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igenlodeThis book is a prime example of what Josephine Tey memorably stigmatised as the Victorian art of "writing forsoothly" ("Friend Dickon, ye have certain matters on hand, unless I err? Well, prithee be about them incontinently. For here I be with the choice of all good company, two tough old shipmen; and till that ye return I will go warrant these brave fellows will bide here and drink me cup for cup"). The dialogue of the entire novel -- although mercifully not the surrounding narrative -- is constructed in this laboured cod-Chaucerian style, and while it's easy enough to get your eye in, provided you are already familar with this sort of language, it's pretty obvious why it fell out of fashion. "Y'had no right to my windac, Master John. I would 'a' done right to have well basted you. If ye go with me, ye must obey me; and so, come.".
It also seems to leave plot strands oddly dangling, perhaps due to its origins as a serial publication. Most notably, we never do find out what happened to the hero's father, which is a major part of his motivation at the start of the book; we know that Sir Oliver and Sir Daniel were both involved somehow, and Sir Oliver eventually confesses to "decoying" him to his death, but we never learn any more than that. And likewise we never get the backstory of Ellis Duckworth and his company of the Black Arrow (an element that plays much less of a role in the story than the title might suggest) or the burning of Grimstone -- and while Mistress Alicia makes a great outcry about the supposed death of her uncle (again, we never learn whether he is in fact dead) at the hands of the hero's allies, she seems to completely forget about it within the space of a page or two.
I wasn't clear why the author decided to introduce the Duke of Gloucester into the narrative accompanied by an explicit footnote to the effect that this was historical nonsense, since not only had he not yet been created Duke but that in fact at this date he was only a small child! It would surely have made more sense either to set the story ten years or so later (it is not as if unscrupulous supporters of both sides did not continue to change allegiance for their own benefit throughout the Wars of the Roses) or else to have either created a fictional Yorkist commander, like the various nobles who appear on the Lancastrian side, or used a historical figure of the correct date -- Warwick, for example, who even gets referenced in the story.
On the other hand, one of the strong points of the story is the various not unsympathetic 'bad' characters: men like old Appleyard, the archer of Agincourt, or Bennet Hatch, who is stated to have been culpable of the destruction at Grimstone and callous to the peasantry, but "ruggedly faithful and well-willing" to the boy whom he helped bring up. Lord Risingham, who saves Dick from being lynched, is the more familiar figure of 'the noble enemy', but even Sir Daniel, who is depicted as a villain possessing more or less no redeeming qualities, is shown (and commented on) as being a good leader of men who knows how to win a following.
The romance is pretty token, as one might expect from the "Boys' Own" genre. I didn't find it particularly convincing that Dick, having regarded Jack as a pathetic creature when he (very unobservantly) took him for a boy, declares her to be "the best and the bravest under heaven" when he discovers that she had the excuse of being a mere girl, and at once proclaims that he is blindly in love with her. (Whereupon she becomes "tall like a young willow" when in women's clothing, having previously been decried as undersized...) And like a true heroine, she spends most of her time lamenting her lot, failing to be rescued or to make an escape -- her ally the fiery Mistress Alicia (of whom Dick was "more afraid... then of ten stout warriors") comes across as a considerably stronger character.
The other thing that is unexpected is the sheer volume of the body-count. Dick, as perhaps befits his lawless era, has a distinct tendency to despatch any minions unfortunate enough to obstruct his way without a moment's thought, and leads a lot of men to their deaths (including an entirely unnecessary ambush of someone who turns out to be on the same side; the two commanders shake hands and make it up, but the corpses of those who have already fallen are simply looted and left without a thought). He does eventually suffer an attack of conscience after blithely tricking an old sea-captain out of his livelihood and then lying his way out of the consequences when he gets recognised, and I think this is supposed to be his redeeming moment -- to be fair, he is young and thoughtless, and concerned only for his own immediate nobly-intentioned schemes in a fairly brutal world. But he does not come across as quite such a heroic character as the intended audience was presumably expected to view him while they thrilled along with his adventures.
But the adventures are thrilling, even if they are episodic in nature and rather convey the impression of having been made up with every installment. One thing that feels very realistic is the completely arbitrary nature of any York/Lancaster allegiance for most of those involved; Dick ends up fighting for the Yorkists more or less at random, having started off by following his guardian to the Lancastrian side, and by the end of the book has already had enough of battle and ambition.
It also seems to leave plot strands oddly dangling, perhaps due to its origins as a serial publication. Most notably, we never do find out what happened to the hero's father, which is a major part of his motivation at the start of the book; we know that Sir Oliver and Sir Daniel were both involved somehow, and Sir Oliver eventually confesses to "decoying" him to his death, but we never learn any more than that. And likewise we never get the backstory of Ellis Duckworth and his company of the Black Arrow (an element that plays much less of a role in the story than the title might suggest) or the burning of Grimstone -- and while Mistress Alicia makes a great outcry about the supposed death of her uncle (again, we never learn whether he is in fact dead) at the hands of the hero's allies, she seems to completely forget about it within the space of a page or two.
I wasn't clear why the author decided to introduce the Duke of Gloucester into the narrative accompanied by an explicit footnote to the effect that this was historical nonsense, since not only had he not yet been created Duke but that in fact at this date he was only a small child! It would surely have made more sense either to set the story ten years or so later (it is not as if unscrupulous supporters of both sides did not continue to change allegiance for their own benefit throughout the Wars of the Roses) or else to have either created a fictional Yorkist commander, like the various nobles who appear on the Lancastrian side, or used a historical figure of the correct date -- Warwick, for example, who even gets referenced in the story.
On the other hand, one of the strong points of the story is the various not unsympathetic 'bad' characters: men like old Appleyard, the archer of Agincourt, or Bennet Hatch, who is stated to have been culpable of the destruction at Grimstone and callous to the peasantry, but "ruggedly faithful and well-willing" to the boy whom he helped bring up. Lord Risingham, who saves Dick from being lynched, is the more familiar figure of 'the noble enemy', but even Sir Daniel, who is depicted as a villain possessing more or less no redeeming qualities, is shown (and commented on) as being a good leader of men who knows how to win a following.
The romance is pretty token, as one might expect from the "Boys' Own" genre. I didn't find it particularly convincing that Dick, having regarded Jack as a pathetic creature when he (very unobservantly) took him for a boy, declares her to be "the best and the bravest under heaven" when he discovers that she had the excuse of being a mere girl, and at once proclaims that he is blindly in love with her. (Whereupon she becomes "tall like a young willow" when in women's clothing, having previously been decried as undersized...) And like a true heroine, she spends most of her time lamenting her lot, failing to be rescued or to make an escape -- her ally the fiery Mistress Alicia (of whom Dick was "more afraid... then of ten stout warriors") comes across as a considerably stronger character.
The other thing that is unexpected is the sheer volume of the body-count. Dick, as perhaps befits his lawless era, has a distinct tendency to despatch any minions unfortunate enough to obstruct his way without a moment's thought, and leads a lot of men to their deaths (including an entirely unnecessary ambush of someone who turns out to be on the same side; the two commanders shake hands and make it up, but the corpses of those who have already fallen are simply looted and left without a thought). He does eventually suffer an attack of conscience after blithely tricking an old sea-captain out of his livelihood and then lying his way out of the consequences when he gets recognised, and I think this is supposed to be his redeeming moment -- to be fair, he is young and thoughtless, and concerned only for his own immediate nobly-intentioned schemes in a fairly brutal world. But he does not come across as quite such a heroic character as the intended audience was presumably expected to view him while they thrilled along with his adventures.
But the adventures are thrilling, even if they are episodic in nature and rather convey the impression of having been made up with every installment. One thing that feels very realistic is the completely arbitrary nature of any York/Lancaster allegiance for most of those involved; Dick ends up fighting for the Yorkists more or less at random, having started off by following his guardian to the Lancastrian side, and by the end of the book has already had enough of battle and ambition.
no subject
Date: 2025-02-02 04:41 pm (UTC)At least if the novel had not been completed beforehand, and I think many may not have been...
no subject
Date: 2025-02-02 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-02-02 04:43 pm (UTC)You see it in things like the Arts and Crafts movement, and also the revival of Morris dancing.