The Gods are Athirst

by Anatole France

"The Gods Are Athirst" by Anatole France is a novel published in 1912. Set during the Reign of Terror in Paris from 1793 to 1794, it follows Évariste Gamelin, a young painter who becomes a juror on the Revolutionary Tribunal. As a fierce Jacobin devoted to Robespierre, Gamelin descends into ideological madness, sending even those closest to him to the guillotine. His love affair with Élodie Blaise highlights the stark contrast between his ordinary personal life and his role as an instrument of revolutionary violence.