His Excellency the Minister

Jules ClaretieProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 759K words
Chapters: 76

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.His Excellency the Minister by Jules ClaretieAuthor: Claretie, Jules, 1840-1913,Language: English, Class: PQ: Language and Literatures: Romance literatures: French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Release Date: May 29, 2005

Editor's review

His Excellency the Minister is a political novel by the French writer Jules Claretie, presented as an English ebook by Project Gutenberg. A novelist and playwright skilled at depicting the social scene, Claretie here centers on the ups and downs of a minister's career, laying out in considerable detail the ambitions, maneuvering, and human warmth and coldness of the corridors of power. Its value lies not in political-science conclusions but in its literary rendering of nineteenth-century French political life and psychology, through which readers can sense the atmosphere of the era and the pace of the narrative. The English text is moderate in length, suitable as an introduction to French realist political fiction and for extended reading by those interested in the social background of the French Third Republic and its vicinity. It works well for segmented reading on commutes, trips, or before bed; read alongside modern French history, one can better grasp the meaning of the characters' situations and choices.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary readers who enjoy nineteenth-century French realist fiction and want to broaden their reading
Readers interested in European political fiction and willing to explore the psychology of officialdom
Those with some English reading ability who want to practice reading originals with public-domain ebooks
Readers studying modern French society and political culture who need literary works as corroborating material

Not a good fit for

Readers with weak English who prefer the ease of a Chinese translation
Readers expecting tight, thrilling plots with strong suspense or twists
Readers uninterested in political subjects who want pure romance or adventure stories

Reading tips

Learn the political background of the French Third Republic and its vicinity before the main text for easier grasp of characters' motives.
Use the minister as the central thread to map his network of relationships, taking notes to see the narrative logic of power.
Read the English text chapter by chapter, summarizing each in two or three sentences to avoid fatigue from long sentences.
If it proves difficult, consult a Chinese edition of French political fiction or related historical works to aid understanding of the period.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

What kind of story is this book?

It is an English translation of a French novel centered on a ministerial-level political figure, a literary work on social and political themes that mainly depicts relationships, ambition, and situations in the corridors of power, rather than a documentary political work or historical archive.

Can I read this book if my English is not good?

This is an English ebook whose sentence patterns and vocabulary carry the style of nineteenth-century literature, so readers with weaker English will find it difficult. Try the first few pages to gauge the difficulty, or use a dictionary or a parallel translation to assist reading.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

Project Gutenberg provides free ebooks; this book is its public-domain electronic edition, easy to obtain and search on a computer or e-reader at no cost. The formatting is mainly plain text, with limited notes and introductions, so readers need to supplement background material themselves.

Do I need to know French history before reading?

Prior mastery is not necessary, but some knowledge of nineteenth-century French political institutions and social change makes it easier to grasp the characters' situations and the logic of their actions. Read a brief overview of modern French history first, then enter the novel.

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About the author

Jules Claretie Author · French · 1840–1913

Jules Claretie (1840–1913) was a French writer and drama critic. Born in Limoges and died in Paris, he long worked in literary and theatrical criticism, serving as drama critic for Le Figaro, as director of the Comédie-Française from 1885 until his death, and was elected to the Académie française in 1888. His works include novels and plays such as Prince Zilah, Les Femmes de proie, Mademoiselle Cachemire, His Excellency the Minister, Ruines et fantômes, and L'Américaine, often centred on social manners and theatrical life, with clear narration and a journalist's observation combined with a stage director's sense of scene. Eleven of his works are held in the collection. Public information is limited, and the full range and influence of his work remain to be further examined.