The Lady For Ransom
July 15th, 2007 at 1:38 am
(Self Writ, Art, Literature)
Alfred Duggan was rather an odd writer of mediæval fiction: he was much praised by a subtler author, a confrère at Oxford, Evelyn Waugh, yet from the astounding flatness of his narrative style one might be persuaded that it was his devout catholicism and Argentine riches that appealed to the latter aside from friendship. Nonetheless, there is certainly good, if unintricate, plotting and a certain vigour; yet in the end, lazy world-weariness and affable cynicism as to motives cannot quite match up to the deeper despair of absolutist rectitude. The stories remain pleasurable to read though, in their display of place and period; and incredible knowledge of historical fact.
Anyway, I have always found The Lady For Ransom excellent — set in the last part of the 11th century, and spoken by a half Norman, half Byzantine interpreter, attached to the Norman mercenary, Roussel de Balliol, who marches from Sicily to the east to serve any Byzantine Basilius who happens to be in power, to gain his own fief, and to die incredibly wealthy. Unfortunately Manzikert occurs, which battle inter alia doomed the Eastern Empire to it’s ( very ) protracted decline.
Best of all are the two covers, neither of which in the least matches the robust heroine, Matilda de Balliol, wife to the aforementioned Roussel. For some reason, the NEL one has been one of my favourite bookcovers of all time.
