# XXIV explained — The Revolt of the Angels

> Chapter companion for The Revolt of the Angels by Anatole France.

## What happens

The chapter traces the journey of the Lucretius of the Prior de Vendôme after it is mistakenly omitted from a binder's list. The volume passes through several hands: the binder's son Ernest steals it to fund a date, sells it to a secondhand dealer, who sells it to an expert, who sells it to a collector, then to a bookseller, then to a bibliopolist, and finally to the Comtesse de Gorce. During her absence, a thief steals it from her mansion, and it eventually ends up with Père Guinardon, who buys it for a pittance.

## Themes in this chapter

### Art and Beauty

The Lucretius is described as a 'thing of beauty' whose journey through various hands highlights the value and vulnerability of art objects.

### Human Nature and Folly

The vicissitudes of the volume illustrate human greed, carelessness, and the whimsical fate of precious objects.

## Character check-ins

### Monsieur Julien Sariette

Despatched the parcel of books to the binder Léger-Massieu.

### Léger-Massieu

The binder who received the books but delayed work; his son Ernest stole the Lucretius.

### Père Guinardon

Purchased the stolen Lucretius from a young man for four shillings and placed it in his cabinet.

### Comtesse de Gorce

Bought the Lucretius from a bookseller; it was later stolen from her mansion.

## Key lines

> Six weeks had elapsed since he had received the parcel of books that had been despatched by Monsieur Sariette, but still Léger-Massieu had not yet put the work in hand.

Léger-Massieu delayed starting the work for six weeks after receiving the books from Sariette.

_Highlights the binder's leisurely pace and the initial neglect of the Lucretius._

> Ernest parted with the Lucretius for ten francs to old Moranger, a secondhand dealer in the Rue Saint X⁠⸺, who displayed no great curiosity regarding the origin of his acquisitions.

Ernest sold the Lucretius to a secondhand dealer for ten francs, who asked no questions about where it came from.

_Shows the casual and illicit transfer of the stolen book._

> The malefactor, who was supposed to be an English cook, was never discovered.

The thief, believed to be an English cook, was never caught.

_Adds a mysterious and unresolved element to the book's journey._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_revolt_of_the_angels_se/chapters/xxiv
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_revolt_of_the_angels_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_revolt_of_the_angels_se/chapters