Publication
Harper
Collection
Call number
Fiction C
Status
Available
Call number
Description
In the heart of Elizabethan England, Richard Shakespeare dreams of a glittering career in one of the London playhouses, a world dominated by his older brother, William. But he is a penniless actor, making ends meet through a combination of a beautiful face, petty theft and a silver tongue. As William's star rises, Richard's onetime gratitude is souring and he is sorely tempted to abandon family loyalty. So when a priceless manuscript goes missing, suspicion falls upon Richard, forcing him onto a perilous path through a bawdy and frequently brutal London. Entangled in a high-stakes game of duplicity and betrayal which threatens not only his career and potential fortune, but also the lives of his fellow players, Richard has to call on all he has now learned from the brightest stages and the darkest alleyways of the city. To avoid the gallows, he must play the part of a lifetime.… (more)
Media reviews
Daily Express
Cornwell drives the plot along deftly.
And he clearly has a lot of fun with the dialogue which is crisp but replete with gems (“I don’t give the quills of a duck’s a***,” says Lord Hunsdon at one point) and there is hilarious bickering and squabbling among the players as they rehearse A
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Midsummer Night’s Dream.
But the real star of this book is Elizabethan London.
Cornwell leads us effortlessly through its fleshpots and fish markets, palace and playhouses with the skill of a master storyteller who loves this period of history.
Fools And Mortals may not have the visceral cut-throat action of Sharpe or the Lost Kingdom but if a well-plotted, richly written romp through Shakespeare’s England appeals, start reading. Show Less
User reviews
LibraryThing member justagirlwithabook
I really enjoyed this story! Oftentimes, Elizabethan England and all its players feel so far away, but Cornwell does a wonderful job of bringing the Lord Chamberlain’s men to life, allowing the reader to step into that distant past and catch a glimpse of the daily life and relationships as they
More than halfway through this story and I thought it would be a solid 4-star rating, but as the plot took me once again back to the theatre and to Shakespeare’s players, I found myself laughing along with all their odd character quirks and discovered they’d become somewhat endearing between the start and the finish. I discovered I was sad to end the book and wanted a bit more of these day-to-day interactions, the witty quips back and forth, the quirky superstitious pre-play rituals, the atmosphere of the Elizabethan world (and a time I’m grateful I was not born to!). For all of that, this was a surprisingly wonderful read and entirely worth picking up, especially if you happen to be an English teacher or an appreciator of Shakespeare and his time!
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once may have existed.More than halfway through this story and I thought it would be a solid 4-star rating, but as the plot took me once again back to the theatre and to Shakespeare’s players, I found myself laughing along with all their odd character quirks and discovered they’d become somewhat endearing between the start and the finish. I discovered I was sad to end the book and wanted a bit more of these day-to-day interactions, the witty quips back and forth, the quirky superstitious pre-play rituals, the atmosphere of the Elizabethan world (and a time I’m grateful I was not born to!). For all of that, this was a surprisingly wonderful read and entirely worth picking up, especially if you happen to be an English teacher or an appreciator of Shakespeare and his time!
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LibraryThing member hadden
I am a fan of Bernard Cornwell's historic novels, and this one is a disappointment. While the characterization is barely adequate, the action is suppressed and the interactions between characters is stilted. A good novel in some aspects, the atmosphere and descriptions of 16th century life are well
People interested in the theater, acting and direction may like this book. So will high school students who need a book report (warning: 369 pages long!) on William Shakespeare for English class. However, this is a book with many possibilities, that doesn't come through and meet it's potential.
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done. Bernard Cornwell certainly has his finger of history's pulse. However, the plot is disjointed and needs editing. The book seems to be a glimpse of life in Shakespeare's theaters, but the connection of Richard, William Shakespeare's younger and prettier brother, seems more like an excuse for a story rather than a story around the character.People interested in the theater, acting and direction may like this book. So will high school students who need a book report (warning: 369 pages long!) on William Shakespeare for English class. However, this is a book with many possibilities, that doesn't come through and meet it's potential.
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LibraryThing member N.W.Moors
This is the story of William Shakespeare's brother, Richard. Not much is known about him, but here Mr. Cornwell sets him as one of the players in his brother's company of actors. As a younger man, he's been playing women in the plays but now wants to graduate to men's roles.
Meanwhile, the company
I'm a huge Shakespeare fan, and I also enjoy Mr. Cornwall's books, so I expected to find myself engrossed by this story. However, I had a lot of trouble getting into this book and never really succeeded. Some of it was the writing; the action is fairly passive and often told in flashbacks that seemed to lessen the impact for the reader.
There's also a lot of telling rather than showing. Other reviewers have complained about this; for me, the worst was the retelling of the performance of A Midsummer's Night Dream. Maybe his usual readers don't know the play, though I doubt that, but to me, it was just repetitious to detail the story. Certain phrases were also used over and over. I'm not sure why every little boy was 'picking his nose' constantly, but enough about it.
There's a section where Richard talks about a play having a moment when all that goes wrong is magically set right. This book was a great example of that. One of the actors complains "It's too pat, too convenient!" All through the book there's talk about Lord Hunsdon, the patron, not wanting to be bothered about the mishaps going on, but magically he solves the issue though we never find out how. It may work in a play or even a book that has the reader enthralled, but it didn't work for me.
I'll just go back to Mr. Cornwall's series, I think.
Meanwhile, the company
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is rehearsing for the first performance of A Midsummer's Night Dream, to be performed at their patron's granddaughter's wedding. There is intrigue as rival companies try to steal the manuscripts of the company's plays. Also, religious differences still hold sway in London under Protestant Queen Elizabeth.I'm a huge Shakespeare fan, and I also enjoy Mr. Cornwall's books, so I expected to find myself engrossed by this story. However, I had a lot of trouble getting into this book and never really succeeded. Some of it was the writing; the action is fairly passive and often told in flashbacks that seemed to lessen the impact for the reader.
There's also a lot of telling rather than showing. Other reviewers have complained about this; for me, the worst was the retelling of the performance of A Midsummer's Night Dream. Maybe his usual readers don't know the play, though I doubt that, but to me, it was just repetitious to detail the story. Certain phrases were also used over and over. I'm not sure why every little boy was 'picking his nose' constantly, but enough about it.
There's a section where Richard talks about a play having a moment when all that goes wrong is magically set right. This book was a great example of that. One of the actors complains "It's too pat, too convenient!" All through the book there's talk about Lord Hunsdon, the patron, not wanting to be bothered about the mishaps going on, but magically he solves the issue though we never find out how. It may work in a play or even a book that has the reader enthralled, but it didn't work for me.
I'll just go back to Mr. Cornwall's series, I think.
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LibraryThing member Prairieblossom
Fools and Mortals
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Never having been a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Tom Sharpe novels I was a bit hesitant about reading Fools and Mortals when I received it from Netgalley, but as I am always willing to
The book is so removed from what I remember of the story-telling style and plot-lines of earlier Bernard Cornwell books that I had struggled to read that I almost had to check that this was the same author and not another with a similar name.
By the end of chapter two, I was captivated and thoroughly enjoyed reading the rest of the book.
The story is set towards the end of the Tudor era, a time when theatre as we know it was just beginning to develop and actors were not the idolised celebrities they are today.
Bernard Cornwell's descriptions and explanations bring the period to life in a way no history book can do. The play that is featured throughout the book is A Midsummer Night's Dream and I learnt more about the play and its subtly of meaning from this novel than I ever did from studying it at school.
I was left in no doubt that Bernard Cornwell is a Shakespear fan and has a deep love for and knowledge of the period.
I can only imagine that some of his current fans may find this book too far a departure from his normal style for it to be to their taste but I'm sure there will be a whole new set of fans, like me, who did not enjoy the earlier books but are hoping that there are more like this in the pipeline.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Never having been a fan of Bernard Cornwell's Tom Sharpe novels I was a bit hesitant about reading Fools and Mortals when I received it from Netgalley, but as I am always willing to
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take a chance on something new I thought I would give it a couple of chapters before making any decisions about whether to read the whole book or to abandon it as not my cup of tea.The book is so removed from what I remember of the story-telling style and plot-lines of earlier Bernard Cornwell books that I had struggled to read that I almost had to check that this was the same author and not another with a similar name.
By the end of chapter two, I was captivated and thoroughly enjoyed reading the rest of the book.
The story is set towards the end of the Tudor era, a time when theatre as we know it was just beginning to develop and actors were not the idolised celebrities they are today.
Bernard Cornwell's descriptions and explanations bring the period to life in a way no history book can do. The play that is featured throughout the book is A Midsummer Night's Dream and I learnt more about the play and its subtly of meaning from this novel than I ever did from studying it at school.
I was left in no doubt that Bernard Cornwell is a Shakespear fan and has a deep love for and knowledge of the period.
I can only imagine that some of his current fans may find this book too far a departure from his normal style for it to be to their taste but I'm sure there will be a whole new set of fans, like me, who did not enjoy the earlier books but are hoping that there are more like this in the pipeline.
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LibraryThing member Nodosaurus
Bernard Cornwell takes a break from his traditional military-based historical fiction to tell the story of an actor, Richard Shakespeare, the younger and estranged brother of William Shakespeare. It is a coming-of-age story about Richard, but it is more a story about late 16th century theater and
The story itself would have made a good Shakespeare play, it has love, politics and betrayal. The author brings the stage to life and gives the reader a good feel for life in the Elizabethan period.
In his usual way, Cornwell tells a very good story. The characters are real and the situations believable.
This isn't what I expected when I started, I didn't read the jacket and was expecting a typical Bernard Cornwell novel, but I was pleasantly surprised and could not turn away.
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politics. The story itself would have made a good Shakespeare play, it has love, politics and betrayal. The author brings the stage to life and gives the reader a good feel for life in the Elizabethan period.
In his usual way, Cornwell tells a very good story. The characters are real and the situations believable.
This isn't what I expected when I started, I didn't read the jacket and was expecting a typical Bernard Cornwell novel, but I was pleasantly surprised and could not turn away.
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LibraryThing member PilgrimJess
"When men do evil and claim that they are doing God's work, then they are at their most dangerous."
This novel by Bernard Cornwell is a bit of a departure from his usual military history. Yes, it’s an historical novel, but instead it centres on William Shakespeare's initial production of A
The play is thought to have been written around 1595 or 1596 but no one knows when or where it had it's début. For this book Cornwell opts for it being staged at the wedding of Baron Hunsdon’s daughter (the baron is Elizabeth’s cousin and Lord Chamberlain).
Richard, 10 years younger than his famous brother, he flees the family home in Stratford after he attacks the man that he has been apprenticed to and heads for London to join his brother. However, William initially rebuffs Richard and instead sends him off to Sir Godfrey, a cruel priest who trains young boys for the theatre amongst other things. When Richard finally joins William’s players he is given female roles to act. This only makes Richard more resentful because he is now 20 and wants to take on male roles.
The first half concentrates on the background of Elizabethan theatre and how the Puritans, whose job it is to root out enemies of the Queen, despise the “sinful” playhouses and their companies. A new theatre is being built to rival those already in existence and competition for audiences is fierce meaning that there must be a regular supply of new material to perform. Whilst there are plenty of out of work actors available writers, especially good ones, are few and far between especially to the calibre of William Shakespeare.
Feeling resentful of his brother Richard visits the new theatre in the hope of being offered regular work, he is only a jobbing actor in his brother's company, but is instead is asked to steal the scripts of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the newly completed Romeo and Juliet. When the scripts are indeed stolen, suspicion naturally falls on the younger Shakespeare. Scripts are precious and are the lifeblood of any company so Richard offers to recover them in return for the role in Romeo in any future production. This involves Richard taking on his old enemy, Sir Godfrey. In many respects this section of the book provides the only action therein and it is pretty brief and relatively bloodless at that.
However, this shouldn't put any readers and particularly Cornwell fans off. He brings his usual penchant for setting the scene to the fore, so much so you can almost smell the filthy Elizabethan streets, the depravities of the day, the Catholic witch-hunts where power is given to petty tyrants, the struggle to survive and strive to bring some enjoyment into their fairly joyless existences, making their pleasure or displeasure at what they see quickly apparent. Similarly, I like the fact that this is no fawning portrayal of the elder Shakespeare, he is seen as being human with all it's faults, unlike how he is shown in most books that I've read about him.
Overall I loved this book, it grabbed my attention straight from the start and despite the lack of bloodshed managed to keep it as it careered through the filth strewn streets of the metropolis. So much so that it's made me want to re-read the original, A Midsummer Night's Dream, next.
This novel by Bernard Cornwell is a bit of a departure from his usual military history. Yes, it’s an historical novel, but instead it centres on William Shakespeare's initial production of A
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Midsummer Night’s Dream and is told from the standpoint of his younger brother, Richard. Little is known about William Shakespeare, about his writing and staging his plays, let alone whether or not he even had a younger brother at all, let alone one who acted in his theatre company. This allows the author to allow his imagination run wild with speculation and hypothesis.The play is thought to have been written around 1595 or 1596 but no one knows when or where it had it's début. For this book Cornwell opts for it being staged at the wedding of Baron Hunsdon’s daughter (the baron is Elizabeth’s cousin and Lord Chamberlain).
Richard, 10 years younger than his famous brother, he flees the family home in Stratford after he attacks the man that he has been apprenticed to and heads for London to join his brother. However, William initially rebuffs Richard and instead sends him off to Sir Godfrey, a cruel priest who trains young boys for the theatre amongst other things. When Richard finally joins William’s players he is given female roles to act. This only makes Richard more resentful because he is now 20 and wants to take on male roles.
The first half concentrates on the background of Elizabethan theatre and how the Puritans, whose job it is to root out enemies of the Queen, despise the “sinful” playhouses and their companies. A new theatre is being built to rival those already in existence and competition for audiences is fierce meaning that there must be a regular supply of new material to perform. Whilst there are plenty of out of work actors available writers, especially good ones, are few and far between especially to the calibre of William Shakespeare.
Feeling resentful of his brother Richard visits the new theatre in the hope of being offered regular work, he is only a jobbing actor in his brother's company, but is instead is asked to steal the scripts of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the newly completed Romeo and Juliet. When the scripts are indeed stolen, suspicion naturally falls on the younger Shakespeare. Scripts are precious and are the lifeblood of any company so Richard offers to recover them in return for the role in Romeo in any future production. This involves Richard taking on his old enemy, Sir Godfrey. In many respects this section of the book provides the only action therein and it is pretty brief and relatively bloodless at that.
However, this shouldn't put any readers and particularly Cornwell fans off. He brings his usual penchant for setting the scene to the fore, so much so you can almost smell the filthy Elizabethan streets, the depravities of the day, the Catholic witch-hunts where power is given to petty tyrants, the struggle to survive and strive to bring some enjoyment into their fairly joyless existences, making their pleasure or displeasure at what they see quickly apparent. Similarly, I like the fact that this is no fawning portrayal of the elder Shakespeare, he is seen as being human with all it's faults, unlike how he is shown in most books that I've read about him.
Overall I loved this book, it grabbed my attention straight from the start and despite the lack of bloodshed managed to keep it as it careered through the filth strewn streets of the metropolis. So much so that it's made me want to re-read the original, A Midsummer Night's Dream, next.
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LibraryThing member decaturmamaof2
I really enjoyed this envisioning of life as a "player" in Shakespeare's company in the 1500s. Bernard Cornwell - as always - is such a master of immersing us in the day to day of the society of which he's writing. Really well done!
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
A decent historical fiction. William Shakespeare's younger brother Richard, is now too old to play girls, or even Women's parts in the Lord Chamberlain's Company. He wants to move up to men, but for some reason, his brother William doesn't seem to further his promotion. After adventures involving
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lack of copyright, and court politics, a new play "A Midsummer's Night's Dream," is finally launched. Show Less
LibraryThing member alisonday69
I enjoyed this historical novel that made you feel part of Shakespeare's players.
LibraryThing member CarltonC
Well written, well researched and enjoyable, but not especially memorable as Richard Shakespeare, William's younger brother and narrator, didn't become fully alive for me.
LibraryThing member Fashion
Enjoyable take on Shakespeare's era, the first of Cornwall's books Ive read
LibraryThing member Helenliz
This is a right adventure. The setting is broadly the first staging of "A Midsummer Night's dream" at the house of the Lord Chancellor for his grand daughter's wedding. Along side this we have the building of a new playhouse, the Swan, which is shrouded in secrecy and seems to be short of plays and
At times this gets pretty unpleasant, there is quite graphic violence, there are past abuses and there's the nasty overtone of religious oppression and the blinkered puritan view. It tends to support the view that life in the past was nasty, brutish & short. But there is more to this book than those passages. They set up a fabulous view of the performance from the actor's perspective, which is well worth the read. Having not long listened to the play in question, It was fun to see it coming together through the rehearsals and into the performance. And, to borrow the playwright's own lines, all's well that ends well.
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so sets out to steal the one being written by Will Shakespeare. We see all this through the eyes of his younger brother, Richard, who ran away from his apprentice master and has come to London to be a player. He is just getting too old to play the female roles and want to play a man's part. He is growing up physically, but he remains Will's younger brother and this colours their relationship, Richard wanting his brother's approval, Will unable to see him as he now is. And then there's a brief, but touching romance, with Sylvia being sufficiently independently minded to bring about a dramatic change in events. At times this gets pretty unpleasant, there is quite graphic violence, there are past abuses and there's the nasty overtone of religious oppression and the blinkered puritan view. It tends to support the view that life in the past was nasty, brutish & short. But there is more to this book than those passages. They set up a fabulous view of the performance from the actor's perspective, which is well worth the read. Having not long listened to the play in question, It was fun to see it coming together through the rehearsals and into the performance. And, to borrow the playwright's own lines, all's well that ends well.
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LibraryThing member Castlelass
I came to read this book by starting and setting aside another of Bernard Cornwell’s books, 1356, which includes a plethora of blood-soaked action in the first few chapters, including rape, torture, murder, and castration. It was too much even for me and I can handle a good amount of bloodshed. I
The author has a knack for describing the life and times of people living in London in the late 16th century, giving the reader a feeling of “being there” through vivid descriptions of the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes. He provides a glimpse into the religious climate of the day (Puritans vs. Catholics), what it was like to be a player, and barriers which had to be overcome in order for the dramatic arts to thrive. It is filled with interesting details about theatre-craft of the period, such as lighting with candles, death scenes using a pig’s bladder filled with sheep’s blood, males playing female roles, pigments used for make-up, manually transcribing roles for actors, the constant pressure for new material. I found it fascinating.
If you haven’t read (or seen) A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, I suggest viewing it first, since this book contains major plot-spoilers. It is also helpful to be somewhat familiar with Shakespeare’s canon. Unlike many other of Cornwell’s works, this is a stand-alone novel with fewer action-packed scenes. The author provides a note at the end describing what parts were based on historical research and what was invented. Recommended to those interested in Tudor era historical fiction or the early days of theatre.
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was, however, impressed by Cornwell’s writing so I sought out another, less gory, of his books. Fools and Mortals takes place in 1595 and is based on the imagined relationship between William Shakespeare and his younger brother, Richard. The tale is told by Richard Shakespeare. He describes his journey to London, how he became a player, his strained relationship with his brother, and rival companies attempting to exploit his brother’s success. The narrative revolves around the plays, players, patrons, rivalries, and theatres of the era. The plot is based on the initial production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, written for a wedding celebration and performed at the residence of a wealthy patron and cousin of Queen Elizabeth. The author has a knack for describing the life and times of people living in London in the late 16th century, giving the reader a feeling of “being there” through vivid descriptions of the sights, smells, sounds, and tastes. He provides a glimpse into the religious climate of the day (Puritans vs. Catholics), what it was like to be a player, and barriers which had to be overcome in order for the dramatic arts to thrive. It is filled with interesting details about theatre-craft of the period, such as lighting with candles, death scenes using a pig’s bladder filled with sheep’s blood, males playing female roles, pigments used for make-up, manually transcribing roles for actors, the constant pressure for new material. I found it fascinating.
If you haven’t read (or seen) A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, I suggest viewing it first, since this book contains major plot-spoilers. It is also helpful to be somewhat familiar with Shakespeare’s canon. Unlike many other of Cornwell’s works, this is a stand-alone novel with fewer action-packed scenes. The author provides a note at the end describing what parts were based on historical research and what was invented. Recommended to those interested in Tudor era historical fiction or the early days of theatre.
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LibraryThing member MugsyNoir
In a clever imagining of the first presentation of William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, Bernard Cornwell's Fools and Mortals tells the story of The Lord Chamberlain's Men through the eyes of Richard Shakespeare, William's younger brother. Cornwell's story provides an excellent overview
Richard is a small player in the company run by William and has been relegated to playing women's roles. He's also a small-time thief. Playing only women's roles is starting to grate on Richard. He desires more substantial men's roles. However, William views his younger brother as an annoyance.
A new playhouse is being built south of the Thames and the financiers are managing to get their hands on everything that they need except plays to perform. They devise a plan to abscond with William's plays, A Midsummer's Night and William's new one about a pair of star-crossed lovers in Verona, Italy, and perform them before William has a chance to play them before a public audience. Their plans include Richard.
When Richard finds himself suspected by William and the rest of The Lord Chamberlain's Men of involvement in the plays' thefts, Richard sees that the only way he can get back into William's good graces is to recover them himself, and the dangers he faces in doing so are very real.
Fools and Mortals has romance, history, intrigue, and thrills. Cornwell's descriptions of English city life during Elizabethan times is well integrated into the narrative. His looks behind the curtain at theater practices is comprehensive, and the players characters are greatly revealed through how they deal with the management of the troupe, how they go about preparing for their parts, even to their individual superstition practices before going onstage.
If you like history, theater, or just a plain old thriller, Fools and Mortals should suffice nicely.
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of the society of the day, including the Catholic/Protestant religious strife, Elizabethan manners, filthy environment, rampant disease, sexual perversions, and the ease with which one might find oneself being hanged.Richard is a small player in the company run by William and has been relegated to playing women's roles. He's also a small-time thief. Playing only women's roles is starting to grate on Richard. He desires more substantial men's roles. However, William views his younger brother as an annoyance.
A new playhouse is being built south of the Thames and the financiers are managing to get their hands on everything that they need except plays to perform. They devise a plan to abscond with William's plays, A Midsummer's Night and William's new one about a pair of star-crossed lovers in Verona, Italy, and perform them before William has a chance to play them before a public audience. Their plans include Richard.
When Richard finds himself suspected by William and the rest of The Lord Chamberlain's Men of involvement in the plays' thefts, Richard sees that the only way he can get back into William's good graces is to recover them himself, and the dangers he faces in doing so are very real.
Fools and Mortals has romance, history, intrigue, and thrills. Cornwell's descriptions of English city life during Elizabethan times is well integrated into the narrative. His looks behind the curtain at theater practices is comprehensive, and the players characters are greatly revealed through how they deal with the management of the troupe, how they go about preparing for their parts, even to their individual superstition practices before going onstage.
If you like history, theater, or just a plain old thriller, Fools and Mortals should suffice nicely.
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LibraryThing member nordie
From Netgalley as an ebook, this is from the author of the Sharpe series of books, which I haven't read (but have been known to watch the adaptations when they come on the TV, if that counts for anything).
So this is a departure from his normal work, in him writing about the playhouses starting up
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in the time of Queen Elizabeth 1 and William Shakespeare. It is told from the standpoint of Richard, William's younger brother. Richard is already a member of the playhouse, and whilst playing the parts of women, he is getting a little too old to do so, and is desperate to get “men’s parts”. It is precarious work – they don’t get paid to rehearse, only to actually perform in a play, of which new ones are few and far between.Those that can read and write can earn a little more money, by copying out actor’s lines or being the “bookman”, prompting the performers during rehearsals.
With new Playhouses and groups being set up almost weekly and demand for entertainment ongoing, competition for new material is constant, with some groups resorting to stealing other group's works if they dont have a writer to create their own work.
We get to find out what living in this kind of London is like – trying to find somewhere to stay if you miss curfew; literally living hand to mouth because you haven’t been paid that week; your work and home being raided on a regular basis by the heavy handed state gangs looking for priests and seditious materials – it has long been believed that the Shakespeare family are heretical Catholics, and people are desperate to find some kind of proof. The story is framed by the completion and staging of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for the wedding of the Lord Chamberlain’s daughter. The competition for parts, the learning of lines, what happens when things get “confiscated” by competing playhouses. There is intrigue, fighting, plotting and ever changing politics that most groundlings are unaware of.
Meanwhile, told in flashback is how Richard came to be in London - Being rather older, William has already left the family home and gone to London by the time Richard is old enough to get an apprenticeship, something that does not work out well. Richard escapes and goes looking for his brother who places Richard with Sir Godfrey Cullen. It is here that Richard learns most of his life lessons, including how to act, put on a performance and sword fight and most importantly – how to steal. Whether the William of the book or the actual William knew that being in Sir Godfrey’s “care” means that he was one of many who got prostituted out as part of St Benet’s Choir, we don't know. Richard's skills in thieving, as well as the other stuff he's learnt since coming to London, helps both himself and the group (as well as his relationship with William) when things go missing.
Because of Cornwell’s previous books, I suspect people would be a let down if there wasn’t a little sword play and fighting throughout the book, and there are several scenes included, which I hope makes some fans happy.
This is not my usual era of history - I tend to read Tudor or Regency - so this was an interesting change in tone. The difference between the rich and the poor; actors living hand to mouth, whilst performing to the groundlings and the Queen; the need to please the crowd whose tastes could be simple (bit of dancing, some fighting, some singing, some rude jokes); all combined with th pressure of finding or writing new work.
So this is not quite a Ripping Yarn, but a detailed story of a fraught time in English history, that is well worth reading and rather entertaining.
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Language
Original publication date
2017-10-19
ISBN
9780062250896