The Gendarme Pdf Summary
What would you do if the love of your life, and all your memories, were lost- only to reappear, but with such shocking revelations that you wish you had never remembered.
Emmett Conn is an old man, near the end of his life. A World War I veteran, he’s been affected by memory loss since being injured during the war. To those around him, he’s simply a confused man, fading in and out of senility. But what they don’t know is that Emmett has been beset by memories, of events he and others have denied or purposely forgotten.
In Emmett’s dreams he’s a gendarme, escorting Armenians from Turkey. A young woman among them, Araxie, captivates and enthralls him. But then the trek ends, the war separates them. He is injured. Seven decades later, as his grasp on the boundaries between past and present begins to break down, Emmett sets out on a final journey, to find Araxie and beg her forgiveness.
Mark Mustian has written a remarkable novel about the power of memory-and the ability of people, individually and collectively, to forget. Depicting how love can transcend nationalities, politics, and religion, how racism creates divisions where none truly exist, and how the human spirit fights to survive even in the face of hopelessness, The Gendarme is a transcendent novel.
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The Gendarme Review
4.0 out of 5 stars The Armenian Genocide Must Be Done Justice
Reviewed in the United States on February 20, 2017
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I am a real sucker for any book that has more than one story going on at the same time, with both stories connecting and/or resolving themselves at the end. “The Gendarme” did an amazing job of moving back and forth between two different time periods in the main character’s life. The author was able to weave in and out of the two stories, as easily as a snake glides through grass. There was not a single moment that I felt lost; I can sometimes have a hard time with the back and forth if the transitions are not well done.
Alongside the author’s ability to transition seamlessly between time, this story is unique for it’s secondary plot revolves around the Armenian genocide. Although the book doesn’t center directly on the atrocities done, for “gendarme” was the term used for soldiers escorting the Armenians out of Turkey into other parts of the Ottoman Empire, it does give you some insight to what was occurring. Very similar to the sort of forced relocation of the Native Americans during the Trail of Tears, the Armenians had to travel on foot for hundreds of miles from Turkey to places like Syria. Many died on the way, faced starvation, illness, violence, and rape. It was very rare for an Armenian man to remain alive given that the Turks had convinced everyone that the Armenians were a threat due to their ties to Russia. Most of these groups being led by Turkish soldiers ended up being women and children. You can imagine what the women faced at the hands of the gendarme.
As much as I enjoyed this book, I wish that the story had gone more into details about what was truly going on during these death marches. Although the author did give some insight to the violence surrounding this forced relocation of the Armenians, I felt that the author didn’t do it justice. I realize that the author was trying to show that the individuals [gendarmes] involved in this genocide, like other genocides, don’t necessarily realize the full gravity of their actions. Particularly when this hatred of Armenians within Turkey had been going on for generations, and the genocide was rationalized as necessary since it was a time of war. However, the development of the main character should not have taken away from revealing the true horrendous nature of these death marches.
That is my biggest critic of this book. It doesn’t mean I don’t recommend this book, because given it’s unique story line, it is well worth the read. Not enough contemporary fiction books are written on such “taboo” topics; I do applaud the author. However, as a reader, one must realize that it was a truly horrific and violent genocide that occurred against the Armenians, and not just some sort of forced relocation with minor casualties. In addition, given that this is not necessarily a well known topic, and may be the first time a lot of readers learn about the Armenian genocide, I want it to be known that it was MUCH worse than what is described in the book.
5.0 out of 5 stars Incredibly Complex Novel of a Turk During Armenian Genocide
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2013
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Could any book be as good as The Sandcastle Girls, which told the story of missionaries trying to help survivors of the Armenian genocide in 1915?
YES! And it’s The Gendarme, which talks about similar events, but from the viewpoint of a Turk who “escorted” the deportees from Turkey to Aleppo in Syria.
Oh my gosh. This book is astounding. Not only is the language itself stunning — and the story unforgettable. But it raises really important questions. It makes me long for Ex Libris, my old book group, in order to be able to discuss it properly. The author forces us to consider the effect of violence on the perpetrators as well as the victims — and the perpetrators’ families for generations to come. What role does memory play in creating our self-image and sense of self-worth? How does the immigrant experience cause a person to re-cast themselves, and also to accept a lesser role in their new country? The fact that immigrants face discrimination due to their ethnicity creates a wonderful ironic tension in a character who was on the other end of the stick during ethnic cleansing. Fascinating!
At the same time (if all of these questions were not enough), Mustian looks at aging, family relationships, race and culture in America, and conditions in mental institutions.
You finish this book with a gigantic ache in your heart — yet also feel that you gained significant insights into the human condition. Plus, there’s a romantic theme running through it which helps to redeem some of the more gruesome scenes.
About Mark Mustian Author Of The Gendarme pdf Book
Mark Mustian Author Of The Gendarme pdf Book, He grew up in Tallahassee, Florida, attended the University of Florida for undergrad and law school, lived in Jacksonville, Florida for a few years, then moved back to Tallahassee. In 2003, in a fit of insanity, I ran for the Tallahassee City Commission and was elected. I continue to practice law, listen to constituent complaints, and write a little bit every day.
The Gendarme pdf, Paperback, Hardcover Book Information
- Publisher : Penguin Adult HC/TR; 1st edition (September 2, 2010)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0399156348
- ISBN-13 : 978-0399156342
- Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1 x 9.25 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,918,427 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #8,198 in Deals in Books
- #23,492 in Psychological Fiction (Books)
- #149,061 in Literary Fiction (Books)
- Customer Reviews: 4.4 out of 5 stars 117 ratings
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