Customer Reviews

The Sheriff of Nottingham

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

 

 

Richly textured, deliciously word-profuse, this novel is the perfect antidote to the depressing suspicion that sometimes descends on readers of historical fiction: that not much good stuff is still being written. This is a fantastic, powerful and graceful book, with scenes and characters so stark and beautifully drawn that they'll stick with you long after you've forgotten the specifics of the plot. All of which sounds easy, I know, I know - but if you knew how much stuff I hate, you'd be reaching for your credit card even as we speak! I hugely recommend this book as an example of the very best that historical fiction can be.

As other readers have mentioned, Kluger has done a fine job revisiting a challenging historical era. He draws from all social levels to bring Nottingham and Thirteenth Century England to life. If you enjoy reading about this time period, you will appreciate this novel.

However, the plot itself never really finds its balance. The Sheriff himself is a fine role model, but lacks character growth and development; although the reader might cheer for him as a pillar of moral fortitude in a tumultuous time, there is no success or finale for him to achieve by the end. If anything, his success is that he kept himself alive and in office for so long against such odds. This is very rewarding in a real-life sense, but in the novel it gives a feel of aimlessness. Therefore the book takes on an episodic style. Various problems occur, the sheriff is offered the low road, chooses the high road, and moves to the next dilemma. It is hard to push through and see what happens next, and the reader will never be quite satisfied with how it turns out. Bottom line: Sherriff of Nottingham provides a sweeping picture of the England of Magna Carta, but fails to find a central character worth enjoying when placed on the scene.

the sheriff of nottingham by richard kluger
1208 England has sheriffs in the towns to keep peace. love era, the costumes, legends,
things people stood up for, castles, taming of the big birds

Never realized how much religion and how much politics played a huge part of all this.
I rate this a 4, because it was very long and took me forever to finish it. Really liked the era and all that entails, quite a tale.

I can't fault the author's research here. If you wanted to know about medieval tax collection, here's your chance. If you wanted to know about chivalric culture, troubadours, or some other aspects of the time, you won't be in as much luck. But overall the research is very strong. My one quibble was about the presentation of contemporary Welsh culture as more or less Stone-Age; a considerable overstatement.

And the book presents an interesting character study, a man of extreme uprightness and honesty, who never changes no matter what temptations or ill fortune come his way.

Now, the problems I found with the book. Heavy-duty expositon; almost no action (though when the author deigns to give us some, it's good); and most of all, no crisis. Although moments, such as the hanging of the Welsh hostages, are effective, the sheriff is never really put to the test. I kept waiting for everything to go smash and it never did; the book ends with a whimper. As a story, I'm not sure it entirely works.

This was a wonderful work, a blending of fiction and reality. Historical facts were like steps used to climb deeper into the storyline. It was nearly impossible to discern what was fact, as it was so interwoven with the fabrications. But there was more, the story was absolutely captivating. The characters were vibrant and alive. The Sheriff himself was remarkable in both his pride and devotion to his beliefs and to the crown. When the inevitable conclusion to the story came and the Sheriff dies, I was brought to tears, reminding me of my own mortality.

Kluger does an excellent job depicting the life of actual sheriff of Nottingham Philip Mark. The author took known incidents and worked them into the framework of his story expertly.

I was interested in the narrative for every page, a rare occurence in a nearly 500 page novel. I've been entertained and learned about early 13th century England. Keep a dictionary handy. Kluger uses obscure words.

This was a wonderful work, a blending of fiction and reality. Historical facts were like steps used to climb deeper into the storyline. It was nearly impossible to discern what was fact, as it was so interwoven with the fabrications. But there was more, the story was absolutely captivating. The characters were vibrant and alive. The Sheriff himself was remarkable in both his pride and devotion to his beliefs and to the crown. When the inevitable conclusion to the story came and the Sheriff dies, I was brought to tears, reminding me of my own mortality.