The Revolt of the Angels

Arcade is a guardian angel who spends his idle hours reading in a Paris library and slowly loses faith in the God he serves. Convinced that the ruler of Heaven is a jealous tyrant rather than the true creator, he abandons his human charge, seeks out other exiled angels living quietly on Earth, and begins raising an army for a second rebellion. They turn to Lucifer to lead them, but the ending poses an uncomfortable question about power and whoever comes to hold it. Published in 1914, Anatole France’s last major novel is a witty, anticlerical fable that mixes theology, mischief, and philosophy. This free PDF and EPUB edition, translated by Emilie Jackson, makes the complete story available.