Review: ‘Rocambole, Vol. 2: Redemption’

Rocambole is an early French character who is a forerunner of many similar characters of heroic fiction that followed him. These stories were written in the 1850s and 1860s. But until now, there has not been an English translation of the series.

I have posted previously about Rocambole, looking at the first of three volumes of English translations by Basil Balian. Now we will look at the second volume, “Rocambole, Vol. 2: Redemption.”

But for those who haven’t read the first post, some background. The reason these stories haven’t been translated before is the difficulty of doing so. The original stories were serialized in newspapers, under the overall title of “The Dramas of Paris.” Think in terms of a soap opera in literary form.

Rocambole as a character appeared later on, and eventually took over the series.

The series has a wide number of characters, plots and subplots. The series was reprinted in a series of nine novels. (I have no idea where the translator gets the claim of 17 novels. All the lists I’ve seen give only nine. I can only assume in Iraq, were the translator grew up, the series was published in more books.)

As noted, the plan is to adapt these novels into three volumes of four “books” each. So there is not quite a one-to-one matchup with the novels.

The first volume deals with Rocambole at the beginning, when he was a villain. The second one (this one) deals with his redemption and early work as a hero. The third (not yet published) will deal with him being a larger-than-life hero. My main source of information on this character and the series has been the page on Rocambole at the Cool French Comics site associated with Black Coat Press.

This volume actually includes novels 5 and 6: “Resurrection of Rocambole” and “Rocambole’s Last Word.” The fourth novel was actually retconned out of existence, as fans didn’t like it. (I bet you thought that only happened in comic books!)

“Resurrection of Rocambole” comprises two books, 5 and 6.

In Book 5, we first get a prologue that brings us up to date. Rocambole is in prison, known only as Prisoner #117. At first he plots revenge against those who had stood against him. Gradually, he gives up on these, as he slowly realizes that each of these people were stopping the evil he was doing. His epiphany comes when Blanche, the sister of the marque whose identity Rocambole has usurped and whom he had come to love like a sister, does not even recognize him in prison. He is now on the road to redemption.

After 10 years in prison, Rocambole decides to escape, taking several others with him who will form his new group of followers. These include Vanda, a woman he had befriended during his weekly forays outside the prison. She had been given a large fortune, with the stipulation that each year she would help a condemned prisoner escape. She has become devoted to Rocambole.

More important is Milon, a man framed and sent to prison. He had been the servant of Baroness Mueller, who died under mysterious circumstances. She left a large fortune under the care of Milon, to be restored to her twin daughters, who are being raised by a school headmistress. The Baroness had been murdered by her stepbrothers, the Baron and Viscount de Morlux.

Finally coming to Paris, Rocambole (now under the alias of the Russian Major Avatar) and associates are looking for the daughters. Rocambole is also watching over Blanche. One of the daughters, Madeleine, has gone to Russia as a tutor for a Russian noble family. The other, Antoinette, stayed to take care of the now-invalid headmistress. In the meantime, a young nobleman, Aginor, has fallen in love with Antoinette, and tells of her to his father. Not realizing that his father, the Baron de Morlux, is the cause of her misfortune! Fearing that Antoinette will reveal the crimes of his brother and himself, Aginor’s uncle plots to get her out of the way. Can Rocambole and associates save her?

Book 6 focuses on Madeleine, now in Russia. The son of the noble family she has been working for, Ivan, has fallen in love with her, but his father wants to marry off his son to the rich Countess Wasilika Wasserenoff. So they fire Madeleine.

But the countess is very dangerous, sees Madeleine as a rival for Ivan, and wants to do away with her, as does the Viscount de Morlux. Rocambole comes to rescue her, and meets again Baccarat, also now a Russian countess (see the first volume). Rocambole is able to convince her of his reformation, and she becomes a valuable ally in his fight against the evil Countess Wasilika. But Rocambole has also fallen in love with Madeleine.

But good triumphs, as Rocambole and associates are able to reunite the two pairs of lovers (they several times need to be rescued as different people plot to kill or harm them), who will soon be married. But Countess Wasilika strikes back by kidnapping Blanche’s young son. Blanche, who has figured out who Rocambole really is, asks for his help. He goes after the countess to rescue her son. The countess is dead, the son is saved, but of Rocambole, he is gone. Is he dead?

Books 7 and 8 are the sixth novel, “Rocambole’s Last Word,” or most of it (see below).

At the beginning of Book 7, we learn the fate of Rocambole. He is rescued by a group of thieves, who recognized the great Rocambole. They wish him to take over leadership of their gang, and are interested in the goings on in a small home they wish to rob. But Rocambole wants to learn more of what is going on there first. The main person in the gang, the young Marmouset, will become Rocambole’s main assistant over time.

Rocambole finds that those living in the house are under threat of being murdered by Thugees from Indian (here called “Stranglers” by the translator). He rescues them, and is now opposing the Thugees. Learning who the leader of the Stranglers are in Europe, a Sir George, Rocambole and associates travel to London. Soon, Rocambole discovers another girl who appears to be threatened. She is known as Gypsy, but doesn’t appear to be a gypsy. All the men who tried to marry her are murdered by strangulation on their wedding night.

Rocambole is able to thwart the Stranglers by pretending to be a follower of Shiva (here called Siwa by the translator), and we learn the Stranglers are more of a political organization. Their real aim is to return wealth stolen from India by the British and throw off British rule, and use the cult of Kali to keep the lower-level members in line. Having saved Gypsy and defeated Sir George, Rocambole and associates now travel back to France.

In Book 8, we are introduced to some new characters, also tied to the Stranglers. We met a mysterious woman who is known only as Milady. We learn that her son Lucian is coming of age in Paris, but that her father and sister were murdered by the Stranglers for the wealth they brought back from India, and she appears to be under threat as well. Her niece is missing, and apparently her sister had given her over to some gypsies to save her from the Stranglers. Hmmm.

We soon learn that Milady was secretly married to the head of the Stranglers, Ali Ramjah, who is the father of Lucian. Rocambole defeats Ali Ramjah and the new leader of the Stranglers in Europe, and turns them over to the British authorities in India. He pardons Milady, when she promises to return the money she stole from Gypsy, her niece.

Now in Indian by himself, Rocambole encounters new dangers. He meets and befriends the Rajah Osmany, and makes a new ally in Nadir, leader of the Sons of Shiva (Siwa), who fight against the Kali-worshiping Stranglers. The Rajah is betrayed by his English prime minister, Sir Linton, who kidnaps Osmany’s son and treasure, who was hidden away. Rocambole is able to save the Rajah’s son, and with Nadir, returns with the Rajah’s son to Europe.

Interestingly, per the Rocambole page there is a whole subplot regarding Marmouset in Paris that is missing. He is basically missing from the entire Book 8. So I wonder if the translator has either dropped this whole subplot, or moved it into Book 9 (which will appear in the next volume). Won’t know until we get it.

The last part of the sixth novel, known as “The Truth about Rocambole,” is also left out of this volume. No idea if it will also be included in the final volume. It’s actually a bit “Wold Newton-y.” The story reveals that Rocambole was a real person that Ponson du Terrail met and wrote his adventures, serving basically as his biographer. The first adventure (“The Mysterious Inheritance” in the first volume) was “fictional,” based on rumors he had heard about Rocambole, as was the now-dropped fourth novel (explaining why it was overlooked, as it really didn’t happen). Ponson had written it when he lost contact with Rocambole, and basically “had to make it up” to satisfy his fans. An interesting explanation.

The third and final volume should have novels 7 though 9: “The Miseries of London,” “The Demolition of Paris” a.k.a. “Rocambole in Jail” and “The Hanged Man’s Rope” (which was left unfinished at the author’s death), and as I noted, maybe stuff cut from the sixth novel. Not sure how the unfinished ninth novel will be handled as well. Others wrote further Rocambole works after Ponson, but never tried to wrap it up. No idea if those will be used.

Overall, I found this volume very enjoyable. The translator has adapted the work, bringing the language to a form more acceptable to modern audiences, and had trimmed and cut the various subplots, making the work overall very readable. I did find a few flubs with misspellings, but not too many. And a few terms I wonder about. As noted above, he used the term “Strangler” instead of Thugee, and Siwa instead of Shiva. I would liked to have seen more explanatory materials, and the original novel titles kept in some way. But I look forward to getting and reading the next volume, and hope that volume 3 comes soon.

I hope he don’t leave us hanging!