What do You think about The Leper Of Saint Giles (1995)?
1st Recorded Reading: September 2002Reading another Brother Cadfael mystery is always a pleasure, and re-reading them one after so long (I read this one in September of 2002) is a joy, with my memory just good enough to remember who is who, but not good enough to detract from my enjoyment of the book. (Need I add that I liked this book?)In the year of our Lord 1139, in October, is when this present mystery begins. Brother Cadfael is on one of the periodic missions to the leper colony half a mile from the town of Shrewsbury, and restocking their store of medicines while he hears of the noble wedding that is to take place at the Abbey of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Along the road towards the Abbey comes the bridegroom and his retinue; Huon de Domville is a harsh man of late middle age, who lashes out with his whip at a leper too slow to get out of his way. Some time later, the bride and her retinue pass by; Iveta de Massard is young, beautiful, and hemmed in by her legal guardians, Godfrid Picard and his wife Agnes. It is obvious that the marriage has been contracted by Picard for reasons having nothing to do with the bride’s wishes. Cadfael is further dismayed to find that Iveta is the granddaughter of Guimar de Massard, a crusader knight whom Cadfael had known some fifty years back who never returned from the Crusades, and that Iveta is in the hands of guardians who are none too scrupulous.It soon develops that Iveta does have her own wishes; she loves one Joscelin Lucy, who is one of the three squires to Huon de Domville (the others are Guy Fitzjohn, and Simon Aguilon, who is de Domville’s nephew and heir presumptive). Lucy is discovered hovering too closely to Iveta’s flame, and is turned out of his service by de Domville; he returns to the Abbey (where Iveta’s party is staying) to utter threats against de Domville and Picard, and to challenge de Domville to a duel. The wind is taken out of Lucy’s sails when he is accused of theft, and the item in question is found to be in his saddlebags; he evades arrest, though, and flees into the forest. The next day is the wedding; but while Iveta waits listlessly for her groom, de Domville never arrives from his ride the night before into that same forest.This is a neat little mystery, with all loose ends more or less suitably tied up at the end; and I very much enjoyed the reading of this book. On to the next in the series!
—Kathryn
Ellis Peter shows an attention to historical detail which is unsurpassed and yet she slso succeeds in never resorting to the usual attempts at mock-historical-speech which make so many historical novels difficult to bear. In coversation her characters use the vernacular, which improves the reading experience because we read their thoughts and words with ease and understanding as they would have been heard at the time. This enables an understanding of the beliefs which drove them which might elude the reader otherwise. The world Ellis Peters evokes is one which we can both recognise and wonder at. The tensions of the civil war in a town which, being a frontier town between Norman England and Wales, was already existing in a state of siege and ethnic conflict are also superbly conveyed. The conflict between Empress Maud and King Stephen, may be reminiscent to some of Game Of Thrones but it is startling to realise that this conflict was indeed historical fact. The period is a bottomless pit of possibilities for such a skilled writer as Ellis Peters.I adore all her Cadfael series, and return to them often, but this is a special favourite because of the poignancy of the title character's situation. We are brought face to face with a tragedy of the age which surely wrecked many a life from sheer ignorance of the facts. The acknowledgement of the real identity of the leper of the title enables further exploration of Brother Cadfael's own life prior to taking vows. I certainly do love these hints at his past which was rather more dashing than his employment as abbey herbalist. If there is anyone who is not familiar with Cadfael or indeed if they only know of him through the excellent TV series, then I would urge them to read Ellis Peter's books which will enhance their experience greatly.
—Marion
If there's any such thing as a feel-good murder mystery, the Leper of Saint Giles is that book. Or at least, it is for this medieval history student. Ellis Peters always has been and will be a guilty pleasure of mine, and her prose does tend to wax purple, but her characters are always heartwarming, even if you do get tired of hearing about how unconsciously saintlike Brother Mark is after about the fifth or so time. The Leper of Saint Giles, for those of you who have only seen the 90s television adaptation, is much better in print than on the screen, and both Joscelin Lucy and the aforementioned lepers of Saint Giles enjoy considerably more character development. A very well-researched, if not somewhat light piece of historical fiction, perfect for the mystery lover or the medieval history buff.
—Lydia
