| Book Review of “The Illuminator” | ||
 by Brenda Rickman Vantrasecompliments of Mairghread ni Stilbheard uu Coinn The writing style of this book is entertaining and easy to absorb. Instead of tense, it is relaxed and as descriptive as the beautiful cover illustration of Getty images from the Bridgeman Art Library. The characters are complex enough and appealing enough that and any Scadian could relate to them. For a first novel, this is a good read and an admirable start at historical fiction of medieval times. There are characters (John of Gaunt and Julian of Norwich) that are real historical figures. Their "voice" in The Illuminator adds to the authenticity and always inspires me to learn more about them as I am reading such a book. The information and logistics about the lifestyle of an anchorite (a hermit “anchored” within a populous community) such as Julian of Norwich is fascinating. It is difficult to imagine how vital to everyday life the church was compared to our relatively unchurched society if today. Remember, the Bible was not available to the masses. (Imagine - nothing to read at the inn…..as most people did not read……it probably wouldn’t have happened anyway considering the frightfully high cost of handmade books…..which we are in this novel……) Reliance upon the clergy, many dishonorable and corrupt, was orders of magnitude greater than today’s Western society except for rare pockets of society. Women were at the mercy of their men, the law, the church, yet still wielded a thread of power much subtler than in Western countries today. There are also good examples of how a class-based society is stifling and limiting to men and their life choices. More research will be expected from the author next time. She definitely had not studied Catholicism very carefully. Stereotypically, anyone associated with the Church except Julian is a nasty evil power-grubbing, greedy person. Then there are references to "Kyrie eleison" and "Christe eleison" as Latin; they are Greek. For a novel set in the fourteenth century, names like "Jasmine" and "Rose" are questionable for females. Especially when there is a pivotal plot element around Christian names. The author names a main character "Rebekka". It was quite uncommon in England at the time. "Rose" is worse, especially if someone were trying to highlight a person's devoutness as is claimed. They would never name her something that isn't a saint's name. At least the author hints that this is an unconventional name…. The basic plot involves Lady Kathryn, recently relieved of her unhappy marriage through the death of her husband and her two scathingly opposite sons. Her reduced circumstances lead to an illuminator, Finn, through church sponsorship, moving into the manor house with his daughter, Rose, who is just younger than Kathryn’s sons. The tension between the sexes and the emerging Protestants of the time; the treatment of disabled individuals; and plentiful references to herbal healing plus often authentic descriptions of the art of calligraphy and illumination, medieval food, drink, décor and sporting provide enough substance to have kept me quite interested in this book. The book is a murder/spy mystery with believable plot twists and a bracing pace. The unconventional romances going on with supporting characters, especially Half-Tom and Magda, add richness to the story and are a part of the plot that turned out well…… for these characters……it does not for all. Ms. Vantrase’s follow-up novel, “The Mercy Seller” (set in pre-Reformation Europe) becomes available in February 2007. I will be perusing it, probably reading it and hoping she has sharpened her research skills just a dram. |
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