Customer Reviews

The Mercy Seller: A Novel

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This follow-up to The Illuminator is that rarest of books: a compelling sequel that won't leave readers who missed the first novel behind. The story follows Anna, the grandchild of Finn (the Illuminator of Vantrease's wonderful debut novel), as she carries on his work, disseminating an English translation of the Bible - in circumstances as dangerous as those her grandfather faced. Set in Prague, and in France and England, with engaging characters (particularly Anna and Sir John!), a plot that rocks along, and historic detail that left me feeling I really knew what life was like back then, this one kept me reading late into the night!

After reading Vantrease's The Illuminator, I could not put my finger on what it was about the book that I found vaguely unsatisfying. After having read this one, I now know: I don't find her characters very believable. There aren't any characters in this book that I outright disliked--with the exception of Archbishop Arundel and I think one would be hard pressed to find anyone who thinks him a nice guy--but I felt like they were rather flat in general, more designed to play a certain role than people in their own right. Anna was sympathetic enough but at times she was downright shrill and I didn't find Gabriel as sympathetic as I think the author would expect the reader to find him.

As far as characters go, I was most disappointed in the way Little Bek's story was left off. The only real reason I can think of for his presence in the book has to do with a plot point that comes up at the end of the novel. Otherwise, he seemed like the stock pathetic character and Vantrease made him a bit too disposible for my liking.

Vantrease's great strength, though, is in the way she structures her history. It's almost as if she actually was a part of the past. She paints it so vividly that to read one of her novels is to feel as though you are entering another world. I could almost smell the odors she described and hear the sounds of which she wrote. The true strength of her writing is in these lush and sensuous passages and I found this aspect of her work so strong that I enjoyed the book even though I didn't care all that much for the characters--and usually characters are the most important element of a novel for me. Vantrease does an exemplary job of making the past come to life.

Ever since finishing "The Illuminator", I have been waiting for this second novel by Ms. Vantrease to be published. She didn't disappoint me. The writer carries the story of Kathryn and Finn forward in time to 15th Century Prague. This was a time when Reformation ideas were taking hold all across Europe. She touches on the story of Jan Hus who attempted to spread Protestantism and died for his efforts. The clear thinking of the Czechoslovakian people has been shown many times during the centuries but we seldom hear of it. When the forces of evil move to stamp out these liberal ideas, Anna, the granddaughter of Kathryn and Finn, moves back to England. On her trip, we meet Gabriel, a priest who must be one of the most confused and conflicted characters in literature. However, it is all good. Ms. Vantrease also brings in Sir John Oldcastle, who was the model for Shakespeare's Sir John Falstaff. We always think of Falstaff as a Tragicomic character and the life of Sir John Oldcastle will show that this was very true to life.

One of the reasons I picked up the first book was the mention of Julian of Norwich and John Wycliff. Before there was Henry the VIII changing the Church in England, early Reformers such as Julian and Wycliff were laying down the foundation and wrote the books which made the conversion from the Roman Church to the Church of England so simple once Henry was shown how he could use the new theology to get his way. This conversion, in spite of the stops and starts caused by the minirebellions and the reign of Mary Tudor, opened new doors and brought about changes which, in large part, made the world we live in now and certainly helped the United States to develop as it did. Those who built the foundations and the people who followed them are all here demonstrating an era which we don't hear much about.

One of the things I really like about Ms. Vantrease's books is her scholarship, and "The Mercy Seller" combines that scholarship and her ability to spin a fine story. Now I will be looking forward to her next book.

"The best historical fiction of 2007 and the most anticipated sequel of the year. Fans of The Illuminator will find The Mercy Seller enthralling and impossible to put down."

The Illuminator is a hard act to follow, but Brenda Rickman Vantrease does it admirably with The Mercy Seller. I can't wait to see more from this talented author.

I enjoy historical fiction of the medieval period so decided to try Mrs. Vantease's books. I read the Mercy Seller in follow up to The Illuminator.

The main problems for me were that Mrs. Vantrease comes across as having a religious ax to grind and continually has her characters argue (one-sided) theology. Granted, these are books about the Lollardy, but I kept thinking "isn't there even one decent Christian Catholic in all of English Christendom"? This was especially incongruous since Mrs. Vantrease is quite tolerant in her treatment of Jews, gypsies, and pagans (Tom's calendar, Magda's praying to the god of the tree).

When we first meet Father Francis, I thought, finally, this is the one! We fall in love with Gabriel as he cares for Little Bek. How did Gabriel get to be such a gentle, good man with such an evil father/Father and distant, unknown mother, growing up with monks who have no more character than they sound like pigs when they eat? Mrs. Vantrease cannot bring herself to create true goodness in any of the Catholic characters. Gabriel, therefore, is not faced with any real choices, everything is set up for him. The author could not let Gabriel find peace, let alone forgiveness, since Father Francis was such a depraved, evil, stereotypically Catholic lecher.

Through her characters, Mrs. Vantrease also preaches - i.e., there can be no Purgatory because the word isn't in the Bible! (the word Trinity isn't in the Bible either and most Christians believe in the Trinity). The characters argue triumphantly against the real presence of the body and blood of Christ. I'm not an apologist, but in John 6:66 (666?) many of Jesus' disciples left him because Jesus gave the hard teaching "For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink" (John 6:55). Why didn't Jesus just tell them, "hey, guys, relax, I was just speaking symbolically!" My point is just that there are arguments on both sides.

The next period in English history will see Catholic priests held in the Tower, tortured, drawn and quartered. See, for example, Alice Hogge's God's Secret Agents: Queen Elizabeth's Forbidden Priests. I wonder if Mrs. Vantrease will write about that period.

Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth or Connie Willis' Doomsday Book do a much better job of showing that people are people, some bad, some good, of whatever their religious persuasion.

THE MERCY SELLER is not a direct sequel to the 2005 bestseller THE ILLUMINATOR. Although characters reappear here, THE MERCY SELLER serves as a great stand-alone novel that can --- and should --- be picked up immediately.

Religious intolerance dominates 15th-century Europe in the opening of THE MERCY SELLER, where the story kicks off with the burning of religious texts. Finn, one of the main characters from THE ILLUMINATOR, is still doing his work with the help of his granddaughter, Anna. Finn is older and reveals his dying wish to Anna, who heads to England and seeks out Sir John Oldcastle. During a stop in France, Anna is met by a man named Van Cleve, a cloth merchant who buys the illegal texts from her. She falls in love with him, but soon the truth of his identity will come to the fore.

Van Cleve is in fact Gabriel, a young priest who sells pardons and has been pressed into service by the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is sent to France to begin the investigation of a heretical conspiracy against the Church. Gabriel, though, is beginning to find it difficult to uphold his vow to the Church as he and Anna grow closer and as the world becomes a firestorm around them. Love and treachery exist at every turn, but THE MERCY SELLER also holds a search for redemption, and these intertwined strands form the bones of a great body of work.

Vantrease has crafted an intelligent and beautiful book. The historical elements of the novel are rich, strong and instantly compelling. The use of true-life historical individuals only makes the story more intriguing and, in some instances, even more tragic. Anna and Gabriel are incredibly true characters --- imperfect people who possess tremendous flaws and must struggle both personally and professionally in order to just stay alive. This is an extremely brutal and conspiratorial time, where you have no choice but to trust people and yet know that anyone could be a spy.

Prague, France and England come alive on the page, and with Vantrease's writing you can almost feel the coolness of stone as you walk the castle corridors or make your way through the abbeys. Sir John Oldcastle is an incredible character, and as with all the other true-life representations, his actions within the story offer enough interest to perhaps make you want to do more research yourself and discover his effects on his time.

THE MERCY SELLER is a feast for the soul and for the heart. Vantrease opens up and displays a great passion for the time period she is writing about, and that passion is infectious. Once you crack open the cover and begin to settle in, you are transported to 1410 and become a witness to history in the most fascinating way.

--- Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard

The Mercy Seller is a powerful follow-up to Vantrease's The Illuminator. In 15th century Prague, Anna and her grandfather, Finn the Illuminator, make their living translating text for the common people who cannot read Latin. The doctrine of England's John Wycliff and the Lollards has spread across the continent, much to the detriment of the Church. Wycliff and his followers believe the word of God should be accessible to all people without the intercession of priests. Meanwhile, in London, Friar Gabriel, who is licensed to grant penances and indulgences for a fee, is charged by Thomas Arundel, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to travel to France in search of proof that the forbidden books, especially the Bible, are being smuggled into the country by Sir John Oldcastle. Although Sir John is a close friend of Harry, soon to be crowned Henry V, Arundel promises to deliver tangible, irrefutable evidence of Oldcastle's treachery.

Along with the fervor of the Lombard cause, the fanatic response of the Church encourages Christians to uncover and destroy heretics in their midst, gathering in the streets of Prague to deliver mob justice. When Anna's fiancé, Martin, is executed for heresy and her beloved grandfather dies soon after, the young woman has nowhere to go, sneaking from her home as the soldiers descend, searching for evidence of heresy. At first finding shelter with gypsies (Anna's red hair is considered a good omen), Anna later purchases passage to France, the first step of a long journey to sanctuary with Sir John Oldcastle. In France, she falls desperately in love with a merchant who shows inordinate interest in the fine translations of the Bible in her possession; unfortunately, the merchant is none other than Friar Gabriel, whose world is precipitously rocked by an unexpected passion for this beautiful, challenging woman who rigorously voices the opposite of everything he believes. It is Gabriel's journey that is the crux of the novel, his crisis of faith with a Church that allows the purchase of pardons and a personal history that haunts his every move until he reconciles past with present.

This chilling tale of heresy and retribution is filled with the ambiguity of religious controversy, an increasing fanaticism that demands death to purge the land of those who question Church dogma. Richly drawn characters illuminate the dark pre-Reformation days of England: the passionate Anna, who falls into a disastrous love affair and suffers the consequences of her religious conviction; the Abbess, who wears a veil over her scarred face, the nuns in her charge copying forbidden texts; Sir John Oldcastle, a pious man and true believer in the Lollard cause and Anna's benefactor; the sly Arundel, who threatens to withhold Henry's coronation if he refuses to indict Sir John; and the soulful, tormented Gabriel, whose spiritual crisis is triggered by the fiery woman who challenges his lifelong beliefs. In a masterful mix of heresy, love and redemption, the ominous years of the 15th century are revealed, the hot breath of God's inquisitors following their prey to the edge of reason. Luan Gaines/2007.

The 15th century was a time of religious conflict throughout Europe, with the Church holding out against, then persecuting, the followers of John Wycliffe. It's hard to imagine today the turmoil that surrounded the emerging belief that Christian scripture should be translated into the vernacular, but the Church feared that allowing the laity to read and interpret the Bible would free them from their devotion to the (increasingly corrupt) clergy. Within this maelstrom, author Vantrease continues the story she began with The Illuminator, now focusing upon the next generation.

Anna Bookman has been raised by her grandfather (the "Illuminator" from the first book)in Prague, where he provided her with loving care, an upbringing as a "heretic", and training in the profession of scribe and translator. When he dies, Anna's life is in danger from the Church, and she is forced to flee in the company of a band of Gypsies. While living with them, Anna grows fond of a crippled child named Bek, and when she parts from the band to travel to England, her grandfather's homeland, she takes him with her.

Brother Gabriel, the book's "mercy seller", fervently believes in the stance of the Church, and one of his jobs is to sell indulgences at pilgrimage sites. When assigned to spy for heretical evidence against Sir John Oldham, Gabriel is uncomfortable, but decides he must do his duty.

The relationship between Anna and Gabriel develops over the course of the narrative, and while she is grateful for the assistance he gives her, she is crushed when he fails to keep his promise to rejoin her and Bek. When they meet again in England, their initially loving bond is stressed beyond measure. Sir John, and old friend of her grandfather, has taken her in, while Gabriel is set to betray him.

The Mercy Seller is packed with historical detail, not all of which is accurate (women of that era did not wear garments called blouses, for instance), but for the most part, provides a vivid picture of the times and places. The best parts of the novel deal with the active pursuits of the various characters; when Vantrease writes of Gabriel and Anna's emotional alliance, her prose becomes histrionic. I also wondered why she seems to need to insert some sort of dependent, handicapped figure in her books. Bek was interesting, but added only minimally to the storyline. Characters from The Illuminator do figure in its sequel, but it is not necessary to have read the first before the second; any unanswered questions about what came before are clarified in the closing chapters. Recommended to readers with an interest in medieval life, religion, society, and customs.

Vantrease is an exceptional writer but I almost chucked this book when I read the first chapter. To connect it to her first book "The Illuminator", she has her main character, Anna, tell her would-be fiance Martin, all about her grandmother and grandfather's story, breaking a cardinal rule of writing which is "Show-Don't Tell." There was a lot of opportunity to do it throughout the book and she did so it was unnecessary. Besides, if Martin is about to ask for her hand, he should already know all about her. It was done for the benefit of the readers who haven't read "The Illuminator." "The Mercy Seller" can be a stand-alone book and doesn't need a bridge.

I love the way Vantrease brings to life the time period. Her attention to detail is fascinating although I did find some of the phrases that Anna said or thought to be ones that someone in the 1500s wouldn't use. It's almost like saying "Duh?!" in the 1900s. Instances like these kind of jolts one out of immersion.

And because I am Catholic, I would like to point out that some of the portrayal of Catholic beliefs are biased and made to sound ridiculous. These include the Eucharist, the Sacrament of Reconciliation (confession), celibacy, relics, and statuaries. I don't know if Vantrease actually did research on the meaning behind our beliefs, but her writing casts a very unfair light on Catholicism. The beliefs I mentioned are still honored today and based on sound doctrine, which I am not going to discuss since this is not a review on theology. I am concerned that readers would think that indulgences are still being sold, all priests are libidinous, and the pope is the anti-Christ. Even if the time period suggests that a lot of corruption was going on in the Catholic Church, to portray all Catholic characters as villains is prejudiced. To make Gabriel a "hero", he gives up the priesthood to marry Anna and work as a copier of text (which I think alluded to him converting) as if the only redemption is to turn away from the Catholic Church. A happy ending for sure, if you're a Protestant.

In a nutshell:
Setting - outstanding
Characters - a bit shallow
Plot - nothing special, some loose ends

The best thing - the weaving of historical characters and events into the story.

If you are a Catholic, you would have to have a strong constitution to read this book since it debases our most fundamental beliefs and casts the Catholic Church as the Great Evil. I do not recommend it on this basis. My 4-star rating is because I judged the book on the quality of the writing and not its writer's principles.

If anyone is interested in learning the truth behind Catholic practices read the "Catholic for a Reason" series by Scott Hahn (who used to be a Protestant) and a much lighter read,"Why do Catholics Do That?" by Kevin Johnson.