The Gods Are Athirst

work by France

Also known as: “Les Dieux ont soif”

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June 29, 2026

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Les Dieux ont soif (1912), translated as The Gods Are Athirst, is a novel by French writer Anatole France. The work is a satire of French society during the French Revolution, critiquing fanaticism and the pursuit of abstract ideals that lead to injustice. The novel follows the character of Évariste Gamelin, a painter and revolutionary who becomes consumed by the fervor of the revolution, ultimately leading to his own downfall. France uses Gamelin's story to explore themes of idealism, mob mentality, and the corrupting influence of power. The novel reflects France's own disillusionment with revolutionary movements and his commitment to humanitarian ideals and social justice.12

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French literature
The novel later in the century
…Les Dieux ont soif (1912; The Gods Are Athirst). For Anglophone readers right up to the end of World War II, he spoke for that Voltairean liberal humanism, reason, and justice of which France became the symbol in a Europe twice overrun by German imperial ambitions.
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…Les Dieux ont soif (1912; The Gods Are Athirst). For Anglophone readers right up to the end of World War II, he spoke for that Voltairean liberal humanism, reason, and justice of which France became the symbol in a Europe twice overrun by German imperial ambitions.
Read More