This is a Dickens-esque story full of grotesque characters who speak in all sorts of different voices. Set at the start of the 19th century the stars of the piece are Olivier, a French aristocrat, and Parrot, the son of an itinerant printer.
Olivier's parents survived the French Revolution, but he's still scarred by it. Parrot survived being brought up by an engraver who gets caught up in forgery. He's an artist who would love to be able to develop his talent. Both of them effectively spend a large chunk of their lives on the run.
When Olivier is sent to America, ostensibly to study its prisons but in reality to save his neck from another revolution, Parrot is sent to accompany him and to report back. The relationship between the two men, which constantly veers between hatred and love, contempt and respect is one part of the story.
Another major element is their confrontation with the new-fangled American democracy. Olivier is loosely based on the real-life Alexis de Tocqueville.
Some fun bits, but on the whole I found it heavy-going.
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