Im working on a novel intended to express the feel of England in Edward IIIs time The fourteenth century of my novel will be mainly evoked in terms of smell and visceral feelings, and it will carry an undertone of general disgust rather than hey nonny nostalgia Anthony Burgess, 1973
The Black Princeis a brutal historical tale of chivalry, religious belief, obsession, siege and bloody warfare.From disorientating depictions of medieval battles to court intrigues and betrayals, the campaigns of Edward, the Black Prince, are brought to vivid life.
This rambunctious book, based on a completed screenplay by Anthony Burgess, showcases Adam Roberts in complete control of the novel as a way of making us look at history with fresh eyes, all while staying true to the linguistic pyrotechnics and narrative verve of Burgesss best work. The Black Prince: Adapted from an original script by Anthony Burgess
I was one of the crowdfunding contributors who helped get this book written (by paying three times what it’s currently selling for, lol). I’m a big fan of Roberts and I’m glad I chipped in – this was a labor of love for him and even though it’s not science fiction, it’s just as well done.
It’s been years since I looked at Burgess and I’ve never read Dos Passos but I know Roberts well enough to know that he probably nailed their styles. I do know this book meets the stated intent; i.e., to treat Burgess’ script the way he said he wanted to back in the ‘70s. And occasionally I detected the hand of Roberts himself.
So what do we have? We have a series of chapters, each broken into sections that sample faux newsreels for the 100 Years War for context surrounding the big picture, clairvoyant visions of unknown accuracy for a birdseye view of events within that big picture, chapters on a day in the life of 14th century inhabitants, and a section on the Black Prince’s doings.
It’s a nice mix, helpfully arranged, and while the “plot” per se isn’t obvious, we do advance episodically through the Prince’s adult career. This all focuses on his military activities, in or less docudrama style. My favorites are the day in the life vignettes.
The overall tone is not really anti war or anti Prince. It’s very matter of fact, comes across as an accurate portrayal, and left me thinking about those times than about war in general. Definitely something different that’s easy to read and very well written. Les droits des femmes Couldn't put this book down, would love to have seen it made into a film but it would probably have been banned as a video nasty. Les droits des femmes I enjoy historical fiction (true events, told in a fictional style) but this is just too wacky for me. The various styles of presentation are jarring rather than complimentary and break the books flow, often meaning I simply stop reading at that point or skip ahead.
Overall I have been left disappointed by this book, although it does contain some interesting segments. Les droits des femmes
This book was recommended to me as a fictional account of Edward, the Black Prince. I am a huge fan of historical fiction (a huge fan of Bernard Cornwell, Arturo Perez Reverte and others) which brings the reader into the story and timeframe, and was looking forward to this novel. However, I found it to be somewhat disjointed, and a reflection of medieval life at the time (as brutal and as harsh as one can imagine) rather than the story of Edward, his life and conquests. Further, since it was a reworking of a screenplay, it often focused on camera views, etc., which for me interrupted the story's flow and pacing. It was certainly not a waste of time, but definitely not the rich historical novel that captured my imagination. Les droits des femmes I have to say that I absolutely loved this story it was excellent, very well written and it captured this period in history brilliantly!
This is one of my favourite eras in British history, the turmoil is felt through the pages and I loved how the author has brought it to life. The time when Edward II ruled was a time of unrest and uncertainty, his followers were unhappy with him and his behaviour at the court, which was viewed to be scandalous at that time and the rebels moved against him.
We eventually find his son, Edward III on the throne at a fairly young age, (especially compared to royals today) and he was determined to expand and progress where he could, his offspring were ones who would change the shape of the line of succession. These are some of Britain’s most fascinating Kings and their stories are a lot darker than some historians will have you believe…
Five stars from me, a very well written and enjoyable story – very highly recommended to any other fans of historical fiction!! Les droits des femmes Many thanks for the book. Les droits des femmes I found it poorly structured. Almost unreadable. Les droits des femmes Anthony Burgess is my all time favorite author. This book is hard to read and is not up to expectations. Les droits des femmes