Captain Fracasse

The story, set in the 17th Century during the reign of Louis XIII in France, concerns the progress of an impoverished nobleman as he ventures forth into a series of dangerous adventures which culminate in the restoration of his true noble social position. In today's parlance the story might be described as an action romance. The protagonist happens to become involved a group of travelling actors whom he accompanies in his search for himself. There are a number of similarities with Goethe's "Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship". Among the troupe of actors is a young woman with whom he falls deeply in love, which sustains him in his quest for social restoration. The novel idealises hereditary nobility. There is a happy ending for all, in which aristocratic society is vindicated. (Summary by Peter Tucker)