Ellis Peters í 6 review
One of three 'prequel' short stories in the Cadfael series, released together in book form as A Rare Benedictine. In this first story, Cadfael is in his forties and newly returned to England, his soldiering days waning. It is during this adventure that Cadfael meets the Prior of The Abbey of St Peter and St Paul in Shrewsbury and makes his decision to join the Benedictines. A Light on the Road to Woodstock
Brother Cadfael - A Light On The Road To Woodstock - BBC Radio Audiobook - cheops
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Adapted from the books by Ellis Peters and read by Nigel Anthony.
A Brother Cadfael story - set in Autumn of 1120 - in which he returns from the Crusades to find treachery and intrigue in the quiet corridors of England...
This story forms the first part of 'A RARE BENEDICTINE' - three tales which chronicle the events that led Brother Cadfael into the Benedictine Order.
‘Brother Cadfael sprang to life suddenly and unexpectedly when he was already approaching sixty, mature, experienced, fully armed and seventeen years tonsures.’
So wrote Ellis Peters in her introduction to A RARE BENEDICTINE – three vintage tales of intrigue and treachery, featuring the monastic sleuth who has become a cult figure of crime fiction. The story of Cadfael’s entry into the monastery at Shrewsbury has been known hitherto only to a few readers; now his myriad fans can discover the chain of events that let him into the Benedictine Order.
Two episodes of approximately thirty minutes each - summaries witheld to avoid spoiling the plot.
Produced by Joanne Reardon.
About the Reader:
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Nigel Anthony, (born December 23, 1941) is a British theatre and television actor, who has also worked in radio, with audiobooks and in television advertising. He is married to the actress Kate Binchy and is an accomplished jazz drummer and historian.
His notable theatre work includes The Taming of the Shrew, Happy End, and Twelfth Night for the Royal Shakespeare Company.
Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction A Light on the Road to Woodstock is a prequel to Brother Cadfael. It finds the warrior Cadfael in the service of a lord whose land lies near to Shrewsbury. In this tale, we learn why Cadfael is willing to lay down his sword and take up the habit of a brother in the Benedictine Abbey of St. Peter and St. Paul.
Here, we have Cadfael in his fifties rather than in his sixties and the civil war that is the backdrop to the rest of the series is almost decade away.
This story has all of the descriptive grace of both people and nature that Peters is known for. What it lacks is mystery and dramatic tension. For those of us who love Peters’ ability to provide a sense of time and place, this is not a deal-breaker. Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction Ah, quanto ho amato la serie di fratello Cadfael!
Rimettendo a posto le mie librerie (lavoro immane, fra l'altro), mi sono passati fra le mani tutti i libri di Ellis Peters ed è stato come provare una fortissima nostalgia di casa. Fra l'altro mi sto accorgendo che più invecchio, più i miei gusti letterari tornano alle origini: ai libri e ai generi che più amo da sempre. Ho provato qualche variazione di genere, ma alla fine torno sempre ai primi amori.
Quindi, in barba agli innumerevoli libri ancora da leggere che mi aspettano, ho seguito l'impulso e deciso di riprendere in mano questa serie.
Una luce sulla strada per Woodstock è una sorta di prequel a tutta la serie, anche se scritto molto dopo. Si compone di tre racconti e il primo vede protagonista Cadfael, appena tornato dalle crociate e non ancora monaco dell'abbazia di Shrewsbury. Ci viene quindi raccontato come e perché si è fatto monaco. L'abilità della Peters è quella di riuscire a tracciare personaggi e situazioni con poche pennellate essenziali, facendo entrare subito il lettore nell'atmosfera e nei luoghi del tempo.
A chi volesse accostarsi a questa serie consiglio di leggere i libri in ordine cronologico, partendo proprio da questo, perché, oltre ai singoli casi gialli che Cadfael affronta in ogni episodio, da un libro all'altro si dipana anche l'interessante storia inglese del periodo. Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction Una insolita ambientazione nel medioevo inglese caratterizza questa serie di romanzi gialli che vedono come protagonista Fratello Cadfael.
Questo libro, con tre brevi racconti, contiene l’episodio della vocazione di Cadfael che, di ritorno dalle crociate, lo condurrà nell’abbazia benedettina di Shrewsbury. Per questo, pur non essendo il primo della serie, può introdurre la lettura dei successivi romanzi.
Storie semplici con dame, cavalieri, criminali e complotti che mi stimolano la prosecuzione delle letture, naturalmente in ordine cronologico. ;-) Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction From BBC Radio 4 Extra:
Returning from the Crusades to a country he hardly recognises, Brother Cadfael finds intrigue and deception almost as soon as he lands in the court of his master Roger Mauduit. Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction
I was a boy the last time I visited with Brother Cadfael. It was grand to visit the simpler Middle Ages and see him again. Good plot. Strong characters. Well written! Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction Having read other books in the Cadfael series it was enjoyable to read this and find out how he joined the monastery at Shrewsbury. I love this series and for me Cadfael will always be synonymous with Derek Jacobi who played him in the TV series I watched many years ago (and can now rewatch due to the repeats on satellite TV). Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction Tre racconti brevi che introducono il personaggio di Fratello Cadfael, sufficientemente interessanti da stimolarmi ad iniziare la serie.
O forse, il libro giusto al momento giusto? In questo periodo ho tanta voglia di medioevo... Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction Ultimo volume dedicato alle avventure di frate Cadfael, e una certa stanchezza si è impadronita di tutto. Vengono proposte 3 mini avventure, abbastanza sciape e inconsistenti, in cui la sensazione che l'autrice abbia ormai raschiato il fondo del barile è piuttosto vivida. Peccato: una chiusura di collana che si (e ci) poteva evitare. Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction Having read just the prequel, I guess I am in no position to judge. The style reminds me of Robin hood. I should say the book found me at the wrong period of my life. I found it a bit slow and no where near great. And I doubt it could have kept me engaged as a child. Mystery, Fiction, Historical Fiction