‘A Place of Greater Safety’ by Hilary Mantel (who we know for Wolf Hall & Bring up the Bodies). This is an extraordinary book, probably of importance. Mantell follows the truncated lives of the three most important revolutionaries of the French Revolution (1789+). Danton – a bull of a man, great orator, womaniser, organiser, knows how to get things done. Robespierre – the incorruptible, unswerving, immovable (who loses his way). Camille Desmoulins (a man) – flighty, contrarian, gift with words – knew how to direct public opinion. All three began their careers as lawyers. Camille, single handedly sparked the attack on the Bastille on 14th July 1789 and therefore was the spark for all the revolutions that followed. Mantel tells their story with exactness and sympathy. These were three extraordinary men in extraordinary times.
Place of Greater Safety
It is the ‘extraordinary times’ that is the fourth character in the story. Times that began with unrest because of taxation and famine; led to the beheading go Louis XVI and his Queen; the ousting of the old regime and its replacement by ‘government by committee’. Mantel does not give us detailed pictures of any of this – certainly never the bloody bits, we get glimpses. The complexity of the story is revealed and woven by intersection of the three main human characters and the backdrop of history.
Things appear to be going fairly well until the Terror. The Terror saw about 2,600 ‘conspirators’ beheaded by gillotine in just a few months – a lot of blood – the logistics of beheading 12-20 people a day overwhelmed the ability of the executioners. These ‘conspirators’ were being fed to the gillotine by the ‘Committee of Public Safety’ and the ‘Police Committee’. The Terror was a deliberate political move by a few men. Once it was begun, there was no stopping it – everyone who objected or criticised was obviously another ‘conspirator’ to be killed. Terrified people informed on each other to save their own lives – spouses on each other, children on parents, parents on children, siblings on each other. (Inform early, get a few credit points.) Fueled by the bloodlust, powerlust of a few men (eg Saint Just). In an attempt to stop the Terror and knowing where it might lead, Camille writes five pamphlets/newspapers that criticise the main Committee and what is doing.
The important part is Mantel’s description of what happens when the system falls apart – especially when separation of power fails. Danton and Camille are condemned when a few politicians (ie, Saint Just) fabricate evidence and subvert/instruct/direct/bully/overpower the court to ensure a guilty verdict; forbid defence, defence witnesses or cross examination; ensure that rumour is treated as fact.
Danton, Camille and 24 others are taken directly from courtroom to guillotine (that is normal – no appeal). (The novel ends here.) Within days, Camille’s wife is also killed. They did not like her either. Then, within a month or so it all ends – Robespierre and Saint Just are guillotined and that is the end of the Terror. The counter-revolutionaries take over.
The irony in Mantel’s title (A Place of Greater Safety) smiles or shouts from every page. The revolution was building a Place of Greater Saftey by having the Public Saftey Committee kill whoever it took a dislike to. The strong message: separate powers: lawmakers; judiciary; executive.
A Place Of Greater Safety is a docudrama – a novel written using well documented history as the back drop and putting words into to mouths of the main characters. Mantel argues that most of the words she has the characters speak in private are the same words they used in public or in print. A very well crafted novel. Recommended.
