The Knight of Sainte-Hermine
Encyclopedia
The Knight of Sainte-Hermine (originally published in France in 2005 under the title Le Chevalier de Sainte-Hermine) is an unfinished historical novel
by Alexandre Dumas
. It is believed to be Dumas' last major work, and the story was lost until 2005, when it was announced that an almost-complete copy had been found in the form of a newspaper
serial
. While a number of his previously forgotten works have been unearthed, this is the largest at 900 pages. The story is a swashbuckling tale set during the rise of the Napoleonic Empire
. A key scene features the Battle of Trafalgar
, and the death of the British
admiral Horatio Nelson
.
The novel concludes the story started in the 1857 novel The Companions of Jehu (Les Compagnons de Jehu), and continued in the 1867 novel The Whites and the Blues (Les Blancs et Les Bleus). It was published in installments from January 1, 1869 to November of the same year in the French newspaper Le Moniteur Universel. While there were a number of errors caused by the rush to publish in a serialized form, the newspaper carried almost the entire novel. Only a short section was missing at the end, presumably due to illness. Dumas died in 1870.
The story was then lost until 1988, when Dumas expert Claude Schopp discovered the newspaper serial in the archives of the National Library of France
. Schopp kept the find a secret until 2005, confiding only Jean-Pierre Sicre, his editor, and Christophe Mercier, a literary critic
. During the last 10 years before the announcement, Schopp converted it to novel form, worked on correcting the many errors including confused names and places, and wrote a final section.
The novel was released on June 3, 2005 by Sicre's publishing house Editions Phebus. The final two-and-a-half chapters, written by Schopp, were printed in italic to distinguish it from Dumas' work. It immediately became a bestseller in France. Pegasus Books in New York published an English translation (The Last Cavalier) in 2007. Schopp intends to write a sequel based upon a newly discovered outline.
The five-act Dumas play The Gold Thieves discovered by Reginald Hamel in 2004, was also found in the National Library of France.
The swashbuckling historical novel takes place after the events of French Revolution
and during the subsequent rise of the Napoleonic Empire. The protagonist is a French aristocrat
who is torn between the old and new ways, and seeks vengeance for two brothers killed during the course of the preceding novels. The main character also kills the British admiral Horatio Nelson after his victory during the Battle of Trafalgar against the French and Spanish navies. In reality, Nelson was killed by an unknown sniper
.
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
by Alexandre Dumas
Alexandre Dumas, père
Alexandre Dumas, , born Dumas Davy de la Pailleterie was a French writer, best known for his historical novels of high adventure which have made him one of the most widely read French authors in the world...
. It is believed to be Dumas' last major work, and the story was lost until 2005, when it was announced that an almost-complete copy had been found in the form of a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
serial
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
. While a number of his previously forgotten works have been unearthed, this is the largest at 900 pages. The story is a swashbuckling tale set during the rise of the Napoleonic Empire
First French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
. A key scene features the Battle of Trafalgar
Battle of Trafalgar
The Battle of Trafalgar was a sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the French Navy and Spanish Navy, during the War of the Third Coalition of the Napoleonic Wars ....
, and the death of the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
admiral Horatio Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson
Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars. He was noted for his inspirational leadership and superb grasp of strategy and unconventional tactics, which resulted in a number of...
.
History
- "You can imagine my surprise when, among reels and reels of microfilmed archives, I stumbled upon an almost complete serialised novel, entitled The Knight of Sainte-Hermine, and signed by Alexandre Dumas". —Claude Schopp (Bell, 2005)
The novel concludes the story started in the 1857 novel The Companions of Jehu (Les Compagnons de Jehu), and continued in the 1867 novel The Whites and the Blues (Les Blancs et Les Bleus). It was published in installments from January 1, 1869 to November of the same year in the French newspaper Le Moniteur Universel. While there were a number of errors caused by the rush to publish in a serialized form, the newspaper carried almost the entire novel. Only a short section was missing at the end, presumably due to illness. Dumas died in 1870.
The story was then lost until 1988, when Dumas expert Claude Schopp discovered the newspaper serial in the archives of the National Library of France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
. Schopp kept the find a secret until 2005, confiding only Jean-Pierre Sicre, his editor, and Christophe Mercier, a literary critic
Literary criticism
Literary criticism is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often informed by literary theory, which is the philosophical discussion of its methods and goals...
. During the last 10 years before the announcement, Schopp converted it to novel form, worked on correcting the many errors including confused names and places, and wrote a final section.
The novel was released on June 3, 2005 by Sicre's publishing house Editions Phebus. The final two-and-a-half chapters, written by Schopp, were printed in italic to distinguish it from Dumas' work. It immediately became a bestseller in France. Pegasus Books in New York published an English translation (The Last Cavalier) in 2007. Schopp intends to write a sequel based upon a newly discovered outline.
The five-act Dumas play The Gold Thieves discovered by Reginald Hamel in 2004, was also found in the National Library of France.
Plot
- "It's vintage Dumas, in the same vein as the vengeful hero of The Count of Monte-Cristo." —Claude Schopp (Bell, 2005)
The swashbuckling historical novel takes place after the events of French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
and during the subsequent rise of the Napoleonic Empire. The protagonist is a French aristocrat
Aristocracy (class)
The aristocracy are people considered to be in the highest social class in a society which has or once had a political system of Aristocracy. Aristocrats possess hereditary titles granted by a monarch, which once granted them feudal or legal privileges, or deriving, as in Ancient Greece and India,...
who is torn between the old and new ways, and seeks vengeance for two brothers killed during the course of the preceding novels. The main character also kills the British admiral Horatio Nelson after his victory during the Battle of Trafalgar against the French and Spanish navies. In reality, Nelson was killed by an unknown sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
.