Project Gutenberg 2004-02-01 Public domain in the USA. 138 Cooper, James Fenimore 1789 1851 Morgan, Jane Cooper, Fenimore Cooper, J. Fenimore (James Fenimore) The Headsman; Or, The Abbaye des Vignerons Wikipedia page about this book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Headsman:_The_Abbaye_des_Vignerons Produced by Distributed Proofreaders "The Headsman; Or, The Abbaye des Vignerons" by James Fenimore Cooper is a novel written in the early 19th century. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Switzerland, the story chronicles the travels of an American family as they navigate the complex socio-political landscape of the time, encountering the local populace and their customs, which are characterized by a blend of enlightenment and superstition. Central to the narrative are the themes of human actions, local politics, and the cultural juxtaposition of good and evil as experienced by the characters in their interactions. The opening of the book introduces the setting and some key characters during a scenic halt in Switzerland, where an American family arrives in the town of Vévey. As the family acclimatizes to their new surroundings, we are introduced to Jean Descloux, a savvy local boatman who engages the American in discussions ranging from the nature of political governance to the local festivals. Their dialogue reflects the philosophical musings of the era, with Descloux providing an earthy wisdom filled with common sense. As tensions rise at the water-gate over the potential presence of Balthazar, the headsman, among the passengers, we see how intertwined personal narratives and social dynamics create a tapestry of human experience, hinting at the complex interactions yet to unfold in the narrative. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 59.7 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read. en Switzerland -- Fiction PS Text Category: Novels 959650 2025-07-05T05:41:31.394927 text/html 941461 2024-10-28T18:17:26 text/html 496828 2025-07-05T05:41:42.494914 application/epub+zip 496829 2025-07-05T05:41:34.774958 application/epub+zip 470801 2025-07-05T05:41:33.389918 application/epub+zip 799864 2025-07-05T05:41:49.369828 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 755976 2025-07-05T05:41:41.698892 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 726155 2022-09-05T10:48:51.272834 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 940729 2023-10-05T07:38:09.512225 text/plain 920940 2024-10-28T18:17:26 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 16028 2025-07-05T05:41:49.533828 application/rdf+xml 15910 2025-07-05T05:41:33.902921 image/jpeg 3628 2025-07-05T05:41:33.649905 image/jpeg 443393 2025-07-05T05:41:31.471966 application/octet-stream application/zip Archives containing the RDF files for *all* our books can be downloaded at https://book.klll.cc/wiki/Gutenberg:Feeds#The_Complete_Project_Gutenberg_Catalog en.wikipedia