Romance and the French Revolution! Politics and love! Scaramouche, published in 1921, explores age-old tensions that continue into the present. “He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad … “So begins this historical tale of romantic adventure. Andre-Louis Moreau is an orphan and cousin of the beloved Aline. He is raised by his godfather, the Lord of Gavrillac, and matures into an educated lawyer—while Aline sets her mind on marrying the rich but dishonorable Marquis de la Tour d’Azyr. But when Moreau’s closest friend is killed by the Marquis in a duel, Moreau vows vengeance. After publicly denouncing the aristocracy and stirring up the crowds, Moreau is forced to go into hiding. He joins a troupe of traveling actors and begins playing ‘Scaramouche’, the buffoon. When his identity is revealed, he hides out in Paris, becoming Master of a Parisian Fencing Academy and then a dueling politician. In the tumult of the French Revolution, Moreau and Aline are drawn together again. But the secrets of the past threaten to break apart their present and future. Scaramouche is Sabatini’s reasoned and passionate argument for representative government against the agendas of elitist governments of royalty and privilege.
