The Undying by Rene Milan. Translated by Henry Havelock (HQ684)

Circa 1914: First Edition / Hardcover / Very Good Condition

Original blue cloth with black titles on the cover and gilt titles on the spine. 340 clean and bright pages, mild speckled endpapers and edges, previous owners signature on the first free page. Boards slightly rubbed and faded with time and bumped on the corners consistent with age but remain firm and intact. (HQ684)

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The novel follows the story of the Huns, with the primary hero being Yaleuz, the Tartar. It is described as an "epic tapestry" that explores the history and character of this "undying race". Published just as World War I was beginning, the book was considered particularly relevant in its day due to its focus on the Huns, a term sometimes used pejoratively toward the Central Powers during the conflict. French author René Milan, the pseudonym for Maurice Larrouy (1882-1939). The book is a work of "race-epic" fiction that tells the story of Attila and the Huns. Google Books...

Reviewed in the United States on 26 December 2012
Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
I bought a copy of this book many years ago at a hippie book store, mostly 'cause it looked like an interesting title. I read it over the course of a week or so, noting pages and story line & thinking about how the writer had put the story together. It's a very interesting piece of writing, in translation to be sure, with some surprising stylistics.

Up front & country simple, it's the story of a family line starting in Central Asia, across Europe & the Middle East and ending up in India. As such it is the story of humanity, the story of the rise & fall of civilizations, cultures, languages, tribes and groups.

The translation is pretty good -- and I say that not having seen or read the original in French -- based on what I see in the text as it goes along, following people's lives.

I bought an extra copy so I can pass one each on to my sons, if they ever read them. Now I'm rereading the book again just so I know what I'm handing them.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Undying-Maurice-Larrouy-Translator-Henry-Havelock/dp/B000MPH31C