Customer Reviews

Blanket of the Dark

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This was an enjoyable read for anyone who appreciates the older style of true English writing. The story is about Peter's adventures throughout the old English countryside; the writer does an excellent job of helping the reader envision the scenes as they unfold.

Contra to what the previous reviewer wrote, is not about Peter the Farmer -- Peter was never a farmer; he was a clerk (student).

Henry VIII gets a lot of attention in popular culture (all those wives) and this obscures just what an interesting time he lived in. Most historical novels of Henry VIII's time, not to mention the movies and the TV shows, pander to the wives and the whoopee. Buchan's story goes in a completely different direction: no wives, no beheadings, but a rich and fast-moving story of life and politics in Tudor England.

Underneath the story is a whole supporting structure of history: but (and this is part of what makes the book so good, and reflects Buchan's skill so clearly) you don't need to know any of that to enjoy the book fully.

The book isn't perfect: like other Buchan books I've read, he isn't afraid of setting a story in motion with a wildly implausible premise or motivation (see the The Four Adventures of Richard Hannay: The Thirty-Nine Steps/Greenmantle/Mr. Standfast/the Three Hostages, or The Island of Sheep); this is no different. This isn't Patrick O'Brian, who always grounds his books in entirely-credible situations and characters; his improbabilities (like a sloop capturing a line-of-battle warship in Master and Commander) are worked up to, and only seem incredible until you remember that they actually happened. If you can't get over that it might limit your enjoyment of The Blanket of The Dark. But you should get over it, because the rewards are so great.

This was a dull book. It told the story of Peter and his farming life. I felt that it was boring, and it did not hold my attention. It was hard to finish one page, let alone the entire book!