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You're welcome (and thanks for the correction, edited). Legolas Send a noteboard - 13/12/2010 10:23:55 PM
I have wanted to read this series since I heard about it from a friend several years ago, but he didn't remember the author's name and he was reading them in Russian so it DIDN'T HELP much.

Heh. It wouldn't, no. :P
FYI, Philip is usually referred to as "Philip the Fair" in English. It leads to some confusion as people aren't clear at first if they mean fair-looking or fair-dealing. When they find out what he did to the Templars they usually realize it has to be the former.

It's funny how the guy, who as I agree with Druon has to rank among the best French kings, is mostly remembered as a bad guy. By us Flemings as the evil French king in the events leading up to the Battle of the Golden Spurs in 1302 (although actually, it's more the classical matter of a good but naive king misled by a nasty cruel wife, as I recall - unfortunately said wife doesn't appear in this series so I couldn't compare), and by the rest of the world as the guy who eradicated the Templars.
I will read it after I finish some other French books that I've got in my short "to read" list (almost done with Le Rouge et Le Noir - my reading speed in French is increasing dramatically and my next book will likely be La Peste, but don't quote me on that).

If you don't mind not knowing some words - I only bothered looking up those words that seemed important and/or interesting, myself - and get used to those now obscure tenses I mentioned, it should be a quick enough read (though I guess all together it is over two thousand pages...). Whether you'll like it, I'm not sure - you won't hate it, but it is more popular writing than really literary. Maurice Druon led the Académie Française at one point, true, but it wasn't really for this series that he got his seat there.
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Maurice Druon - The Accursed Kings Legolas - 13/12/2010 08:19:21 PM 7701 Views
Thank you for giving this review - I had forgotten the name of the author and series. Tom - 13/12/2010 09:29:59 PM 1574 Views
You're welcome (and thanks for the correction, edited). Legolas - 13/12/2010 10:23:55 PM 1609 Views
I know it's not "literary". (EDITED) Tom - 13/12/2010 10:42:33 PM 1504 Views
Subjunctive imperfect, yeah. Legolas - 13/12/2010 10:51:34 PM 1578 Views
And with regard to your edit, I don't have a problem with passé simples myself. Legolas - 13/12/2010 10:53:59 PM 1931 Views
But how can one read any French literature at all without encountering the passé simple? Tom - 15/12/2010 03:39:37 AM 1729 Views
The point is it is a "literary" tense Camilla - 15/12/2010 10:19:59 AM 1715 Views
Why would I read a lower style of book (I won't use the term "literature" to describe them) ? Tom - 16/12/2010 06:11:36 AM 1513 Views
I don't want to start a fight here, but your attitude is seriously starting to grate. Legolas - 16/12/2010 06:54:30 PM 1783 Views
I don't care. Start a fight. Tom - 16/12/2010 08:24:22 PM 1686 Views
Well, or we can have a civil debate on French culture, I suppose... also fun. Legolas - 16/12/2010 09:09:20 PM 1672 Views
Well, I'm up for that, too. Tom - 17/12/2010 05:48:39 AM 1659 Views
Good. Legolas - 17/12/2010 09:01:37 PM 2015 Views
Ah - I support the subjunctive!!! Tom - 18/12/2010 05:10:38 AM 1877 Views
TANGENT Rebekah - 18/12/2010 09:56:31 AM 1766 Views
This whole conversation is just a pile of tangents, anyway. *NM* Legolas - 18/12/2010 01:30:09 PM 801 Views
I enjoy the tangent. Tom - 21/12/2010 12:43:23 AM 1432 Views
But you don't think its disappearance corresponds to a decline in American culture? Legolas - 18/12/2010 01:29:43 PM 1661 Views
I read Der Zauberberg in English already. Tom - 21/12/2010 12:48:16 AM 1497 Views
About the passé simple, what Camilla said. As for medieval vocabulary... Legolas - 15/12/2010 07:17:44 PM 1680 Views
"Ne...point" is used in Stendhal all the time. Tom - 16/12/2010 06:08:40 AM 1558 Views
That looks like a really fascinating series. Rebekah - 13/12/2010 10:56:52 PM 1628 Views
Step up your French lessons!!! Tom - 13/12/2010 11:50:21 PM 1816 Views
That is a great reason to learn French. Legolas - 14/12/2010 07:29:54 PM 1539 Views
Re: That is a great reason to learn French. Rebekah - 14/12/2010 08:13:59 PM 1554 Views
Fancier English often turns out to be French, of course. *NM* Tom - 17/12/2010 06:41:19 PM 881 Views
Ooooh Camilla - 14/12/2010 07:41:03 PM 1466 Views
I'm really not quite sure how you managed that. Legolas - 14/12/2010 08:09:55 PM 1619 Views
Re: I'm really not quite sure how you managed that. Camilla - 14/12/2010 08:13:48 PM 1524 Views
I meant Bertière, yeah. Dumas works too, though. Legolas - 14/12/2010 08:18:30 PM 1595 Views
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