fairy tales.
Beau Geste is first and foremost a boys own adventure from the beginning decades of the 20th century. It provides a snapshot of the British Empire and the thinking of its upper class citizens at that time: rollicking adventure, personal loss and tragedies, and a little stiff-upper lipped British romance.
Whilst the writing is truly dated, and the first part of the book is in need of a desperately good edit, the remainder of the book scoots along at a cracking pace.
As I was reading it as research for a book I am writing, I enjoyed it a little more than I thought I was going to.
Tally go and all that, and to those who find religious moralising in the every shadow and pavement crack, may I remind you that what you're doing is no different to shamen finding portents in the entrails of sacrificial chickens!