Ange Pitou Book

"And I, oh, my friends, I was magnificent!" Brigadier Gerard
Brigadier Gerard is one of the most humorously vain characters in Western literature. Following the backlash he faced for killing Sherlock Holmes in 1893, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle began writing about the exploits of Gerard. Although the first story of Gerard was written in 1894, the perils and triumphs in The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard collection were written from 1900-1910.

"And I, oh, my friends, I was magnificent! What words can I use to do justice to my own bearing at that supreme instant of my life? So coldly aware, so deadly cool, so clear in brain and ready in hand."
"She was an exquisite beauty. And when I, Etienne Gerard, use such a word as exquisite, my friends, it has meaning. I have judgment. I have memories. I have the means of comparison. Of all the women who have loved me, there are not twenty of whom I could apply such a term as that. But I say again that Lucia was exquisite!"
It's hard to imagine another character- literary or real- who manages unceasingly to self-congratulate himself on his bravery, prowess with women, swordsmanship skills, and overall valor. But he displays his conceit so matter-of-factly and so devoid of arrogance that he manages only to endear himself to the reader and add humor to his exploits.

What Doyle created is a satirical character who exhibits the stereotypical behavior of a Frenchman in the mind of the English. Etienne's supposed dashing appearance and bravura are highly exaggerated to great comic effect.

"In victory one does not understand the horror of war. It is only in the cold chill of defeat that it is brought home to you."
Doyle also studied the campaigns of Napoleon- in whose army Gerard fights with unreserved loyalty- in preparation for these stories. His description of the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo is a surreal moment in otherwise humorous stories. Doyle's vivid account- told through Gerard- of the battlefield at the end of the fighting, in all its horror, most certainly is drawn from eye witness sources.

So, is The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard satire? short stories? historical fiction? Yes.

I purchased this audio CD on a whim and- while not something I'd want a steady diet of- did enjoy these stories immensely. It's hard to imagine that Rupert Degas, who read this audio book, could be outdone in narration. He simply brings the vanities of Gerard to life. My four star rating really is the result of Doyle's success: he created a character, at times, too conceited to bear.

I would recommend the stories of Brigadier Gerard, first of all, to anyone who's a fan of Arthur Conan Doyle. Although Gerard obviously hasn't risen in popularity to the same level as Sherlock Holmes, he's eminently entertaining and hilarious at the very least.

Then, I'd recommend the Brigadier to anyone who needs a respite from the heavy lifting of difficult literature. These stories can be read in a short time and the audio version makes for great listening while driving, exercising, etc.

And while I told myself I wouldn't purchase the collection of earlier stories, The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard are now sitting on my shelf waiting to be enjoyed. It's likely to be a while before I listen to them. But, I will, sooner or later, engage these early exploits of Gerard to learn how he grew to prominence in Napoleon's army.