The Hour of Parade

By Alan Bray

One violent act draws together three very different people in Alan Bray’s haunting debut, The Hour of Parade.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IndieReader
• Release date: Nov 15, 2013
• ISBN: 9781490463223

Book preview

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Reviews for The Hour of Parade

[the_bubblegum_review · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I've become a fan of this author since reading the novelette The Puppet's Tattered Clothes. Such exquisite writing, talent of very high caliber. I don't know where to begin with Hour of Parade because there's just so much that seems to be going on, but somehow simply. To me, it's symbolic of Mr. Bray's writing: the ability to plunge deep into emotional depths but somehow unemotionally, very matter-of-factly. But maybe it's just the illusion and superficial nature of emotion that he is able to capture so well.First of all, I love classic writing, so check. Then there's the whole theme of a fictional but real book by Jean-Jacques Rousseau running alongside the story being told in the novel. It's a world full of doppelgängers, twins: people who may look like you and have the same life but live in a different country, a different time, a different reality, speak a different language. And then all of these realities—two sets of realities, two sets of couples, of four individual people—crashing together. The mirroring going on here is next level. The theme of war, and the interestingness of the author's own background somehow intermingling with the story: a psychologist and anthropologist translating a French novel. It's erotic but not romantic, erotic so somehow still literary and matter-of-fact. And then amidst all of this, I still wasn't expecting THAT to happen. Oh my goodness. But then why wouldn't I have? The Hour of Parade is about mirrors and illusions: the doppelgänger and illusion of true love being sex and bitterness, the romantic and alluring promise of something more being nothing more than the illusion of what it is. Great insight into male and female relationships and their bitterness of interdependence brought on by illusions.I would love to purchase a hard copy, but I'm still on the fence about rebuilding a library Lol. In the meantime, I did read Hour of Parade on the Internet Archive, on my computer, my neck all messed up because it's uncomfortable getting comfortable reading a book on my computer, but still so engrossed in the novel and the anticipation of reading it. I thought it would be a lot (because of the page count) (and it is, but not because of the page count): It went by very quickly. The chapters are very short. Highly recommended.

[greatbookescapes · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The past pressed on him so that he felt he must fall to his knees. If he could just tell Valsin all that had happened—then the younger man might understand and redeem them both.
One violent act draws together three very different people in Alan Bray’s haunting debut, The Hour of Parade.

The year is 1806, and Russian cavalry officer Alexi Ruzhensky journeys to Munich to kill the man responsible for murdering his brother in a duel, French officer Louis Valsin. Already thwarted once at the Battle of Austerlitz by Valsin’s lover, Anne-Marie, Alexi has been told by his father not to fail again.

Obsessed by the main character in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s novel Julie, Alexi becomes romantically entangled with a beautiful and passionate young Bavarian woman.

He hides his true identity and befriends Valsin and Anne-Marie, only to find that he has no thirst for blood. As the three grow closer, tensions mount as Alexi and Anne-Marie desperately try to resist their growing attraction.

But as the novel comes to its explosive conclusion, Alexi will learn that revenge cannot be forgotten so easily.
(Synopsis by Author/Publisher)

What did I like about this book?

This is like reading a great literary work from the 19th Century with all its complexity. Bray has surpassed expectations of details of the differences between nations, military uniforms and history, sexes, and customs of the day. I learnt real history of the battle of Austerlitz.

The book starts the way all great literatures begin, slowly and deliberately so that the reader gains an insight into all of the characters, their background and the settings. I was amazed at the details of customs and etiquettes of the day; how to dress, how to behave, expectation of women and men, and sexual liaisons. Such details as the sentence below:

In Russia, the bells were different-they didn’t swing but were fixed in their towers and struck by hammers so that the sound was a sharp crack

Rousseau is at the centre of this story for Ruzhensky, and the emotions invoked by ‘Julie’ is so clearly portrayed in Bray’s character. The Hour of Parade has much of the philosophical discussion portrayed in its chapters as did the great writers of Rousseau’s time.

I enjoyed each character so much, I wanted to step back in time and join them for afternoon coffee in the cafe and discuss the nature of the day. I felt the despair, the anger and the longing through Bray’s words. The title is so cleverly woven into the story as being a relatively small part but having a huge impact. I loved how the story unfolded for each character, both individually and together.


This book satisfied my need to re-acquaint myself with the style of literature written during the early 19th century. I believe this book would be enjoyed by men and women who love classic literature. I look forward to reading more from Alan Bray.

There is nothing I dislike about this book.

Thanks to Netgalley for sending me this book for an honest review.

[archivist13 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Set in Munich 1806, The Hour of Parade by Alan Bray is an epic historical-fiction that hearkens back to a time when literature was rich with vivid characters, and larger than life plots. Set after the Napoleonic Wars, the main character, Alexi Ruzhensky, a Russian cavalry officer, sets out on a trail of revenge; he is sent by his father to kill the French Officer who had killed his brother during a duel. Rather than complete his mission, he befriends his target, although complications will result, such as Ruzhensky's affair with the Frenchman's mistress. The story is written in the style of the early 19th century-it is epic and portrays classic themes, such as romance (a love triangle), revenge, pride, war and friendship. This is Mr. Bray's first novel, yet his style is one that compares to literature's greats, such as Tolstoy and Rousseau, who both have bit parts within the story. The Hour of Parade offers readers an epic tale, written as if it were penned during during the 19th century, with a plot that widens bit by bit as it arrives at it's volatile conclusion. Truly a beautifully written story.