Richard Temple

by Patrick O'Brian

Overview

"One of the best novelists since Jane Austen."—Philadelphia Inquirer

The protagonist of this World War II novel is a prisoner of the German army in France. In order to keep himself sane while denying the charges and absorbing the beatings of his captors, Richard Temple conducts a minute examination—one might almost call it a prosecution—of his own life.

Temple escapes from a blighted childhood and his widowed, alcoholic mother thanks to an artistic gift, the one thing of value he has to his name. His life as a painter in London of the '30s is cruelly deprived. In order to eat, he squanders this one asset by becoming a forger of art, specializing in minor works by Utrillo. He is rescued by the love of a beautiful and wealthy woman, and it is the failure of this relationship and the outbreak of war that propel him into the world of espionage.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780393245134
Publisher:	Norton, W. W. & Company, Inc.
Publication date:	12/20/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	336
Sales rank:	306,912
File size:	806 KB

About the Author

Patrick O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series of historical novels has been described as "a masterpiece" (David Mamet, New York Times), "addictively readable" (Patrick T. Reardon, Chicago Tribune), and "the best historical novels ever written" (Richard Snow, New York Times Book Review), which "should have been on those lists of the greatest novels of the 20th century" (George Will).Set in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars, O'Brian's twenty-volume series centers on the enduring friendship between naval officer Jack Aubrey and physician (and spy) Stephen Maturin. The Far Side of the World, the tenth book in the series, was adapted into a 2003 film directed by Peter Weir and starring Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany. The film was nominated for ten Oscars, including Best Picture. The books are now available in hardcover, paperback, and e-book format.In addition to the Aubrey/Maturin novels, Patrick O'Brian wrote several books including the novels Testimonies, The Golden Ocean, and The Unknown Shore, as well as biographies of Joseph Banks and Picasso. He translated many works from French into English, among them the novels and memoirs of Simone de Beauvoir, the first volume of Jean Lacouture's biography of Charles de Gaulle, and famed fugitive Henri Cherrière's memoir Papillon. O'Brian died in January 2000.

Date of Birth:

December 12, 1914

Date of Death:

January 2, 2000

Place of Birth:

Chalfont St. Peter, Buckinghamshire

Place of Death:

Dublin, Ireland

Education:

Shebbear College, Devon

Website:

http://www.wwnorton.com/pob/pobhome.htm

Editorial Reviews

O'Brian first published this book in England in 1962, shortly before launching the Aubrey-Maturin series that has made him famous, and it only recently appeared in the United States. Though set in France during World War II, Richard Temple is by no means a war novel. Vastly different from O'Brian's vigorous naval warfare stories, it is about a bohemian English artist held prisoner by the Germans, who think that he is a spy and are determined to beat the truth out of him. Richard stoically endures his captivity, hanging onto his sanity by reflecting on his earlier experiences. These reflections offer a closely observed exploration of an artist's inner life-which will fascinate O'Brian's many fans because of its autobiographical elements-and a rich examination of British and French culture on the eve of war. Actor Graeme Malcolm's energetic and thoughtful narration is ideally suited to the text. Recommended for libraries with devoted O'Brian admirers.-R. Kent Rasmussen, Thousand Oaks, CA Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

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