Customer Reviews

Pavane

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Keith Roberts' great late '60s Alternate History novel, Pavane, towers over the popular contemporary AH novels, with their tendency toward silly games such as "pick the branch point" or "identify the historical figure in a new role". Pavane is based on a history which branched when Queen Elizabeth died early, and the Spanish Armada succeeded in conquering England, paving the way for continued domination of Europe by the Catholic Church. This book is concerned with metaphysical and moral questions such as the nature of history and the value of technology.

It is composed of a brief prologue, indicating the "branch point", followed by six "measures", novelette- or novella- length sections, beginning in 1968 and carrying the story forward several decades. Each measure is a self-contained story, but there are also links between them, particularly three stories which follow three generations of the Strange family. Finally, a Coda serves to cast the entire story in a somewhat different light, for one thing technically removing it from the strict "Alternate History" subgenre, and also commenting on the central conflicts of the story. The mood overall is rather dark, though flashes of brightness and joy light the pages. Roberts' Catholic dominated England, or Angle Land, is rather backwards technologically, as the Church carefully vets all scientific and technological knowledge, rejecting some advances and delaying others. Thus we have steam-driven road-based "trains", and semaphores instead of telephones, in the late 20th Century. Roberts' detailed descriptions of both sorts of old-fashioned technology are intriguing and rather romantic. At the same time it is clear that people are poorer and hungrier and fewer because of this retarded development -- but there is throughout an ambiguity about the depiction of this alternate present which is only intensified by Roberts' coda.

The book is set in a time of subdued unrest -- the heavy hand of the Church on Angle Land is clearly resented, and this resentment is seen to spread throughout society as the book unfolds. The opening story deals with Jesse Strange, a prosperous and hardworking businessman, who must work with and around Churchly taxations and technological restrictions. That's a side issue to his personal story, though, as he takes his train on the last trip before winter closes the roads one year, worried about outlaws, and finds a reason to visit a barmaid he has long fancied, and also encounters an old school friend. Both meetings have momentous results, and change his life profoundly. "The Signaller" follows, a stark, sad, beautiful story of the title character's successful struggle to become a Signaller, and the violent fate that awaits him on his first solo assignment, as well as the mysterious person he encounters alone in the back woods. "Brother John" introduces us to a monk, an accomplished artist, who is radicalized when he is forced to record in his drawings the efforts of an "inquisitor" to torture the "truth" out of a crop of suspected sinners, and who almost by accident starts a grassroots rebellion. "Lords and Ladies" takes up with the Strange family again, as Jesse's niece, prosperous as a result of Jesse's hard work, meets a charismatic scion of the local noble family -- this story shows the class structure of this alternate England effectively, and sets the scene, as it were, for the conclusion. But next is the mystical "The White Boat", in which a simple fishergirl becomes obssessed with the title vessel on its repeated visits to her home cove. Finally, in "Corfe Gate", Jesse Strange's great-niece, ruler of a castle, finds herself pushed to open resistance to the harsh rule of Rome, and with the help of her mysterious seneschal, John Faulkner, starts a country-wide rebellion, with bitter if ambiguous results.

This remains a remarkable novel, beautifully written and unexpected in its working out. The characters come fully to life. The hints of mysterious elements working in the background add a special resonance to the book. The book asks interesting questions about the working out of history -- and if it suggests answers that a reader might not agree with, it does not compel agreement, but rather it compels thinking. It has been rightly regarded as a classic of SF from its first publication.

This is an excellent book, a largely unknown gem. I picked it up because the steampunk theme intrigued me. I didn't expect the quality of writing I found here.

Pavane is alternate history (also alternate-timeline, though that's subtle.). Queen Elizabeth was assassinated, and the Catholic Church has maintained tyrannical control of Britain and Europe. Only limited technology is allowed, and Roberts' descriptions of the steam trains and the semaphore signalling stations are beautiful.

This is not a book with a linear plot -- the title gives a clue to its structure. Its parts work together to form a gorgeous whole, but we don't follow one character throughout, which may throw some readers. In addition, elements of worldbuilding exist -- the long description of the semaphores, for example -- which don't directly support the plot. Some readers will be bothered by that, but I wasn't. I found the world, the Signallers' Guild and all the rest, fascinating; the sort of world in which multiple wonderful stories could be told.

Though we see each character for a limited period of time, Roberts keeps them sympathetic and interesting. The whole book has a mythic feel. Though written in '66, I found nothing dated about it. The only thing that might perhaps change from a modern standpoint is that I think Roberts intended the end to be entirely happy. From the perspective of 2002, it's bittersweet, with the beauty of what was lost shadowing the bright modernity with a dark counterpoint.

In case you were wondering, a "pavane" is a stately dance in elaborate clothing, and this book is contructed like such a dance: six measures and a coda, each one a separate, but tenuously connected, story. It's an alternate history of the world in which Queen Elizabeth I is assassinated in 1588, and the Spanish Armada conquers England. For hundreds of years after that date, the Roman Church rules most of the world with a somewhat iron hand, keeping to a minimum the progress of science and inventions. Throughout the book you wonder about the rationale of the Church leaders for this stance, until everything (sort of) is made clear in the Coda. The writing is quite lyrical at times, and even though a reader might wish for more information about the world the author created, enough is given to enable you to understand what is happening, even if you don't quite know what's going on (if that sounds like a contradiction, it certainly is, but you have to read the book to understand what I mean). If you enjoy "alternate history" works, I think you will like this book very much.

This is simply a beautiful work; another gem from Gollancz' Masterworks series, although one which reads more like fantasy or historical fiction than SF.

The novel is told through a series of six 'Measures', vignettes of story and mood focusing on a different character each time. While each works separately, taken together they form a tapestry linking thematic and narrative concerns - producing, ultimately, a beautifully-conceived and wonderfully effective tale of twentieth century England stifled by an all-powerful, anti-progress Catholic Church.

The alternate England is a triumph of understated, economical world-building (something that many of today's fantasy novels could learn from, perhaps). It is filled with enduring images - the Signallers' towers, the steam engines, the land held in winter's icy grasp - made all the more striking and memorable because we are shown them through the eyes of convincing and distinctive characters.

My only criticism would be of the 'Coda', which feels superfluous, and far too neat. Otherwise, this is a moving story of a transforming world, all the more effective for being incompletely explained.

Pavane is promoted as an alternate history book, but it is not really like most works of that genre, which seem to focus more on technique than anything else. It reminded me strongly of Walter Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz in more than a few ways, particularly tone, structure, and the Catholic atmosphere.

The book is not one single narrative, but six short stories plus a coda section, taking place over a period of several generations. While reading it, you may think that the stories are barely related, but as you read on, you discover more and more connections, like the pieces of a puzzle falling into place. (For this reason, don't take the advice of the earlier reviewer who suggested only reading the first two stories.) Then the coda comes along with a revelation that causes you to rethink everything that came before -- and perhaps read the book over again to see what you missed.

The images of the England in Pavane will stay with you a long time. This book is a treasure; it deserves its reputation.

This novel begins with the premises that Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated in 1588, and that the Spanish succeeded in conquring England. The author's proposed result is a Europe dominated by the Pope and his supporters, who suppress advances in science and technology. By the twentieth century, England still is in a quasi-medieval state, its cities linked by steam-powered road trains, its messages communicated by semaphores. Supernaturalism still influences perceptions and behavior. The bulk of the book consists of the separate stories of six major characters, each illuminating different facets of this alternate world. Some of these tales are beautifully and poignantly written. Unfortunately, the book's first story is its least interesting, possibly discouraging readers from continuing on to later and better ones.

Of all the alternative histories I have ever read, 'Pavane' proves for me the ultimate best, a glorious work of art. In fact, it was one of the first novels I'd read that got me hooked on to the subject of AH! A powerful drama enshrouding the reader like an inquisitor's cloak, it draws them into a dark, curious world of steam engines, medieval castles, and semaphore towers. All this, because Queen Elizabeth I was assassinated in 1588. The Spanish Armada then invaded, aiding the Catholics in an inevitable civil war, and subdued the warlike nation, restoring it to Papist rule. A superb 'what if' premise that re-creates England - a country rebelling and yearning for freedom, science and scholarship. His three stories wonderfully describe life within England's society, the various characters, their differing backgrounds, dreams and failings, their skills tested to the limit as they defy the mighty Roman Church, where others endeavour to uphold it. In particular, I enjoyed 'The Signaller' story, and imagined life within the strict Guild. Roberts is a master storyteller and inventor of great literature. I daresay he ranks amongst those such as Dickens and Shakespeare. My other favourites included the slowly changing 'Brother John', and the open hostility displayed by the aristocracy at 'Corfe Gate'. 'Coda' is a great conclusion fully realized, and provokes the thought that times change for the better. However, as other readers have commented, I almost desire in visiting this world, wanting to see it for myself - although for what reason I cannot guess. The other thing about alternative history is that it inspires you about your own world's past, and how lucky we are not to be living under an unforgiving regime. Indeed, had it not been for Henry VIII's marital problems in the first place...But Roberts dark age, pre-industrial scenario provides an excellent thesis on 'what if' England had been subjugated to Spanish Conquest. However, I only hope that somebody, someday, produces a film of this brilliant book! If not, then Radio is surely a bountiful consolation...'radio'? Oh, sorry, I meant 'semaphore'.

Pavane's premise is fantastic (the non-occurrence of the Reformation) but the book transcends science fiction or fantasy. The novel traces the interweaving lives of several late 20th century Englishmen, in an England where steam engines are newly invented and the telegraph unheard of. Its true strengths are the undeniable skill of its prose and the ability of the writer to make you feel the cold of the winter before central heating, or the emptiness of the moors before highways and telephone lines. The characters are well-drawn and empathetic, and around the margins of the story is a delicate tracery of magic and faery, just enough to make you want to say,"Wait, what was that again?" Roberts keeps his major thesis a mystery until the very end of the book, revealing an abrupt reinterpretation of everything that has come before, which is nevertheless plausible and even attractive (I wish I could say more, but it would spoil everything). Very highly recommended.

That is the question alternate history novels ask, when a single event can make all the difference. "Pavane" is the sort of book I imagine John Christopher would like. He once said he preferred the past to the future, which is why a couple of his juvenile-oriented stories have been set in post-technological futures; societies that are oppressed and primitive, as seen in the medieval "Prince in Waiting"(1970), where knowledge of science and machinery is punishable by death. However, where "The Prince in Waiting" is post-apocalyptic in its setting, "Pavane" describes a world shaped by a crucial incident that alters the course of history - namely, the assassination of Elizabeth I in 1588.

In "Pavane" we see a 20th century England ruled by the Catholic Church. Heresy is punished by draconian methods. While technological progress is largely held in check, minor innovations are grudgingly accepted. Electricity, television and computers are unheard of. One compensation (perhaps the only compensation) of this alternate world is that there is no industrial pollution.

"Pavane" reminds us of how much we take for granted. In the Western world that we know, people live in relative comfort, thanks to the benefits of modern medicine, education, mass production and democracy. Many people benefit from science. It improves our standard of living, allowing people to live lives of leisure, dignity and intellectual stimulation. The Church in "Pavane" is determined to avert this, for reasons that don't become clear until the very end of the novel.

The part of the book I enjoyed most was "Brother John". I think this might be because I'm studying art myself. I've seen how tiring it is when lithography students grind away at a slab of stone. Because Keith Roberts is also an illustrator, the writing style is highly visual. Roberts has created a very convincing scenario in "Pavane". This is the first alternate history novel I have read. I also plan to read Ward Moore's "Bring the Jubilee", which is supposed to be in the same class as "Pavane". Both these books are in the SF Masterworks series, which I'm currently collecting.

Pavane is one of the novels I recommend to non-SF readers who believe SF lacks characterisation, atmosphere or literary merit. The flavour of this cycle of linked stories isn't particularly SF at all, but reminds me most of the Wessex novels of Thomas Hardy, whose settings it loosely shares. Like Hardy, Roberts taps into a very English rural nostalgia - timeless Dorset landscapes, steam traction engines, and real ale - whose cosiness counterpoints the storylines: poignant human dramas of ordinary people struggling against larger forces.