When a thief fleeing the gallows and a nobleman, both down on their luck, cross paths one day, the thief kills the nobleman and assumes his identity, forever struggling to stay one step ahead of exposure.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Written in the style of an 18th-century adventure, Perutz's leisurely tale of switched identities and reversals of fortune concerns a nameless thief fleeing the gallows who crosses paths in 1701 with a noble-born deserter from the Swedish army. The brazen thief betrays the nobleman, Christian von Tornefeld, by assuming his identity while on an errand, then taking over his cousin's manorial estate in Silesia and marrying his young, adoring fiancee Maria, who believes that the imposter is von Tornefeld. Meanwhile, Christian takes the thief's promised job, enduring nine hellish years as a foundry worker. Moments of high drama and broad comedy enliven the tale, which takes a number of twists before the two men meet on the road years later to exchange identities once again, a move that proves fatal for both. Prague-born novelist Perutz ( Little Apple ), who fled the Nazis to Palestine and died in 1957, spins an allegory that implicitly asks: If God is just, why do evil and injustice flourish? Brownjohn's deft translation captures a rough-and-tumble milieu saturated with superstitions, spells and folk customs.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
When a young nobleman deserts from the Swedish army, a thief steals his identity and tricks him into servitude in the bishop's lime kilns. The thief then leads a gang that steals gold from churches throughout the Silesian countryside. He emerges (with ample money) as the Swedish cavalier, pays off the debt on the aristocrat's family estate, and weds the beautiful cousin who has not seen her fiance since childhood and doesn't realize she's marrying an impostor. But the thief's new comfort is endangered when his old gang returns, one step ahead of the hangman. His plotting enables him to escape with his life, but he finds himself condemned to a living hell. Though Perutz died in 1957, his fiction's unique blend of history and the fantastic place it in the vanguard of its genre. This latest translation (following Little Apple , LJ 4/1/92) continues Arcade's laudable commitment to publishing this exceptional writer in English. Highly recommended.
- Paul E. Hutchison, Bellefonte, Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
- Paul E. Hutchison, Bellefonte, Pa.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A gripping historical mystery AND a wrenching emotional tale,
By
This review is from: The Swedish Cavalier (Hardcover)
A brave soldier and a callous, sheltered rich boy become friends on the battlefield -- they exchange identities, so the rich boy's wonderful loving fiancee ends up marrying the soldier and the rich boy goes to war as he dreamed to. But the consequences of this tradeoff are so much richer, sadder and more beautiful than either man imagined possible. The story is seen through many eyes, not least through the eyes of the granddaughter of the Swedish cavalier.This novel is one of the sparest, most honest, adventurous and passionate works of art I have ever encountered. It is a crime that this work is out of print! No literary novel is more moving and beautiful; no mystery novel is more exciting. Is there any way to petition the publishing powers that be to put out a new edition of this wonderful writer? Oh, never mind --
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
four and 1/2 stars, actually.,
By fluffy, the human being. (forest lake, mn) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Swedish Cavalier (Hardcover)
first published in austria in 1936, this is a fantastically readable adult fairy-tale/parable. an adventure story of stolen identity, of gained and lost fortune, of mankinds best and worst aspects. if you took the skull of ivan turgenev and smashed it into the head of gabriel garcia marquez, this is the sort of novel that would fly out of the impact (then you would be arrested, and rightly so). judging from this novel, i would say that those who put the label of master storyteller onto leo perutz's name did an accurate job of labelling. i very much look forward to reading more of this neglected authors work.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
beautiful book,
By ace (ny) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: The Swedish Cavalier (Hardcover)
This is a gem - second book of his i read - I loved being with the characters and the wonderful tale and characters - he is a great writer
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