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181st out of 350 books
—
902 voters
The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe
In 1593 the brilliant but controversial young playwright Christopher Marlowe was stabbed to death in a Deptford lodging house. The circumstances were shady, the official account—a violent quarrel over the bill, or "recknynge"—has been long regarded as dubious.
Here, in a tour de force of scholarship and ingenuity, Charles Nicholl penetrates four centuries of obscurity to re...more
Here, in a tour de force of scholarship and ingenuity, Charles Nicholl penetrates four centuries of obscurity to re...more
Paperback, 424 pages
Published
July 15th 1995
by University Of Chicago Press
(first published 1992)
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Prompted by the lack of concern shown by most biographers of Marlowe to the circumstances of his violent death, Nicholl sets out in this book to discover what brought about the death of one of the best remembered Elizabethan literary figures.
Of the exact cause of his death there is no doubt; the inquest was overseen by the coroner to the royal household. It found that that during a scuffle the blade of a 12 penny dagger entered Marlowe's forehead making a wound two inches deep and one inch wide,...more
Of the exact cause of his death there is no doubt; the inquest was overseen by the coroner to the royal household. It found that that during a scuffle the blade of a 12 penny dagger entered Marlowe's forehead making a wound two inches deep and one inch wide,...more
As he did in his book on Shakespeare, The Lodger, Nicholl teases out seemingly unconnected pieces of evidence, here concerning the death of Marlowe, and shows a likely relationship between them. Using the same technique that a classical era detective might apply to traces of a crime, but without bringing in a man with a gun, Nicholl makes the reader aware of a lot of Elizabethan history not usually mentioned in the history books, but true nevertheless. The Elizabethan age turns out to have been...more
An amazing book. Nicholl writes brilliantly and he is a clever and obsessive researcher. He shows that Christopher Marlowe was not killed in a drunken tavern brawl but rather at the end of a small day-long meeting in an upscale lodging house. The other men with Marlowe were all, like him, small time government informers, sharps and spies.
Nicholl's theory is that Marlowe was murdered as a result of the rivalry between the factions of Essex and Raleigh in the court of Elizabeth. His book brilliant...more
Nicholl's theory is that Marlowe was murdered as a result of the rivalry between the factions of Essex and Raleigh in the court of Elizabeth. His book brilliant...more
According to the coroner's report, Christopher Marlowe was fatally knifed following an argument with friends over a dinner bill. Rumor later augmented this story, making Marlowe's killer a romantic rival and the location of their fracas a bawdy house. In fact, it wasn't a bawdy house but a respectable inn run by a widow of means, and Marlowe's killer was a con man, as proved by surviving legal documents, just as documents of a more clandestine nature prove that one of the witnesses to Marlowe's...more
This was read along with 2 other books about Marlow some time ago.
The facts,ambient history as described and the tantalizing connects/research of this one were most interesting and all-in-all quite fresh. Old Kid was a Caravaggio type (And somewhat contemporary) with perhaps a bit more classic spy to his record or at least agent provocateur than most realize....but he was the one who wrote "the face that launched 1,000 ships."
If you love books that get behind the story to the other story this...more
The facts,ambient history as described and the tantalizing connects/research of this one were most interesting and all-in-all quite fresh. Old Kid was a Caravaggio type (And somewhat contemporary) with perhaps a bit more classic spy to his record or at least agent provocateur than most realize....but he was the one who wrote "the face that launched 1,000 ships."
If you love books that get behind the story to the other story this...more
Nicholl does a fabulous job of reconstructing some of the clues and historical evidence to fashion a fascinating insight into the dark underbelly of the Elizabethan world. His theory of why Marlowe really died is convincing and exhaustively researched, and invokes an era of extreme paranoia, intrigue, espionage and religious bigotry - everyone's out to get each other behind each others' backs, and you might survive if you say you believe in what the majority believes in. However, the book, thoug...more
Aug 15, 2009
Jan C
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
People interested in Elizabethan England
Shelves:
england
I found this a fascinating book. And during the course of it, came across two other books about Marlowe - I haven't read them yet -Louise Welsh's "Tambourlaine Must Die" and Anthony Burgess' "A dead Man in Deptford". I think they are better read against the backdrop of "The Reckoning."
Because this book gives the factual background of what was going on at the time. All of the espionage that led up to the man dying in Deptford and why. A lot of it is supposition, but Nicholl has facts to back up...more
Because this book gives the factual background of what was going on at the time. All of the espionage that led up to the man dying in Deptford and why. A lot of it is supposition, but Nicholl has facts to back up...more
This is essential reading for anyone interested in Elizabethan Theater and the enigma that was Christopher Marlowe. It reads like a mystry novel and focuses on the events surrounding his murder. Nicholl introduces all the protagonists and the myriad of theories as to why by whom and how Kit Marlowe was killed. A Wonderful read.
Very strange...I was reading this on a flight to Britan, it was engrossing. A week later, the tour bus dumped us off right in front of Marlowe's college in Cambridge. This was totally random, I had know clue where this this was going. I found myself standing in front of the heart of the story I was reading about.
The book was certainly interesting. However, there were so many threads woven, connections made (or insinuated) and multiple spelling of names I had a very difficult time keeping track of where Nicholl was going. Ultimately, I gave up, being unable to follow his "story". Maybe if I had had more background information it would have been easier to understand his thesis.
My first glimpse into what has been the question for centuries. Did Marlowe actually live and write what were thought to be the poems & plays of the author who was credited, William Shakespeare?
In my opinion? YES.
In my opinion? YES.
A fascinating examination of the mysterious events surrounding the murder of Elizabethan playwright, Christopher Marlowe.
Really good literary investigation into the death of Marlowe and the convoluted spy world of Elizabethan England.
Sep 14, 2009
Albie
added it
The Reckoning : The Murder of Christopher Marlowe by Charles Nicholl (1995)
Reads like a John Le Carre novel -- complex, interwoven, difficult to follow at times. But it's an altogether fascinating look at espionage and politics and government intrigue in Elizabethan England as well as the involvement of poets and writers in this shady business. A great read!
Nicholl's book is a fascinating read into the man and the myth.
What becomes a legend most ?
The writing herein murders Marlowe a 2d time.
The writing herein murders Marlowe a 2d time.
view all 7 comments
A tour de force of literary research, beautifully structured around the day that Christopher Marlowe was murdered in a house in Deptford, possibly (or possibly not) in a fight over the bill for entertainment (the reckoning). Nicholl takes this as a jumping off point for an exploration of the evidence for Marlowe as a spy. The book has a great sense of atmosphere, and is a wonderfully vivid account of the shady side of Elizabethan politics. Highly recommended.
(Recommended by William C.29 June 2011)
I was expecting more focus on Christopher Marlowe, not a vast overview of the History of Spying in Elizabethan England. Much too dry for my taste.
It reads a little stiff and academicy, but for a Theatre History nerd such as myself I thought it was pretty interesting.
Aug 05, 2007
Shady
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history-european,
theatre
An enthralling work on both the murder of Marlowe and the anti-Catholic intelligence network that existed under Elizabeth I. The degree to which Elizabethan England was not a free society, but rather a police state filled with informers and agents provacateurs is both appalling and amazing.
Nicholl's argument about the reasons for Marlowe's killing are a little circumstantial for me, but he paints an interesting picture of the police state atmosphere of Elizabethan England. I'll never read Macbeth in quite the same way again.
I think it's probably better than a 4...so probably more like 4.5. It was a bit hard to read but I think I learned a lot about Elizabethean England that you probably wouldn't have learned from most conventional history books. It was really excellent.
Thoroughly well research, gripping account of a 400-year-old murder of one of the greatest English playwrights at the age of 29. He was Shakespeare's peer, acquaintance, and greatest rival.
This is a fascinating book that really gave me a lot of insights into life during Shakespeare's time, but I do not have the time at this moment in my life to finish.
An investigation of the murder of playwright and Shakespeare contemporary Christopher Marlowe that provides a discussion of Victorian-era spying and counter-intelligence.
I loved this little, convoluted book of historical plots and twists -- all in the Elizabethan age of Star Chamber and double-spies. LOVE IT!! :)
Aug 03, 2007
Amanda
added it
This is a history/conspiracy theory kind of book that's pretty entertaining for English major nerds such as myself.
Marlowe is a fascinating character and Nicholl does his life justice.
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