Scaramouche

by Rafael Sabatini

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Techniques / Literary Precedents

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Sabatini believed that verisimilitude was a crucial element of quality historical fiction, and he dedicated significant effort to honing his expertise in this area. He enjoyed persuading readers that they were experiencing genuine history rather than fiction. To achieve this, he often referenced fictional sources. For example, in Scaramouche, Sabatini includes letters supposedly written by Andre-Louis and refers to a book the character authored titled his Confessions. Additionally, The Sea Hawk (1915) is purportedly derived from "eighteen enormous folio volumes" of historical accounts by Lord Henry Goade.

One of Sabatini's preferred methods, which he openly acknowledged learning from Dumas pere, was to blend real historical figures with fictional characters and mix actual events with invented ones. This technique helped obscure the line between fiction and history. Consequently, historical figures such as Mirabeau, Robespierre, and Danton — all key figures of the Revolution — make appearances in Sabatini's narratives.

Adaptations

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Sabatini has experienced both fortune and misfortune in having his novels adapted into films. There's no denying that movies like Scaramouche, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk have helped keep Sabatini's works known to the public. However, these films often stray significantly from the original books.

In 1923, Rex Ingram directed the first film adaptation of Scaramouche, featuring Ramon Novarro as Moreau, Alice Terry as Aline de Kercadiou, and Lewis Stone as the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr. A later version in 1952, directed by George Sidney, starred Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, and Mel Ferrer.

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