Scaramouche is a historical novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1921. A romantic adventure, Scaramouche tells the story of a young lawyer during the French Revolution. In the course of his adventures he becomes an actor portraying “Scaramouche”, a roguish buffoon character in the commedia dell’arte. He also becomes a revolutionary, politician, and fencing-master, confounding his enemies with his powerful orations and swordsmanship. He is forced by circumstances to change sides several times. The book also depicts his transformation from cynic to idealist. The three-part novel, consisting of “The Robe”, “The Buskin”, and “The Sword”, opens with the memorable line: “He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.” This line is Sabatini’s epitaph, inscribed on his gravestone in Adelboden, Switzerland.
Appearance List Novels: Scaramouche (1921), Scaramouche the Kingmaker (1931). Film: Scaramouche (1923), Scaramouche (1952). Comics: Stories by Famous Authors #13.
Description Scaramouche is a historical novel by Rafael Sabatini, originally published in 1921. A romantic adventure, Scaramouche tells the story of a young lawyer during the French Revolution. In the course of his adventures he becomes an actor portraying “Scaramouche”, a roguish buffoon character in the commedia dell’arte. He also becomes a revolutionary, politician, and fencing-master, confounding his enemies with his powerful orations and swordsmanship. He is forced by circumstances to change sides several times. The book also depicts his transformation from cynic to idealist. The three-part novel, consisting of “The Robe”, “The Buskin”, and “The Sword”, opens with the memorable line: “He was born with a gift of laughter and a sense that the world was mad.” This line is Sabatini’s epitaph, inscribed on his gravestone in Adelboden, Switzerland.
