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The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard: Annotated
Summary (differentiated book):
- Original book from 1896
- Book contains detailed biography of author
- Includes photos/illustrations of the author
Book details:
With a horse between his thighs and a weapon in his grip, the dashing Brigadier Etienne Gerard, Colonel of the Hussars of Conflans, gallops through the Napoleonic campaigns on secret missions for his beloved Emperor and his country. He encounters danger and hair-breadth escapes but never loses his bravado, his eye for a pretty girl, his boastfulness or his enormous vanity. Gerard is Conan Doyle’s most lovable character. At times hilarious, at times touching, these stories are amongst Conan Doyle’s most popular.
- Original book from 1896
- Book contains detailed biography of author
- Includes photos/illustrations of the author
Book details:
With a horse between his thighs and a weapon in his grip, the dashing Brigadier Etienne Gerard, Colonel of the Hussars of Conflans, gallops through the Napoleonic campaigns on secret missions for his beloved Emperor and his country. He encounters danger and hair-breadth escapes but never loses his bravado, his eye for a pretty girl, his boastfulness or his enormous vanity. Gerard is Conan Doyle’s most lovable character. At times hilarious, at times touching, these stories are amongst Conan Doyle’s most popular.
193 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 1896
210 people are currently reading
1,759 people want to read
About the author
Arthur Conan Doyle
14.4kbooks23.7kfollowersSir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a British writer and physician. He created the character Sherlock Holmes in 1887 for A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels and fifty-six short stories about Holmes and Dr. Watson. The Sherlock Holmes stories are milestones in the field of crime fiction.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
Doyle was a prolific writer. In addition to the Holmes stories, his works include fantasy and science fiction stories about Professor Challenger, and humorous stories about the Napoleonic soldier Brigadier Gerard, as well as plays, romances, poetry, non-fiction, and historical novels. One of Doyle's early short stories, "J. Habakuk Jephson's Statement" (1884), helped to popularise the mystery of the brigantine Mary Celeste, found drifting at sea with no crew member aboard.
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June 7, 2020
"Pero amigos míos, ésa es la suerte del soldado: hoy besos; mañana, golpes; vino de Tokay en un palacio; agua de charca en una cabaña; pieles y harapos; la bolsa llena de dinero y los bolsillos sin una moneda; siempre oscilando entre lo mejor y lo peor, con una sola cosa que nunca cambia: su gallardía y su honor"
Este libro tiene los dos libros que se editaron a partir de los artículos en la revista "Strand Magazine" sobre el brigadier Gérard. Ya reseñé "Hazañas del brigadier Gerard:" /review/show/2151748713 así que el otro libro vendría a ser "Las aventuras de Gerard". En esta oportunidad tenemos nuevamente al brigadier contando sus aventuras sin embargo no me agradó tanto como el anterior. Por lo que la calificación a éste vendría a ser 3 estrellas, con las 5 del otro un 4 justo para todo el libro.
Lo que menos me gustó fue la cantidad de veces que se hace ver al personaje como tonto o errado sin darse cuenta. Ya había pasado en el anterior pero en muy pocas ocasiones. Parece como si le hubieran llegado quejas al autor de hacerlo tan perspicaz y valiente o por el orgullo nacional que le baje un poco a este héroe francés. Muchas situaciones en las cuales está ridiculizado y que se siguen mencionando en posteriores relatos.
Luego también las aventuras no son tan interesantes como en el primer libro (definitivamente una joya) o será que la falta de ilustraciones también me jugó una mala pasada. Uno de los que más me gustó fue "De cómo el brigadier salvó un ejército" donde Massena le da una misión casi imposible y en el cual su heroísmo fue al límite para poder prender una hoguera y dar la señal de partida a un ejército francés, en "De cómo el brigadier tomó Zaragoza" también se cuenta las artimañas de las que se sirvió Gerard para poder ayudar a la toma de este bastión español en el cual se describe las crueldades que cometían los mismos contra los franceses y de hecho también algunas inclinaciones políticas durante las guerras. Más que nunca se puede disfrutar el conjunto de héroes, militares, tácticas y sitios históricos por los cuales los franceses la pasaron mayormente mal (esta parte está más llena de contrastes que de grandes victorias).
El miedo, la angustia, el heroísmo, la traición y claro el amor toma parte en esta historia, porque incluso para hombres gallardos como él dice:
"Cada hombre debe procurar salir triunfante en las empresas de amor, y el que pierda la partida podrá encontrar algún consuelo en que quien lo venció sea un adversario cortés y atento."
Me gustó pero definitivamente "Las hazañas del brigadier Gerard" me sobrecogió de más impresiones y peligros que esta entrega.
Este libro tiene los dos libros que se editaron a partir de los artículos en la revista "Strand Magazine" sobre el brigadier Gérard. Ya reseñé "Hazañas del brigadier Gerard:" /review/show/2151748713 así que el otro libro vendría a ser "Las aventuras de Gerard". En esta oportunidad tenemos nuevamente al brigadier contando sus aventuras sin embargo no me agradó tanto como el anterior. Por lo que la calificación a éste vendría a ser 3 estrellas, con las 5 del otro un 4 justo para todo el libro.
Lo que menos me gustó fue la cantidad de veces que se hace ver al personaje como tonto o errado sin darse cuenta. Ya había pasado en el anterior pero en muy pocas ocasiones. Parece como si le hubieran llegado quejas al autor de hacerlo tan perspicaz y valiente o por el orgullo nacional que le baje un poco a este héroe francés. Muchas situaciones en las cuales está ridiculizado y que se siguen mencionando en posteriores relatos.
Luego también las aventuras no son tan interesantes como en el primer libro (definitivamente una joya) o será que la falta de ilustraciones también me jugó una mala pasada. Uno de los que más me gustó fue "De cómo el brigadier salvó un ejército" donde Massena le da una misión casi imposible y en el cual su heroísmo fue al límite para poder prender una hoguera y dar la señal de partida a un ejército francés, en "De cómo el brigadier tomó Zaragoza" también se cuenta las artimañas de las que se sirvió Gerard para poder ayudar a la toma de este bastión español en el cual se describe las crueldades que cometían los mismos contra los franceses y de hecho también algunas inclinaciones políticas durante las guerras. Más que nunca se puede disfrutar el conjunto de héroes, militares, tácticas y sitios históricos por los cuales los franceses la pasaron mayormente mal (esta parte está más llena de contrastes que de grandes victorias).
El miedo, la angustia, el heroísmo, la traición y claro el amor toma parte en esta historia, porque incluso para hombres gallardos como él dice:
"Cada hombre debe procurar salir triunfante en las empresas de amor, y el que pierda la partida podrá encontrar algún consuelo en que quien lo venció sea un adversario cortés y atento."
Me gustó pero definitivamente "Las hazañas del brigadier Gerard" me sobrecogió de más impresiones y peligros que esta entrega.
June 4, 2020
"- ¡Que todos seamos tan valientes en vida y a la hora de la muerte! - exclamó el emperador.
- Amén -murmuré yo desde el fondo de mi corazón."
Me gustó bastante esta novela sobre el legendario Esteban Gérard, personaje creado por Conan Doyle, él es un "Brigadier" aunque como el mismo autor aclara en realidad en el ejército francés no existía ese grado sino el de General de Brigada, pero le pone Brigadier para hacer más fácil el entendimiento al público inglés. Me encantaron las ilustraciones que tenía mi edición, fenomenales, con toda la indumentaria militar de la época.
El libro es episódico, las aventuras aunque algunas se conectan en el tiempo con otras pueden leerse por separado. Cada capítulo que se publicaba en revistas de manera periódica habla de una hazaña de Gérard. Y aunque no sé el conocimiento que tenga el autor sobre el imperio napoleónico lo cierto es que muchos de los pasajes son muy bien ubicados en el tiempo y espacio.
Gérard nos cuenta en primera persona sus hazañas con algo de petulancia aunque también con bastante humanismo. Se pinta como un valiente sin igual que ha recibido heridas de todo tipo de arma pero también confiesa sus temores o inclusos sus yerros. Todos los relatos se inscriben en el marco de las guerras napoleónicas, y como yo tengo bastante conocimiento de eso, me resultó aún más divertido porque muchos de los hechos históricos e incluso personajes son abordados aquí.
Hay desde luego también bastantes aspectos de la vida militar, el ambiente está bien impregnado del miedo a la pérdida de honor, la búsqueda de aventuras, las traiciones, la indolencia a veces a la muerte de otras personas con tal de salvar el pellejo.
Los episodios son muy variados, hay hazañas contra cosacos, contra jacobinos, contra reinos vasallos del Imperio, contra bandoleros españoles, es decir un gran resumen de aquella época. Muchas acciones me impresionaron, no llegan a un nivel épico ni al de legendario cual relato de Dumas, pero sí me dieron miedo, decepción y hasta algunas penas. Es una obra digamos que sirve bastante bien para pasar el rato pero no creo que sea tan profunda.
Una de las cosas que más me gustó y me divirtió fue cuando Napoleón gritaba al pobre Gérard cual hijo y la devoción que tenía el general por su emperador.
- Amén -murmuré yo desde el fondo de mi corazón."
Me gustó bastante esta novela sobre el legendario Esteban Gérard, personaje creado por Conan Doyle, él es un "Brigadier" aunque como el mismo autor aclara en realidad en el ejército francés no existía ese grado sino el de General de Brigada, pero le pone Brigadier para hacer más fácil el entendimiento al público inglés. Me encantaron las ilustraciones que tenía mi edición, fenomenales, con toda la indumentaria militar de la época.
El libro es episódico, las aventuras aunque algunas se conectan en el tiempo con otras pueden leerse por separado. Cada capítulo que se publicaba en revistas de manera periódica habla de una hazaña de Gérard. Y aunque no sé el conocimiento que tenga el autor sobre el imperio napoleónico lo cierto es que muchos de los pasajes son muy bien ubicados en el tiempo y espacio.
Gérard nos cuenta en primera persona sus hazañas con algo de petulancia aunque también con bastante humanismo. Se pinta como un valiente sin igual que ha recibido heridas de todo tipo de arma pero también confiesa sus temores o inclusos sus yerros. Todos los relatos se inscriben en el marco de las guerras napoleónicas, y como yo tengo bastante conocimiento de eso, me resultó aún más divertido porque muchos de los hechos históricos e incluso personajes son abordados aquí.
Hay desde luego también bastantes aspectos de la vida militar, el ambiente está bien impregnado del miedo a la pérdida de honor, la búsqueda de aventuras, las traiciones, la indolencia a veces a la muerte de otras personas con tal de salvar el pellejo.
Los episodios son muy variados, hay hazañas contra cosacos, contra jacobinos, contra reinos vasallos del Imperio, contra bandoleros españoles, es decir un gran resumen de aquella época. Muchas acciones me impresionaron, no llegan a un nivel épico ni al de legendario cual relato de Dumas, pero sí me dieron miedo, decepción y hasta algunas penas. Es una obra digamos que sirve bastante bien para pasar el rato pero no creo que sea tan profunda.
Una de las cosas que más me gustó y me divirtió fue cuando Napoleón gritaba al pobre Gérard cual hijo y la devoción que tenía el general por su emperador.
April 29, 2019
One senses that Doyle had fun with these stories. Sherlock was dead and the author was experiencing a new lease on his writing life with this new character, a French officer in Napoleon's army, who is brave beyond belief, devoted to his cause, and unknowingly vane to the point of absurdity. Think Christie's Hercule Poirot, only even more full of himself and utterly unaware of it.
But are you immodest if you can back up your boasting? Brigadier Gerard certainly has the skills to prove himself. In stories such as "How the Brigadier Slew the Brothers of Ajaccio", "How the Brigadier Came to the Castle of Gloom", and "How the Brigadier Was Tempted by the Devil" Gerard helps carry out family vendettas for fellow soldiers, delivers secret messages through great peril, and helps his beloved Napoleon on numerous, and very often personal, occasions.
Here, Doyle has moved away from the stuffy English and created a confidant, courageous French soldier with which to go adventuring. The stories are full of dash and daring. The tension is high, the stakes higher. Absolutely enjoyable!
But are you immodest if you can back up your boasting? Brigadier Gerard certainly has the skills to prove himself. In stories such as "How the Brigadier Slew the Brothers of Ajaccio", "How the Brigadier Came to the Castle of Gloom", and "How the Brigadier Was Tempted by the Devil" Gerard helps carry out family vendettas for fellow soldiers, delivers secret messages through great peril, and helps his beloved Napoleon on numerous, and very often personal, occasions.
Here, Doyle has moved away from the stuffy English and created a confidant, courageous French soldier with which to go adventuring. The stories are full of dash and daring. The tension is high, the stakes higher. Absolutely enjoyable!
February 17, 2023
Does anyone out there remember the old cartoon The World of Commander McBragg? I would not be surprised if the writers got the idea from this book. Brigadier Étienne Gerard is the most dashing officer in Napoleon's army - one of the best swordsmen in France - ready to take on any mission no matter how dangerous. There is an undertone of fighting for a lost cause; by the time Gerard is taken into the confidence of Napoléon it is clear that the glory days of the Grande Armée are over; one has to wonder about the continued bloodletting in the name of a lost cause. To me this is the perfect example of how certain tropes are embedded in the collective imagination: the dashing cavalry officer fighting on the field of honor - then wine, women and song until the next battle: Valhalla for the living.
April 10, 2013
What do you get if you take Flashman, remove the streak of yellow from his back and make at least some of the adventures ones entered into knowingly by the participant? Why, you get Brigadier Etienne Gerard, of course! Gerard is a creation of Arthur Conan Doyle, sadly languishing in the shadows with all of his other characters not called "Sherlock Holmes". He is a dashing hussar in Napoleon's Grande Armée who, in his old age, is recalling to the reader the adventures of his youth. The comparison to Flashman is an instructive one, especially in that while Flashman is committed to strictly telling the truth he ultimately becomes more and more a bounder and cad in our eyes, while Gerard (well I certainly won’t call him a liar, but let’s just say he has a spotty memory at best and isn’t the most observant fellow) is a somewhat less than objective reporter, and yet each tale shows him to be a goodhearted man of high ideals.
These are tales filled with derring-do, close escapes and not a few romantic entanglements...I think I see where George MacDonald Fraser got at least part of his inspiration from. Gerard is a very likeable character and narrator for all that he is so full of himself that it's a wonder the hot air doesn't make him float away. His voice is urbane and charming and all of his adventures are rousing good tales. At the beginning of each adventure one almost sees the sunlit café table at which we sit and can almost taste the cognac in our coffee as we listen to the Brigadier reminisce. He really is a charming old campaigner, though not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Still, for loyalty and sheer bravado one could do worse than having a Brigadier Gerard in one’s army, for while he “has the thickest head he has also the stoutest heart� of all of Napoleon’s men.
I was actually a bit surprised at the very real violence and horror of war hinted at occasionally in these stories. Despite being adventure stories of the Victorian era they don't necessarily shy away from some of the less palatable aspects of their subject matter, even if Gerard tells of them with a very wry nonchalance. I was, for example, a bit surprised by the horrific death of one of Gerard's soldiers, buried alive, as related to him by a bandit chieftain, or the recounting by Gerard of a military tribunal of French POWs who punish a traitor in their midst such that "In the morning, when [the English] came for their man with papers for his release, there was not as much of him left as you could put upon your thumb-nail."
When I started this book in tandem with Doyle’s _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ I was asked which I liked better. I had immediately given the nod to Sherlock Holmes, if only for his iconic and fascinating character, but now I’m not so sure. Holmes is great, but Gerard is very charming indeed and there is not a dud amongst his tales. Doyle has really impressed me with his range in these two creations alone and I look forward to the further adventures of both characters, not to mention a look at some of Doyle’s other fiction. I highly recommend the Gerard stories to anyone interested in historical fiction and adventure, especially when it is tinged with good humour.
Also posted at
These are tales filled with derring-do, close escapes and not a few romantic entanglements...I think I see where George MacDonald Fraser got at least part of his inspiration from. Gerard is a very likeable character and narrator for all that he is so full of himself that it's a wonder the hot air doesn't make him float away. His voice is urbane and charming and all of his adventures are rousing good tales. At the beginning of each adventure one almost sees the sunlit café table at which we sit and can almost taste the cognac in our coffee as we listen to the Brigadier reminisce. He really is a charming old campaigner, though not exactly the sharpest knife in the drawer. Still, for loyalty and sheer bravado one could do worse than having a Brigadier Gerard in one’s army, for while he “has the thickest head he has also the stoutest heart� of all of Napoleon’s men.
I was actually a bit surprised at the very real violence and horror of war hinted at occasionally in these stories. Despite being adventure stories of the Victorian era they don't necessarily shy away from some of the less palatable aspects of their subject matter, even if Gerard tells of them with a very wry nonchalance. I was, for example, a bit surprised by the horrific death of one of Gerard's soldiers, buried alive, as related to him by a bandit chieftain, or the recounting by Gerard of a military tribunal of French POWs who punish a traitor in their midst such that "In the morning, when [the English] came for their man with papers for his release, there was not as much of him left as you could put upon your thumb-nail."
When I started this book in tandem with Doyle’s _The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes_ I was asked which I liked better. I had immediately given the nod to Sherlock Holmes, if only for his iconic and fascinating character, but now I’m not so sure. Holmes is great, but Gerard is very charming indeed and there is not a dud amongst his tales. Doyle has really impressed me with his range in these two creations alone and I look forward to the further adventures of both characters, not to mention a look at some of Doyle’s other fiction. I highly recommend the Gerard stories to anyone interested in historical fiction and adventure, especially when it is tinged with good humour.
Also posted at
June 2, 2019
The gallant style of these 17 stories, and the fairy tale aroma of their plots, reminded me of Pushkin's fiction. And had the charmingly pompous beau sabreur Brigadier Étienne Gerard really lived, his swashbuckling memoirs would have had a place in Pushkin's 1,500 volume Francophile library, or perhaps in Lermontov's sabretache. A characteristic passage:
In every country it has been my custom to try to learn the language. For this reason I always look for some lady who will be kind enough to teach it to me, and then we practice it together. This is the most interesting way of picking it up, and before I was thirty I could speak nearly every tongue in Europe; but it must be confessed that what you learn is not of very much use for the ordinary purposes of life. My business, for example, has usually been with soldiers and peasants, and what advantage is it to be able to say to them that I love only them, and that I will come back when the wars are over?
In every country it has been my custom to try to learn the language. For this reason I always look for some lady who will be kind enough to teach it to me, and then we practice it together. This is the most interesting way of picking it up, and before I was thirty I could speak nearly every tongue in Europe; but it must be confessed that what you learn is not of very much use for the ordinary purposes of life. My business, for example, has usually been with soldiers and peasants, and what advantage is it to be able to say to them that I love only them, and that I will come back when the wars are over?
July 31, 2014
The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard by Arthur Conan Doyle - He Ain't Exactly No Sherlock Holmes
I'm not going to say much about this book other than this. I've always known about Arthur Conan Doyle's sense of humor and I've heard about him being a prankster and other things. His sense of humor and dry wit are on display in this book and it's wonderfully funny.
This is the tale Etienne Brigadier Gerard, Napolionic war hero and down right legend in his own mind, as he goes from miss adventure to miss adventure. At first, I couldn't be certain that Doyle was teasing me or pulling my leg. Then, by halfway through I was certain of it. Lord Arthur Conan Doyle was definately pulling my leg.
What started with using a block of cheese to make a shape charged bomb to blow a door off of it's hinges ended with the most incredible deception that is funny even if Gerard really isn't getting even with Napoleon or if he is. I think Doyle must have enjoyed teasing and getting under the miltary's skin without giving them anything to officially take notice of. He was only marginally kinder to the British Military than he was the french.
I laughed my ass off when Gerard and another, befriended officer from the hated British Army are caught playing cards to decide who was prisoner of whom by none other than the Duke of Wellington. Wellington sent Gerard to prison in England, and his buddy (whom gerard called "the Bart" because he thought Bart was an English Tittle, not the man's first name) to the stockade for not playing his trump cards as he should have.
I also like how Doyle made fun of Gerard, but he didn't make him completely incometent. Gerard could kick butt and he was fearless (to a fault). In the end, I'm not sure if Gerard is "playing" Napolean or not. Gerard for his part wanders through the tales oblivious to things going on around him, a trait praised by the French Miltary and one that gets him many personal assignments. "Someone who will not be too inquisitive or think too much." There are no ethnic words to take offense at. The gender bias is actually more in keepign with todays standard than the Victorian Era, when this work was first published. Well, I guess there's nothing to be offended by, unless maybe your French?
The Bottom line? A really fun read for a classic. The humor may be a bit sophisticated for young teens but there is little else to worry about. The humor is very much in keeping with what you might normally associate with O'Brian or Thurber.
Four stars from me!
I'm not going to say much about this book other than this. I've always known about Arthur Conan Doyle's sense of humor and I've heard about him being a prankster and other things. His sense of humor and dry wit are on display in this book and it's wonderfully funny.
This is the tale Etienne Brigadier Gerard, Napolionic war hero and down right legend in his own mind, as he goes from miss adventure to miss adventure. At first, I couldn't be certain that Doyle was teasing me or pulling my leg. Then, by halfway through I was certain of it. Lord Arthur Conan Doyle was definately pulling my leg.
What started with using a block of cheese to make a shape charged bomb to blow a door off of it's hinges ended with the most incredible deception that is funny even if Gerard really isn't getting even with Napoleon or if he is. I think Doyle must have enjoyed teasing and getting under the miltary's skin without giving them anything to officially take notice of. He was only marginally kinder to the British Military than he was the french.
I laughed my ass off when Gerard and another, befriended officer from the hated British Army are caught playing cards to decide who was prisoner of whom by none other than the Duke of Wellington. Wellington sent Gerard to prison in England, and his buddy (whom gerard called "the Bart" because he thought Bart was an English Tittle, not the man's first name) to the stockade for not playing his trump cards as he should have.
I also like how Doyle made fun of Gerard, but he didn't make him completely incometent. Gerard could kick butt and he was fearless (to a fault). In the end, I'm not sure if Gerard is "playing" Napolean or not. Gerard for his part wanders through the tales oblivious to things going on around him, a trait praised by the French Miltary and one that gets him many personal assignments. "Someone who will not be too inquisitive or think too much." There are no ethnic words to take offense at. The gender bias is actually more in keepign with todays standard than the Victorian Era, when this work was first published. Well, I guess there's nothing to be offended by, unless maybe your French?
The Bottom line? A really fun read for a classic. The humor may be a bit sophisticated for young teens but there is little else to worry about. The humor is very much in keeping with what you might normally associate with O'Brian or Thurber.
Four stars from me!
Want to read
July 5, 2021December 2010
Etienne Gerard, hero of France, is the kind of man who challenges a dozen men to a dozen duels (in a row, while promising to spend no more than five minutes with each so that the others are not kept waiting), only to show up late to the dueling ground because he was busy infiltrating a fortified Spanish town in order to end a siege--and then, just so he won't miss breakfast, he offers to fight all twelve men at once. And he fully expects to win.
Reckless, brave, charming (especially with the ladies), eternally optimistic, slightly ridiculous, perhaps a little bit vain, and completely clueless, Gerard is the finest swordsman and best horseman in Napoleon's entire Grand Armee...or so he claims, safely separated from the events by several decades and just as many bottles of wine--and who is there to contradict him? Here, in Gerard's own words, are the best of his adventures in Napoleon's army: how he lost Germany to Napoleon's enemies (over a woman), how he lost his ear in Venice (over a different woman), how he nearly lost his life at the Castle of Gloom (over another woman), how he heroically tried, but failed, to resupply the starving troops on the long march back from Moscow (there was a woman involved), and how he fought a duel in England (ditto).
But not all of his adventures were thwarted by women: on the rare but notable occasions where no women were involved, and save for a brief imprisonment in England, Gerard managed to be noble, heroic, and spectacular, and always arrived to save the day, save the army (while participating in an English fox-hunt behind enemy lines, in one memorable adventure), and even save Napoleon himself. Indeed, Gerard is convinced (but would never boast outright) that Napoleon only lost at Waterloo because he, Gerard, was occupied elsewhere and was unable to fight in the battle--although he did show up later, just in the nick of time, to prevent his beloved Emperor from being captured. Perhaps Gerard is a bit full of himself, perhaps he is stretching the truth just a little bit, perhaps he's not nearly as clever as he thinks he is...but his tales are so entertaining, it hardly matters. Vive Gerard!
I hated this book.
Oh, don't get me wrong; the stories were great. Fantastic. But the book itself--well, the book is like those annoying spam-mails you get reminding you how imperfect you are. Tiny dick? Tiny muscles? Tiny love life? Ha! Loser! Only this questionable link to this questionable pill will help you now! Likewise, this book brings out similar anxieties, only this time it's reader envy instead of penis envy. Arthur Conan Doyle is, of course, famous for his Sherlock Holmes stories--but I haven't read 'em. Also, this edition (collecting all seventeen stories from "The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard" and "The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard", plus one contradictory, not-exactly-canon tale), is introduced by George MacDonald Fraser, of fame--also books I haven't read yet. Lastly, this is a New York Review of Books publication, and a brief glance at reveals several hundred more books I haven't read yet--but more on that in (with pictures!).
On top of the endless lists of books I haven't read yet, this book is a reminder of more books I haven't read yet, and leaves me feeling small and inadequate in comparison. I'm getting old (I'm almost twenty-four! Gosh, when did I become almost twenty-four?), and I'm not verywell-endowed well-read, and there are so many books out there I have yet to read. Sherlock Holmes, Flashman, hundreds more. No excuses, I guess. Best get readin'.
Update: Sherlock Holmes
"Save for two or three men and a score or two of women, you are the first who have ever heard the story."
Etienne Gerard, hero of France, is the kind of man who challenges a dozen men to a dozen duels (in a row, while promising to spend no more than five minutes with each so that the others are not kept waiting), only to show up late to the dueling ground because he was busy infiltrating a fortified Spanish town in order to end a siege--and then, just so he won't miss breakfast, he offers to fight all twelve men at once. And he fully expects to win.
Reckless, brave, charming (especially with the ladies), eternally optimistic, slightly ridiculous, perhaps a little bit vain, and completely clueless, Gerard is the finest swordsman and best horseman in Napoleon's entire Grand Armee...or so he claims, safely separated from the events by several decades and just as many bottles of wine--and who is there to contradict him? Here, in Gerard's own words, are the best of his adventures in Napoleon's army: how he lost Germany to Napoleon's enemies (over a woman), how he lost his ear in Venice (over a different woman), how he nearly lost his life at the Castle of Gloom (over another woman), how he heroically tried, but failed, to resupply the starving troops on the long march back from Moscow (there was a woman involved), and how he fought a duel in England (ditto).
But not all of his adventures were thwarted by women: on the rare but notable occasions where no women were involved, and save for a brief imprisonment in England, Gerard managed to be noble, heroic, and spectacular, and always arrived to save the day, save the army (while participating in an English fox-hunt behind enemy lines, in one memorable adventure), and even save Napoleon himself. Indeed, Gerard is convinced (but would never boast outright) that Napoleon only lost at Waterloo because he, Gerard, was occupied elsewhere and was unable to fight in the battle--although he did show up later, just in the nick of time, to prevent his beloved Emperor from being captured. Perhaps Gerard is a bit full of himself, perhaps he is stretching the truth just a little bit, perhaps he's not nearly as clever as he thinks he is...but his tales are so entertaining, it hardly matters. Vive Gerard!
I hated this book.
Oh, don't get me wrong; the stories were great. Fantastic. But the book itself--well, the book is like those annoying spam-mails you get reminding you how imperfect you are. Tiny dick? Tiny muscles? Tiny love life? Ha! Loser! Only this questionable link to this questionable pill will help you now! Likewise, this book brings out similar anxieties, only this time it's reader envy instead of penis envy. Arthur Conan Doyle is, of course, famous for his Sherlock Holmes stories--but I haven't read 'em. Also, this edition (collecting all seventeen stories from "The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard" and "The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard", plus one contradictory, not-exactly-canon tale), is introduced by George MacDonald Fraser, of fame--also books I haven't read yet. Lastly, this is a New York Review of Books publication, and a brief glance at reveals several hundred more books I haven't read yet--but more on that in (with pictures!).
On top of the endless lists of books I haven't read yet, this book is a reminder of more books I haven't read yet, and leaves me feeling small and inadequate in comparison. I'm getting old (I'm almost twenty-four! Gosh, when did I become almost twenty-four?), and I'm not very
Update: Sherlock Holmes
December 1, 2021
Eight interrelated short stories featuring protagonist Brigadier Etiennne Gerard, an officer in the French Army during the Napoleonic Wars. He narrates tales of his escapades looking back on them many years later. Gerard is quite the hero � just ask him!
The Brigadier is a great character. He is vain and a little pompous. I would not be surprised if he were exaggerating some of his exploits. He knows the Emperor and has several tales that feature Napoleon himself. His more serious escapades are interspersed with comic interludes. I had read several of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels but was previously unaware of this book. I found it in my local library and picked it up on a whim. It is full of delightful adventures, and I quite enjoyed it.
The Brigadier is a great character. He is vain and a little pompous. I would not be surprised if he were exaggerating some of his exploits. He knows the Emperor and has several tales that feature Napoleon himself. His more serious escapades are interspersed with comic interludes. I had read several of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes novels but was previously unaware of this book. I found it in my local library and picked it up on a whim. It is full of delightful adventures, and I quite enjoyed it.
September 5, 2007
Best book I've read in a very long time, I have to say. Gerard is an absolutely appealing character and his transparently misguided narration is pretty much brilliant. It's difficult to pull off a story which has the narrator living, through his own words, in a state of enlightenment significantly lower than that of the reader, and to keep him charming-- but Conan Doyle does that, and he does that seventeen times. Everyone with even the vaguest interest in Napoleonic history, Sherlock Holmes, or France should make this a top priority-- everyone else should put it pretty near to the top. The fox-hunting episode is fantastic, as is the one about the nine Prussian horsemen: pretty much every single one is exciting, funny, and well-paced, and every bit as lovable as a good Holmes.
September 27, 2018
Ανάλαφρες περιπέτειες με ήρωα έναν φανφάρα Ουρσάρο του Γαλλικού Ιππικού: προσπερνώντας την ελλειπή ανάπτυξη (βρισκόμαστε στο 1894 οπότε οι τεχνικές της "δημιουργικής γραφής" a.k.a. σαβουροσενάρια κινηματογράφου ήταν άγνωστα) το όλο ζουμί περιέρχεται στον στόμφο με τον οποίο ο πρωταγωνιστής διηγείται τα κατορθώματα του. Πομπώδης, γλαφυρός και δραματικός αλλά με μια ανεμελιά που δύσκολα συναντάει κανείς σε σύγχρονα αναγνώσματα. Κρίμα που η έκδοση δεν περιλαμβάνει όλες τις ιστορίες.....
April 8, 2015
George MacDonald Fraser wrote the excellent introduction to this edition of the collected Brigadier Gerard stories, in which he observed what a different sort of character is Gerard from Conan Doyle’s more famous creation, who need not be named. Gerard is French, not English; an interesting choice for a good Victorian imperialist such as Conan Doyle. And Gerard’s stories are set earlier; the conceit is that he is an old man telling tales about his time as a Hussar in Napoleon’s army. Gerard is as arrogant as his literary “brother�, but sweeter as well, chivalrous, loyal, romantic, brave and incredibly, comically dense.
Gerard’s obliviousness is one of the primary charms of the character and chief amusements of these collected stories. He constantly mistakes the derision of others for approbation. Anything that does not conform with his own high opinion of himself gets contorted by his perception so that he remains the hero, not just of his own, but of everyone’s story.
[SPOILER ALERT] In one hilarious instance, Gerard is meant to be performing undercover recognizance and ends up participating merrily in a fox hunt with English soldiers. He gets so carried away with the pursuit that he speeds ahead of everyone, even the dogs, and slices the fox in two with his sword. Gerard clearly misunderstands the whole endeavor and imagines he has “won� the hunt. Moreover, when he sees the English soldiers erupt in histrionic shouting, he perceives this as enthusiastic congratulations instead of the enraged decrying it was.
This, incidentally, was probably my very favorite moment in the entire set of stories. As he outpaces the dogs, feeling quite self-congratulatory indeed, he shouts at the fox: “Aha, we have you now then, assassin!� He has so completely given himself to the hunt that he has forgotten his recognizance mission (only for the moment) and single-mindedly focused on his new “foe� whom he is about to dispatch tidily. And that is quite characteristic of Gerard. Comically myopic, absurdly confident of his every move, of his own rightness, and � for all his ridiculousness - actually quite a good soldier and sport. He is dog-like, in the best sense of that comparison. You like Gerard even while you laugh at him. And you can always trust him to be himself.
I am not much for adventure stories, generally preferring a good mystery, but the Brigadier Gerard stories are vividly detailed and very very funny. I am also growing increasingly interested in the Napoleonic era as a predecessor to the “world� conflicts at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is intriguing to read an Englishman’s sympathetic take on a Frenchman during this period. In any event, these stories deserve to be better known than they are. And, for my money and time, I’d much rather spend an afternoon hanging out with Gerard than with that other fellow concocted by Conan Doyle.
Gerard’s obliviousness is one of the primary charms of the character and chief amusements of these collected stories. He constantly mistakes the derision of others for approbation. Anything that does not conform with his own high opinion of himself gets contorted by his perception so that he remains the hero, not just of his own, but of everyone’s story.
[SPOILER ALERT] In one hilarious instance, Gerard is meant to be performing undercover recognizance and ends up participating merrily in a fox hunt with English soldiers. He gets so carried away with the pursuit that he speeds ahead of everyone, even the dogs, and slices the fox in two with his sword. Gerard clearly misunderstands the whole endeavor and imagines he has “won� the hunt. Moreover, when he sees the English soldiers erupt in histrionic shouting, he perceives this as enthusiastic congratulations instead of the enraged decrying it was.
This, incidentally, was probably my very favorite moment in the entire set of stories. As he outpaces the dogs, feeling quite self-congratulatory indeed, he shouts at the fox: “Aha, we have you now then, assassin!� He has so completely given himself to the hunt that he has forgotten his recognizance mission (only for the moment) and single-mindedly focused on his new “foe� whom he is about to dispatch tidily. And that is quite characteristic of Gerard. Comically myopic, absurdly confident of his every move, of his own rightness, and � for all his ridiculousness - actually quite a good soldier and sport. He is dog-like, in the best sense of that comparison. You like Gerard even while you laugh at him. And you can always trust him to be himself.
I am not much for adventure stories, generally preferring a good mystery, but the Brigadier Gerard stories are vividly detailed and very very funny. I am also growing increasingly interested in the Napoleonic era as a predecessor to the “world� conflicts at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is intriguing to read an Englishman’s sympathetic take on a Frenchman during this period. In any event, these stories deserve to be better known than they are. And, for my money and time, I’d much rather spend an afternoon hanging out with Gerard than with that other fellow concocted by Conan Doyle.
April 18, 2017
Looking for a Napoleonic era Jason Bourne? Etienne Gerard is a dashing, chivalrous, and stalwart French officer who becomes involved various suspenseful and often comical political intrigues. He battles outlaws, Englishmen and Cossacks and always maintains a his honor and his style. His adventures can be read separately or as one connected story.
Doyle's writing, though perhaps more fast-paced and humourous than his Sherlock Holmes work, is fluid and engaging. I was cheering of Gerard while silently scoffing at some of his arrogant idiosyncrasies. He is a lovable character whom you should certainly meet.
Doyle's writing, though perhaps more fast-paced and humourous than his Sherlock Holmes work, is fluid and engaging. I was cheering of Gerard while silently scoffing at some of his arrogant idiosyncrasies. He is a lovable character whom you should certainly meet.
December 12, 2021
every 19th century author seems to have the biggest crush on napoleon. i don't think I've ever read something as preoccupied with the way men look riding horses, how it feels to ride a horse, how cool soldiers are with their horses. the way "a horse feels between your thighs" is described repeatedly, to the point where I started to wonder if my mind was playing tricks on me.
September 9, 2016
Realmente no pude dejar de leerlo ni bien empece. Divertido pero realista se puede aprender mucho. Es increíble cuando describe a Napoleón y uno siente una tristeza cuando el libro finaliza por ser muy corto y por saber que no va haber mas "aventuras" del gran Gerard.
March 13, 2018
Μπορώ να φανταστώ την επιτυχία της δημοσίευσης των περιπετειών του Ταξίαρχου Gerard σε ένα περιοδικό στις αρχές του προηγούμενου αιώνα, όμως σήμερα το στυλ μου φαίνεται λίγο ξεπερασμένο. Είχε τις στιγμές του και γέλασα σε κάποια σημεία. Μια χαρά 2,5*
August 15, 2024
It's easy to see where George McDonald Fraser got inspiration for his character Flashman from - Conan Doyle's less celebrated "Boy's Own" adventurer Brigadier Gerard brags and swaggers his way across Napoleonic Europe with impenetrably delusional self-confidence in this collection of short stories that were originally serialised in The Strand magazine between 1894 and 1903, harking back to the derring-do of post-Revolutionary France with tongue tucked firmly in one cheek.
They aren't laugh out loud hilarious, though bear in mind we're looking back at a century's distance now, but they're certainly clever enough to poke fun at the English as well as the French, to keep dramatic momentum alongside Gerard's hapless antics, until by the end the reader should be truly gripped as the Brigadier sails desperately - and futilely - to Napoleon's rescue on the shores of St Helena.
They aren't laugh out loud hilarious, though bear in mind we're looking back at a century's distance now, but they're certainly clever enough to poke fun at the English as well as the French, to keep dramatic momentum alongside Gerard's hapless antics, until by the end the reader should be truly gripped as the Brigadier sails desperately - and futilely - to Napoleon's rescue on the shores of St Helena.
May 9, 2019
The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard:
Free download available at
Free download available at
November 3, 2021
DNF. Not as amusing as I hoped.
Actually, not at all amusing.
Actually, not at all amusing.
October 24, 2016
Although the second story in this book (The brothers of Ajaccio) makes no sense, the other stories are much more enjoyable, specially those two where the thickness of the brigadier's head is most apparent: "How the King held the brigadier" and "How the brigadier won his medal."
I think the best description of brigadier Gerard is given by Napoleon himself in the last mentioned story: "if he has the thickest head he has also the stoutest heart in my army."
I think the best description of brigadier Gerard is given by Napoleon himself in the last mentioned story: "if he has the thickest head he has also the stoutest heart in my army."
December 29, 2013
A very nice adventure story, which is Doyle's strength in my opinion. I'm still not sure if it's the military that he's mocking or if it's the French; Gerard's attitude is just a little too much to not be satirical. But still a fun read overall.
January 3, 2018
MI FAVORITO!!!
November 18, 2019
Very enjoyable. Didn't realize ACD wrote anything other than Sherlick Hplmes books. I read this for a challenge and very glad I did.
February 13, 2019
Simultaneamente uma bênção e uma maldição, o sucesso de Sherlock Holmes assombrou Arthur Conan Doyle ao longo da sua vida. Apesar do apreço do público pelo metódico detective, e dos dividendos que daí extraiu, ao ponto de ter sido um dos autores mais bem pagos do seu tempo, sentia-se preso ao género literário policial, tal como um actor condenado a representar sempre o mesmo tipo de papéis. Neste sentido, tentou diversificar a sua carreira literária embrenhando-se noutros géneros, desde a ficção científica, com O Mundo Perdido, peças de teatro, colectâneas de poesia, e até o libreto de uma ópera, em conjunto com James Matthew Barrie, famoso autor de Peter Pan, intitulada Jane Annie or The Good Conduct Prize. Curiosamente, data deste período o seu interesse pela polémica descoberta do Homem de Piltdown � suposto elo perdido entre o homem e o macaco, fraude científica comprovada alguns anos depois � chegando mesmo a haver suspeitas do seu alegado envolvimento na falsificação dos restos mortais encontrados no East Sussex.
As Aventuras do Brigadeiro Gérard (1896) constituem, assim, a incursão de Conan Doyle na ficção histórica. A obra consiste numa colectânea de oito contos, lançados previamente em folhetim na Strand Magazine, entre Dezembro de 1894 e Dezembro de 1895, publicada sob o nome The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard, versando sobre a vida do brigadeiro Gérard, antigo combatente no exército de Napoleão. Devido ao sucesso do personagem junto do público, Doyle publicará posteriormente outra colectânea, The Adventures of Gerard (1903), nunca traduzida em Portugal, não devendo, portanto, ser confundida com a primeira.
Estevão Gérard, natural da Gasconha tal como D’Artagnan, é o arquétipo do inveterado militar, bravo mas oco, galante mas presumido, devoto mas inconsistente, que esboça uma fina sátira do típico francês da viragem do século XVIII para o século XIX, tão bem decalcado por Balzac. Descrito por Napoleão nos seguintes termos, “conquanto tenha a cabeça mais romba, tem também o coração mais rijo, em todo o meu exército� (DOYLE, p. 165), Gérard é um tenente de cavalaria ligeira, do 2.º regimento de Hussardos, que, ao longo da narrativa, através de uma lealdade incondicional ao imperador, e a diversos rasgos de sorte, vai progredindo na carreira militar, primeiro para capitão, depois coronel e, por fim, brigadeiro. Detentor de uma opinião inflamada de si próprio, Estevão afirma convictamente “haver estado sempre presente no espírito do imperador�; na verdade, o seu amor-próprio é tão grande que chega ao ponto de declarar que Napoleão Bonaparte “haveria dado, nem que fosse a mão esquerda, a troco de um cavaco de cinco minutos com a minha pessoa� (DOYLE, p. 166-167).
Egocentrismo e excesso de orgulho à parte, a sua vida cruza-se três vezes com a do imperador. Na primeira, o tenente acompanha o monarca francês até a um nebuloso encontro na calada da noite que se revela ser o cumprimento de uma vendeta por parte da sociedade secreta dos Irmãos de Ajácio. Tendo pertencido a esta irmandade na sua juventude, devotada ao combate contra a anexação da Córsega por parte da França, Napoleão era procurado pelos seus antigos camaradas por ter incorrido no crime capital de a ter abandonado. O sucesso da missão garantiu ao nosso herói a patente de capitão. Seguidamente, durante o ano de 1814, já perto da primeira queda de Bonaparte, Gérard é incumbido de entregar uma falsa mensagem ao contingente de Paris, através de território controlado já pelos inimigos da França. No entanto, fiel a si mesmo, Estevão não só não compreende o carácter ardiloso da sua missão como não se deixa capturar, para disseminar as falsas indicações dos movimentos do exército francês, como chega incólume à capital. Apesar do falhanço total, recebe a medalha de honra especial pela sua bravura. O derradeiro encontro com Napoleão foi a incumbência do resgate dos papéis pessoais do imperador, que eram passíveis de garantir a legitimidade ao trono de França por parte dos seus herdeiros, a saber: a prova oficial do divórcio com Josefina, do casamento com Maria Luísa, e do nascimento do filho de ambos, o rei de Roma.
Quanto aos restantes contos, Gérard assiste o alferes Duroc num assunto de pendor pessoal, a vingança contra o assassino do pai deste último durante a estadia dos exércitos imperiais na Polónia prussiana. No decurso da invasão de Espanha, é capturado por um bando de guerrilheiros e salvo no último minuto pelo oficial britânico Sir Russel. Não obstante, é feito prisioneiro, desta vez pelos ingleses, que o enviam, após uma ligeira passagem pelo Porto, para a tenebrosa prisão de Dartmoor. Meses de ponderadas maquinações dão os seus frutos, consegue escapar e voltar para França, não sem antes se envolver numa luta com um campeão de boxe. Em Portugal, durante a terceira invasão, protagonizada por Masséna, em plena acção das linhas de Torres Vedras, Gérard é encarregue de capturar o Marechal Mil-Flores, notório bandido que infestava a zona de Santarém. Por fim, então na Alemanha, assiste ao levantamento de armas contra os franceses, e tem de lutar pela vida contra os cavaleiros nocturnos de Lutzow.
Conhecido pela investigação metódica, antecedendo o seu processo criativo e pela tendência em basear as suas personagens em pessoas reais � veja-se o caso de Sherlock Holmes, parcialmente inspirado em Joseph Bell, professor universitário do autor na Universidade de Edimburgo � Conan Doyle efectuou uma extensa pesquisa documental entre as memórias de ex-combatentes napoleónicos para fundamentar a sua narrativa. Particularmente, supõe-se que a inspiração para Gérard advenha de Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcellin de Marbot, autor das Mémoires du Général Baron de Marbot, publicadas pelos herdeiros em 1891 e traduzidas para inglês, por Arthur John Butler, no ano seguinte. Tal como Gérard, Marbot era oficial de cavalaria ligeira, serviu sob os marechais Lannes e Masséna, e participou nos mesmos teatros de operações: as guerras peninsulares, a invasão da Rússia e a campanha da Alemanha. O estilo narrativo, composto por uma fina e precisa descrição, um sentido de humor apurado e acção bem doseada, consegue suportar o teste do tempo. Não obstante, vários comentários do personagem principal sobre as mulheres são, hoje, capazes de ferir sensibilidades.
A título de nota final, a história editorial desta tradução é sintomática do carácter avulso e, muitas vezes, oportunista, no pior sentido, da edição em Portugal. Publicado pela primeira vez em 1910 pela Livraria Ferreira, a tradução coube a Manuel de Macedo (1839-1915), pintor, cenógrafo, escritor e ilustrador. A edição que possuo esteve a cabo da Mediasat Group, empresa espanhola que colaborou com o Jornal de Notícias, em 2004, para a criação da colecção “Os Grandes Génios da Literatura Universal�, que repescou a velha tradução de Manuel Macedo, caída entretanto em regime de domínio público. Em 2007, a Livros do Brasil editou o mesmo livro no âmbito da sua colecção “Obras Escolhidas de Conan Doyle�, enveredando pela mesma estratégia da Mediasat Group. A tradução propriamente dita, apesar de escorreita, está desfasada das expressões e do vocabulário português actuais, o que pode dificultar a leitura e a sua compreensão.
ڱêԳ
DOYLE, Arthur Conan (2004) � Aventuras do Brigadeiro Gérard. Barcelona: Mediasat Group. (Os Grandes Génios da Literatura Universal, n.º 20).
As Aventuras do Brigadeiro Gérard (1896) constituem, assim, a incursão de Conan Doyle na ficção histórica. A obra consiste numa colectânea de oito contos, lançados previamente em folhetim na Strand Magazine, entre Dezembro de 1894 e Dezembro de 1895, publicada sob o nome The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard, versando sobre a vida do brigadeiro Gérard, antigo combatente no exército de Napoleão. Devido ao sucesso do personagem junto do público, Doyle publicará posteriormente outra colectânea, The Adventures of Gerard (1903), nunca traduzida em Portugal, não devendo, portanto, ser confundida com a primeira.
Estevão Gérard, natural da Gasconha tal como D’Artagnan, é o arquétipo do inveterado militar, bravo mas oco, galante mas presumido, devoto mas inconsistente, que esboça uma fina sátira do típico francês da viragem do século XVIII para o século XIX, tão bem decalcado por Balzac. Descrito por Napoleão nos seguintes termos, “conquanto tenha a cabeça mais romba, tem também o coração mais rijo, em todo o meu exército� (DOYLE, p. 165), Gérard é um tenente de cavalaria ligeira, do 2.º regimento de Hussardos, que, ao longo da narrativa, através de uma lealdade incondicional ao imperador, e a diversos rasgos de sorte, vai progredindo na carreira militar, primeiro para capitão, depois coronel e, por fim, brigadeiro. Detentor de uma opinião inflamada de si próprio, Estevão afirma convictamente “haver estado sempre presente no espírito do imperador�; na verdade, o seu amor-próprio é tão grande que chega ao ponto de declarar que Napoleão Bonaparte “haveria dado, nem que fosse a mão esquerda, a troco de um cavaco de cinco minutos com a minha pessoa� (DOYLE, p. 166-167).
Egocentrismo e excesso de orgulho à parte, a sua vida cruza-se três vezes com a do imperador. Na primeira, o tenente acompanha o monarca francês até a um nebuloso encontro na calada da noite que se revela ser o cumprimento de uma vendeta por parte da sociedade secreta dos Irmãos de Ajácio. Tendo pertencido a esta irmandade na sua juventude, devotada ao combate contra a anexação da Córsega por parte da França, Napoleão era procurado pelos seus antigos camaradas por ter incorrido no crime capital de a ter abandonado. O sucesso da missão garantiu ao nosso herói a patente de capitão. Seguidamente, durante o ano de 1814, já perto da primeira queda de Bonaparte, Gérard é incumbido de entregar uma falsa mensagem ao contingente de Paris, através de território controlado já pelos inimigos da França. No entanto, fiel a si mesmo, Estevão não só não compreende o carácter ardiloso da sua missão como não se deixa capturar, para disseminar as falsas indicações dos movimentos do exército francês, como chega incólume à capital. Apesar do falhanço total, recebe a medalha de honra especial pela sua bravura. O derradeiro encontro com Napoleão foi a incumbência do resgate dos papéis pessoais do imperador, que eram passíveis de garantir a legitimidade ao trono de França por parte dos seus herdeiros, a saber: a prova oficial do divórcio com Josefina, do casamento com Maria Luísa, e do nascimento do filho de ambos, o rei de Roma.
Quanto aos restantes contos, Gérard assiste o alferes Duroc num assunto de pendor pessoal, a vingança contra o assassino do pai deste último durante a estadia dos exércitos imperiais na Polónia prussiana. No decurso da invasão de Espanha, é capturado por um bando de guerrilheiros e salvo no último minuto pelo oficial britânico Sir Russel. Não obstante, é feito prisioneiro, desta vez pelos ingleses, que o enviam, após uma ligeira passagem pelo Porto, para a tenebrosa prisão de Dartmoor. Meses de ponderadas maquinações dão os seus frutos, consegue escapar e voltar para França, não sem antes se envolver numa luta com um campeão de boxe. Em Portugal, durante a terceira invasão, protagonizada por Masséna, em plena acção das linhas de Torres Vedras, Gérard é encarregue de capturar o Marechal Mil-Flores, notório bandido que infestava a zona de Santarém. Por fim, então na Alemanha, assiste ao levantamento de armas contra os franceses, e tem de lutar pela vida contra os cavaleiros nocturnos de Lutzow.
Conhecido pela investigação metódica, antecedendo o seu processo criativo e pela tendência em basear as suas personagens em pessoas reais � veja-se o caso de Sherlock Holmes, parcialmente inspirado em Joseph Bell, professor universitário do autor na Universidade de Edimburgo � Conan Doyle efectuou uma extensa pesquisa documental entre as memórias de ex-combatentes napoleónicos para fundamentar a sua narrativa. Particularmente, supõe-se que a inspiração para Gérard advenha de Jean Baptiste Antoine Marcellin de Marbot, autor das Mémoires du Général Baron de Marbot, publicadas pelos herdeiros em 1891 e traduzidas para inglês, por Arthur John Butler, no ano seguinte. Tal como Gérard, Marbot era oficial de cavalaria ligeira, serviu sob os marechais Lannes e Masséna, e participou nos mesmos teatros de operações: as guerras peninsulares, a invasão da Rússia e a campanha da Alemanha. O estilo narrativo, composto por uma fina e precisa descrição, um sentido de humor apurado e acção bem doseada, consegue suportar o teste do tempo. Não obstante, vários comentários do personagem principal sobre as mulheres são, hoje, capazes de ferir sensibilidades.
A título de nota final, a história editorial desta tradução é sintomática do carácter avulso e, muitas vezes, oportunista, no pior sentido, da edição em Portugal. Publicado pela primeira vez em 1910 pela Livraria Ferreira, a tradução coube a Manuel de Macedo (1839-1915), pintor, cenógrafo, escritor e ilustrador. A edição que possuo esteve a cabo da Mediasat Group, empresa espanhola que colaborou com o Jornal de Notícias, em 2004, para a criação da colecção “Os Grandes Génios da Literatura Universal�, que repescou a velha tradução de Manuel Macedo, caída entretanto em regime de domínio público. Em 2007, a Livros do Brasil editou o mesmo livro no âmbito da sua colecção “Obras Escolhidas de Conan Doyle�, enveredando pela mesma estratégia da Mediasat Group. A tradução propriamente dita, apesar de escorreita, está desfasada das expressões e do vocabulário português actuais, o que pode dificultar a leitura e a sua compreensão.
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DOYLE, Arthur Conan (2004) � Aventuras do Brigadeiro Gérard. Barcelona: Mediasat Group. (Os Grandes Génios da Literatura Universal, n.º 20).
December 15, 2019
This was quite a fun little short story collection, some historical fiction from the creator of Sherlock Holmes that covers the Napoleonic Wars and follows a Frenchman. That was interesting in and of itself because I’m trying to learn French and so it was cool to get this extra little insight into French history and culture.
It was a little slow at times and Gerard was full of himself and ridiculously overconfident. Still, the stories were well-conceived and pretty interesting, and it was cool to see Napoleon as a character and to spend time thinking about the way that he was depicted.
I don’t think that this book would be for everyone, but if it sounds like the kind of thing that you might be interested in, it’s definitely worth checking it out. I’ve had this on my TBR list for ages and I’m glad that I finally got to it. I love reading Conan Doyle, man, he’s great.
It was a little slow at times and Gerard was full of himself and ridiculously overconfident. Still, the stories were well-conceived and pretty interesting, and it was cool to see Napoleon as a character and to spend time thinking about the way that he was depicted.
I don’t think that this book would be for everyone, but if it sounds like the kind of thing that you might be interested in, it’s definitely worth checking it out. I’ve had this on my TBR list for ages and I’m glad that I finally got to it. I love reading Conan Doyle, man, he’s great.
September 9, 2023
This was a bind-up of two short story collections. The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard was fun, amusing, and fast-paced and I rated it a high 3.5 but The Adventures of Brigadier Gerard was less fun and only rated a low 3 stars.
Gerard is a vain, conceited not quite likeable braggart who tells tales of his exploits that sound far-fetched at best and outright lies at worst but the strange part was that even in his tellings he tended to fail in his missions at least as often as he succeeded.
3.25/5
Gerard is a vain, conceited not quite likeable braggart who tells tales of his exploits that sound far-fetched at best and outright lies at worst but the strange part was that even in his tellings he tended to fail in his missions at least as often as he succeeded.
3.25/5
February 19, 2021
Demorou algumas histórias, mas o Brigadeiro me conquistou. A caricatura francesa é delicada, então ele não se torna cansativo nem óbvio. Doyle se deu melhor escrevendo momentos tocantes de emoção e patriotismo do que os engraçados, mas as sequências de ação e combate são excelentes!
April 2, 2021
Inspectgor Cluseau in an Army General's uniform. More courage than brains...a capable fighter but he can't play Rummy worth a crap...
fun read if you like classics.
the Humor is often subtle, but, it is there.
fun read if you like classics.
the Humor is often subtle, but, it is there.
April 19, 2025
3.5
Not as good as Doyle's The White Company, but fans of the Napoleonic Wars will enjoy these tales.
Etienne Gerard is a pompous fellow who escapes great dangers in his assignments on the continent. Gerard is ever loyal to France and to the emperor, but he is not easy for the reader to associate with. There is no character development in these vignettes - no relationships are formed, but there is excitement and intrigue.
Think Lone Ranger episodes of the early 1800s.
Not as good as Doyle's The White Company, but fans of the Napoleonic Wars will enjoy these tales.
Etienne Gerard is a pompous fellow who escapes great dangers in his assignments on the continent. Gerard is ever loyal to France and to the emperor, but he is not easy for the reader to associate with. There is no character development in these vignettes - no relationships are formed, but there is excitement and intrigue.
Think Lone Ranger episodes of the early 1800s.
January 15, 2024
I am devastated to have finished this book. Every story is loaded with good humour, and overall a blast to read. If such a thing existed, I would very happily read a collection of Brigadier Gerard larger than Doyle's complete Sherlock Holmes, that may be blasphemy, but I mean it when I say these stories are incredibly fun. Étienne Gerard is such a great character and I will miss him.
The Napoleonic-era setting was a bonus, I loved every page.
The Napoleonic-era setting was a bonus, I loved every page.
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