The male protagonists of Barbey’s Norman novel cycle are characterized by a strong, even steadfast will. Despite this, regardless of the circumstances, each of them is defeated, contributing to the misfortune of others. They fail to achieve happiness, fulfill even the most noble mission or achieve a goal. This is because their fate is inseparably connected with Barbey's vision of the world and the philosophy of history.

Marc Bloch — one of the most distinguished 20th Century historians – is the author of Strange Defeat: A Statement of Evidence Written in 1940. Serving as a staff offi cer, Bloch witnessed the fall of France in 1940 from the front line. This book is so interesting from the methodological point of view, because we are presented here with a historical source created by a historian, who additionally knows how an ideal type of historical evidence ought to be written. This French historian thought that history is also written to give contemporaries lessons on how to avoid the mistakes of the past. This is an important message of Strange Defeat.