Robert Merle - Malevil

- The guy who caught Viola untied the crotch straps and the left side strap of the waist according to her order, but because he found tangled twine instead of a strap on the right side, he couldn't win her any more with patience and took out his knife.
- And before that, he knocked Peyssou down from behind, I said in a hushed voice.
Then I noticed that Menou, Meyssonnier and Momo were standing around us, listening to what we were saying. They were all watching me. So is Thomas, but he is from a distance, on one knee. With the other, he supported Peyssou.
- That was all it took! Menou sighed, looking around in alarm as she grabbed Momo by the arm and carefully pulled her close.
There was silence. I felt fear around me, but at the same time I almost laughed. Only God can say how fervently, with what loving longing, with what fervent desire we begged him in the depths of our souls for there to be other survivors besides us. Well, now we know: there are!

Robert Merle's novel, published in 1972, takes us to the world after the nuclear war that erupted unexpectedly for unknown reasons and almost completely destroyed human civilization. The author tells the story of a small community, a handful of survivors who survived the disaster in the thick-walled, deep cellar of a medieval French castle - Malevil. Modern technical devices become unusable due to lack of electricity, and the only basis for starting over is medieval craftsmanship. Merle's heroes, however, in addition to the practical difficulties caused by the burning of the world, also have to deal with the looting gangs that appear in the area, which once again threaten with destruction the human cooperation that is just beginning again.