Review: In a dark wood wandering
Redactionele recensie - Kirkus ReviewsFirst English translation of a historical epic about the Hundred Years War between France and England (1337-1453). Published in 1949 in the Netherlands, where it was a best-seller, Haasse's American debut is a long (572 pp.), vivid story especially crisp in its evocations of French royalty and blood feuds among the nobility. It's one of those grand tapestries that roam through time and space and bring alive a host of characters: French King Charles VI, who has an occasional ""brief respite between periods of insanity"" in a country where royal power is in eclipse; his icy Bavarian Queen Isabeau; his brother Louis (Duke of Orleans), who is eventually murdered; and Louis' Italian Duchess Valentine, who dies quickly thereafter. The Duke's son Charles comes to dominate much of the narrative when he inherits the dukedom. There are numerous political intrigues, bloodlines, rivalries (especially between the Burgundians and Armagnacs), and the epoch's social background is richly rendered, ranging from feudal lords and Parisians to peasants. The scene occasionally shifts to England and its turmoils, especially when the Duke of Orleans is taken prisoner at Agincourt by Henry V. Political intrigue continues, and eventually Orleans returns to his homeland, but there is a sense of power passing from royalty to merchants and to the cities. Charles' long exile in England has made him a kind of mystic, interested in wisdom instead of the illusion of power and politics, and he has the last word--at the point of death--as he ""plunged forward to meet the light."" Decisive in its lines of psychological force, this compelling fiction brings to dramatic life one of the most significant conflicts--and several of the more striking personalities--in French and English medieval history. Rich and entertaining.
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Murray - GoodreadsAt the time of the hundred years war, the time of our (English readers) Henry V, Agincourt and all that, France was weak because of its internal divisions. The story of the French royalty is told ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Betsy - GoodreadsThe subtitle is "A novel of the Middle Ages". It is a fictionalized account of political events in France from 1394 until about 1465 as seen from the point of view of Louis d'Orleans, his wife ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Schmidleysscribblins.wordpress.com - GoodreadsWonderful and profound. Look for my review on Amazon. Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Jonna - GoodreadsI know you can't judge a book by it's cover, but this one has such a beautiful cover and I had such high hopes for it; but in truth, the reading was challenging. At times I felt like I was walking ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Nikki - GoodreadsSurprisingly compelling. I expected this one to be very dry, especially because it's a book in translation -- and not a recent translation, at that. And it does have a dryness about it, admittedly ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Sarah Jane - GoodreadsBest middle age historical fiction. Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Dona Krueger - GoodreadsI loved this book and learned a lot from it. It's always amazing to me that an old translation (1949) can pack such a punch. Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Katrinia17 - GoodreadsIn a Dark Wood Wandering sat on my shelf for a good 10 years or so before I picked it up for reading. I don't know how I came about it and for the longest time I had no clue what it was even about ... Volledige recensie lezen
Review: In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages
Gebruikersrecensie - Conchita Almora - GoodreadsThis book captured the spirit of the Middle Ages so grandly all while centered on the turbulent age of the Hundred Years War. The hero is Louis of Orleans' son Charles, the good duke who wrote poetry. This book is a masterpiece and I could read it again and again. Volledige recensie lezen
