Reader's Digest Best Loved Books for Young Readers: Beau Geste

"Beau Geste" is among the best fiction books that I have ever read. I first read the book in secondary school and it had a powerful and enduring effect upon me. I was so thrilled by the lofty ideals and values of loyalty, devotion, honour and duty displayed by the three Geste brothers, following the disappearance of the Blue Water sapphire. When the Blue Water disappeared, each of the three Geste brothers confessed to having stolen it so as to protect the others. They then all proceeded to go and join the French Foreign Legion. The adventure then unfolds in its gory and moving detail. This is where the author demonstrates his genius in weaving a brilliant and moving adventure story that has withstood the test of time and has been enjoyed by several generations I have read the book several times over the years but still get moved by this romantic and adventure story. I am always intrigued by the concept of the French Foreign Legion which was comprised of people of all nations where one did not need to reveal their true identity. I highly recommend this exceptional book to anyone who loves adventure stories and those yearning to understand the values of honour, dignity, devotion, love, loyalty and bravery of yesteryear which are a rarity in these days of individual rights with no responsibilities.

The book was written so brilliantly. It was almost like reading poetry at times. Just the way Wren managed to convey his ideas with the right words was incredible. I highly suggest this book for people intrested in romance and war. A well rounded book. I only wish there were more books like this about the French Legionnary

Seems like every few years I sit down and read this book again. There is enough adventure to keep me interested in each re-reading and each time I pick up more little clues in "the mystery" that I missed in the last reading.The first time I read it (some years ago) I thought the characters were a little too stereotyped--the americans for example, spoke with too many expressions like "you shore said a mouthful Bo." The British, too, are always correct and formal.Yet the story is so delightful that, on subsequent readings, one notices that the americans, with all their cowboy talk, are the ones who can be trusted and have the know-how to save the day.The British, for all their coolness, stick to their honour and their duty. The book assumes some recognition of French, as it includes lots of expressions and phrases in French without translation. Some like "Monsieur l'Adjutant" one can figure out. Some like "medaille militaire" take a second's thought. There are several others, though, sprinkled throughout the book that one has to infer from the context or look up. A great many are fairly clear from the context and really did not detract from the story.I had to hunt the used book stores to find my own copy, but I thought it was worth it!

Somehow I doubt that the generation of kids growing up today, whelped on Doom and Lara Croft, have the same romantic love of the French Foreign Legion that we did when we were kids. The concept of this fighting force made up of desperate men of all nations, given a new lease on life because they did not have to give their real name or background when they signed up, lent itself easily to fiction and to childhood fantasy. I don't remember all of the Foreign Legion movies we watched but Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950) and March or Die (1977) [bad movie, great tagline: "In the French Foreign Legion, you march or you die!"] spring to mind, and of course the greatest of them all was Beau Geste (1939). Directed by William Wellman and starring Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy and Susan Hayward, it was one of those movies you had to watch every time it was on. Happily, the original novel is nearly its equal.The three Geste brothers, orphaned early in life, are raised by an Aunt. Their raucous youths are filled with the literature of adventure and ritualized horseplay centered around these myths and legends. So when the family's prized Blue Water sapphire turns up missing, each of the young men confesses to being the thief in order to protect the others and one by one they head off to join the French Foreign Legion. As luck would have it, they meet up in the deserts of Africa where they fall under the command of the malevolent Sergeant Lejaune. Not content to merely be a martinet, Lejaune sets his sights on stealing the jewel, which rumor holds to be in their possession. Meanwhile, the unruly troops he commands are planning a mutiny and the marauding Tauregs pin this badly outnumbered and bitterly divided unit of Legionnaires at Fort Zinderneuf. The ensuing drama plays itself out as the French forces battle overwhelming odds. Ultimately, only a handful of men survive to discover the truth behind the Blue Water's disappearance.It just doesn't get any better than that central story. Wren combines a classic mystery and a desert adventure. The Gestes are living embodiments of the tales on which they were weaned--generous, noble, brave and loyal. My only real complaint is with the framing device which surrounds the story. The novel opens with a major who lead the relief column sent to Zinderneuf describing what he found there and concludes with an overlong dénouement getting the story back to England and the jewel mystery. But these are minor quibbles when set against the truly thrilling story at the heart of the novel. Read the book, but be sure to see the movie.GRADE: A-

This book has it all - mystery, adventure, suspense, drama.The characters are likeable and the plot is brilliant. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. One of the happiest, saddest and most suspenseful novels I've ever read.