Monday, January 21, 2008
Challenges:
Chunkster Challenge
Back to History Challenge
The Royalty Rules Reading Challenge
Decades Challenge - 1950
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When I was in high school, I loved Thomas Costain's books; read every one I could find. I even bought The Tontine which was a huge book and read it a few times. But I had never heard of Below the Salt until I saw it on a Bookmooch inventory. At 480 pages, it is one of Costain's smaller books, but just as interesting.
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The book begins in the late 1950's as John Foraday is interviewed and then flown west to meet the great, aging senator Richard O'Rawn, who was once engaged to John's grandmother. It seems that Richard has a story to tell about his experiences during the time of the Plantagets and the signing of the Magna Carta. We never really know how O'Rawn accomplishes this feat; reincarnation, a dream, whatever; it doesn't really matter. What is fascinating is the story he tells about feudal England under the heavy hand of King John. Richard of Rawen is a poor landholder with a Saxon father and Norman mother. He is sent to be trained under William the Marshall along with his former serf and best friend, Tostig. While Richard becomes a great knight, Tostig is the more intelligent and sensible of the two, learning to read and becoming accomplished in several languages. During their travels in France and at the bequest of William, they meet Prince Arthur, Geoffrey Platagenet's son and rightful King of England, and his beautiful sister Eleanor. John murders Arthur and takes Elanor captive. History claims she died in 1241 while still a prisoner. Costain proposes another take on the story. Richard of Rawen falls in love with Eleanor, Tostig with her look-a-like half-sister, Giselle; and the two attempt to rescue both women from captivity. Eleanor escapes while Giselle remains behind pretending to be Eleanor.
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This is the basic story that the senator asks John Forady to write in a novel which is then published, creating a stir for the ancestors of Princess Eleanor and Richard of Rawen, who fled to Ireland. I found it an imaginative rewrite of history with some wonderful details of that time period. The signing of the Magna Carta in the meadow at Runnymeade with key players like Stephen Langdon, Archbishop of Canterbury; the intrigues with the Pope in Rome; jousting and the perilous nature of traveling in that era; along with descriptions of the harsh lifestyle that the serfs endured were some of the historical features I enjoyed. Keep in mind, this book was published in 1957 at the height of the Cold War. Costain uses the character of Senator O'Rawn's present-day concerns to compare the lack of freedom under communism to that endured by most before the signing of the Magna Carta. The King and the feudal lords controlled marriages, the land, even the time that the serfs could spend on their own livelihoods after taking care of their lords' interests. All in all, a very satisfying book for these challenges.
Rating: 4
Posted by Framed at 5:07 PM
5 comments:
Booklogged said...
I've never heard of this one either. Sounds good. You have really been reading a lot so far this month. Have you quit your job and your calling?
1/23/2008 8:39 PM
Carrie K said...
I keep hearing about this book, one of these days I'll have to read it.
1/24/2008 12:35 PM
hes said...
I read this book several times since it was first published when I was in high school and found it very enjoyable. One of Costain's better works.If you like English history, he wrote four books between 1949 and 1962 on the Plantagenet kings. These are not novels, but are readable and interesting. The names were: The Conquering Family, The Magnificent Century, The Three Edwards, and the Last Plantagenets. I recommend all four.
3/06/2008 8:53 PM
Anonymous said...
I am so glad google found this post. I've been trying to remember the name of this book for years. I, too, loved it when I read it in High School. Many thanks for the title. A copy is on its way to me from Amazon. :-)
3/17/2008 9:02 PM
Suzie said...
Thanks for posting about this. This book has been a favorite of mine for many years since my father recommended it to me. The only thing that I could possibly say against it is that the type seems to be getting smaller and smaller with each reading!
Challenges:
Chunkster Challenge
Back to History Challenge
The Royalty Rules Reading Challenge
Decades Challenge - 1950
**********
When I was in high school, I loved Thomas Costain's books; read every one I could find. I even bought The Tontine which was a huge book and read it a few times. But I had never heard of Below the Salt until I saw it on a Bookmooch inventory. At 480 pages, it is one of Costain's smaller books, but just as interesting.
************************
The book begins in the late 1950's as John Foraday is interviewed and then flown west to meet the great, aging senator Richard O'Rawn, who was once engaged to John's grandmother. It seems that Richard has a story to tell about his experiences during the time of the Plantagets and the signing of the Magna Carta. We never really know how O'Rawn accomplishes this feat; reincarnation, a dream, whatever; it doesn't really matter. What is fascinating is the story he tells about feudal England under the heavy hand of King John. Richard of Rawen is a poor landholder with a Saxon father and Norman mother. He is sent to be trained under William the Marshall along with his former serf and best friend, Tostig. While Richard becomes a great knight, Tostig is the more intelligent and sensible of the two, learning to read and becoming accomplished in several languages. During their travels in France and at the bequest of William, they meet Prince Arthur, Geoffrey Platagenet's son and rightful King of England, and his beautiful sister Eleanor. John murders Arthur and takes Elanor captive. History claims she died in 1241 while still a prisoner. Costain proposes another take on the story. Richard of Rawen falls in love with Eleanor, Tostig with her look-a-like half-sister, Giselle; and the two attempt to rescue both women from captivity. Eleanor escapes while Giselle remains behind pretending to be Eleanor.
**************************
This is the basic story that the senator asks John Forady to write in a novel which is then published, creating a stir for the ancestors of Princess Eleanor and Richard of Rawen, who fled to Ireland. I found it an imaginative rewrite of history with some wonderful details of that time period. The signing of the Magna Carta in the meadow at Runnymeade with key players like Stephen Langdon, Archbishop of Canterbury; the intrigues with the Pope in Rome; jousting and the perilous nature of traveling in that era; along with descriptions of the harsh lifestyle that the serfs endured were some of the historical features I enjoyed. Keep in mind, this book was published in 1957 at the height of the Cold War. Costain uses the character of Senator O'Rawn's present-day concerns to compare the lack of freedom under communism to that endured by most before the signing of the Magna Carta. The King and the feudal lords controlled marriages, the land, even the time that the serfs could spend on their own livelihoods after taking care of their lords' interests. All in all, a very satisfying book for these challenges.
Rating: 4
Posted by Framed at 5:07 PM
5 comments:
Booklogged said...
I've never heard of this one either. Sounds good. You have really been reading a lot so far this month. Have you quit your job and your calling?
1/23/2008 8:39 PM
Carrie K said...
I keep hearing about this book, one of these days I'll have to read it.
1/24/2008 12:35 PM
hes said...
I read this book several times since it was first published when I was in high school and found it very enjoyable. One of Costain's better works.If you like English history, he wrote four books between 1949 and 1962 on the Plantagenet kings. These are not novels, but are readable and interesting. The names were: The Conquering Family, The Magnificent Century, The Three Edwards, and the Last Plantagenets. I recommend all four.
3/06/2008 8:53 PM
Anonymous said...
I am so glad google found this post. I've been trying to remember the name of this book for years. I, too, loved it when I read it in High School. Many thanks for the title. A copy is on its way to me from Amazon. :-)
3/17/2008 9:02 PM
Suzie said...
Thanks for posting about this. This book has been a favorite of mine for many years since my father recommended it to me. The only thing that I could possibly say against it is that the type seems to be getting smaller and smaller with each reading!
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