Customer Reviews

The Illuminator

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

This is a well-researched work of historical fiction that captures the essence of medieval life in feudal England. It is set against the precarious political and religious philosophical backdrop of the turbulent fourteenth century. It is a time when life was cheap, and death always seemed to be just around the corner. It tells the story of two people whose paths cross in the latter half of fourteenth century England and the events that follow. The politics of the day, both the religious and secular ones, would leave their imprint on each of them, as well as on their progeny.

Lady Kathryn, having been locked in a loveless marriage, has recently been liberated by her dissolute husband's death. In a time when women were little more than chattel, she has been left as mistress of Blackingham Manor in East Anglia. She is trying to shepherd it along, as it is the inheritance of her fifteen-year-old twin sons, Alfred and Colin. She is fraught with concerns over money and the possibility that John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster with whom her late husband imprudently allied himself, and who was now Regent to the young King Richard, might not maintain his power for long. If so, the fact that he is a patron of the heretic John Wycliffe and his Lollard followers could prove to be potentially disastrous for her and her family.

In order to try to conserve her property, as she fears that it will be swallowed up by the King's taxes, as well as the seemingly endless tithes required by the church, Lady Kathryn agrees to take in a boarder at the local abbot's request. In addition to conserving her property, she is also trying to keep at bay the unwelcome advances of Sir Guy, the local sheriff and friend of her late, unlamented husband, as well as the owner of the property adjacent to Blackingham Manor. She knows full well that she would just be the means to acquiring Blackingham Manor and increasing his holdings.

The boarder in question is an artisan named Finn, who has with him a beautiful teenage daughter named Rose. Together they take refuge at Blackingham Manor. Finn is a master illuminator who works for the Church. While working for the Church, however, he labors in secret for the heretic John Wycliffe, illuminating an English translation of the Bible, something that is forbidden by the Church. Moreover, Finn is a widower with a secret past, one that will cause Lady Kathryn much grief of her own making.

The freethinking Finn and the newly liberated lady of Blackingham Manor soon find that they have quite a bit in common. Their friendship grows into a passionate romance that neither of them would have expected or anticipated. In the wake of their passion, however, a chain of unstoppable events is unleashed. Finn and Lady Kathryn's relationship will lead her to a crossroad where she finds herself with her loyalties divided between Finn and her sons, forcing her to make a choice she would rather not have to make. Moreover, unbeknownst to them, Rose and Colin likewise find love budding between them with ramifications beyond their understanding.

Always at the center of the book is life as it is lived on Blackingham Manor and the everyday concerns that go along with living in a place under such oppressive circumstances. Always in the backdrop is the political and religious turbulence that would one day eventually lead to the Reformation. Meanwhile, that turbulence has the capability of profoundly changing the lives of everyone living at Blackingham Manor. Serving to complicate matters further, is the murder of an avaricious priest, which murder appears to be laid at the doorstep of Blackingham Manor. In addition, Lady Kathryn's malevolent overseer, the yeoman Simpson, is dealing her a bad hand and causing untold mischief among her serfs. Consequently, there comes a time when the seething cauldron of unrest bubbles over, taking everyone in its path for a ride not of their own choosing.

This author is a welcome new voice in the historical fiction genre. She has managed to create interesting and somewhat unusual characters not often found in historical fiction. A prominent character in the book is the local anchoress, which is based upon the mystic, Julian of Norwich, a character one does not often see mentioned in historical fiction of the period. Nor does one often come across an illuminator as an integral character in a novel. The author also seamlessly weaves historical figures into the fabric of her fiction with practiced ease. This is a well-defined, imaginative book that brings the Middle Ages to life. It will be enjoyed by all those who love well-written historical fiction.

Brenda Rickman Vantrease's new historical novel, THE ILLUMINATOR, is quite good, and there's really nothing wrong with it. But it's one of those books that is pointed towards a specific audience, and there's nothing anyone can do about it now. If you are in that audience, you should enjoy it and recommend it to your friends.

That specific audience, I must tell you, is women. I am not one. I do read, and enjoy, historical novels, and THE ILLUMINATOR is definitely one of those. It's set in fourteenth-century England, the time of Chaucer, the period right before the Reformation. Its first chapter features John Wycliffe, the "morning star of the Reformation," who translated the Bible from Latin into Middle English. Its title character illuminates, or illustrates, the pages of the translation, as well as Latin bibles and other projects.

But the title character isn't the main character; that's Lady Kathryn, widow of a knight killed in a battle in France over who the next pope would be (the "Avignon Schism," for those of you who remember your medieval church history). Talking about knights in armor would be a good foundation for a historical novel, you'd think, but nearly all of the action in THE ILLUMINATOR --- including a peasant's rebellion --- takes place well off-screen. The only real battles that are fought are of home, hearth, and love, and those can be as tragic and injurious as any other.

Lady Kathryn is the lady of the manor of Blackingham, the owner of some good land for grazing sheep, and makes her money by selling the wool. But to maintain her independence, she must rely on keeping the men around her happy. That includes her two sons, one of whom dreams of being a knight-at-arms while the other dreams of romance and chivalry. To protect their birthright, she has to balance the other forces --- her serfs, the local lords, and most importantly, the Catholic Church, which demands its tithes and peddles its indulgences. When the abbot of a nearby monastery asks Lady Kathryn to house Finn, the illuminator, she agrees as a way to keep the Church happy. But a powerful and militant bishop wants his services as well and uses the pretext of a murdered priest to imprison him unjustly.

This brief summary of the plot is more than a little unfair; it's actually a bit more intricate than that --- as is the writing. There are a number of points of view and subplots, including a tragic romance involving Lady Kathryn's youngest son and the illuminator's daughter. THE ILLUMINATOR is interesting enough to keep the reader's attention and knowledgeable enough to impart information about the manners and mores of the time. But the novel is informed by a particular point of view --- two of them, to be exact --- and if you can't wrap your mind around that, then THE ILLUMINATOR may be a long, hard slog.

The first of these, as I said, has to do with the target audience. THE ILLUMINATOR is informed by the medieval version of a feminist sensibility; its focus is on the various tragic plights of Lady Kathryn and other female characters. The ups and downs of those characters are contrasted by Julian of Norwich --- an actual historical character --- who was the anchoress of that church. (The job description of "anchoress" reveals quite a bit about the character of the age.) Julian --- the first woman author to write in the English language --- is a steady, loving presence that counterbalances much of the domestic turmoil in the book.

Julian the anchoress also contrasts with the other point of view of the novel; she's the only ecclesiastical character represented positively. THE ILLUMINATOR is determinedly anticlerical, pointing out the worst abuses of both the established, patriarchal Catholic Church and the fanatical preachers who stirred up the peasant rebellion. The villain of the piece, the cruel bishop, is just at the top of a pyramid of abuses of power.

THE ILLUMINATOR is a sad book, full of regrets, lost love and cruelty. It is accurate to the extent that it is a mirror of a cruel age, but it also shows some of the beauty and reflected love. It is not for everyone, but who wants to read a book that's for everyone?

--- Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds

This is a first novel, and I wish it had been better marketed. I have done a lot of research into English History and the Protestant Reformation in England. Much attention has been given to Henry the Eighth, his scism with Rome and his much misunderstood search for an heir to solidify his family's hold on the throne. However, before Henry, there was Wycliffe and the people who followed his lead. We never really see Wycliffe, but we follow the impact he is making on the English citizenry. Power corrupts and etc. etc. So it was with the Christian church in the preReformation period. Ms. Vantrease not only covers this situation well, but she explains the position of all the citizenry. The peasants, in spite of their sad position in society, had it easiest because they had no hope until the teachings of this new look at Christianity made them begin to believe in themselves. But the threat of loss of lands and property to whims of the King and the Church kept everyone, even nobility balancing on the edge of a knife. Ms. Vantrease explains this balance well, and she relates the levels of society in such a way as to make us realize how valuable democracy really is.

One of the other characters in her book and one who is seen much more fully is the Anchoress known as Julian of Norwich. Dame Julian's writings are wonderful in their own right, but the fact that she was one of the first people to write in English, to visualize Christ as a muliti faceted figure and had the trust in her God which allowed her to stand against the powerful Bishop of Norwich makes her a worthy subject for deeper study.

This is a first novel, but I look forward to reading more of Ms. Vantrease's work in the future.

In the 14th century, the Church's stranglehold on England is draconian, true believers held within the grasp of a greedy bishop who squeezes every serf and villein for their last coin to purchase the favors of God. Split between the factions of the Great Schism, the Italian Pope and the French Pope, citizens hope only to escape notice, to fulfill their duties without risking the wrath of Church or noblemen. While Sir John Wycliff surreptitiously copies the Bible into the language of the common man, the bishop's guards scour the countryside for heretics.

A woman alone has no defenses in this man's world and Lady Katherine of Blackingham Manor is rigorously monitoring the fortunes of her twin sons, particularly Alfred, due to inherit in his father's name. Just as a usurious priest is breathing down her neck, extorting payment for the salvation of her soul, Katherine is sent a respite through the monks at Broomholm Abbey, an illuminator who will reside at her manor with his daughter while he completes his work, his board paid by the abbey.

The illuminator, Finn, and his daughter, Rose, bring unexpected rewards to Blackingham, friendship for Lady Katherine and her younger son, Colin, but the times are increasingly dangerous given the political climate and unrest among the peasants, unfair taxation burdening their already meager incomes. Exposing the deficiencies of the feudal system, the author illustrates the travails of a population in support of nobility. In a class system that favors only the titled, everyone suffers the indignities of penury, the law and the Church harsh rulers of a people who have no hopes of ever bettering their circumstances.

The characters could easily be from the Brothers Grimm: half-Tom, the dwarf who lives alone in the fens, Sheriff Guy, with an eye on Lady Katherine and her inheritance; Simpson, the ill-willed, thieving overseer; Bishop Henry Dispenser, "the warring bishop", who puts down the bloody Peasant's Revolt of 1381; John Wycliff, one of the first religious men to herald the Reformation; and Julian of Norwich, a holy woman who spends her life in prayer and meditation.

The author illuminates the lives of her characters with as much artistry as Finn paints his calligraphed texts. The perfection is in the detail, the small but poignant connections between characters, the sweet bloom of first love and the surprise of romance found in the later years, a mother's affection for sons grown too old to comfort in her embrace, all of them ill-prepared for the world's cruel demands. When life intrudes, dreams are cast aside and youthful enthusiasm gives way to the harsh strictures of convention.

The ending is chaotic and dramatic, the frenzy of a peasant uprising vs. the armies of the Crown, death and destruction sewn by years of hardship, as surely as if the gates of Hell had opened up, bodies strewn over the countryside in the wake of random violence, fields and manors burnt to the ground. Yet all is not lost, the fruits of love protected by the purity of good intentions, tied together by bonds of blood. Luan Gaines/2005.

The Illuminator is extremely well written and I was thoroughly engrossed during my journey. Many historical fictions sound like the History Channel. This well-researched book's narration blended like an additional character with a personality. The author's extraordinary use of the English language made the pages come alive. Prepare to escape to fourteenth century England.

The cover of this novel was so beautiful that my eye was instantly drawn toward it. The jacket made it sound like something that was right up my alley and so I couldn't help but be a bit let down when I finished the book and found that it wasn't quite as strong as that short synopsis made it sound. It is not that it is a bad novel but there is room for improvement.

Vantrease's strength lies in her ability to paint a vivid picture of the past. Her settings are very nicely drawn and she has an obvious eye for period details. I found the setting very believable and oftentimes vibrant.

I think one of the weaknesses of this novel is in the dialogue. The characters are given to overwrought speeches with rather too much frequency and the conversations between them never struck me as quite true.

As for the characters, I found them rather weak. Kathryn was downright shrewish at times and I found it hard to understand just what made her so irresistible to Finn. I was appalled by the way she ultimately treats him and just didn't find it all that believable.

The characters in general were pale, as if Vantrease had an idea of what they were like but didn't quite succeed in making them human. They were always characters to me. I never found myself thinking of them as real people or sympathizing with their struggles.

The pacing was also very awkward at times. An event would occur and then fifty pages later the significance of it and its outcome would finally be addressed. I found this extremely confusing. There needed to be more flow and continuity to the plot in order to make the story more coherent.

It's an intriguing and lovely image: an artist bent over the pages of a manuscript, transforming pages of words into works of art with brushes and paint. More still if the pages the artist is illuminating are those of the first translation of the Bible into English--a task done, at no small risk, against the edicts of church and state. But this richly textured and well-researched novel does so much more than deliver an interesting and evocative historical story--though THE ILLUMINATOR does that well, too. Brenda Rickman Vantrease's characters come alive on the page and nearly walk off it, from brave Lady Kathryn and the charming Finn--the Illuminator of the title--to Finn's daughter Rose, the midget Half-Tom, Kathryn's sons, the Archbishop, and even the kitchen staff. There is love and intrigue, art and religion, a dead husband and a dead priest--not to mention lovely writing throughout and an ending that will leave you in tears. A wonderful read!

this Historical novel is in the same class as Phillipa Gregory's work. Very detailed in the descriptions of the physical characteristics and the emotional characteristics of the times.
I could'nt believe it was the author's first novel. I do look forward to reading more of her work.
Totally enthralling. The kind of book that draws you to it daily.

I was first attracted by the beautiful cover of this book. I was later rather pleased to find that the story within was as rich and deserved its elaborate covering since the story in itself was immensely interesting and beautifully spun out throughout the book. Though mainly fictional, the story intertwines various historical figures and events of late thirteenth century British history. It does it in a literally artful way, and helps establish various perspectives and attitudes of the time, as does any historical fiction worth its salt.
Though at one point I was beginning to think the story was using the stylistic devices of Shakespearian tragedy by killing off almost all of the characters, the work redeemed itself by the end and I realized that death in itself was far more apart of 13th century common everyday life than it is today. The settings described gave rather detailed mental visuals for the reader which helped immensely in the placing of characters. The portrait of daily life showed that whether lord or serf, life was difficult regardless of rank in a feudal society. Both sides were always being threatened, whether by a coomon foe, ie. the CHURCH, or by a progressive stage of changes that were inevitable. Overall a great quick read that will give one a glimpse into the rich past that mayhap become forgotten easily.

From time to time an audio book appears on the scene that is cause for celebration - "The Illuminator" as read by Simon Jones deserves many loud huzzahs. The pairing of voice performer and story is perfection. Listeners will want to hear it several times and then pass it along to friends with the heartiest recommendation.

British actor Jones, who reads both the Abridged and Unabridged editions, has a rich professional history. He attended Cambridge where he was a member of the Cambridge Footlights Dramatic Club (as were John Cleese and Stephen Fry).

His credits include stage roles in London's West End and, of course, on Broadway. He has been acclaimed for his appearances on BBC radio and, to date, has read over 50 audio books.

Jones's voice is, naturally, British. It's sturdy, if you will, strong, suave, and sophisticated when called for. It's a joy for the ear. His performance of this Renaissance tale will undoubtedly win him numerous more fans among audio book aficionados.

Author Vantrease, a former English teacher and librarian, must love her subject as she imbues her story with glowing detail. She sets the tale in England during the late 14th century. This was a time when the royals and the church ruled. It was also a time years before the printing press when books were treasures to be enjoyed only by the privileged. Books were laboriously hand printed and illustrated. Thus, one who did this sort of work was respected and a master craftsman, such a person was Finn.

The church was Finn's master, or so it was believed. He also secretly worked for John Wycliffe, an Oxford scholar who wanted to make the Bible available to everyone - heresy! Finn finds lodging with a widow, Lady Kathryn, mistress of Buckingham Manor. She has teenage twin sons; he has a teenage daughter. Of course, romance will blossom.

Passion is not exclusive to the young as Kathryn finds herself drawn to Finn. Their liaison is clouded by the murder of a priest on her property, and Finn's allegiance to Wycliffe.

Historical drama comes to life via the pen of Brenda Rickman Vantrease, and is given exciting voice by Simon Jones.

- Gail Cooke