The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, by Vicente Blasco Ibañez and translated into English by Charlotte Brewster Jordan, depicts two branches of a family with its roots in the pampas of Argentina. The wealthy Argentinian, Julio Madariaga, comes from Spain and raises himself from poverty, becoming a self-made, wealthy cattleman. He is a man of extremes; an honest man with a rascally knack for taking advantage of others; a self-made man with overweening pride, prejudices, and a sharp, flinty temper that can spark into violence, he is at the same time given to great generosity toward those who are under him. This almost feudal lord has two daughters who marry expatriates, a Frenchman and a German.
Julio Madariaga leaves his stamp on these two families who, after his death, return to the native countries of his two sons in law. At that time, the mood of Europe is in many ways similar to that of the old gaucho, a mixture of generosity, explosive anger, romanticism, strong prejudices, and wounded pride, a mood composed of extremes painted on an oversized canvas. World War I is waiting in the wings and will leave its own stamp on the old gaucho's lineage, pitting them against each other on opposite sides in the violent first year that many think will last only a few months but will, in fact, result in improbable destruction and loss of lives. An old Russian visionary given to drink, looks out on red skies one day and experiences its coming in a vision: hoofbeats; and riders. --Summary by Tony Oliva and released to public domain.
Julio Madariaga leaves his stamp on these two families who, after his death, return to the native countries of his two sons in law. At that time, the mood of Europe is in many ways similar to that of the old gaucho, a mixture of generosity, explosive anger, romanticism, strong prejudices, and wounded pride, a mood composed of extremes painted on an oversized canvas. World War I is waiting in the wings and will leave its own stamp on the old gaucho's lineage, pitting them against each other on opposite sides in the violent first year that many think will last only a few months but will, in fact, result in improbable destruction and loss of lives. An old Russian visionary given to drink, looks out on red skies one day and experiences its coming in a vision: hoofbeats; and riders. --Summary by Tony Oliva and released to public domain.
LibriVox recordings are public domain in the United States; copyright status may differ elsewhere.
Chapters
- Chapter 1
part 1 - chapter 1 The Tryst
11:24 - Chapter 2
part 1 - chapter 1 continued
14:20 - Chapter 3
part 1 - chapter 1 continued
14:01 - Chapter 4
part 1 - chapter 1 continued
13:51 - Chapter 5
part 1 - chapter 1 continued
11:59 - Chapter 6
part 1 - chapter 1 continued
04:39 - Chapter 7
part 1 - chapter 2 Madariaga, the Centaur
13:28 - Chapter 8
part 1 - chapter 2 continued
10:58 - Chapter 9
Part 1 - chapter 2 continued
13:11 - Chapter 10
part 1 - chapter 2 continued
13:18 - Chapter 11
part 1 - chapter 2 continued
16:10 - Chapter 12
part 1 - chapter 2 continued
15:05 - Chapter 13
part 1 - chapter 3 The Desnoyers Family
13:57 - Chapter 14
part 1 - chapter 3 continued
16:10 - Chapter 15
part 1 - chapter 3 continued
16:01 - Chapter 16
part 1 - chapter 3 continued
16:21 - Chapter 17
part 1 - chapter 3 continued
16:12 - Chapter 18
part 1 - chapter 3 continued
05:25 - Chapter 19
part 1 - chapter 4 The Cousin from Berlin
17:56 - Chapter 20
part 1 - chapter 4 continued
19:50 - Chapter 21
part 1 - chapter 4 continued
17:06 - Chapter 22
part 1 - chapter 5 In Which Appear the Four Horsemen
16:06 - Chapter 23
part 1 - chapter 5 continued
08:17 - Chapter 24
part 1 - chapter 5 continued
16:34 - Chapter 25
part 1 - chapter 5 continued
13:39 - Chapter 26
part 1 - chapter 5 continued
15:30 - Chapter 27
part 2 - chapter 1 What Don Marcelo Envied
10:57 - Chapter 28
part 2 - chapter 1 continued
11:38 - Chapter 29
part 2 - chapter 1 continued
14:16 - Chapter 30
part 2 - chapter 1 continued
03:49 - Chapter 31
part 2 - chapter 2 New Life
27:19 - Chapter 32
part 2 - chapter 2 continued
16:22 - Chapter 33
part 2 - chapter 3 The Retreat
20:20 - Chapter 34
part 2 - chapter 3 continued
14:45 - Chapter 35
part 2 - chapter 3 continued
16:45 - Chapter 36
part 2 - chapter 3 continued
16:11 - Chapter 37
part 2 - chapter 3 continued
16:22 - Chapter 38
part 2 - chapter 4 Near the Sacred Grotto
12:45 - Chapter 39
part 2 - chapter 4 continued
18:57 - Chapter 40
part 2 - chapter 4 continued
14:33 - Chapter 41
part 2 - chapter 4 continued
16:36 - Chapter 42
part 2 - chapter 5 The Invasion
12:29 - Chapter 43
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
15:19 - Chapter 44
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
14:01 - Chapter 45
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
14:08 - Chapter 46
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
13:53 - Chapter 47
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
13:31 - Chapter 48
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
14:45 - Chapter 49
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
14:36 - Chapter 50
part 2 - chapter 5 continued
11:40 - Chapter 51
part 2 - chapter 6 The Banner of the Red Cross
17:56 - Chapter 52
part 2 - chapter 6 continued
16:29 - Chapter 53
part 2 - chapter 6 continued
16:13 - Chapter 54
part 2 - chapter 6 continued
17:46 - Chapter 55
part 3 - chapter 1 After the Marne
10:26 - Chapter 56
part 3 - chapter 1 continued
07:51 - Chapter 57
part 3 - chapter 1 continued
10:53 - Chapter 58
part 3 - chapter 2 In the Studio
13:50 - Chapter 59
part 3 - chapter 2 continued
09:45 - Chapter 60
part 3 - chapter 2 continued
09:54 - Chapter 61
part 3 - chapter 3 War
08:38 - Chapter 62
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
08:09 - Chapter 63
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
08:03 - Chapter 64
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
07:53 - Chapter 65
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
08:20 - Chapter 66
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
08:36 - Chapter 67
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
07:06 - Chapter 68
part 3 - chapter 3 continued
08:30 - Chapter 69
part 3 - chapter 4 No One Will Kill Him
17:31 - Chapter 70
part 3 - chapter 4 continued
17:32 - Chapter 71
part 3 - chapter 5 The Burial Fields
20:20 - Chapter 72
part 3 - chapter 5 continued
18:36