Customer Reviews

When Christ and His Saints Slept

5 star:		(68)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Penman emerged long ago as one of the best historical novelists and continues to solidify her reputation with each new release. Her special genius lies in the bright and shining historical detail that she can weave into both plot and dialog (she's a very good student of history and at times is absolutely brilliant in conveying to us the workings of medieval minds).

Chronologically, this is the first book. It's also the first in the Henry & Eleanor trilogy (the others are Space & Time and Devil's Brood).

There is no doubt When Christ And His Saints Slept will stand as a superior work for ages to come. There is certainly a very complex plot (because this era of English history was quite convoluted). Penman does an excellent job of keeping it all straight for us as she leads us through the maze of characters. Yes, it's complicated but if you read the history of these times you quickly come to see what a great job she did in her design of the story.

There are touching moments (everybody seems to remember her scene of Henry meeting Eleanor in the garden of the Cite Palace) and Penman is great at establishing dynamic moments for a wide range of events (the deaths of Kings, Maude & Eleanor's machinations, etc.). But the true genius is the broad historical scope that is painted on top of the shimmering details of brief moments. It truely does feel as if you are living the story yourself, and it is this bringing us readers in as witnesses that stands as Penman's contribution to the art of the historical novel.

If you prefer to read in chronological order:
1101-1154 When Christ And His Saints Slept (Vol 1 of Trilogy)
1156-1171 Time And Space (Vol 2 of Trilogy)
12th Cent Devil's Brood (Vol 3 of Trilogy)- not yet released
1192-1193 The Queen's Man
1193 Cruel As The Grave
1183-1232 Here Be Dragons (Vol 1 of Welsh Trilogy)
1231-1267 Falls The Shadow (Vol 2 of Welsh Trilogy)
1271-1283 The Reckoning (Vol 3 of Welsh Trilogy)
1459-1492 The Sunne In Splendour

I've long been interested in the period of history from the fall of the Roman Empire to Elizabeth I of England. Most of my reading about this period has been non-fiction until now. I usually find most historical fiction takes too many liberties with the facts and/or deteriorates into the "bodice-ripper" genre all too common when historical fact is scarce.

Ms. Penman's work is, therefore, a pleasant surprise. She sticks to the facts where it matters. She introduces fictional characters as *observers* to the action (as in the character of Ranulf, purported to be one of Henry I's many illegitmate children), rather than active participants who could change the course of history. Where these fictionalized characters were involved in action, it was always along side one of the non-fictional participants, as a "witness." Penman is very careful not to let her fictional characters do too much. Seeing the long civil war through Ranulf's eyes made it seem very personal, and revealed what was probably the real human cost of the bloody and largely unnecessary conflict. It is a device used also by Edward Rutherfurd in _Sarum_ (his description of the of the plague and its contagious consequences from the perspective of the rat is brilliant).

I felt that I was looking at a sort of historical "connect the dots" -- there exists some documentation about this period, but there are gaps. Penman has adeptly connected the the known factual battles, seiges, etc. with fictionalized-but-plausible minor events dealing with day-to-day life. I particularly liked her inclusion of concluding notes, in which she explains which characters are fictional, which are "real," and some of the background including different (sometimes conflicting) theories on how/why certain characters acted and reacted.

All in all, an excellent effort in shining light on the darkness that fell on England in the twelfth century, a period of chaos followed the Plantagenets, starting with Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. I'll be looking forward to Penman's next book in this series.

Anyone who loves historical fiction knows how difficult it can be to find a writer who remains historically accurate while at the same time using creative license to flesh out the characters. Sharon Kay Penman does this wonderfully. At the end of the story, she goes into detail and explains exactly where she's taken that creative license, so the reader can separate fact from fiction. I've enjoyed every page of this lengthy saga about the battle between Stephen and Maude for the throne. I read somewhere that this book was the first in a trilogy to be written about the Plantaganet dynasty, and I'm eagerly looking forward to reading more. I'll read anything this woman writes!

Because "When Christ and His Saints Slept" is a work of fiction, some history lovers interested in Henry II might find it unacceptable. I like historical fiction as well as the "real" stuff, and I wanted to know more about Queen Maude--Henry II's mother so I read this book. Penman is a good historian, and what makes her book fiction is not that she alters fact, but that she literally puts words in people's mouths that they may or may not have said.

If you like historical fiction because of a love story angle, this book may prove a bit disappointing. On the other hand, the verismilitude of the life of the times (cold castles, dirt, poor food) is more real than any history could make it. One can say, "they ate poorly" or one can describe in detail the quality and kind of the food eaten as well as the dining actors. Also, we really don't know what peole said in private moments and thought when riding on horseback alone. Penman speculates and builds her speculation on the information at hand.

This book provides excellent background for Ellis Peters' fans. Here, you can actually obtain an idea of what's going on between Maude and Stephen through the course of Peters' 20 Brother Cadfael mysteries, as first one then another of the royal sides sweeps through Shrewsbury. You can also understand why Cadfael (Peters aka Pargeter-her real name) remains neutral. I found it rather amusing that at one point in Penman's book a character traveling in the vicinity and seeking medical aid for a wounded comrade mentions a certain 'brother' in the Shrewsbury abby of Saints Peter and Paul who is known for his healing skills.

The book switches back and forth between Maude and Stephen, and one can develop sympathies for both but I have and continue to side with Maude. Maude was rightfully the heir to the throne, and it was taken from her by men who did not want to be ruled by a woman. Fortunately, by the time of Queen Elizabeth I this attitude had ameliorated somewhat. Apparently Stephen did not really want to be king, but he let himself be goaded into it which says much about his dissimulation or his weak nature or both. One can sympathize with Stephen not because he is in the right, but because he is portrayed as one who step by step slides down a slippery slope and becomes something alien to himself. If he had understood where he would end up, perhaps he would not have taken the first step.

Maude never regains her throne, but in the end the throne of England is won by her son, Henry II who apparently became a first-class ruler. The book ends as Henry II triumps over Stephen's forces.

I'm an Anglophile. I have a passion for British History. I picked this book up 6 months ago because it looked interesting and it is about a period of history that I am fascinated with. However, it sat on my shelf until last week, when I finally read it. I was immediately intrigued. The characters were well fleshed out and even the observers became important to me (at times I cared a little bit more about what happened to Ranulf than I did about what happened to Henry). There are attitudes and beliefs that are integral to the time period that she brings out in the story to make it even more realistic. I do agree with another reviewer though...it is hard to keep track of who is earl of what and whose side he is on. But overall, she makes the main characters so real that you are affected by what happens to them. Her writing also makes me actually able to visualize the setting. I think the book is extremely well written, and I can't wait until the next one in the series comes out.

There are times when you wonder why people have to make up stories when history provides such wonderful tales. The events in English history portrayed here are an excellent example of this, and Ms Penman does a wonderful job narrating them.

We have the fabulous characters of Steven and Maude, and their seemingly endless conflict, and we meet her son Henry and the wonderful Eleanor of Aquitaine, some of the most remarkable people in history. Ms Penman does a wonderful job in animating them for the modern reader.

There are adventures aplenty, like Maud escaping from a castle in a snow storm wrapped in a white cloak, as well as all the richly embroidered details of every day life you expect from a great historical novel.

Ms Penman is a great writer, as she showed so well with "The Sunne in Splendour", and this is a great book.

I love Sharon Kay Penman's books. I bought "When Christ and His Saints Slept" because I'd finished her Welsh Trilogy (that should be, Welsh Tragedy) and thought, "Oh, joy! Another big, thick Penman novel!"

Sometimes I shouldn't think. If I had, I wouldn't have paid [money] for this book; I'd have borrowed it from the library.

I don't regret buying it. On the contrary--Penman's worst is many other authors' best; why should I be upset? "Slept" is still a fine novel. But it's Penman's weakest effort; the conflict she chose to recreate is tepid compared to her earlier subjects. The war between Stephen, Count of Blois, and Maude, daughter of the Plantagenet King, for the throne of England is a stirring story. But Maude and Stephen rarely meet each other. The story tells of the intrigues and escapes of Stephen, Maude and their supporters; it also gives a glimpse into what a hell a marriage could be in medieval times, in the form of Maude's hateful union with Geoffrey of Anjou. Every time Geoffrey and Maude appeared in the same scene, I kept wishing Maude would shove a poker through Geoffrey's eye. But . . .

Aside from a subplot involving Ranulf, Maude's younger brother, and his romances with a young noblewoman and his Welsh cousin (the flattest character Penman has ever created), nothing really happens. Maude's son Henry is somewhat interesting, but not enough to make one believe that this is Henry II, the husband of the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine. And after meeting Eleanor in "Here Be Dragons", Penman's far-superior romance, coming across her younger self in "Slept" is a keen disappointment. In her earlier works, Penman created wonderful pairs: Llewellyn and Joanna, Simon and Nell, Richard and Anne. Henry and Eleanor, perhaps the most infamous lovers/marrieds of the Middle Ages, are as bland as a Plaidy couple.

Still, Penman gets you lost in her recreated world, and if you enjoyed her earlier work, you'll like this as well. But take my word on it: it's not up to her usual standard.

"When Christ and His Saints Slept" kicks off Sharon Kay Penman's treatment of the timeless tale of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane, and does so in grand style. But this evocative title refers to the bloody civil war between King Stephen and his cousin Maude -- the vicious cauldron of strife from which Henry's reign emerged.

One of England's most dynamic kings had the wheels of his monarchy set in motion through the deadly sinking of the White Ship, which claimed the only legitimate son of King Henry I, along with dozens of other nobles. And even though Henry I had sired dozens of bastards, he insisted that the crown go to a member of his legitimate bloodline, and so he demanded that fealty be sworn to his daughter, Maude. As one can imagine, naming a queen in the twelfth century shocked more than a few sexist sensibilities, and haughty, tempermental Maude was not the kind of woman to naturally command the love of her subjects.

Her cousin Stephen, a charismatic, thoughtful, romantic figure, decided to seize the throne and was actually crowned King with the sanction of the church. Maude and her supporters could not accept this usurpation, and soon England was wracked with a civil war, all Britain was convinced that Christ and his saints must be sleeping.

Penman brings this complex tale of courtroom intrigue and battlefield exploits to life in a highly detailed book that brings the reader into the harsh daily life of twelfth century Britain. This is a world where more women die in childbirth than men die on the battlefield, where it was common for children to die before age 3, and where meals of stewed lampreys could bring down the royal succession. But this harsh world is populated by rich characters, filled with passion, humor, and ambition.

Be advised that Penman's novels are more focused on relationships and dialogue than riveting battle scenes -- although she proves on more than one occasion that she is able to write battle scenes very well, her focus is elsewhere (in contrast to, say, Bernard Cornwell, whose "Grail Quest" trilogy may set the standard for medeival action pieces). But this focus does not diminish the thrills of Penman's scenes . . . a testament to Penman's gift of giving her characters different-yet-intriguing voices.

Penman also tells several love stories, the most enjoyable of which is between the fictional Ranulf (Henry I's half-Welsh illegitimate son) and the blind Welsh beauty Rhiannon. Ranulf's exploration and re-introduction to his Welsh homeland provides some of the most moving passages in this excellent book.

A close second is the torrid romance between Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitane. Henry II, Maude's eldest son, grows from precocious child to threat to Stephens' reign, and the mutual seduction between Eleanor and Henry is both charming and highly erotic.

But while Henry and Eleanor command the last third of the book, the figures who influence its entire, vast scope are Stephen and Maude. Both tragic figures in their own way -- Maude is the rightful queen, unforgiveably wronged by her cousin Stephen, but too proud and too impulsive to be a queen, while Stephen is the admirable man who has too many virtues to be an effective king -- their feud is truly one for the ages.

This is the first novel in a series -- "Time and Chance" is its sequel (definitely read these in order!), and it appears that Penman is considering a third work to complete the saga of Henry and Eleanor. When finished, this trilogy would stand shoulder-to-shoulder with any historical fiction series you could name. A must read!

As usual, Sharon Penman does it again. She is a splendid writer, bringing all of her characters to life. It is almost as it you were living during the period yourself. I would recommend this book be read before reading the trilogy, "Here Be Dragons", "Falls the Shadow" and "The Reckoning" because "When Christ and His Saints Slept" preceeds these three novels and makes the trilogy even more enjoyable. Sharon Penman is my favorite author. I wish she could write one book every 6 months - I'd buy them all! Once you read her works, you'll understand. She brings history to life and makes you want to read and know more!

The reign of England's King Henry II, and his stormy marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine, is, for me, history's most fascinating story. I was afraid that Sharon Kay Penman's treatment of the beginning of that tale in her historical novel WHEN CHRIST AND HIS SAINTS SLEPT would be a frivolous chick-book. Not so.

It's 1135, and England's monarch, Henry I, dies. His designated heir is his daughter Matilda, the widow of the German Emperor, who's now married to Count Geoffrey of Anjou. However, many of England's nobles are unwilling to kneel to a woman, and so they persuade Matilda's cousin Stephen, the son of Henry I's sister Adela, to claim the throne. Thus follows a nineteen-year civil war as Matilda contests for the crown, first for herself and then for her first-born son by Geoffrey, Henry. King Stephen fights for himself, and for the right of his son, Eustace, to inherit.

If this book had been pure fiction, the author could have been faulted for dragging it out over 738 paper-backed pages as the fortunes of war see-saw back and forth, and England's powerful land barons change from one side to the other, and back again. But the major events of the conflict are all based on historical fact, and one wonders why JC and his saints would sleep so long while the countryside and its inhabitants were caught between opposing sides and brutalized. Were they on illegal substances, you think?

During the first five-hundred or so pages, before young Henry is of sufficient age to take serious part in the bloodletting , the author displays fancy footwork in providing a protagonist for the reader to like. After all, Stephen makes an odd villain. He's an honorable man, loving father and husband, and a courageous soldier - but a poor king. Matilda, on the other hand, is brave, steadfast, and a loving mother, but infuriatingly tactless and totally inept at winning and keeping the loyalty of her potential English subjects. So, Penman creates the easy-going character of Ranulf, a fictional illegitimate son of Henry I and a loyal supporter of his half-sister in the wearisome struggle. As Ranulf follows Matilda from slaughter to slaughter and crisis to crisis, he has the time to carry on an adulterous affair with an old flame, and then find his own true love in the mountain fastness of Wales. (Come to think of it, maybe this is too much a chick-book!) In any case, at the risk of unnecessarily extending the storyline, he makes for an engaging character.

The last two-hundred pages pick up as the young Henry meets Eleanor of Aquitaine, who's then married to King Louis of France. It's during this last part of an excellent book that we see the man and monarch that Henry is to become, and which makes me look forward to the next volume in the trilogy, TIME AND CHANCE, especially since, through my knowledge of English history, I know what's going to happen. Count Geoffrey otherwise gives us a clue when he advises his eldest son:

"The best marriages are those based upon detached goodwill or benign indifference. But unfortunately for you, the one emotion you will never feel for Eleanor of Aquitaine is indifference." How true.

For anyone interested in the genesis of the Plantagenet royal dynasty of England, this well-researched book is a pure delight.

P.S. 5/18/10: Matilda was known as "Matilda of England", perhaps named for her mother "Matilda of Scotland." Penman consistently refers to Matilda as "Maude", by which she was also known and which is, of course, useful when distinguishing her from Stephen's wife "Matilda of Boulogne". One who has commented on this review insists that I call her "Maude" within the review. I'm not going to do so but will recognize the viewpoint so as to be inclusive of both names for historical completeness.