History Literature / NinetyThree

'''Ninety-Three''' (''Quatrevingt-treize'') is the last novel by Creator/VictorHugo, published in 1874. The setting is the year 1793 of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, which means the ReignOfTerror, and especially the War in the Vendée, a peasant uprising leading a royalist and pro-Church counterrevolution violently repressed by the Republic.

* GreyAndGrayMorality: The book despicts both royalists and republicans with sympathetic and ruthless characters, without really making one side look eviler than the other. It's flat-out stated Cimourdain and Lantenac [[NotSoDifferent are pretty much just as ruthless as each others]], and [[VillainHasAPoint Lantenac's final speech does raise many good points about the Revolution]].

* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: Played for laugh. At one point in the book, Marat approaches two of his friends, one who is former aristocrat and the other a former priest, and asks their help to make sure a new law will be instaured. They both complain that nobody will listen to them, since they respectively are a noble and a priest. Marat's answer?

* InfantImmortality: [[spoiler:played straight]].

* GoodRepublicEvilEmpire: Discussed at the end of the novel, in the conversation between Cimourdain and Gauvain. Gauvain, being TheIdealist, chooses to take his execution with honor in the name of the good republic he holds dear, while Cimourdain defends the PeoplesRepublicOfTyranny. The discussion is also a juxtaposition between RousseauWasRight and HobbesWasRight.
* GracefulLoser: Lantenac surrenders without a fight when Cimourdin arrests him, even approving his action.
->— Je t'arrête, dit Cimourdain. (''“I arrest you,” said Cimourdain.'')
->— Je t'approuve, dit Lantenac. (''“I approve you,” said Lantenac.'')

''Ninety-Three'' (''Quatrevingt-treize'') is the last novel by Creator/VictorHugo, published in 1874. The setting is the year 1793 of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, which means the ReignOfTerror, and especially the War in the Vendée, a peasant uprising leading a royalist and pro-Church counterrevolution violently repressed by the Republic.

* YouHaveFailedMe: A surprisingly more complex case than the usual villainous application of this trope. Lantenac has one of the sailors on his ship executed for committing a mistake when taking care of a cannon, but he actually gives a pretty good reason for his decision. The sailor's mistake caused an accident leading to the death of several of his comrads, which then left the ship defenseless against the enemy, forcing what remained of them to sacrifice themselves so Lantenac could reach France. Even the sailor's brother, after being pointed that out by Lantenac, admits he was in the right to punish him.

* IDieFree: Played straight by Gauvain, making his own death a CrowningMomentOfAwesome by shouting "Vive La Republique" (long live the Republic) before he is executed.

* TokenEnemyMinority: While the revolutionary heroes are French, most of the peasant army the fight consists of Bretons. This was TruthInTelevision, but the author seems to have ''some'' problems with his leanings towards flat out racism on the subject. He tries to even the score though.

* BoisterousBruiser: The "Redcaps" (who presents themselves at the very beginning). Most prominently their leader, a seargent who turns out to be a OneManArmy and wisecracker of proportions.

* BoisterousBruiser: The "Redcaps" (who presents themselves at the very beginning). Most prominently their leader, a seargent who turns out to be a LoneFighter and wisecracker of proportions.

* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: a lot of them, often in WallOfText, sometimes bordering on HannibalLecture.

* GracefulLoser:

* {{Hypocrite}}: Lantenac, for all his talk of the honor of old-school nobility, has a habit of letting people sacrifice themselves to let him escape.
-->—Je le sais, nous avons chacun un devoir différent. (''“I know it, we have both a different duty.”'')
-->—Non, monseigneur, nous avons, vous et moi, le même devoir, qui est de vous sauver. (''“No, my lord, we have, you and I, the same duty, which is to save you.”'')

''Ninety-Three'' (''Quatrevingt-treize'') is the last novel by VictorHugo, published in 1874. The setting is the year 1793 of UsefulNotes/TheFrenchRevolution, which means the ReignOfTerror, and especially the War in the Vendée, a peasant uprising leading a royalist and pro-Church counterrevolution violently repressed by the Republic.

* HistoricaHeroUpgrade: ''Averted'', which was quite a rarity for the time of its publication; neither of the two sides get romanticized, and both Republican and Vendeeans get their share of atrocities and sympathetic sides.

* YouHaveFailedMe: A surprisingly more complex case than the usual villainous application of this trope. Lantenac has one of the sailors on his ship executed for committing a mistake when taking care of a cannon, but he actually gives a pretty good reason for his decision. The sailor's mistake caused an accident leading to the death of several of his comrads, which then left the ship defenseless against the enemy, forcing what remained of them to sacrifice themselves so Lantenac could reach France. Even the sailor's brother, after being pointed that out by Lantenac, admits he was in the right to punish him.

-> — Je le sais, nous avons chacun un devoir différent. (''“I know it, we have both a different duty.”'')
-> — Non, monseigneur, nous avons, vous et moi, le même devoir, qui est de vous sauver. (''“No, my lord, we have, you and I, the same duty, which is to save you.”'')

-> — Je t'arrête, dit Cimourdain. (''“I arrest you,” said Cimourdain.'')
-> — Je t'approuve, dit Lantenac. (''“I approve you,” said Lantenac.'')

''Ninety-Three'' (''Quatrevingt-treize'') is the last novel by VictorHugo, published in 1874. The setting is the year 1793 of TheFrenchRevolution, which means the ReignOfTerror, and especially the War in the Vendée, a peasant uprising leading a royalist and pro-Church counterrevolution violently repressed by the Republic.

* HeelRealization: Lantenac [[spoiler:deciding to save the children]].