If you are truly into minute detail of sixteen century France, this is for you. If you are looking for a lot of action and adventure, you might want to look elsewhere as this will disappoint. The details of everyday life are woven into the story, such as the spiritual conflicts between the ruling Roman Catholics and the Huguenots, who are trying to get free from the Catholic church and its perceived abuses. The pace of the story is very pedantic. ( )

This magnificent historical novel was the first of a 13 volume series about the lives of Huguenots in 16th and 17th century France, written by French author Robert Merle between 1977 and 2003, though only the first three in the series have thus far been translated into English. I thought this was wonderfully written, full of colourful incident and characters, set against the backdrop of the growing religious tensions between Catholics and Huguenots, and centred around the lives of a fictional Huguenot family, the Sioracs. National events are covered, but the family's lives and experiences and those of their companions and servants, an eclectic, interesting and amusing group of people remain at the heart of the story. The brethren of the title are Jean de Siorac and his lifelong friend and companion in arms Jean de Sauveterre. The narrator of the story is Jean de Siorac's younger son by his wife Isabelle, Pierre de Siorac. Following the ups and downs of growing up, facing religious persecution and the vicissitudes of plagues and poor harvests, at the end of the novel, following a sad and moving death of a child companion, Pierre and his half brother Samson, nearing adulthood, set out on their journey of life. I will certainly read following books in this series, the sweeping scope and historical grandeur of which led to the author being described as the 20th century Alexandre Dumas. ( )

The Brethren is the first of a series of books which look at a turbulent time in French history from the viewpoint of the de Siorac family based in the Dordogne. This volume is narrated by Pierre de Siorac and tells of how his father bought the manor of Mespec with his booty and wages earned in the service of the army. His father's closest friend has contributed to the purchase of the manor and between them (the Brethren) they set up their household. The Brethren are Protestants and they worship in secret as de Siorac's wife and household are Catholic. However over time the household is converted and becomes a Protestant stronghold during times of Huguenot persecution.

The bigger themes of war and religion take almost a secondary narrative role to the adventures of the household which is a pity as it was the bigger themes that drew me to the book. The narration is rather lightweight and almost detached, it is a very picaresque approach and whether that was the intention or is the fault of the translation I am not sure. After reading a number of reviews I was looking forward to reading this book but it disappointed me. ( )

Valóságos ​​írói rekordot állított fel a Magyarországon is rendkívül népszerű, világhírű francia szerző. Tizenhárom izgalmas, fordulatos regényben dolgozta fel a francia történelem egyik legmozgalmasabb, legviharosabb időszakának, a XVI. század végének és XVII. század elejének, a hugenották, az első Bourbonok, Navarrai Henrik, Medici Mária, XIII. Lajos és Richelieu korának történetét. A regényfolyam főhőse a szenvedélyes és gáláns Pierre de Siorac lovag, a reneszánsz típusú, okos, nemes lelkű és finom érzésű katona-polgár-értelmiségi arisztokrata figura, aki lépten-nyomon veszedelmes kalandokba keveredik, és mindig ott van, ahol a korabeli történelmet alakítják, és ahol „libben a szoknya”. Mert Pierre de Siorac nemcsak a királyoknak, hadvezéreknek, főpapoknak és nemesuraknak, hanem az előkelő szépasszonyoknak is nagy barátja. Nem csoda hát, hogy sokszor eszére, szívére, diplomáciai érzékére és kardjára egyaránt szüksége van, hogy kivágja magát szorult helyzetéből. A Francia história című, 13 kötetes regényfolyam első darabja. ( )

trans; sprawling earthy tale; 16th cent France