Product Description
Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Publisher: London T. Fisher UnwinSubjects: French fiction -- 19th century History and criticismFrench fiction -- 20th century History and criticismNotes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1882 edition by Charavay frères éditeurs, Paris. ... Read more

Product Description
Originally published in 1922.This volume from the Cornell University Library's print collections was scanned on an APT BookScan and converted to JPG 2000 format by Kirtas Technologies.All titles scanned cover to cover and pages may include marks notations and other marginalia present in the original volume. ... Read more

Product Description

Indulge Yourself with the best classic literature on Your PDA. Navigate easily to any novel from Table of Contents or search for the words or phrases. Author's biography and stories in the trial version.

Customer Reviews (2)

The Revolt of the Angels
Works of Anatole France. Inclds Penguin Island, Thais, A Mummer's Tale, The Aspirations of Jean Servien, The Well of Saint Clare, The Queen Pedauque, The ... more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

"The Revolt of the Angels" is hilarious and silly. A perfectly ironic retelling of "Paradise Lost." The book tells the story of an archbishop's guardian angel who starts reading the bishop's books on Theology and becomes an atheist. The angel moves to Paris, meets a woman, has his wings fall off & takes up the harp to make a living, since he can't handle harmony. Then he meets the Devil. This is a very funny book, by the world's greatest ironist.

Anatole France won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1921
Works of Anatole France. Inclds Penguin Island, Thais, A Mummer's Tale, The Aspirations of Jean Servien, The Well of Saint Clare, The Queen Pedauque, The ... more. Published by MobileReference (mobi)

I'm a big Anatole France fan. His satire is funny because it's so very true. Anatole France spares no one in his satire. I recommend this ebook for all those who continue to believe in Ideals. ... Read more

Product Description
This title has fewer than 24 printed text pages. The Story Of The Duchess Of Cicogne And Of Monsieur De Boulingrin - 1920 is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Anatole France is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Anatole France then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Product Description
Designed for school districts, educators, and students seeking to maximize performance on standardized tests, Webster's paperbacks take advantage of the fact that classics are frequently assigned readings in English courses. By using a running thesaurus at the bottom of each page, this edition of Tha¿s by Anatole France was edited for students who are actively building their vocabularies in anticipation of taking PSAT¿, SAT¿, AP¿ (Advanced Placement¿), GRE¿, LSAT¿, GMAT¿ or similar examinations.
PSAT¿ is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination Board and the National Merit Scholarship Corporation neither of which sponsors or endorses this book; SAT¿ is a registered trademark of the College Board which neither sponsors nor endorses this book; GRE¿, AP¿ and Advanced Placement¿ are registered trademarks of the Educational Testing Service which neither sponsors nor endorses this book, GMAT¿ is a registered trademark of the Graduate Management Admissions Council which is neither affiliated with this book nor endorses this book, LSAT¿ is a registered trademark of the Law School Admissions Council which neither sponsors nor endorses this product. All rights reserved. ... Read more

Product Description
Anatole France, de son nom exact François-Anatole Thibault, (1844-1924), né à Paris, quai Malaquais, est un écrivain français. Il est considéré comme l’un des plus grands écrivains de la Troisième République dont il fut également l’un des plus importants critiques littéraires, et comme l’une des consciences les plus significatives de son temps, s’engageant en faveur de nombreuses causes sociales et politiques du début du XXe siècle. Anatole France fait ses études au collège Stanislas. Il est disciple de Leconte de lisle, avec qui il travaillera quelque temps comme bibliothécaire au Sénat. France connaît son premier succès public, en 1881, avec Le Crime de Sylvestre Bonnard, couronné par l’Académie française. Il rejoint Émile Zola, avec qui il s’est réconcilié, lors de l’affaire Dreyfus. Il participe à la fondation de la Ligue des droits de l’homme. Son engagement dreyfusard se retrouve dans les quatre tomes de son Histoire Contemporaine (1897- 1901). Il est lauréat en 1921 du prix Nobel de littérature pour l’ensemble de son oeuvre. Ses oeuvres comprennent: Thaïs (1890), Le Jardin d’Épicure (1895), Pierre Nozière (1899) et L’Île des Pingouins (1908). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Holy Moly
The other reviewers have spoken so eloquently and intelligently on the value of this book that I can do its genius no further justice.

Instead, I challenge myself to slip this quote into a casual conversation:

"The lily of thy virtues has flowered upon the dunghill of thy corruption."

(Let's bring this into idiomatic usage, you guys!)

Somber satire
Anatole France is best known as a satirist, including such pointed goofiness as his "Penguin Island." This story lacks the overt humor of PI, but lacks none of its thrust.

The story itself is simple enough. Paphnutius, an ascetic hermit, lives a desert life of fasting, flagellation, and isolation in the name of his God of Love. He recalls the dissipations of his mundane life before donning the sack-cloth, most especially his dissipations with seductress Thaïs. In a twisted infatuation, he determines to become the pander who will deliver her body and spirit to the exclusive service of that god, "for her own good" of course. France's story allows Thaïs a relatively gentle passing from this plane. Paphnutius, however suffers the agonies in himself of all the contradiction that he imposed onto those around him, without ever discovering the source of his self-inflicted injury.

As with a dinner of many courses, France's writing delivers its substance in the main dishes but its piquancy in the little bits on the sides. He introduces a minor character to baffle the self-righteous Paphnutius, an anchorite who practices austerities like his own but not for a god like his own - a neat jab at religious extremists who can't understand that they don't have a monopoly on morality. He also introduces the effete philosopher who reads about morality, when no other entertainment presents itself. Then he offers us Thaïs herself. She beguiles men's minds on stage, and amasses a fortune of love-offerings in her harlotry. But she returns good value for value given, and those who have lost the most to her seem to think it a fair trade. France may not propose any clear code of upright behavior, but he's energetic in tweaking the bluenoses who claim to have all the answers.

Despite being a century old or more, this has a lot to say about today's religious loudmouths, the ones who live in the black-and-white world of obedience or opposition. France doesn't single them out, though. He also sees and describes lots of others, both the elevated and the debased. Without providing any clear answers or even clear questions, he offers an interesting and contrasting set of case studies. The interaction of those characters is their comparison, and France leaves any conclusion to the reader. Which, of course, is where it belongs.

//wiredweird

PS: I'm reviewing a different edition of this book than the ISBN on this page would indicate. This is a 1920s or 1930s volume from the "Illustrated Editions Company" with no attribution for the translator. It's a beautiful object, though, with rough-cut and un-cut pages, archaic illustration, and paper so thick and soft that it makes me think of flannel sheets. If I find a product listing for this specific edition, I'll move my review there.

A good book
This is the first book I've ever read of Anatole France and I was expecting some sort of laugh out loud satire but this book is quite serious.

The basic plot of the story is as follows. It is set in the early centuries after the death of Christ, in Egypt. The hero is Phaphnutuis a fanatical ascetic monk living in a desert monastary, who pleasures himself by subjecting his person to as much bodily deprivaiton as possibly, which he thinks is pleasing to god. He gets a vision that tells him to go toAlexandria and Cairo to seek out the actress Thais, a lady of incomporable beauty and sensuality who lives a life of extreme luxury and gets favors from powerful men by fornicating with them. Phaphnutius with single minded zeal hopes to rescue Thais from this life of sin and bring her to Jesus.

In a way this story is one of awesome power, not just for the stretches of excellent writing it contains, but for the staggering tragedy of how Phaphnutius's life turns out, how he is overwhelmed by demons. But the story itself suffers I think, by how France's structures his dialogue. In the Dostoyevsky style, he has his characters talking to each other in the form of lengthy speeches. Unlike Dostoyevsky's dialogue, the prose of the dialogue in this book is in ornate style. However this prose is still beautiful. Nonetheless, these long speeches interrupt the power of the narration. This is particularly the case where about two thirds of the way through, France afflicts the reader with 15 or so pages of tedious rambling philosophical discourses from the mouths of the politicians and generals at the drunken party to which Phaphnutius accompanies Thais. There is a certain sloppiness in the narration in this part but following it, is the best writing of the book. This writing indeed is really first rate.

I get the feeling that the book could have been better if it had had more editing to it, but I really don't know anything.

Touches on themes relevant to our times
Although written in 1890, Thais is quite topical in 2006 insofar as it uses irony to explore the hypocrisy inherent in religious zealotry. Paphnutius is the ascetic monk (who might also be described as ignorant, arrogant, and intolerant) who breaks his long desert hermitage to return to the city to "save" the courtesan, Thais, reputedly the most beautiful woman in the world, as well as a woman with a generous heart and, we ultimately learn, a pure spirit. Paphnutius's fanaticism is both a source of humor and censure, and it thinly veils his own sinfulness and false motives. Paphnutius is the most fully drawn character in the novel,the other characters are largely broad archetypes. Nevertheless, the exploration of the consequences of shutting oneself off from society, from new ideas and worldviews, even from oneself is powerful and relevant today.

Anatole France won the 1921 Nobel Prize for his body of work.

Absolutely Charming!
I loved how characters are colorfully and lively portrayed. I can almost see their parallel today in the Coptic Church. Humor is mingled with philosphy in the character of Paphnutius, Paul the Simple is seen as a man with supernatural feats and his slowness of mind is taken for "sacred" in a praiseworthy sense. Palemon is so colorful and amusing in his prayers as he has unique relationships to lettuces and sweet peas and talks to them as a true monk is in full communion with nature. So hilarious! ... Read more

Product Description
But the hospital walls were very thick, and daylight entered only by narrow windows high up above the floor. The air was so fetid the lepers could scarcely live in the place at all. And Fra Giovanni noted how one of them, by name Lucido, who showed an exemplary patience, was slowly dying of the evil atmosphere. ... Read more

Product Description
It would argue too much literary conceit on my part were I anxious to restore it to the light of day. It would argue, perhaps, still more did I endeavour to keep it in obscurity. You will not succeed in wresting it for long from the eternal oblivion where-unto it is destined. Ay me, how old it is! I had lost all recollection of it. I have just read it over, without fear or favour, as I should a work unknown to me, and it does not seem to me that I have lighted upon a masterpiece. It would ill beseem me to say more about it than that. My only pleasure as I read it was derived from the proof it afforded that, even in those far-off days, when I was writing this little trifle, I was no great lover of the Third Republic with its pinchbeck virtues, its militarist imperialism, its ideas of conquest, its love of money, its contempt for the handicrafts, its unswerving predilection for the unlovely. Its leaders caused me terrible misgivings. And the event has surpassed my apprehensions.
... Read more

Product Description
This scarce antiquarian book is a selection from Kessinger Publishing's Legacy Reprint Series. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment to protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature. Kessinger Publishing is the place to find hundreds of thousands of rare and hard-to-find books with something of interest for everyone! ... Read more

Product Description
Translation of Le lys rouge. ... Read more