Le Capitaine Richard is a disjointed historical romance, set in the
closing years of Napoleon's empire, which nonetheless contains some superb
writing. The book combines some vivid historical descriptions (for
example, of Napoleon's retreat from Moscow) with a perfunctory and
implausible melodrama.
The book opens in 1809 with Napoleon returning to Paris from Spain, hearing
the reports of his various ministers, and departing for Germany to lead his
armies against Austria, once again, in the campaign that would culminate in
the Battle of Wagram. In Germany, we are introduced to two twin brothers,
Louis and Paul Richard, both Lieutenants in the French Army, and a young
German student, Frederick Stilts, and his fiancée, Margaret. Frederick is
involved in anti-French conspiracy of German nationalist students, and
attends a meeting in which the students decide to assassinate Napoleon.
The meeting is infiltrated by Louis Richard, assisted by the spy Schlick, at
which Louis, as a new initiate, is subjected to mock execution to test his
courage and commitment. In a footnote, Dumas implies that this scene was
borrowed from the play
Léo Burckart
which Dumas' friend
Gerard de Nerval
wrote with Dumas' assistance in 1839.
Dumas then provides a sketch of the campaign of Wagram, which culminates
when Napoleon occupies Vienna. Frederick attempts to assassinate Napoleon,
fails, and is sentenced to death. Louis Richard supervises the execution,
and Frederick exacts from Louis a promise that Louis will visit his fiancée
and tell Margaret the circumstance of his death.
We flash forward to 1812, and Napoleon occupies Moscow, only to have the
Russians burn the city around him. Louis Richard (now a captain) rescues
Napoleon from the burning Kremlin. Napoleon hesitates, and finally orders
the disastrous retreat from Moscow. During the retreat, the Louis and Paul
meet when Louis is wounded. Paul attempts to save Louis, and during a
terrible night in a Russian hut, in which Paul fights off the wolves with a
dagger, Louis tells Paul the story of the execution of Frederick Stilts,
and adds that he, Louis, had raped Frederick's fiancée Margaret during the
Wagram campaign, which rendered him unable to keep his promise. Louis asks
Paul to visit Margaret and communicate, not only the original message from
Frederick, but also Louis' remorse and to beg her forgiveness. Louis then
conveniently kills himself, and Paul rejoins Napoleon's retreating army.
We flash forward again to 1815, and we join Napoleon on a British frigate
en route to St. Helena. Dumas describes a bit of shark fishing, and
Napoleon's aversion to blood.
We flash forward again to Germany, where we find that Margaret has retired
to and convent and conveniently died, but that Margaret's younger sister,
Lieschen and her father, the Pastor Waldeck are still around, along with
the spy Schlick, now a gendarme. Paul Richard, as an aide to Marshal Ney,
has been sentenced to death by the Bourbons for his participation in the
Waterloo campaign, and is wandering through Germany as a fugitive, looking
for Margaret.
After a pretty little comedy of mutual misunderstanding, Paul receives the
forgiveness of Margaret's family, Schlick accepts a generous bribe from
Pastor Waldeck to look the other way, and Paul escapes to Amsterdam, where,
presumably, he is free to marry Lieschen and live happily ever after.
