“Le cheval qui méditait” (The horse who meditated) – Armand Herscovici

May 20, 2019

The one who meditated, precisely. This magnificent Andalusian horse, a Cartujano, spent almost his whole life with his master. The strange friendship between them revealed to him the many facets of the great man. Confined to his status as an animal, but aware of his exceptional gift – horses, as a rule, do not meditate – he is bursting with prejudices and frustrations. Hence the colourful language, full of caustic verve, with which he describes the author’s extraordinary journey and his relationship with him.

He himself does not lack character, as shown by his sharp remarks and his rather ungracious flights of fancy, often more humorous than he imagines.

Should we believe everything he tells us? As we know, large parts of Cervantes’s life remain obscure. Rest assured, our horse has a faithful memory. He refuses to embroider too much. He has no need to. What we know of the tribulations of the writer – or rather the adventurer-writer – makes a tremendous novel.

At first we see him as the child of a chaotic family, then as an unfortunate soldier. By what calamitous chance does he later end up a slave of the Barbary pirates? What is he thinking of when he spends years collecting provisions for the Invincible Armada, then becomes a travelling tax collector? Why is he excommunicated by the Church, then imprisoned by the courts?

Why his strange, fleeting loves? How will he react when a false Don Quixote appears just before his own is published?

A delightful novel to discover with humour.

A quotation from our writer, like a recommendation to you, O reader: always keep in your hand the hand of the child you once were.