Les Dieux ont soif

In the feverish heart of revolutionary Paris, a former Barnabite church has been stripped of its saints and refitted as a bustling meeting hall for a local political section. The nave, once echoing with liturgical chants, now resounds with frantic debates, slogans emblazoned above the doorway, and the clatter of bonnet‑red citizens demanding loyalty to the Republic. Amid the crowded pews, the atmosphere crackles with a mix of idealism and dread, as committees scramble to enforce attendance and purge dissent.

Évariste Gamelin, a young painter trained under David, finds himself caught between his artistic temperament and the harsh demands of the new order. When he steps up to sign a petition condemning alleged traitors, the conversation turns to compulsory civic participation and the cost of indifference. His willingness to “sign with his blood” reveals both his fervent patriotism and the perilous edge on which many teeter.

The novel opens a window onto the daily rituals of the Reign of Terror, where ordinary lives are reshaped by public oaths, surveillance committees, and the ever‑present threat of betrayal. Through vivid descriptions of cramped assemblies and tense dialogues, it invites listeners to feel the claustrophobic pressure that turns a sacred space into a stage for revolutionary zeal.