Beau Geste [Paperback]

This is one of my favourite books of all time. It's come in for a bit of criticism in recent years for the way "foreigners" are portrayed, and I have to admit that Wren does use some awful stereotypes, but as long as you remember that he was writing in the 1920s and not the 90s you can take it with good humour. The story is told in several parts, from a couple of different perspectives, but basically this is the story of Michael "Beau" Geste, a magnificently heroic and noble young Englishman, as seen through the eyes of his hero-worshipping younger brother John. To sum up the plot in a few lines, somebody steals a magnificent jewel, and Beau (though John, and by extension the reader, knows it is impossible) confesses to the crime. His brothers follow him into exile, and they wind up in the French Foreign Legion. Numerous adventures take place in the desert, but running throughout the whole book is the most important theme - who stole the jewel and why would Beau sacrifice his reputation and maybe his life to cover for them? This book has got the lot: gallantry, true love, thwarted love, humour, sadness, bravery, forts in the desert, mutinous soldiers, loyal officers and unflappable gentlemen, honour and self sacrifice. It really succeeds in bringing to life the vanished world (maybe it never really existed but we all love to think it did) of the perfect English gentleman.

In the 19th century adventure writers used to imbue their tales with the morality of the time. Made simple, people will come across good and evil in their lives, it's how you face it that defines who you are. Honor is an admirable quality, acting dishonorably is, well, dishonorable.... And it is worth struggling through adversity for a good cause. Acting with courage and strength, can yield great reward. GA Henty, H. Rider Haggard, P. C. Wren, C. S. Forester, Anthony Hope and Baroness Orczy crafted their careers on these very foundations with, thankfully, a lot of page turning action.

About 25 years ago, I tore through BEAU GESTE, BEAU SABREUR, and BEAU IDEAL one after the other and had a great time reading them. Having recently become reacquainted with `the swashbuckler' as an entertaining read, I thought I'd pick up a copy of Beau Geste and see if the excitement still held. I wasn't disappointed. What's not to like, really. Three noble English brothers battle a sadistic sergeant, fight violent desert tribes in North Africa, and unravel the mystery of a stolen jewel. Great stuff! Sure the story telling technique and the world view may come across as a little old fashioned to many a modern reader, but all I can say is there were a couple of very late nights where I was literally unable to put this book down. Enjoy!

A REVIEW OF 'BEAU GESTE' by P.C. WREN

'Beau Geste' has the unenviable status of being a book that people know of, but which fewer and fewer have actually read. Mention its name, and the typical response is, "Oh, that's about the French Foreign Legion." And that's about it.

All of which is a shame, because 'Beau Geste' is a stylish and clever novel which merits far more attention than its one-dimensional, pub-quiz-friendly reputation would suggest. Part tale of the supposed supernatural, part mystery, part 'whodunnit', part autobiography, part romance and part war/adventure novel, 'Beau Geste' certainly ticks all of the boxes. Perhaps the book's growing obscurity is due to the fact that it is not old enough to fall under the title of a 'classic', but not new or fashionable enough to remain prominently in print.

However, those who do hunt down a copy of 'Beau Geste' will not be disappointed. Opening with the eerie discovery of a French Foreign Legion fort being 'defended' by strategically-positioned dead soldiers, which then mysteriously and spontaneously combusts, the tale immediately takes us back to an English country home and the disappearance of a priceless sapphire. It's like jumping out of John Buchan's 'Prester John' straight into Agatha Christie's 'The Adventure of The Christmas Pudding'. Wren expertly interlinks the two opening sections so that the ending cleverly explains the beginning through the words of John Geste, one of three brothers who flee to North Africa, having claimed to have stolen the jewel.

The opening chapters are excellent and genuinely engage the reader as we first encounter the 'haunted' fort from the perspective of its would-be liberators. Equally impressive is the description of the desert-warfare in the later passages which explains the high body count. However, it is as a first-person narrative of leaving England to join the French Foreign Legion that 'Beau Geste' arguably works best because of the writer's attention to detail which gives a real authenticity. P.C. Wren was a particularly private man, but his precise description of the customs and trappings of the legion leave the reader in little doubt that much of the story is based upon personal experience.

However, not everything about 'Beau Geste' hits the spot. Following the theft of the sapphire and before the conflict at the fort, Wren rather overplays the dialogue scenes. Conversations seem to ramble onwards without developing the plot as the same points (about the possible thief and possible mutineers respectively) are repeated to an almost ponderous degree. Similarly, the final few chapters seem to take the story off in directions which distract the reader away from the key plot resolution. At times, the temptation to plump for one of the numerous abridged version of the novel might be felt strongly.

Nevertheless, the actual finale is short, sharp and memorable, ensuring that the pages which follow the less-engaging extracts of the book compensate for the slowing of plot and pace. Talking of plot, this reviewer has deliberately avoided describing all but the skeleton of the story, a decision based upon respect for Wren's stylish unveiling of narrative and character.

Thus, in 'Beau Geste' we have a very good book, indeed. Perhaps not a masterpiece, but a great read which rewards the reader's trust and patience, much like a thirst-quenching drink after a hard day's desert marching.

Barty's Score: 8/10