Investigations of Quentin Margont

the investigations of Quentin Margont is a series of three detective novels this unrolling between 1809 and 1814 during the Napoleonean wars. The series is written by the Psychiatre Armand Cabasson.

Characters

Quentin Margont : It is the main character, officer in 18th of line. He begins the series like lieutenant and Major finishes it. It is a republican, humanistic. For him, the conquest of Europe is a means of bringing the assets of the revolution in the countries oppressed by monarchies and the empires. It was born in 1780 and had an unhappy childhood which continues it and oppresses it.
Fernand Lefine : sergeant under the orders of Margont, it is his best friend. If Margont is an idealist, is pragmatic for him. He plays permanently with the border of morals, not hesitating to sell horses taken with the enemy or empocher the money of his friend in remuneration of his assistance.
Jean-Quenin Bremont : medical officer of the department of health to the armies, friend of childhood of Margont. Revolutionist of the first hour, it did not accept the passage of the republic to the empire: “the medical officer thus called from time to time Napoleon, the “citizen emperor” because he considered that all the citizens was perfectly equal. For him emperor was a trade like another…” . He on several occasions helps his friend by making valuations on the corpses or by giving false orders of mission to enable him to circulate freely.
Piquebois : old lieutenant hussard: “one did there all quickly and strong. One did not speak one gueulait, one did not drink one stuffed the mouth and one quarreled with all those which was not hussards…”. But any exchange after a wound by ball (He swears that it was drawn by the Grand duke Constantin in person) with Austerlitz, he assagit.
Irene Saber : lieutenant at the time of the countryside of Russia, it finishes Colonel in January 1814 the day before the Campagne of France. He represents the ambition which animates part of the youth of the time.

The historical context describes in the series

This series, involves us in the swirl of the Napoleonean wars between 1809 in Austria (curiously object of the second volume) and the fall of Paris in 1814. The reader saw interior the life of the troops as well by the description of a certain number of battles as of the life of the soldiers in shift or fashionable life of the officers. While following the chronological order, the second volume ( Hunting for the wolf ) is held in 1809. It begins with the Bataille from Essling where our heroes take part in the catch of the village of Aspern. In the relative lull which succeeds this battle, the hero continues in the traces of a young person hussard of Austrian origin to the four corners of the town of Vienna, a killer of teenagers. The city in spite of (or because of) the French occupation lives at the rate/rhythm of the receptions of the coffees and the music. Each one intensely saw its life to forget slaughters and its nearest death. The hero followed by rouspétant Lefine continues not only the killer but also his anguishes and the love. The novel ends in the Bataille of Wagram which is concluded by death from 80.000 soldiers.

The first volume ( preys of the officer ) is held in 1812 and described the countryside of Russia of the departure of the troops of Poland until the heavy French defeat of the Bataille of Bérézina. One saw there the Bataille of Smolensk, the Bataille of Moskowa, the short occupation of Moscow and especially the retirement in the cold and the combat: “the day before, it had made heat water in which it had plunged two candles of tallow and a belt of leather. The candles had melted in this repugnant juice and the belt had given a vague meat taste. ” . The hero on the orders of the prince Eugene continues a serial killer through the Russian countryside. The third volume ( memory of flame ) is held in its totality in Paris of end of reign in 1814. Margont on the orders of Joseph Bonaparte must discover the assassin of colonel Berle who was charged to organize the defense of Paris. It will have to penetrate the royalist bunches which dream of revenge. The novel, crosses Paris of the beginning of the XIXe century of the Palais of Tileries, while passing by the hospitals of the Hôtel-Dieu, of the Salpêtrière (where Margont crosses the divine Marquis), the Palais Royal, the ridges Montmartre etc the novel finishes with the Bataille of Paris which will see the defeat of the imperial troops and later the rendering of Fontainebleau.

The series is strongly marked by the profession of the author, psychological dimension is very clear between Margont marked by its unhappy childhood: “… Margont reconsidered with its life… Its past made him think of the paste of a baker that too much with hands would have kneaded, each one according to his idea without taking account of that of the others as for the form to give to this future bread. ” which haunts it, psychoses of the killers. During its adventures Margont seeks to establish the psychological profile of the killers. The author also describes the medicine of the time, medicine of countryside when blessées flows: “I thus intend to learn how to you to sort the casualties, not to precipitate you on the most spectacular wound - the “grapeshot”, for which one alas can nothing any more - and not to let to you intimidate by that which has only one nonurgent wound and which has still the force to treat you of all the names. ” . In the memory of flame , it involves us in a visit of the Salpétrière where a Philippe Pinel tries to introduce a more human medicine psychiatric in the middle of what is a place terrifying of enfermement: “Salpétrière! Salpétrière! Salpétrière! Salpétrière! All here was conceived so that one has never to leave! … I have the impression to be in a kind of abbey laic for the lunatics and the old men. ” .

List novels

preys of the officer (2002).
Hunting for the wolf (2005).
memory of the flames (2006).

References

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