The Gods Are Athirst

Anatole France · 1844–1924 · France

Originally Les Dieux ont soif (French)

Why it matters

A gentle young painter turns fanatical juror during the Terror, sending former friends to the guillotine in the name of virtue. France's coolest, most devastating study of revolutionary zeal curdling into bloodlust.

At a glance

Clear narrative prose, though its sustained irony rewards attentive reading.