Have you ever read John Steinbeck's The Short Reign of Pippin IV? It's been years since I've read it, but as I recall, it's a very funny sendup of French politics. The upshot is that the French decide they want to return the blood of Charlemagne to power, and so a lowly fellow becomes King (while his daughter pursues marriage to the son of the Egg King of Petaluma -- this was the first time I ever heard of Petaluma). But the new king still has to deal with all the different political parties like the Christian Atheists, the Atheist Christians, etc. (Not unlike the People's Party of Judea/Judean People's Party in Life of Brian. "Splitter!")

Quite out of the usual vein for Steinbeck, too.