Sunday 29 November 2020

The Brother Cadfael Series by Ellis Peters

 Ellis Peters was the nom de plume of Edith Mary Pargeter (1913-1995). I started reading her Brother Cadfael series of Mediaeval whodunnits set in England in the 12th Century about fifteen years ago. They are best read in order, although I haven't done so as the books are not always easy to find here.

Cadfael, originally from Wales, had turned Benedictine monk after life as a soldier and sailor and was well versed in the ways of the world. The earlier books elaborate on this and introduce some characters such as Hugh Beringar - the deputy sheriff and Cadfael’s close friend; Abbot Radulfus and others who re-appear in subsequent books.

The Leper of Saint Giles was written in 1981 and is the Fifth Chronicle of the series. The story is set in the year 1139 when King Stephen was on the throne.

‘He had seen battles, too, in his time in the world, as far afield as Acre and Ascalon and Jerusalem in the first Crusade, and witnessed deaths crueller than disease, and heathen kinder than Christians, and he knew leprosies of the heart and ulcers of the soul worse than any of these he poulticed and lanced with his herbal medicines.’

When visiting the leprosy hospital at Saint Giles to restock their medical supplies, Cadfael arrives just as preparations for a noble wedding are in progress. He witnesses the bridegroom, Huon de Domville, arrive with his entourage. Domville is a shrewd, malevolent man, and quite a bit older than his intended young bride. 

The young woman rides in later, accompanied by her uncle and his wife, her guardians after her father died. Cadfael recognised her as the granddaughter of a famous knight who had fought in the Crusades. It was also obvious to Cadfael that the young girl had had no say in the matter of her marriage and discovers that the girl is secretly in love with one of Domville's squires.

Before the marriage could take place, two deaths occur and Cadfael uses his position and his past to help discover a murderer, absolve an innocent man, uncover a mystery, and unite two lovers.

The Leper of Saint Giles is a satisfying mystery and a tale of treachery with the unique twists and turns that are the hallmark of Ellis Peters.

The Virgin in the Ice is the sixth chronicle in the Cadfael series and was written in 1982. This book reveals a piece of Cadfael's past that should be read before going on to subsequent books. I won't say too much about this book but it could almost be called a thriller.

In the year 1139 King Stephen is on the throne but his cousin, Empress Maude, daughter of Henry I, has an equal claim to the throne. A civil war (the Anarchy) results and refugees have fled from Worcester, the scene of the latest conflict.

Among the refugees are a boy of thirteen, his seventeen year old sister, and a young Benedictine nun. They were known to have been  seeking refuge at Shrewsbury Abbey where Brother Cadfael resides but they fail to arrive. A monk of Cadfael's order is found near death from wounds inflicted by persons unknown and Brother Cadfael is drawn into both mysteries.

This is a gripping book with many false trails and intertwining plots. I thought there was just a wee bit of contrivance and overdone coincidence towards the end but Ellis Peters can get away with it. Her descriptive writing is a pleasure to read and her ability to draw the reader into the wintery, bleak atmosphere of the England of Mediaeval times adds to the appeal of these books.

As Cadfael reflects on his younger days and his time as a soldier in the Holy Land twenty-six years earlier he observes,

'In a land at war with itself...you may take it as certain that order breaks down, and savagery breaks out.'

The Virgin in the Ice covers a brutal period of English history and portrays the hardships that fall upon the common people when leadership forgets them. '...where royal kinsfolk are tearing each other for a crown, lesser men will ride the time for their own gain, without scruple or mercy.'








16 comments:

Brian Joseph said...

This series sounds so interesting. It reminds me a little bit of Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose but I see that this series came first.

This period was brutal indeed. It is to Peters' credit that she reflects that in a book like this.

mudpuddle said...

i've read several of these and quite liked them... as an ex-warrior, he has the ability to cope with difficult situations...

amanda @ simplerpastimes said...

I've seen a couple of the TV episodes of Cadfael, but never thought to seek out the books. They sound like good mysteries though--something to add to the list.

Lark said...

My dad used to love these books, but I've never read any of them. Both of these sound really good. I'll have to put this series on my 2021 To Read list.

MargaretT said...

A great recommendation Carol. An older friend used to always recommend these books but I haven’t read them. I will have to try and find them!

Carol said...

Hi Brian, I was given a copy of The Name of the Rose for Christmas a year ago but haven't read it yet but I did read somewhere that the Cadfael books were a little like that.

Carol said...

Hi Mudpuddle, the mix of monk & soldier gives the author a lot of options for characters and plots!

Carol said...

Hi Amanda, I've never seen the film versions but I have listened to Derek Jacobi narrating a couple of the books.

Carol said...

Hi Lark, I found most of her books that I've read at the library but they aren't in any of the bookshops here.

Carol said...

Hello Margaret! So good to hear from you. They're enjoyable light reading & an effortless way to imbibe a bit of history.

Ruthiella said...

I've read the first book in the series only. I agree with you and Mudpuddle, that the combination of lay person and monkish experience make Cadfael equipped to handle a variety of situations that a more cloistered monk might have trouble with.

I didn't realized the books were on audio narrated by Derek Jacobi. I've seen a few of the televised adaptations with him and that is really a perfect way for me to "read" these multi-book series. I'm pretty much listening only now to the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters, narrated by Barbara Rosenblatt and the Ladies No. 1 Detective Agency books by Alexander McCall Smith narrated by Lisette Lecat and it is actaully more fun that way then reading with my eyes. The narration is key, however! :D

Carol said...

Hi Ruthiella, yes! The wrong narrator can kill a book. I used to listen to a lot more audiobooks but I just don't seem to get to them now. I do listen to podcasts, though.

Emma at Words And Peace / France Book Tours said...

I so so loved tis series, and was so sad when I realized I had read the last book!!

Carol said...

Hi Emma, that's always a sad day!

Laura Jeanne said...

Hmmm. I've thought about starting this series for a while now, and I think your post has helped me decide to do it. I'm adding the first Brother Cadfael book to my Christmas list! I do enjoy a good mystery now and then. I wonder if these books are similar in tone to the Father Brown mysteries?

Carol said...

Hi Laura Jeanne, they don't have the spiritual underpinnings of Father Brown. If I can put it this way, I had no hesitation about my teens reading Father B but I always pre-read the Cadfael series and so far I've only given my 15 yr old about 3 of them.