Maurice Druon's The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits)

BenG · 10-04-2014, 12:17 PM

This series of historical novels have been reissued in English and are available as ebooks with an introduction by G. R. R. Martin who calls them "the original Game of Thrones".
Has any one read them?(in French or English)
The seventh book has never been translated in to English. Are they OK to read without the final book?

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26824993

Geralt · 10-05-2014, 04:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BenG

The seventh book has never been translated in to English. Are they OK to read without the final book?

Seventh book is being translated and will be published in January
http://www.amazon.com/King-Without-K.../dp/0007491379
So the series will be complete.

I also made a thread on this a year ago but nobody here have come forth as reading this series
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=207984

BenG · 10-05-2014, 01:16 PM

Thanks, I missed that thread.
If the last one was published in English in 1959, that's a 55 year wait for the last volume.
Makes Martin look pretty good with his paltry 6 year wait between books.

caleb72 · 10-06-2014, 05:11 AM

I've started slowly collecting these books when I find them on special. However, I haven't actually got around to reading them.

I'm actually thinking of reading them before I bother with Game of Thrones.

Yolina · 10-07-2014, 04:23 PM

I've read all 7 of them, in French (since that's my mother tongue) several times over the years. Great books

You'll be ok if the last one isn't available, it's almost an add-on. Although they do follow on from each other, each volume is pretty much self-contained. I was given the 1971 edition some 30 years ago

and only 6 volumes are listed there - the first 6 books were out between 1955 and 1960; the 7th only came out much later in 1977. To this day, they are still amongst my favourite books.
You shouldn't really expect them to be like Game of Thrones though. I've seen Druon's books described as "the research of the historian combined wit the art of the novelist" and I think it's fairly apt.

frogette · 11-04-2014, 11:08 PM

Read them all in my late teens (a while ago, ahem), in French. For the sole reason that I had seen the TV series and had a major crush on Jean Piat as Robert d'Artois, hahaha. I remember I enjoyed the books very much and was surprised that they were such page-turners, but I didn't find them particularly memorable after I was finished.

Bertolt · 11-10-2014, 04:17 PM

The 1 st in the series is only 99p in Amazon UK at the moment. I would rather read it in French (my French is god enough) but it's more expensive in French. I suppose there's no logic in prices.

DrNefario · 11-11-2014, 09:03 AM

Sometimes I think Amazon have got my number. This was 99p a week or two back. I added it to my wishlist, then dithered too long, and it went back up to £2.99. Now it dips back down to 99p again and I buy it immediately, even though I don't really want it any more than I did two weeks ago.

Geralt · 11-13-2014, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DrNefario

Sometimes I think Amazon have got my number. This was 99p a week or two back. I added it to my wishlist, then dithered too long, and it went back up to £2.99. Now it dips back down to 99p again and I buy it immediately, even though I don't really want it any more than I did two weeks ago.

Why did you even put it on a wish list in the first place if you don't want it?

DrNefario · 11-13-2014, 12:04 PM

I put it on my wishlist while I decided whether I wanted it. Just to make a note of it, really.

10-04-2014, 12:17 PM	#1
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Maurice Druon's The Accursed Kings (Les Rois Maudits) This series of historical novels have been reissued in English and are available as ebooks with an introduction by G. R. R. Martin who calls them "the original Game of Thrones". Has any one read them?(in French or English) The seventh book has never been translated in to English. Are they OK to read without the final book? http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-26824993

10-07-2014, 04:23 PM	#5
Yolina Wizard Posts: 1,179 Karma: 11573197 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: London, UK Device: Voyage	I've read all 7 of them, in French (since that's my mother tongue) several times over the years. Great books You'll be ok if the last one isn't available, it's almost an add-on. Although they do follow on from each other, each volume is pretty much self-contained. I was given the 1971 edition some 30 years ago and only 6 volumes are listed there - the first 6 books were out between 1955 and 1960; the 7th only came out much later in 1977. To this day, they are still amongst my favourite books. You shouldn't really expect them to be like Game of Thrones though. I've seen Druon's books described as "the research of the historian combined wit the art of the novelist" and I think it's fairly apt. Last edited by Yolina; 10-07-2014 at 04:59 PM.

11-04-2014, 11:08 PM	#6
frogette Member Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2014 Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Keyboard	Read them all in my late teens (a while ago, ahem), in French. For the sole reason that I had seen the TV series and had a major crush on Jean Piat as Robert d'Artois, hahaha. I remember I enjoyed the books very much and was surprised that they were such page-turners, but I didn't find them particularly memorable after I was finished. Last edited by frogette; 11-04-2014 at 11:10 PM.

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10-05-2014, 01:16 PM	#3
BenG Home Guard Posts: 4,729 Karma: 86721650 Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Alpha Ralpha Boulevard Device: Kindle Oasis 3G, iPhone 6	Thanks, I missed that thread. If the last one was published in English in 1959, that's a 55 year wait for the last volume. Makes Martin look pretty good with his paltry 6 year wait between books.

10-06-2014, 05:11 AM	#4
caleb72 Indie Advocate Posts: 2,863 Karma: 18794463 Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Melbourne, Australia Device: Kindle	I've started slowly collecting these books when I find them on special. However, I haven't actually got around to reading them. I'm actually thinking of reading them before I bother with Game of Thrones.

11-10-2014, 04:17 PM	#7
Bertolt Connoisseur Posts: 82 Karma: 1812 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Spain Device: Kindle K4, Kobo mini, Samsung Galaxy Tab	The 1 st in the series is only 99p in Amazon UK at the moment. I would rather read it in French (my French is god enough) but it's more expensive in French. I suppose there's no logic in prices.

11-11-2014, 09:03 AM	#8
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,100 Karma: 11315768 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	Sometimes I think Amazon have got my number. This was 99p a week or two back. I added it to my wishlist, then dithered too long, and it went back up to £2.99. Now it dips back down to 99p again and I buy it immediately, even though I don't really want it any more than I did two weeks ago.

11-13-2014, 12:04 PM	#10
DrNefario Wizard Posts: 2,100 Karma: 11315768 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: UK Device: Kindle, Kobo Touch, Nook SimpleTouch	I put it on my wishlist while I decided whether I wanted it. Just to make a note of it, really.

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