Etienne Dolet, 16th-century publisher, was an outspoken free-thinker persecuted and ultimately burned on his 37th birthday by the French Inquisition.
Dolet depicts the life and times of Etienne Dolet, who told the bald truth to friend and foe alike, angered the city authorities in sixteenth-century Toulouse, fled to Lyon, and became a publisher of innovative works on language, history and theology. He was persecuted, imprisoned, and ultimately executed by the Inquisition on his 37th birthday for daring to publish the Bible in French translation as well as works suggesting needed reforms in the Roman Church.
Excerpt
The procession appeared from the opposite side of the Place de Salins, carrying banners emblazoned with holy images, a golden crucifix held high. The escort followed with the prisoner, Jean de Caturce, an iron collar around his neck attached to chains held by the men walking beside him. Hands tied behind his back, he wore a short, white chemise that exposed his calves and bare feet. His feet left bloody tracks on the cobblestones, but he was not limping. Perhaps the pain seemed trivial after worse torture. The prisoner paused for a second as they crossed the square, staring at the place where he would be sacrificed, the heaped-up bundles of kindling and logs, a stake surrounded by a little wooden platform that poked through like a fist with accusing finger upraised. They gave him no time, jerking him forward, goading him up the rough steps onto the platform that stood almost directly below Etienne Dolet's window.
Professional Reviews
I thoroughly enjoyed "Dolet"
I thoroughly enjoyed "Dolet," as I have for all of Florence Weinberg's novels. She brings the character and his world vividly to life.I came to love and admire this man, proud and brilliant and generous-hearted, flawed as we all are, and courageous. The political and social atmosphere in which he struggled was so different from our own, that life "back then" feels almost alien -- and frightening, too!... Everything in this novel is authentic, meticulously researched, beautifully narrated. I was transported back into time -- a time that seemed so outrageous, so difficult, so certain of its brand of truth -- that it kept me turning the pages, urgent to read the next.
As a side note, without giving anything away: the harrowing ending still lingers in my mind, and will likely do so for a long while.
I'm glad I don't live in those times!
Welcome to 16th Century France, graced by the Inquisition.
As a young man, Etienne Dolet witnessed a burning at the stake. The victim had been unjustly convicted of heresy, and was a man Etienne admired. He knew that, already, the reactionaries of the Church had their eyes on him.
A person of great intellect, Etienne attracted the patronage and friendship of many men, several in positions of power and influence. He was admired as one of the foremost thinkers of his time -- and this was his downfall. The Church felt beleaguered by the advent of Lutheran and Calvinist thinking, and saw a heretic in everyone who expressed anything but fervent agreement with the status quo.
So, for much of his adulthood, Etienne was in mortal danger. As well as friends, he had many enemies, for he was intolerant of stupidity, cutting with his wit, and arrogant in his bearing.
His story, as told by Florence Weinberg, is a compelling tale, although not at all comfortable. It is an account of brilliance, courage and decency. It brings to life a little-known period of history, one as grim as for example either of the two World Wars. Above all, it is a gripping story. Once you get to know, respect and like Etienne, you won’t be able to put the book down.
Dolet: Into the Life of a Rebellious Intellectual of 16th Century France!
With steady, long and even strokes, Florence Byham Weinberg’s takes you through the life of a 16th century intellectual, writer, thinker and rebel, Etienne Dolet. Set in the days when Cicero was a rock star and counter-culture was punishable by death. Weinberg can skillfully create a scene with just a few essential details – a look on a face can stir the imagination to visualize an entire room. Years pass in a few paragraphs, with no bumps. It reads like a screenplay at times, but comes across as dreamy.
You get tangled up in his adventures, and as a by-product, the role of women takes a backseat to the uber-important dudes, which is no fault of the writer, it’s just the sign of those times. Men supported men, as is mostly true today, also. Dolet would be nowhere without the help of his bros. They wrote him letters of recommendations, let him live in their houses, risked their lives for his benefit. Women, on the other hand have diminished roles. But it’s an honest portrayal.
Weinberg artfully weaves a tale of historical fiction into a narrative. She lets you walk with Dolet’s throughout his life and takes you to bustling, older time.
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