Rocambole and the mysterious inheritance

A new translation of Ponson du Terrail's "Rocambole" by his great grandnephew, Jean de Ponson du Terrail. Ponson du Terrail (1829 -1871) was the most famous French writer of his time, the most read, the most sought after by newspapers and readers, and the first of his generation to become wealthy through sales of his novels. Those feats must be measured in terms of his contemporaries, which included Alexandre Dumas, Eugene Sue, Victor Hugo, Paul Feval, Gustave Flaubert, and George Sand. Ponson du Terrail's novels captivated an immense audience more than twenty years in France, and throughout the world. He reached fame at age 27 and remained the most popular writer of his time, overshadowing all of his colleagues in terms of sales and fans. Gifted with a virtuous imagination and the ability to write very fast, he wrote over 200 literary works in a span of only 20 years. This new translation by his great grandnephew, Jean de Ponson du Terrail, takes us to the start of the Rocambole series: "Two brothers, born of the same mother but different fathers, become mortal enemies and fight each other on the streets of mid-19th century Paris. One dedicates his life to defend the weak and the helpless; the other spends his time creating evil plans to defraud others. A battle of wills and wits ensues in a fast-moving, complex plot."