Customer Reviews

Coup de Grace

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This novella which takes place during the national and ethnic conflicts in Eastern Europe at the time of WW1 explores life through the eyes of a soldier and his two best friends. The soldier however has a code by which he lives and he conducts himself with utmost respect to this code and this code only. Tragedy follows. This may remind a few readers of some of Conrads short works that deal withthe same theme. Yourcenar's working of this material is stretched to novella length though and will try some readers patience as the character is not all that fascinating, what is fascinating is how the writing never wavers(not too much anyway)or tells too much. She lets the character live the consequences of his chosen code. There is a wonderful scene toward the end where the main character seems baffled by his own existence. Not a masterpiece of a novella but to readers who like fiction of this length this is an exercise in the possibilities of the form. Yourcenars introductory essay is very interesting on this point.

Erick von Lhomond twenty years later reflects on the events during the time of the Russian Civil War when he was a young man. This relatively short novel focuses on Erick's relationship with a brother and sister, Conrad and Sophie. Set in the Baltics, at Conrad and Sophie's aristocratic home which has been converted into an army barracks, Yourcenar beautifully draws out Sophie's unrequited love for Erick against Erick's indifference and strong comradeship for Conrad. There is an undertone of Erick's lack of interest in women having a gay aspect although Yourcenar never brings this to the surface. This harrowingly tragic novel is vividly and authentically written and based on a true event.