Regret is the worst of human emotions. There is no going back with regret. There is no future with regret. Regret is not something I live with. If there is something I wished I hadn't done, I don't do it anymore or I forgive myself and try better. - William Shatner

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Malevil

Date Posted: 07.11.07
Last Revision: 07.18.07

Malevil was written in 1975 by the French author Robert Merle (known for the book Day of the Dolphin) and translated into English by Derek Coltman.

The story begins in 1979. The main character of the novel is Emmanuel Comte, a well respected former school master and farmer in a small town in France. He builds his home and business around the restoration of a medieval castle called Malevil. Emmanuel and several of his friends are in the cellar of the castle bottling wine when a nuclear explosion scorches the countryside destroying their hometown and presumably the majority of the planet. The thick walls of Malevil provide protection for Emmanuel and his companions.

The survivors emerge to discover themselves quite alone and with very few resources. They are quickly removed from their modern, socially and technologically advanced lifestyles to a primitive agrarian society. They must not only learn to survive, but also form a new society with new social mores to accommodate their dramatically changed circumstances.

The premise is not unique. There is a whole genre of science fiction devoted to post-apocalyptic stories. However, I would not classify this book as science-fiction. The science-fiction aspects of this book are only a mechanism for sociological and anthropological theory.

This is not what I consider a "brain candy" novel. It is not light reading. Malevil is just not the sort of book you read while drinking margaritas and floating in the pool. would probably go better with a martini and a fireplace. The language is complex and the concepts more so. This is the kind of book that inspires consideration, exploration and debate. I recommend it highly.

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