From the book
The Gods Are Athirst
Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Meaning
Related words and phrases.
Serenity is composure that different characters reach by different means. At the end of Chapter I, the narrator derives the revolutionaries’ ardour and serenity from collective resolve and the need to win when no mercy is expected. Brotteaux preserves a serene soul amid poverty while reading Lucretius and making toys. Shared calm therefore does not imply shared doctrine. The first is bound to common national effort and existential danger; the second to a reduced but resourceful way of living.
Places to read
- Chapter I, paragraph 34FrenchDe là leur ardeur et leur sérénité.: composure joined to urgent collective resolve. The stated cause is the preceding victory-or-death predicament.
- Chapter II, paragraph 8Frenchil gardait une âme sereine: composure despite personal ruin. Brotteaux reads and works in reduced circumstances.