Captain Fracasse

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Captain Fracasse is a coat-and-sword novel by Théophile Gautier , which was published in Revue nationale in 1861-63 under the original French title Le Capitaine Fracasse .

It was translated into German by Curt Noch.

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The action takes place during the reign of Louis XIII. in France .

As the last offspring of an old but impoverished family from Gascony , the Baron von Sigognac leads a dreary life with his servant Pierre and his pets at his castle. This is turned on its head by the arrival of an acting troupe, which the baron decides to accompany to Paris because he has developed sympathy for the beautiful Isabella. In a hostel, the group made the acquaintance of the Marquis von Bruyères, who ordered a performance at his castle. On the way there, the troops are attacked by the criminal Agostin and his young assistant Chiquita, but they are overpowered. After the successful appearance at the Marquis, the troupe is surprised by a storm, during which the actor in the figure of Matamore freezes to death in the snow. So that the play The Boasting of Captain Matamore can continue to be performed, Sigognac takes over the role that has become free and gives himself the name Captain Fracasse .

In Poitiers , the troops meet the Duke of Vallombreuse, who immediately falls in love with Isabella and makes her court. But Isabella rejects him because she has now developed feelings for Sigognac. In order to eliminate him as a rival, the Duke tries again and again to kill him or to have him killed. Then Sigognac challenges him to a duel and defeats him.

Arriving in Paris , Vallombreuse hires the hit man Malartic, who is supposed to kidnap Isabella after he himself failed. Malartic uses a trick to kidnap Isabella to Vallombreuses Castle. Sigognac, however, can free her there with the help of Chiquita, who is now her friend.

After the arrival of Vallombreuse's father, it turns out that Isabella is his half-sister, which rules out a bond between the two. Vallombreuse is reconciled with Sigognac, and he and Isabella marry.

When Sigognac digs a grave for his late cat in the garden of his estate, he finds the family treasure.

publication

Gautier dealt early on with a project Le Capitaine Fracasse , which was first mentioned and announced in a book by Eugène Renduel in 1836. The finished novel was only published 27 years later.

In 1845 Gautier had signed a contract with the Revue des Deux Mondes , but later canceled it, whereupon he was sued by the newspaper's publisher. As co-editor of the Revue de Paris , he submitted two chapters of the novel in 1853, but did not continue it afterwards. In 1858 the Revue de Paris died without Le Capitaine Fracasse appearing in it. In 1861 the publisher Charpentier signed a contract with Gautier, who was now forced to finish the whole thing on the agreed date because otherwise he would have had to pay a fine. In fact, Le Capitaine Fracasse appeared from December 25, 1861 to June 10, 1863 as a serial in the Revue nationale .

In 1866 a lovers edition was printed with 60 copper engravings by Gustave Doré .

Film adaptations

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  1. ↑ Captain Fracasse , Philipp Reclam jun., Leipzig 1987, ISBN 3-379-00210-0 (p. 4).
  2. ↑ Le Capitaine Fracasse , Larousse / SEJER, Paris 2004, ISBN 2-03-588130-7 , (pp. 630-631).