The Abyssinian by Jean-Christophe Rufin
In The Abyyssinian, Jean-Christophe Rufin yokes the elegant language of the French enlightenment with the storytelling of Alexandre Dumas to create a splendid parable of liberty, religious fanaticism and the possibility of happiness. 'Set in 1700, towards the end of the reign of Louis XIV, it follows the fortunes of a brave apothecary, a talented but unofficial doctor, who is talked into leading an embassy from Cairo to Ethiopia . . . Rufin maintains a perfect balance between impatient detachment and compassionate curiosity. The Abyssinian, like Thackeray's Vanity Fair, carries the weight of history with good-humoured finesse' The Times ‘An ambitious first novel, dashing, abundant and, when necessary, vividly theatrical’ Times Literary Supplement ‘[A] remarkably assured first novel . . . Rufin’s writing is elegantly readable’ Independent ‘It is old-fashioned enough to be delightful, and new enough to be moving’ Glasgow Herald ‘Rufin offers the reader at least three different novels in the space of a single book: a tale of diplomatic intrigue, a voyage of discovery to a virtually unknown civilisation, and a chronicle of the adventures and loves of his irrepressible hero’ Daily Telegraph
Set in 1700, towards the end of the reign of Louis XIV, it follows the fortunes of a brave apothecary, a talented but unofficial doctor, who is talked into leading an embassy from Cairo to Ethiopia. . Rufin maintains a perfect balance between impatient detachment and compassionate curiosity. The Abyssinian, like Thackeray's Vanity Fair, carries the weight of history with good-humoured finesse
An ambitious first novel, dashing, abundant and, when necessary, vividly theatrical
[A] remarkably assured first novel . . . Rufin’s writing is elegantly readable
It is old-fashioned enough to be delightful, and new enough to be moving
Rufin offers the reader at least three different novels in the space of a single book: a tale of diplomatic intrigue, a voyage of discovery to a virtually unknown civilisation, and a chronicle of the adventures and loves of his irrepressible hero
An ambitious first novel, dashing, abundant and, when necessary, vividly theatrical
[A] remarkably assured first novel . . . Rufin’s writing is elegantly readable
It is old-fashioned enough to be delightful, and new enough to be moving
Rufin offers the reader at least three different novels in the space of a single book: a tale of diplomatic intrigue, a voyage of discovery to a virtually unknown civilisation, and a chronicle of the adventures and loves of his irrepressible hero
Jean-Christopher Rufin's The Abyssinian won France's Prix Mediterranée and Prix Goncourt for best first novel. A doctor and founder of the Nobel Peace Prize winning organization Medicins Sans Frontieres, Rufin has journeyed to many war-torn regions to administer aid, including Bosnia and Rwanda. He lives in France.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780330393874 |
| ISBN 10 | 0330393871 |
| Title | The Abyssinian |
| Author | Jean-Christophe Rufin |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Pan Macmillan |
| Year published | 2000-11-10 |
| Number of pages | 432 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |