Colas Breugnon

"Thanks be to St. Martin, business is bad, so there is no use in breaking one's back; and Lord knows I have worked hard enough in my time to take a little rest and comfort here at my table, with a bottle of wine on my right hand, the ink-well on the left, and a new quire of paper before me."

Colas Breugnon is a 1918 novel by Romain Rolland, a nostalgic look at his hometown of Clamecy through the eyes of the eponymous sixteenth-century old carpenter. Written as his Diary, it chronicles the local goings-on, from wars through plagues to brigandry, through his optimistic and joyful eyes, the optimism undying even when struck with personal tragedy or unlucky love.

It has had an opera adaptation written by Dmitry Kabalevsky back in the thirties.

Enjoys surprise popularity in Poland, where it is considered a highly heartwarming book.

Contains examples of the following:

 * Bawdy Song: Colas mentions that he knows a lot of these.
 * The Cavalry Arrives Late: Military aid for the besieged town comes only after it has ended amicably, in the middle of a celebratory feast.
 * Character Title
 * Cock Fight: Colas's and his friend's rivalry for a girl's affections lead to this (back in their youth).
 * Comet of Doom: One shows up during the siege; no one is sure what it prophecizes, if anything.
 * Dedication: To St. Martin of Gaul, patron saint of Clamecy.
 * Diary
 * The Plague: And the protagonist himself almost falls prey to it.
 * The Pollyanna: Colas.
 * The Siege: But not really a heroic defense against overwhelming odds. The defenders just relax for a few days, then finally make a treaty with the attackers and sit down for a feast together.
 * Smite Me O Mighty Smiter: With his daughter slowly dying from The Plague despite the prayers to God, Colas angrily declares that they have other masters they can ask for help, and proceeds to engage in a pagan ritual.
 * The Storyteller: Colas again.