From the book
The Gods Are Athirst
Anatole France · Diotimos Editions · 2026
Browse this book’s lexicon →Meaning
Phrase.
The grâces are a throwing game played with small hoops and sticks. The girls playing it near the Pont-Neuf belong to the detailed ordinary world that continues during the political crisis. The word does not here denote religious grace or favours bestowed by a powerful person, despite those senses elsewhere in the novel. The edition preserves “graces” and explains the pastime in a note.
Places to read
- Chapter XXVII, paragraph 20Frenchdes fillettes jouaient aux grâces: little girls played graces. The game appears beside vendors and fishermen while the crisis develops.