The Catalans A Novel
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==Plot introduction== | ==Plot introduction== | ||
| - | ''For more details about the plot, which will contain '''spoilers''', see [[Summary for The Catalans]]'' | + | ''For more details about the plot, which will contain '''spoilers''', see [[Summary for The Catalans A Novel]]'' |
Alain Roig, a doctor working in the Far East, is summoned back to his childhood home on the French-Catalonian border to resolve a bitter family dispute: his cousin Xavier, a widower and a respected lawyer and local politician, has horrified his female relatives by planning to marry his secretary Madeleine, the beautiful daughter of a local shopkeeper. Alain conscientiously probes the motives and intentions of the ill-matched pair. Xavier is revealed as a man who believes, with horror, that he has lost the ability to feel; his wife is long dead, he has found it impossible to love his graceless son Dédé, and Madeleine represents his last hope of a connection with the world of life and emotion. Alain's own detachment is undermined as he re-establishes himself in the once familiar world of fishing-fleet and vintage, whose ancient habits and rituals provide both a background and a catalyst for the dramatic resolution. | Alain Roig, a doctor working in the Far East, is summoned back to his childhood home on the French-Catalonian border to resolve a bitter family dispute: his cousin Xavier, a widower and a respected lawyer and local politician, has horrified his female relatives by planning to marry his secretary Madeleine, the beautiful daughter of a local shopkeeper. Alain conscientiously probes the motives and intentions of the ill-matched pair. Xavier is revealed as a man who believes, with horror, that he has lost the ability to feel; his wife is long dead, he has found it impossible to love his graceless son Dédé, and Madeleine represents his last hope of a connection with the world of life and emotion. Alain's own detachment is undermined as he re-establishes himself in the once familiar world of fishing-fleet and vintage, whose ancient habits and rituals provide both a background and a catalyst for the dramatic resolution. | ||
| - | ==Major characters in ''The Catalans''== | + | ==Major characters in ''The Catalans A Novel''== |
*'''Alain Roig''' An idealistic physician | *'''Alain Roig''' An idealistic physician | ||
*'''Xavier Roig''' Alain's cousin, lawyer and mayor of Saint-Féliu | *'''Xavier Roig''' Alain's cousin, lawyer and mayor of Saint-Féliu | ||
Revision as of 03:42, 5 January 2008
The Catalans is Patrick O'Brian's second adult novel, written at Collioure and published in 1953. The original British-market title was The Frozen Flame, but the most recent British edition (HarperCollins paperback, 2006) has adopted the more straightforward American title.
Plot introduction
For more details about the plot, which will contain spoilers, see Summary for The Catalans A Novel
Alain Roig, a doctor working in the Far East, is summoned back to his childhood home on the French-Catalonian border to resolve a bitter family dispute: his cousin Xavier, a widower and a respected lawyer and local politician, has horrified his female relatives by planning to marry his secretary Madeleine, the beautiful daughter of a local shopkeeper. Alain conscientiously probes the motives and intentions of the ill-matched pair. Xavier is revealed as a man who believes, with horror, that he has lost the ability to feel; his wife is long dead, he has found it impossible to love his graceless son Dédé, and Madeleine represents his last hope of a connection with the world of life and emotion. Alain's own detachment is undermined as he re-establishes himself in the once familiar world of fishing-fleet and vintage, whose ancient habits and rituals provide both a background and a catalyst for the dramatic resolution.
Major characters in The Catalans A Novel
- Alain Roig An idealistic physician
- Xavier Roig Alain's cousin, lawyer and mayor of Saint-Féliu
- Madeleine Fajal Xavier's typist and intended bride
- Francisco Cortade Fisherman and artist, Madeleine's ex-husband
To be continued
