Summary of Coup de Grâce
Erich von Lhomond is a Baltic-German aristocrat who reflects on his experiences during the Russian Civil War of 1917-1922, when he fought for the ‘White Army’ against the Bolsheviks. The novel is set in the Baltic region (in present-day Latvia) and recounts how Erich and his fellow soldiers are encircled by the Communist ‘Red Army’ in the castle of Kratovice, a place inspired by Marienburg. The castle belongs to Erich’s childhood friend Conrad and his beautiful sister Sophie. When Sophie falls in love with Erich and he remains indifferent to her affections, the novel reaches a tragic conclusion.
Reasons to read Coup de Grâce
“Coup de Grâce” is a psychological novel that explores the relationships between the three main characters and Erich’s ambiguous feelings towards Conrad and his sister. It provides a compelling portrayal of the political climate in the Baltics during the Russian Civil War of 1919. Marguerite Yourcenar, a Belgian-French-American author, was one of the most influential French-language writers of the 20th century. Her best-known novels include “The Abyss” (“L’Å“uvre au noir”, which won the Prix Fémina) and “Memoirs of Hadrian” (“Mémoires d’Hadrien”). She was honoured with the 1983 Erasmus Prize for her contributions to European literature and was the first woman to be elected to the Académie française. “Coup de Grâce” was adapted into a German film (“Der Fangschuß”) in 1976 by Volker Schlöndorff.
Setting: Latvia
Book set in Latvia: Kratovice is a fictional place most likely inspired by Alūksne (Marienburg)
Original title: Le coup de grâce
Year of publication: 1939
Nr of pages: 164
