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The Cloister and the Hearth
Critically acclaimed as one of the greatest historical novels in English, The Cloister and the Hearth contains a meticulous recreation of 15th-century European life. Mingled with its cast of vividly drawn characters are various historical personages. The plot concerns Gerard Eliason, a young Dutch artist who abandons thought of the priesthood when he falls in love with Mar...more
Paperback, 785 pages
Published
1960
(first published 1861)
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What a wonderful novel; my thanks to the person who turned me onto it. Beautifully written, The Cloister and the Hearth is the tale of the forbidden love between Gerard Eliassoen, a young novice scribe and illuminator, and Margaret Brandt, the daughter of a physician. The story takes place during the late Middle Ages, and therefore contains the requisite "thee"s and "thou"s and even a few "forsooth"s, so if that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, you know who you are.
Love thwarted by the machi...more
Love thwarted by the machi...more
Nov 14, 2012
Bettie
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Bettie by:
Rod
Shelves:
3m-bookshelf-challenge
Link: http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1366
Opening: Not a day passes over the earth, but men and women of no note do great deeds, speak great words, and suffer noble sorrows. Of these obscure heroes, philosophers, and martyrs, the greater part will never be known till that hour, when many that are great shall be small, and the small great; but of others the world's knowledge may be said to sleep: their lives and characters lie hidden from nations in the annals that record them. The general reader...more
Opening: Not a day passes over the earth, but men and women of no note do great deeds, speak great words, and suffer noble sorrows. Of these obscure heroes, philosophers, and martyrs, the greater part will never be known till that hour, when many that are great shall be small, and the small great; but of others the world's knowledge may be said to sleep: their lives and characters lie hidden from nations in the annals that record them. The general reader...more
1 like · like · see review
This book was recommended by Oscar Wilde in the Art of Lying, so I thought I'd give it a go. It was a big 19th century version of a medieval romance. It reminded me quite a bit of Walter Scott, with more philosophical and religious musings. It was very long, and I actually took a break half way through as I was getting a bit bogged down in it. I found some parts very enjoyable and some parts a bit dull. The parts in Burgundy with Denys were lots of fun. (The relationship between Denys and Gerard...more
Wow. What an incredible reading experience. I borrowed this old, yellowed paperback from my friend in Texas 6 months ago and will now mail it back to her. This 785-page book is not an “easy read”, as the characters talk using Old English words (and sometimes using Latin and French), but the book lives up to its claim of being one of the best historical novels ever written. I can’t believe this book is so little-known and out-of-print (but full text is available online at Literature Network).
Wri...more
Wri...more
I haven't read this book for many years, but at one point was obsessed with it and went around antiquarian and secondhand bookstores buying up every copy I could find. Some volumes have the most amazing ullustrations and if you're into collecting books these are worth tracking down.
The story is not only bitter-sweet but also a fantastic 15th Century romp with our hero, Gerard, getting into all kinds of scrapes, some of which are fraught with danger while others are absolutely hilarious.
The story is not only bitter-sweet but also a fantastic 15th Century romp with our hero, Gerard, getting into all kinds of scrapes, some of which are fraught with danger while others are absolutely hilarious.
Feb 03, 2010
Katie
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
I don't, really
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
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I was truly delighted and amazed by this book. It is an early example of very fine historical fiction. The characters and story line are most engaging and the picture of medieval life drawn is marvelous. The language is not modern. There are many words we no longer use, like "yclept." It helps if you have read William Morris or Lawrence Sterne. There are also phrases and short passages in both French and Latin. Having studied both, I was lucky in that regard, but almost all of it is repeated in...more
"Not a day passes over the earth, but men and women of no note do great deeds, speak great words, and suffer noble sorrows"
I was told by my mother that I had to read this book before I died. There have been other books she has told me to read and they haven't been my kind of thing but only one other book she used those exact words and that was Quo Vadis and she was right about that so I have begun the first paragraph of 667 pages of paragraphs to read The Cloister and the Hearth. If the first se...more
I was told by my mother that I had to read this book before I died. There have been other books she has told me to read and they haven't been my kind of thing but only one other book she used those exact words and that was Quo Vadis and she was right about that so I have begun the first paragraph of 667 pages of paragraphs to read The Cloister and the Hearth. If the first se...more
Some have considered this the greatest historical fiction ever penned, and I agree. It takes full concentration for the modern reader, but the rewards were great for this reader. C. Reade is a much neglected author.
Dropped it on pg 158, chapter xxvi. I just couldn't get into the story, it was due back at the library, and I have a ton of other books in my queue. Maybe I'll come back to it at some point.
Great lines -
"What God takes from us still seems better than what he spares to us: that is to say, men are by nature unthankful - and women silly" (4)
Great lines -
"What God takes from us still seems better than what he spares to us: that is to say, men are by nature unthankful - and women silly" (4)
OK BUT NOT MUCH OF A STORY
great book !!
In my family this was a book that was read aloud after dinner. I had only vague recollections of it and was surprised to find that although it was a book written in 1922 about the Middle Ages much of it was very contemporary in outlook. It was a book my father chose to have us read,so I gained insight into him as well. Perhaps because of this nostalgia, as well as that it was entertaining, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
Feb 03, 2012
Simon
marked it as unfinished
I'm sure this is great, but it's just not grabbing me the way the same author's _Griffith Gaunt_ did. Maybe I'll come back to it, maybe not.
Jun 09, 2013
GoldGato
marked it as wish-list
Jun 08, 2013
Megan Lawless
marked it as to-read
May 29, 2013
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May 27, 2013
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May 22, 2013
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marked it as next-300
May 20, 2013
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May 13, 2013
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Apr 27, 2013
Christopher
marked it as to-read
Apr 27, 2013
Jeffrey Keeten
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Jeffrey by:
Rod
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Oct 04, 2012 01:22am
:O)
Nov 14, 2012 04:48pm