In the 14th century, the Black Plague threatened to destroy Western civilization. This is the backdrop for the two interlocking stories of Pestilence: the saga of a young Arab out to avenge his family by assassinating the king of France, and a small town in rural Wales — a fulcrum of poverty and ignorance. In a bizarre journey deep into the Boschian landscape of medieval Europe, Salah Ibn al Khatib encounters whores, rogues, clergymen, and kings; however, something ominous dogs his every footstep — the plague. Lust, violence, disease, and despair are the elements of this historical fantasy written with the flair of Salman Rushdie. Pestilence, originally written in Welsh, reverberates with the deeper conflict between the West and Islam, turning on its head the notion that Europe once stood as the world’s bastion of civilization.
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Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
This Welsh novel, which won the Welsh Arts Council Prize in 1988, may well have lost some of its luster in its transfer from one side of the Atlantic to the other, and many American readers may fail to see its prizewinning merits. In 1347, Salah Ibn al Khatib, a wealthy young man, sets out from his native Egypt on a mission of vengeance--to kill the king of France. Meanwhile, a poverty-stricken Welsh village is simply trying to survive as serfs, free men, and the nobility cope with a variety of disasters. And both Salah and the Welsh villagers face a plague that knows no barriers. The problem for American readers will be that it is difficult to tell the Welsh characters apart; moreover, Salah seems like a simpleton. But with some diligence on the reader's part, small moments of pleasure will emerge from this exotic narrative, and the whole will add up to a compelling tapestry of long ago and far away. Brad Hooper
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
"Such sharpness in so young a writer ... should keep Umberto Eco watching his back and his semiology."
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Far away, the sun shone steadily on the delicate arcades, the marble courts, the musical fountains of the Madrasa, Sultan Hasan's renowned academy in Cairo. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white friar, black bruises Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Brother Dafydd, Ieuan Ddu, Chwilen Bwm, Iorwerth Gam, Deputy Sheriff, Iolyn the Priest, Iocyn Fach, Dark One, Einion Fychan, Salah Ibn al Khatib, Hywel Lipa, Francesco Datini, Blessed Virgin, Mochyn Coed, Jean de Venette, King of France, Nicholas of Ferrara, Tudur Hen, Iorwerth Foel, Ash Wednesday, Black Prince, Easter Circuit, Holy Book, Pope Clement, Sister Clara Sanuto New!
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Far away, the sun shone steadily on the delicate arcades, the marble courts, the musical fountains of the Madrasa, Sultan Hasan's renowned academy in Cairo. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white friar, black bruises Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Brother Dafydd, Ieuan Ddu, Chwilen Bwm, Iorwerth Gam, Deputy Sheriff, Iolyn the Priest, Iocyn Fach, Dark One, Einion Fychan, Salah Ibn al Khatib, Hywel Lipa, Francesco Datini, Blessed Virgin, Mochyn Coed, Jean de Venette, King of France, Nicholas of Ferrara, Tudur Hen, Iorwerth Foel, Ash Wednesday, Black Prince, Easter Circuit, Holy Book, Pope Clement, Sister Clara Sanuto New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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