Customer Reviews

The King's General

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Reading Daphne du Maurier's The King's General makes me realize that they just don't have a lot of authors like her anymore. Meticulously researched, this saga of the English Civil War is free from the anachronisms one so often finds in modern historical novels, conveying the reader back in time. Without being explicit, the author weaves one of the most passionate and sensual love stories ever, even though the heroine is a disabled and thought that love would never find her again. The family divisions and painful separations which so characterized the era are captured with heartbreaking intensity, as well as the indestructible love between Honor and her general. Beautiful descriptions and flowing narrative, this is a historical fiction as it should be.

My friend said she read this book and hated it. I didn't pay much attention, and probably would never have checked it out. I'm not much a fan of historical dramas. But when another friend said she read it and hated it I became very interested of a sudden. I had to know what was so horrible and depressing about this story.

And I have never regretted reading it.

I will confess. The characters are less than ideal. Sir Richard Grenvile is a self-centred cad; Honour Harris is a vain, spoiled maiden. Gartred is evil to the core, but every story has to have a villain, so that's all right.

But for some reason these characters are real. I've known self-centred cads before and I can easily understand Honour's tireless, devoted devotion to Richard, regardless of what he does or says.

Honour is crippled early in the book and spends the rest in a wheelchair. From this confining angle of vision comes a story of epic proportions, a sort of Cornwallian Gone With the Wind. Set in the 1600's during some civil war (I cannot tell which one, or if it was the only one), it tells the story of surviving invading soldiers and the desolation of the aftermath of war.

This story has it all. Romance, intrigue, births, deaths, tragedies, and the gothic setting of Menabilly. I cannot understand why my two friends hate it so. It was the best, most realistic, most fascinating story that I had read in a long time, and I felt peculiarly alive and inspired when I had finished it.

I told this to my first friend and she backed away from me. She referred to this motion as (I paraphrase) her retreat from a black widow spider. "How can you like that horrible book?" she asked. She and my other friend and I have had many, many debates - I in defense and they against me.

But I am happy to be a black widow spider as long as my web... web of intrigue... can be this book.

Set during the English Civil War of the 1640's, du Maurier retells a lesser known bit of Cornish history as an elderly Honor Harris reflects back on her life and love. Wooed by the charming, irascible but extremely flawed Richard Grenvile, eighteen year old Honor loses her heart and prepares to marry Richard until a tragic accident changes their plans. Richard and Honor separate, but meet years later during the Civil War as he is now the King's General in the West as they fight the Parliamentarian rebels - although not all the Royalists think too highly of Richard's high-handed approach to prisoners and discipline. While Honor refuses to marry Richard, her feelings for him are as strong as before and they begin a most unusual relationship as the tides of war ebb and flow around them.

Honor takes up residence at Menabilly, the family home of Honor's brother-in-law Jonathan Rashleigh and things soon begin to go bump in the night in typical du Maurier fashion - mysterious comings and goings, a secret door, a mystery floorboard in the summerhouse and..... well more than that, I'm not telling - read it for yourself. du Maurier once again weaves a magical tale, albeit this time with real-life characters. The dialogue between Richard and Honor sizzles off the pages, as does the enmity between Honor and Richard's sister - and boy can those two swap some memorable barbs. The scene where those two sat and played at cards and witty repartee as the rebels sacked Menabilly to its bare walls was just brilliant, as was the bit when Richard over indulged in dinner and wine and called the troops back after retiring - simply priceless.

All in all a very unusual love story and an interesting glimpse at a footnote in Cornish history. I'd love to see this one on film - the actors would have a field day. As for Menabilly, du Maurier rented the home from the Rashleigh family and lived in it for some time and was the inspiration for her most famous novel, Rebecca. Five stars and now I'm off to find more of these almost long lost gems to put on the reading pile.

Daphne de Maurier is an excellent and elegant writer. Her writing is the kind that you will stick forever in your memory. The book was not your everyday love story; the book encompasses the Era of the English Civil War. With an American background the story is still quite easy to relate to. The story is told in first person through the eyes of Honor Harris. She portrays Honor as an amazingly insightful person, who is mentally strong and self-reliant. Her beauty lay on the inside, very much unlike another character, Gartred who could be described as being blunt and beautiful. The crippled Honor who refuses her lover frustrates the reader and brings longing to the novel. The lack of detail, particularly in the beginning keeps the reader turning pages. The story unfolds through concealed dialect between the characters. You will find mystery, romance, adventure, and comedy all tied in together. The relationship between Honor and her love Sir Richard Grenville, who depends on her to be there for him during the trying times of the war, is strong and steady. Sir Richard Grenville is reckless and wild while trying to manage his troops and long for his lover. All the twists tie in so perfectly together and make for an unforgettable read.

I read this book over 30 years ago and it's effect has never left my memory. It is a treasure that refuses to be forgotten and will stay with you forever. I am an avid reader and there are few books that take the lead like this one did.

Whenever I read a book by Daphne Du Maurier, I always want to go out and buy all of her books currently in print. Her books generally fall into two categories: suspense (like Rebecca or The Scapegoat); or historical fiction, like (Frenchman's Creek or The King's General); or something in between, like The House on the Strand.

The King's General is set during the English Civil War. Honor Harris falls in love with Richard Grenvile, but her planned marriage to him falls short when she has a rising accident. Many years later, Richard is the King's General in the West, and Honor is making shift at Menabilly, a house built and owned by the Rashleigh family. Daphne Du Maurier brings a piece of Cornish history to life as Richard and Honor's stormy and often complicated relationship plays out.

Honor and Richard's relationship isn't what you might expect. It's passionate, but at no time in the novel do they ever consummate it. Instead, everything is pretty much hidden under the surface, and there's a lot that they don't say about the past and what happened between them. I'm not sure why Honor cut him off completely after her accident, but it adds a lot of suspense to their relationship.

The historical parts of the novel are well researched, though there was a point in the middle where the plot suffered in favor of the Cornish rebellions. The novel is told from the Royalist point of view, but the author isn't terribly partial to one side or another. There's also a kind of mystery here, too, involving the house and mysterious visitors in the night and secret hiding spaces. It's vintage Du Maurier, and she does this type of suspense very well in all of her novels.

Some really wonderful characters enhance the novel's plot. Honor may be a cripple, but she's not bitter about it, nor is she nostalgic for times gone by. She's straightforward and honest, and she has a habit of listening in on conversations. Her crippled state makes people notice her less, and that's why she's the perfect character to narrate this story. I loved the tension between Honor and her sister-in-law, the grasping and selfish Gartred Grenvile, with whom she's always playing literal and figurative games of Patience. Really, this is a well-written novel, and it's now one of my favorite of Du Maurier's novels. I wish Sourcebooks would reprint her books at a faster rate! Maybe they'll reprint The Glass Blowers soon?

My favorite book for 15 years and I'm hard to please. This book grabbed me as a flighty teen and has kept me ever since. I have about 6 copies including an original but I read it a couple times a year and I've loaned it out so I've been fanatical about keeping a spare copy. I treated myself to a new release on my b-day.

This is a story filled with drama, romance, comedy, history and fun all the way through. So descriptive you're there, a slightly dry first chapter only prepares the way for a great read. The language of the book bridges the generation gap seamlessly (published 1946) Most scenes could be modern day. No spoilers here but you can smile, frown, laugh and cry on this one.You may have mixed feelings about some of the characters but you will love Honor and Richard, hate Gartred, and pity Dick. Don't skip this book.

I have beeb on a website where history affecionados suggest their favorite historical books both fiction and non-fiction. I don't know how I became reminded of "The King's General" but I recalled how intrigued I had been by it 30 or so years ago. I hastened to buy it again and it did not disappoint. I enjoyed it as much now.
I remember that it had given me my first inkling of Cornish history and of the civil war outside London.
So much more.
Do a favor for a history loving friend and recommend it.
It gives a magnificent perspective on those times.

Cornwall, England, 1600s. Honor Harris is a child when she first meets Gartred Grenvile, the woman who becomes her sister-in-law. Curious by nature, she eavesdrops and witnesses the marital difficulties between her brother and Gartred after she flirts with one of her brothers-in-law and with other men. After Kit (brother) dies, Honor hopes to never see Gartred again. Fate, however, has other plans. Honor meets Richard Grenvile on her eighteenth birthday. He is an army officer, handsome and something of a rascal, whose unconventional ways get Honor into trouble. He is also Gartred's brother, which doesn't sit well with Honor. But feelings for him develop anyway. After a brief secret love affair, they decide to marry, but then a horrible tragedy tears them apart. Years later, England is in an uproar, war between the rebels and the royalists has been declared, and Honor flees to Menabilly, her brother-in-law's Cornish estate. During the war, she is a prisoner at Menabilly, where she discovers secret passages, hidden treasure, and other things as soldiers take over the estate and cause mayhem. She also reunites with Richard, who has become cynical and cruel and whose dealings with the army have made him unpopular. But his feelings for Honor have remained intact, but will it survive the war and Gartred's sudden return into their lives?

"The play goes on then -- what you have just read is but the prologue."

Those are Honor's words. It fits the novel, but it also fits the above summary. The King's General is such a fascinating historical tale of a woman's love and strength during times of tragedy and chaos. She does more than it could be expected under her sad circumstances. Believe me, if there is a perfect model for a strong female character, it is Honor Harris. The story is well developed and woven. The characters are complex -- no black and white ones found here. This is especially true with Richard. You hate the way he sees the world and his ill treatment of his son, who he sees as a weakling, but his love for Honor when he sees her again is quite beautiful. The scene where they reunite is wonderful, and I admit that I got goose pumps when I read it. The descriptions of the British Civil War are so well written that I couldn't wait to see what happened next. The most fascinating factor in The King's General is that the story is based on a real English estate. Menabilly had been Daphne du Maurier's home since the moment she married Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Browning. (It is rumored that Richard is a fictional version of her husband.) Menabilly is also Manderley in Rebecca. Daphne du Maurier was a versatile author. Although she was known for her romantic suspense novels, she also wrote historical fiction, romantic adventures, horror and dark stories -- none of which lacked substance. She is definitely one of the most underrated authors of all time. I so look forward to reading Daphne by Justine Picardie (who wrote an introduction in the Virago Modern Classics edition), a fictional account of du Maurier's life.

this book to me was too dry
some parts were good but not great and it just seemed to drag for me
to me there was no atmosphere as there is in her other books