The Leper King, a novel by Zofia Kossak (Hutchinson) Gereduceerde Prijs

Beschrijving

The Leper King, a novel by Zofia Kossak

Jerusalem — History — Latin Kingdom, 1099-1244 — Fiction.

Historical novel around the life of King Baldwin IV of Jerusalem, first published in 1936.

This is an interesting novel, although it has dated badly in terms of its historical interpretations: advances in scholarship sometimes leave historical novels beached. (I’m thinking particularly of the depiction of Agnes). Baldwin IV is sympathetically portrayed, but far too childish for his years: men, especially kings, grew up fast in the 12C.

There are some significant historical gaffes, however: the death of William Longsword is depicted as in a suspicious rock-fall (he was ill for a few months, probably with malaria), and the author seems to conflate Maria, Amaury I’s widow, and Theodora, Baldwin III’s widow. Some of the spellings of the names also take a bit of getting used to: Old French, translated into Polish then into English…

For further NOTES See also the BACK of the book!