Coup De Grace

Rating:
Summary: a slanted orientation
Review: This novella which takes place during the national and ethnic conflicts in Eastern Europe at the time of WW1 explores life through the eyes of a soldier and his two best friends. The soldier however has a code by which he lives and he conducts himself with utmost respect to this code and this code only. Tragedy follows. This may remind a few readers of some of Conrads short works that deal withthe same theme. Yourcenar's working of this material is stretched to novella length though and will try some readers patience as the character is not all that fascinating, what is fascinating is how the writing never wavers(not too much anyway)or tells too much. She lets the character live the consequences of his chosen code. There is a wonderful scene toward the end where the main character seems baffled by his own existence. Not a masterpiece of a novella but to readers who like fiction of this length this is an exercise in the possibilities of the form. Yourcenars introductory essay is very interesting on this point.