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Lysbeth
Teenage and adult readers will be inspired by this historical novel about a Dutch woman who is caught up in the terrors of the Spanish Inquisition during the 1500s. This lively and heart-rending story by H. Rider Haggard will remind each reader of the value of religious liberty.
666 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1901
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306 people want to read
About the author
H. Rider Haggard
1,364 books1,077 followersSir Henry Rider Haggard, KBE was an English writer of adventure novels set in exotic locations, predominantly Africa, and the creator of the Lost World literary genre. His stories, situated at the lighter end of the scale of Victorian literature, continue to be popular and influential. He was also involved in agricultural reform and improvement in the British Empire.
His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.
Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.
His breakout novel was King Solomon's Mines (1885), which was to be the first in a series telling of the multitudinous adventures of its protagonist, Allan Quatermain.
Haggard was made a Knight Bachelor in 1912 and a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1919. He stood unsuccessfully for Parliament as a Conservative candidate for the Eastern division of Norfolk in 1895. The locality of Rider, British Columbia, was named in his memory.
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June 15, 2020
In the summer of 1897, English author H. Rider Haggard took a short vacation in Holland, and just as his winter holiday to the Holy Land in 1900 would inspire him to pen no fewer than three works--the nonfiction book "A Winter Pilgrimage" (1901), "Pearl-Maiden" (1903) and "The Brethren" (1904)--this sojourn to the land of the Dutch would also bear literary fruit. Thus, in 1899, Haggard began writing his new novel, provisionally entitled "The Secret of Sword Silence." By the time this tale of the Dutch first appeared in "The Graphic" (a British weekly newspaper, in existence from 1869 to 1932, that dealt with news items of the day, as well as the arts, sports, music, books...and new, serialized novels), in the Sept. 1, 1900 - March 2, 1901 issues, the tale's title had been changed to "Lysbeth," and Haggard had collected a cool 900 pounds (pretty solid money in those days!) for his work. "Lysbeth" would see its first American appearance in book form on August 9, 1901, in a Longmans Green edition containing the same 26 beautiful B&W illustrations by artist G. P. Jacomb-Hood that had graced "The Graphic"; the British edition, also from Longmans Green, would be released two days later. It was Haggard's 24th novel out of an eventual 58, and one that I had been putting off reading for several reasons.
The first reason for my letting the book sit on my shelf for so long, unread, is that I happen to own that first American edition from 1901, a very fine copy (sans dust jacket) purchased at NYC bookstore extraordinaire The Strand for the steal-of-a-deal price of $7.50 (!), and was loath to damage it. But my two main reasons for putting the book off were that the novel deals with a subject that I knew absolutely nothing about--namely, the Eighty Years War, aka Dutch War of Independence, of the 16th and 17th centuries, during which time the forces of William the Silent threw off the yoke of their Spanish oppressors--and that the book extends to almost 500 pages; Haggard's lengthiest piece of fiction, most likely. Could a 500-page book, dealing with a topic that I was entirely unfamiliar with, possibly hold my attention? As it turns out, of course, I needn't have worried. Haggard, an author who has never let me down, in this, his first novel of the 20th century, delivered to his audience a wonderfully moving and exciting story, replete with fully realized characters, terrific action, scenes of great emotional impact, and an easy-to-grasp overview of the historical backdrop. It will be very challenging for me to speak of his work here, as I absolutely loved this book to bits, and despair of doing it justice.
Even a capsule description of the book's events will prove difficult, as Haggard has packed his novel with so much in the way of dramatic incident. His novel is divided into three sections. (WARNING: Spoilers ahead!) In "The Sowing," the reader is introduced to the book's title character, Lysbeth van Hout, who lives in the city of Leyden in 1544. Lysbeth, whose deceased father had left her very well off, is the cousin of an apprentice founder, Dirk van Goorl, with whom she is in love and whose love is very much reciprocated. Dirk, a solid, decent man, refrains from revealing his feelings, however, (a) because his financial resources are few, and (b) because he is a Protestant and Lysbeth is Catholic...and in the Low Countries of the 16th century, anyone practicing the "New Religion" is ripe for prosecution by the Spanish Inquisition and a summary burning at the stake. As it turns out, Lysbeth has also caught the eye of the Spanish captain Juan de Montalvo, a completely amoral cad and destitute gambling addict. Setting his greedy eyes on Lysbeth's florins, he engages the services of the husband-and-wife team Hague Simon and Black Meg, who earn their living as spies, collecting evidence to betray their countrymen to the Spaniards. Thus, de Montalvo pressures Lysbeth to marry him, under the threat of exposing Dirk to the Inquisition. Lysbeth relents, but only after delivering a withering curse upon de Montalvo and his progeny. The two are then married, Lysbeth's fortune is squandered, and she is left impoverished and pregnant, after the Church and the courts prosecute the Spaniard for bigamy. Lysbeth retreats to the marshland known as the Haarlem Mere, where she is found and cared for by the half-mad freedom fighter known as Martha the Mare, who helps her deliver her child, Adrian...a baby that Lsybeth suffers to live.
In the novel's second section, "The Ripening," we jump forward a full 25 years. In the Leyden of 1569, Lysbeth and Dirk are happily married, their wedding having taken place immediately after de Montalvo's trial, and his sentencing to 14 years of hard labor aboard a Spanish galley. Adrian is thus now 25, and their second son, Foy, a few years younger. In this section we also meet the family's servant, "Red" Martin Roos, a man of enormous strength and dedication, and who, with his trusty sword Silence, is a very good person to have on one's side. To their Leyden abode comes Elsa Brant, the only child of Holland's wealthiest citizen, their cousin Hendrik Brant, with word that her father, who lives in The Hague, is now requesting Foy and Martin to come to that city and move his many barrels of wealth to a safe spot, where the Spaniards will not be able to get their hands on it. It is a perilous mission, indeed, which Foy and Martin manage to bring off, pursued at sea by the forces of the Spanish captain Ramiro. The two bury this treasure in the Haarlem Mere, with Martha's help, the location of said hoard being drawn on a map and placed inside the hilt of Martin's sword (thus, the original title for this novel). Meanwhile, Adrian, a vain, pompous, dreamy sort, has fallen in love with Elsa, and goes to a spiritualist of sorts for a love philtre. That spiritualist, who had been recommended by Black Meg herself, is in actuality Ramiro, who dupes the lad into revealing secrets about his Protestant family. With this evidence, Dirk, Martin and Foy are arrested and brought to the Gevangenhuis, or prison house, for torture and trial. The latter two manage to escape, and Lysbeth, now suffering from both the plague and a knowledge of what her firstborn has done, evicts him from her house in a scene of tremendous emotional impact.
Haggard's novel concludes with its third section, "The Harvesting." Here, Ramiro has Elsa kidnapped and brought to the Red Mill in the marshlands, where he attempts to force the woman to marry Adrian, abetted by Hague Simon and Black Meg. Foy and Martin, accompanied by Martha the Mare, attempt to rescue her, during which a catastrophic dike burst floods the entire vicinity. The book then proceeds to the city of Haarlem, during the historic siege of 1572 - ’73, followed by a desperate flight to reclaim that buried treasure, and with the siege of Leyden in 1574. And if you think that I have gone overboard here in detailing for you the plot synopsis of this book, trust me, these are but the barest, sketchiest outlines of a novel filled with so much in the way of story and incident.
Carl Sagan once called Isaac Asimov "the greatest explainer of the age," for the knack that the great Doc Ike had with taking abstruse scientific principles and making them easily understandable for the layman. And that kind of facility is something that Haggard himself had, as regards the historical novel. Thus, what he did for the Great Trek in "Swallow" (1899), the Spanish Inquisition in "Margaret" (1907), the Pilgrimage of Grace in "The Lady of Blossholme" (1909), and the Battle of Crecy in "Red Eve" (1911) he once again does for the Eighty Years War in "Lysbeth"; namely, taking an historic event that not too many are familiar with (at least, that I was not familiar with) and, by his great craft, making it both interesting and accessible. And Haggard has certainly done his homework here. Besides the convincing backdrops and historical detail, the author peppers his work with numerous fascinating throwaway bits. Not sure what a culverin, harquebus, conventicle or ravelin is? You will be familiar with such terms after reading this book. And who here knew that it was common practice, 500 years ago, to scatter sand upon a piece of writing so as to prevent the wet ink from smudging, or that it was possible to damage a crossbow by "over-winding" it? Haggard's book is filled with convincing little details such as these, adding verisimilitude to his conceit. The end result is a history lesson that is both highly educational as well as fun...and unputdownable.
As mentioned, "Lysbeth" contains any number of wonderful action sequences, starting with an exciting sledge race in Chapter 1 (in which de Montalvo tries to cheat, naturally); Foy and Martin's escape from The Hague; the sea chase to the Haarlem Mere; the fray in the shot tower, in which Foy and Martin do battle, with molten lead, against an entire company of Spaniards; their thrilling escape from the torture chamber of the Gevangenhuis; Adrian's duel with Ramiro; the dike bursting at the Red Mill; the escape from the fallen Haarlem; and the final fight for Brant's treasure. But equally as compelling as these action sequences are the dramatic encounters, some of them stunning in their intensity, such as Lysbeth's final meeting with Dirk in the Gevangenhuis; Lysbeth's expulsion of Adrian; Lysbeth's final words to Ramiro; and the delivery of the treasure to William the Silent. And, oh, that early scene, in which Lysbeth curses de Montalvo and his future kin, with these words:
"...God, Whom it has pleased that I should be given to a fate far worse than death; O God, blast the mind and the soul of this monster. Let him henceforth never know a peaceful hour; let misfortune come upon him through me and mine; let fears haunt his sleep. Let him live in heavy labor and die in blood and misery, and through me; and if I bear children to him, let the evil be upon them also...."
Whew! Pretty intense, right?
And if you are thinking here that these are pretty strong words to be offering up to one's future husband, please know that Juan de Montalvo must automatically be placed in the pantheon of Haggard's great villains, a pantheon that includes such bitter, sadistic and/or lovesick wretches as Frank Muller in "Jess" (1887), Owen Davies in "Beatrice" (1890), Juan de Garcia in "Montezuma's Daughter" (1893), Samuel Rock in "Joan Haste" (1895), Swart Piet in "Swallow," Ishmael in "The Ghost Kings" (1908), Abbott Malden in "The Lady of Blossholme" and Hernando Pereira in "Marie" (1912); a rogues' gallery that would perhaps not be equalled until another British author, Ian Fleming, started writing his 007 novels in the early 1950s. But whereas those other cads were all motivated either by love or religion, de Montalvo is completely irreligious, and not at all moved by the fairer sex. (It thus comes as something of a surprise when we learn that Lysbeth is carrying his child.) His only concern is shown to be money, for which he will do pretty much anything. He is said to be a not necessarily violent or sadistic man, but one who is completely unprincipled and without scruples. He is thus a fascinating and complex villain (I kept picturing Gilbert Roland in the role), and one who describes himself as "a hard-working, necessitious, and somewhat unfortunate gentleman who has been driven to rough methods in order to secure a comfortable old age"! He is truly a delicious and well-spoken character who steals every single scene that he is in. I might add that there is a connection between de Montalvo and Ramiro, one that Haggard springs on the reader as a sort of surprise, although that revelation is subtly telegraphed by the author and indeed was one that I saw coming. Actually, I'm not even sure Haggard meant the connection to be a surprise, so undramatically is the revelation made. I will not say any more on this score; this gushing review has already given away too much.
As usual, "Lysbeth" contains some authorial side comments by the great Haggard himself on matters touching on ethics, history and religion; personally, I happen to always love reading these side thoughts, as they allow us readers to get to know this wonderful writer all the more. In two spots, he tells us that he believes the Spanish atrocities in the Eighty Years War, during which 60,000 were tortured and slaughtered, constitute "perhaps the most hideous tyranny that the world has ever known." One can only wonder what Haggard would have thought had he been allowed to live another 20 years, and so been able to hear of the 6 million who were slain during WW2's Holocaust. He would have been absolutely appalled, of course, especially if his comments regarding WW1 in 1919's "When the World Shook" can serve as any indication.
"Lysbeth," similar to many of Haggard's other historical adventures, is a book with only minimal fantasy content. Here, those fantastic bits mainly take the form of visions that no fewer than five of the characters experience. And so, Lysbeth has a vision of the besieged city of Leyden; Brant has a vision of the use toward which his vast treasure will be put; Foy has a presentiment of his and Martin's battle in the shot tower; de Montalvo is given a foreknowledge of his demise; and Martha the Mare correctly predicts both her imminent end and Foy and Elsa's future. Thus, we are given some pleasing touches of fantasy, sprinkled amongst a work with so much in the way of historical detail.
To conclude, the bottom line is that "Lysbeth" is an absolutely wonderful novel; the kind that you finish, after many an immersed evening, with the thought "Oh, my God, what a book!" And, oh, you may be relieved to learn that after turning over that 500th page of my first edition, I was pleased to note that this 119-year-old collectible had suffered no damage whatsoever. (I try to be a good caretaker of my treasured volumes.) And I am also more than happy to report that "Lysbeth," although the 46th Haggard novel that I have experienced, has turned out to be among the author's very best....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of H. Rider Haggard....)
The first reason for my letting the book sit on my shelf for so long, unread, is that I happen to own that first American edition from 1901, a very fine copy (sans dust jacket) purchased at NYC bookstore extraordinaire The Strand for the steal-of-a-deal price of $7.50 (!), and was loath to damage it. But my two main reasons for putting the book off were that the novel deals with a subject that I knew absolutely nothing about--namely, the Eighty Years War, aka Dutch War of Independence, of the 16th and 17th centuries, during which time the forces of William the Silent threw off the yoke of their Spanish oppressors--and that the book extends to almost 500 pages; Haggard's lengthiest piece of fiction, most likely. Could a 500-page book, dealing with a topic that I was entirely unfamiliar with, possibly hold my attention? As it turns out, of course, I needn't have worried. Haggard, an author who has never let me down, in this, his first novel of the 20th century, delivered to his audience a wonderfully moving and exciting story, replete with fully realized characters, terrific action, scenes of great emotional impact, and an easy-to-grasp overview of the historical backdrop. It will be very challenging for me to speak of his work here, as I absolutely loved this book to bits, and despair of doing it justice.
Even a capsule description of the book's events will prove difficult, as Haggard has packed his novel with so much in the way of dramatic incident. His novel is divided into three sections. (WARNING: Spoilers ahead!) In "The Sowing," the reader is introduced to the book's title character, Lysbeth van Hout, who lives in the city of Leyden in 1544. Lysbeth, whose deceased father had left her very well off, is the cousin of an apprentice founder, Dirk van Goorl, with whom she is in love and whose love is very much reciprocated. Dirk, a solid, decent man, refrains from revealing his feelings, however, (a) because his financial resources are few, and (b) because he is a Protestant and Lysbeth is Catholic...and in the Low Countries of the 16th century, anyone practicing the "New Religion" is ripe for prosecution by the Spanish Inquisition and a summary burning at the stake. As it turns out, Lysbeth has also caught the eye of the Spanish captain Juan de Montalvo, a completely amoral cad and destitute gambling addict. Setting his greedy eyes on Lysbeth's florins, he engages the services of the husband-and-wife team Hague Simon and Black Meg, who earn their living as spies, collecting evidence to betray their countrymen to the Spaniards. Thus, de Montalvo pressures Lysbeth to marry him, under the threat of exposing Dirk to the Inquisition. Lysbeth relents, but only after delivering a withering curse upon de Montalvo and his progeny. The two are then married, Lysbeth's fortune is squandered, and she is left impoverished and pregnant, after the Church and the courts prosecute the Spaniard for bigamy. Lysbeth retreats to the marshland known as the Haarlem Mere, where she is found and cared for by the half-mad freedom fighter known as Martha the Mare, who helps her deliver her child, Adrian...a baby that Lsybeth suffers to live.
In the novel's second section, "The Ripening," we jump forward a full 25 years. In the Leyden of 1569, Lysbeth and Dirk are happily married, their wedding having taken place immediately after de Montalvo's trial, and his sentencing to 14 years of hard labor aboard a Spanish galley. Adrian is thus now 25, and their second son, Foy, a few years younger. In this section we also meet the family's servant, "Red" Martin Roos, a man of enormous strength and dedication, and who, with his trusty sword Silence, is a very good person to have on one's side. To their Leyden abode comes Elsa Brant, the only child of Holland's wealthiest citizen, their cousin Hendrik Brant, with word that her father, who lives in The Hague, is now requesting Foy and Martin to come to that city and move his many barrels of wealth to a safe spot, where the Spaniards will not be able to get their hands on it. It is a perilous mission, indeed, which Foy and Martin manage to bring off, pursued at sea by the forces of the Spanish captain Ramiro. The two bury this treasure in the Haarlem Mere, with Martha's help, the location of said hoard being drawn on a map and placed inside the hilt of Martin's sword (thus, the original title for this novel). Meanwhile, Adrian, a vain, pompous, dreamy sort, has fallen in love with Elsa, and goes to a spiritualist of sorts for a love philtre. That spiritualist, who had been recommended by Black Meg herself, is in actuality Ramiro, who dupes the lad into revealing secrets about his Protestant family. With this evidence, Dirk, Martin and Foy are arrested and brought to the Gevangenhuis, or prison house, for torture and trial. The latter two manage to escape, and Lysbeth, now suffering from both the plague and a knowledge of what her firstborn has done, evicts him from her house in a scene of tremendous emotional impact.
Haggard's novel concludes with its third section, "The Harvesting." Here, Ramiro has Elsa kidnapped and brought to the Red Mill in the marshlands, where he attempts to force the woman to marry Adrian, abetted by Hague Simon and Black Meg. Foy and Martin, accompanied by Martha the Mare, attempt to rescue her, during which a catastrophic dike burst floods the entire vicinity. The book then proceeds to the city of Haarlem, during the historic siege of 1572 - ’73, followed by a desperate flight to reclaim that buried treasure, and with the siege of Leyden in 1574. And if you think that I have gone overboard here in detailing for you the plot synopsis of this book, trust me, these are but the barest, sketchiest outlines of a novel filled with so much in the way of story and incident.
Carl Sagan once called Isaac Asimov "the greatest explainer of the age," for the knack that the great Doc Ike had with taking abstruse scientific principles and making them easily understandable for the layman. And that kind of facility is something that Haggard himself had, as regards the historical novel. Thus, what he did for the Great Trek in "Swallow" (1899), the Spanish Inquisition in "Margaret" (1907), the Pilgrimage of Grace in "The Lady of Blossholme" (1909), and the Battle of Crecy in "Red Eve" (1911) he once again does for the Eighty Years War in "Lysbeth"; namely, taking an historic event that not too many are familiar with (at least, that I was not familiar with) and, by his great craft, making it both interesting and accessible. And Haggard has certainly done his homework here. Besides the convincing backdrops and historical detail, the author peppers his work with numerous fascinating throwaway bits. Not sure what a culverin, harquebus, conventicle or ravelin is? You will be familiar with such terms after reading this book. And who here knew that it was common practice, 500 years ago, to scatter sand upon a piece of writing so as to prevent the wet ink from smudging, or that it was possible to damage a crossbow by "over-winding" it? Haggard's book is filled with convincing little details such as these, adding verisimilitude to his conceit. The end result is a history lesson that is both highly educational as well as fun...and unputdownable.
As mentioned, "Lysbeth" contains any number of wonderful action sequences, starting with an exciting sledge race in Chapter 1 (in which de Montalvo tries to cheat, naturally); Foy and Martin's escape from The Hague; the sea chase to the Haarlem Mere; the fray in the shot tower, in which Foy and Martin do battle, with molten lead, against an entire company of Spaniards; their thrilling escape from the torture chamber of the Gevangenhuis; Adrian's duel with Ramiro; the dike bursting at the Red Mill; the escape from the fallen Haarlem; and the final fight for Brant's treasure. But equally as compelling as these action sequences are the dramatic encounters, some of them stunning in their intensity, such as Lysbeth's final meeting with Dirk in the Gevangenhuis; Lysbeth's expulsion of Adrian; Lysbeth's final words to Ramiro; and the delivery of the treasure to William the Silent. And, oh, that early scene, in which Lysbeth curses de Montalvo and his future kin, with these words:
"...God, Whom it has pleased that I should be given to a fate far worse than death; O God, blast the mind and the soul of this monster. Let him henceforth never know a peaceful hour; let misfortune come upon him through me and mine; let fears haunt his sleep. Let him live in heavy labor and die in blood and misery, and through me; and if I bear children to him, let the evil be upon them also...."
Whew! Pretty intense, right?
And if you are thinking here that these are pretty strong words to be offering up to one's future husband, please know that Juan de Montalvo must automatically be placed in the pantheon of Haggard's great villains, a pantheon that includes such bitter, sadistic and/or lovesick wretches as Frank Muller in "Jess" (1887), Owen Davies in "Beatrice" (1890), Juan de Garcia in "Montezuma's Daughter" (1893), Samuel Rock in "Joan Haste" (1895), Swart Piet in "Swallow," Ishmael in "The Ghost Kings" (1908), Abbott Malden in "The Lady of Blossholme" and Hernando Pereira in "Marie" (1912); a rogues' gallery that would perhaps not be equalled until another British author, Ian Fleming, started writing his 007 novels in the early 1950s. But whereas those other cads were all motivated either by love or religion, de Montalvo is completely irreligious, and not at all moved by the fairer sex. (It thus comes as something of a surprise when we learn that Lysbeth is carrying his child.) His only concern is shown to be money, for which he will do pretty much anything. He is said to be a not necessarily violent or sadistic man, but one who is completely unprincipled and without scruples. He is thus a fascinating and complex villain (I kept picturing Gilbert Roland in the role), and one who describes himself as "a hard-working, necessitious, and somewhat unfortunate gentleman who has been driven to rough methods in order to secure a comfortable old age"! He is truly a delicious and well-spoken character who steals every single scene that he is in. I might add that there is a connection between de Montalvo and Ramiro, one that Haggard springs on the reader as a sort of surprise, although that revelation is subtly telegraphed by the author and indeed was one that I saw coming. Actually, I'm not even sure Haggard meant the connection to be a surprise, so undramatically is the revelation made. I will not say any more on this score; this gushing review has already given away too much.
As usual, "Lysbeth" contains some authorial side comments by the great Haggard himself on matters touching on ethics, history and religion; personally, I happen to always love reading these side thoughts, as they allow us readers to get to know this wonderful writer all the more. In two spots, he tells us that he believes the Spanish atrocities in the Eighty Years War, during which 60,000 were tortured and slaughtered, constitute "perhaps the most hideous tyranny that the world has ever known." One can only wonder what Haggard would have thought had he been allowed to live another 20 years, and so been able to hear of the 6 million who were slain during WW2's Holocaust. He would have been absolutely appalled, of course, especially if his comments regarding WW1 in 1919's "When the World Shook" can serve as any indication.
"Lysbeth," similar to many of Haggard's other historical adventures, is a book with only minimal fantasy content. Here, those fantastic bits mainly take the form of visions that no fewer than five of the characters experience. And so, Lysbeth has a vision of the besieged city of Leyden; Brant has a vision of the use toward which his vast treasure will be put; Foy has a presentiment of his and Martin's battle in the shot tower; de Montalvo is given a foreknowledge of his demise; and Martha the Mare correctly predicts both her imminent end and Foy and Elsa's future. Thus, we are given some pleasing touches of fantasy, sprinkled amongst a work with so much in the way of historical detail.
To conclude, the bottom line is that "Lysbeth" is an absolutely wonderful novel; the kind that you finish, after many an immersed evening, with the thought "Oh, my God, what a book!" And, oh, you may be relieved to learn that after turning over that 500th page of my first edition, I was pleased to note that this 119-year-old collectible had suffered no damage whatsoever. (I try to be a good caretaker of my treasured volumes.) And I am also more than happy to report that "Lysbeth," although the 46th Haggard novel that I have experienced, has turned out to be among the author's very best....
(By the way, this review originally appeared on the FanLit website at http://www.fantasyliterature.com/ ... a most ideal destination for all fans of H. Rider Haggard....)
January 29, 2012
This is a great book if you're looking for an adventure filled novel. It takes place during the Spanish Inquisition and describes some of the horrors that happened giving you an idea of what it was really like to live during that time period. Follow Lysbeth, a young Hollander girl, as she struggles through life enduring times of hardships and peace, sorrow and happiness, war and love.
H. R. Haggard was already one of my favorite authors and Lysbeth only made my opinion of him higher.
I read this book when I was 18 and could hardly put the book down, it was so good. The day I finished it, I began again from the beginning this time reading it out loud to my Mom, Grandma, and 16 and 13 year old sister and brother. (Note: I have another brother who is very sensitive and would not be able to handle nor enjoy this book at age 14.)
I recorded this book for LibriVox here: http://librivox.org/lysbeth-a-tale-of... 17hr 2min
H. R. Haggard was already one of my favorite authors and Lysbeth only made my opinion of him higher.
I read this book when I was 18 and could hardly put the book down, it was so good. The day I finished it, I began again from the beginning this time reading it out loud to my Mom, Grandma, and 16 and 13 year old sister and brother. (Note: I have another brother who is very sensitive and would not be able to handle nor enjoy this book at age 14.)
I recorded this book for LibriVox here: http://librivox.org/lysbeth-a-tale-of... 17hr 2min
January 18, 2013
“If you dig in a graveyard, you will find bones.” This proverb is at the heart of this story of Holland’s war for freedom from Spain. This is a very moving tale of deceit, greed and human suffering. Count Juan de Montalvo (a man you just love to hate) forces Lysbeth into marriage in order to save her true love Dirk. This is just the beginning of a long and harrowing tale of woe and conflict. I think this novel appeals to me as I live no more than 30 miles from Leiden, the city where most of the story took place. Henry Haggard has built up a cast of unforgettable characters and placed them in a time and place of great turmoil, resulting in a winning combination. I started this review with an axiom and would like to end it likewise as two presently come to mind. The first is: “an acorn never falls far from the tree,” and secondly: “what goes around; comes around”. This is really a great book and an even better story. I recommend it to all.
February 26, 2024
Another one of Haggard's historicals, this time with a slightly misleading title. (It is, in fact, a tale of the Dutch, taking place in the 16th Century mostly in and around Leyden[sic] in the Netherlands; but while Lysbeth van Hout plays an important role in the story, I'm not sure that I'd say it's about her.)
To expound (and with some spoilers for a book first published in 1901): The story opens in Leyden in the year 1544. Because I am ignorant of much history, I didn't realize that at the time the Netherlands was firmly under the Spanish thumb, with Spanish soldiers and inquisitors wandering around looking for Lutherans to set on fire in the name of protecting Catholicism; and the Netherlanders were getting increasingly restless with the whole situation.
Young, attractive and eponymous Lysbeth is out ice skating during some kind of local festival and encounters, in fairly rapid succession (and not necessarily in this order) young Dirk van Goorl (her would-be suitor; and the feelings are, in fact, reciprocated); Martha the Mare, a woman whose husband & child were executed by the Spaniards (as per the previous discussion regarding Lutheranism) and Martha herself was disfigured in the dungeons of the Inquisition; and now, she's something of a local crazy old lady and outspoken in her beliefs; and Count Don Juan de Montalvo, the Spanish grandee who's the primary villain of the entire piece. To very rapidly summarize the events of the first third of the book, Lysbeth finds herself, much against her will, forced to marry Montalvo (who finds Lysbeth herself, but also most especially her financial assets, most attractive) in order to save the life of Martha, who has been accused of heresy with Lysbeth the witness on whose word Martha will live or die.
Then it's revealed that Montalvo was not, in fact, free to marry -- he still had a wife & children back home in Spain. So he gets sentenced to the galleys in disgrace while Lysbeth gives birth to Montalvo's son, Adrian.
Then fast forward 20-ish years; Lysbeth is now married happily enough to Dirk, they have a son of their own, Foy (who's really the chief protagonist of the book) and his giant, red-bearded Frisian servant Martin, and Adrian who has grown up to be kind of bratty and petulant, presumably on account of his Hot Latin Blood(tm).
And the situation over the intervening decades has only gotten worse for the Dutch, presumably on account of some of that history of which I'm so ignorant, and onto the scene in fairly short order come one Elsa (a very attractive young girl, daughter of one of Dirk's childhood friends and, not coincidentally, heir to her father's astonishing fortune, which needs to be spirited away from the aforementioned Spaniards) and one Ramiro, a one-eyed agent of the Inquisition who seems strangely familiar.
And since that's where the story really starts in earnest, I don't think I'll say too much more the details. But this is Haggard writing a more action-packed story, so there are sword fights, narrow escapes from the Inquisition, deadly maritime chases through the isles and channels surrounding Leyden, and plenty of true love's course not running at all smoothly.
And since this is Haggard, you have absolutely no doubt where his sympathies lie (HINT: Not with the Spanish and the Catholics), and I can't speak to how accurately he portrays the larger swirl of history through which our heroes are moving, but I did thoroughly enjoy the book moreso than I have with some of the preceding novels of his that I've read in recent years.
To expound (and with some spoilers for a book first published in 1901): The story opens in Leyden in the year 1544. Because I am ignorant of much history, I didn't realize that at the time the Netherlands was firmly under the Spanish thumb, with Spanish soldiers and inquisitors wandering around looking for Lutherans to set on fire in the name of protecting Catholicism; and the Netherlanders were getting increasingly restless with the whole situation.
Young, attractive and eponymous Lysbeth is out ice skating during some kind of local festival and encounters, in fairly rapid succession (and not necessarily in this order) young Dirk van Goorl (her would-be suitor; and the feelings are, in fact, reciprocated); Martha the Mare, a woman whose husband & child were executed by the Spaniards (as per the previous discussion regarding Lutheranism) and Martha herself was disfigured in the dungeons of the Inquisition; and now, she's something of a local crazy old lady and outspoken in her beliefs; and Count Don Juan de Montalvo, the Spanish grandee who's the primary villain of the entire piece. To very rapidly summarize the events of the first third of the book, Lysbeth finds herself, much against her will, forced to marry Montalvo (who finds Lysbeth herself, but also most especially her financial assets, most attractive) in order to save the life of Martha, who has been accused of heresy with Lysbeth the witness on whose word Martha will live or die.
Then it's revealed that Montalvo was not, in fact, free to marry -- he still had a wife & children back home in Spain. So he gets sentenced to the galleys in disgrace while Lysbeth gives birth to Montalvo's son, Adrian.
Then fast forward 20-ish years; Lysbeth is now married happily enough to Dirk, they have a son of their own, Foy (who's really the chief protagonist of the book) and his giant, red-bearded Frisian servant Martin, and Adrian who has grown up to be kind of bratty and petulant, presumably on account of his Hot Latin Blood(tm).
And the situation over the intervening decades has only gotten worse for the Dutch, presumably on account of some of that history of which I'm so ignorant, and onto the scene in fairly short order come one Elsa (a very attractive young girl, daughter of one of Dirk's childhood friends and, not coincidentally, heir to her father's astonishing fortune, which needs to be spirited away from the aforementioned Spaniards) and one Ramiro, a one-eyed agent of the Inquisition who seems strangely familiar.
And since that's where the story really starts in earnest, I don't think I'll say too much more the details. But this is Haggard writing a more action-packed story, so there are sword fights, narrow escapes from the Inquisition, deadly maritime chases through the isles and channels surrounding Leyden, and plenty of true love's course not running at all smoothly.
And since this is Haggard, you have absolutely no doubt where his sympathies lie (HINT: Not with the Spanish and the Catholics), and I can't speak to how accurately he portrays the larger swirl of history through which our heroes are moving, but I did thoroughly enjoy the book moreso than I have with some of the preceding novels of his that I've read in recent years.
March 17, 2020
Well, This is my second book by Haggard. Now, before those of you who grew up loving this book get upset at anything I'm about to say, please be aware I am reading the original book. I understand there was a very good edition done that was updated for the modern sensibilities.
Anyway. Haggard's writing is amazing and draws you in. It is fast-paced and fun. This story was pretty violent. I mean, (items hidden for those who would rather not know.
Language is sprinkled throughout and a couple of times it is unclear if a person is truly evoking God's name or taking it in vain.
This was a nice one time read and probably captured the violence of the time better than most modern books. However, it just wasn't my favorite.
Anyway. Haggard's writing is amazing and draws you in. It is fast-paced and fun. This story was pretty violent. I mean, (items hidden for those who would rather not know.
Language is sprinkled throughout and a couple of times it is unclear if a person is truly evoking God's name or taking it in vain.
This was a nice one time read and probably captured the violence of the time better than most modern books. However, it just wasn't my favorite.
August 12, 2009
Despite his morbid fascination with severed fingers (in both "The Pearl Maiden" & "Lysbeth"!), H. Rider Haggard writes splendid historical fiction! I suppose being a guy and writing long and sometimes sentimental novels he has to interject some sort of masculine ick factor, but it wouldn't be any loss if he had left it out...
This is an excellent story about a tragic but important time in church history.
This is an excellent story about a tragic but important time in church history.
January 30, 2008
This is one of the most incredible historical fiction books I have ever read. I loved it! What more can I say, other than, I would recommend this book to absolutly anyone who loves historical fiction, beautiful romance, and stunning adventure.
August 8, 2019
Henry Rider Haggard is an author of the Victorian era. The story is the Spanish inquisition set in the Netherlands and some might find the violence disturbing. The writing is of the era in which it was written some vocabulary is dated.
The story is interesting historical fiction.
The story is interesting historical fiction.
April 4, 2013
This book just got better and better! I loved the history and adventure and romance and violence and betrayal. Classic good versus evil and heroic deeds. Great free read.
August 27, 2016
The story line was decent but it was slow enough I had a hard time bogging through it.
November 30, 2021
This is a sort of historical novel. I don't know how accurate the historical context is, but some of it is likely more-or-less the way things were back in the day. The period covered is 1544 to about 1574 or so, and we're in the Netherlands.
The Spanish Inquisition has come to the Netherlands. I didn't know that Spain had a hold on the Netherlands, but I guess they did for a while. Spaniards are running amok hunting "heretics", i.e. people who were not the Roman Catholic variety of Christian, but who were finding themselves attracted to a more Lutheran interpretation of Christianity. But, for all practical purposes, the only "heretics" that mattered to the Spaniards were ones who happened to be rich. Basically, the Inquisition, in the Netherlands at least, was a con game whose real intent was to rob from the wealthy so as to make the thief wealthy himself. Chief among these "heretic fighters" was Count Don Juan de Montalvo.
Montalvo finds himself strongly attracted to Lysbeth van Hout, a lovely young heiress. She finds herself attracted to her cousin, Dirk van Goorl, a rich merchant. So, Montalvo conspires to tar van Goorl with the stain of heresy. In order to save her true love, Lysbeth consents to marry Montalvo. But...there are people lurking in the darkness who discover that Montalvo has a wife and children back in Spain. He's also involved in other nefarious things. So, disgraced, he is sent off to prison in Spain.
Because she was never really married to Montalvo, even though she did have a son with him, Lisbeth is free to marry Dirk van Goorl. And so they do and have a second son while they're at it. At issue then is whether the dark Adrian, with his "Spanish" blood, can mature into a straight and true manly man like his blond younger brother, Foy.
Well, we jump some twenty-five or so years, and the Spaniards are still hunting out "heretics", who also just happen to have oodles of money. One such bounty hunter is a high living Spaniard named Ramiro. Eventually, we learn that Ramiro is actually, Montalvo in a bit of a disguise, out after a decade or so in prison and seeking revenge (as well as oodles of wealth). One of his targets is Hendrick Brant. Hendrick has found a way to convert most of his wealth into gold and also to hide it from the authorities. His hope is to get the wealth (and his lovely daughter, Elsa) to his cousin, Dirk van Goorl. The wealth can then be used to shore up the Dutch resistance forces and thereby drive out the hated Spaniards.
Well, we have quite an adventure getting the money hidden, then transferred. Along the way we have fights and flights, and so on. H. Rider Haggard was a popular novelist around the turn of the 20th century, known for swash buckling adventure, e.g. King Solomon's Mines. Lysbeth is a worthy example of the Haggard œvre.
The Spanish Inquisition has come to the Netherlands. I didn't know that Spain had a hold on the Netherlands, but I guess they did for a while. Spaniards are running amok hunting "heretics", i.e. people who were not the Roman Catholic variety of Christian, but who were finding themselves attracted to a more Lutheran interpretation of Christianity. But, for all practical purposes, the only "heretics" that mattered to the Spaniards were ones who happened to be rich. Basically, the Inquisition, in the Netherlands at least, was a con game whose real intent was to rob from the wealthy so as to make the thief wealthy himself. Chief among these "heretic fighters" was Count Don Juan de Montalvo.
Montalvo finds himself strongly attracted to Lysbeth van Hout, a lovely young heiress. She finds herself attracted to her cousin, Dirk van Goorl, a rich merchant. So, Montalvo conspires to tar van Goorl with the stain of heresy. In order to save her true love, Lysbeth consents to marry Montalvo. But...there are people lurking in the darkness who discover that Montalvo has a wife and children back in Spain. He's also involved in other nefarious things. So, disgraced, he is sent off to prison in Spain.
Because she was never really married to Montalvo, even though she did have a son with him, Lisbeth is free to marry Dirk van Goorl. And so they do and have a second son while they're at it. At issue then is whether the dark Adrian, with his "Spanish" blood, can mature into a straight and true manly man like his blond younger brother, Foy.
Well, we jump some twenty-five or so years, and the Spaniards are still hunting out "heretics", who also just happen to have oodles of money. One such bounty hunter is a high living Spaniard named Ramiro. Eventually, we learn that Ramiro is actually, Montalvo in a bit of a disguise, out after a decade or so in prison and seeking revenge (as well as oodles of wealth). One of his targets is Hendrick Brant. Hendrick has found a way to convert most of his wealth into gold and also to hide it from the authorities. His hope is to get the wealth (and his lovely daughter, Elsa) to his cousin, Dirk van Goorl. The wealth can then be used to shore up the Dutch resistance forces and thereby drive out the hated Spaniards.
Well, we have quite an adventure getting the money hidden, then transferred. Along the way we have fights and flights, and so on. H. Rider Haggard was a popular novelist around the turn of the 20th century, known for swash buckling adventure, e.g. King Solomon's Mines. Lysbeth is a worthy example of the Haggard œvre.
October 13, 2018
Ожидаемый “пепел Клааса” не застучит в сердце читателя. Хаггард согласился рассказать историю про страдающую под пятой испанцев Голландию, не имевшую сил оказать сопротивление жестокости католической инквизиции, угнетавшей право на свободное вероисповедание. В центр повествования на краткий миг будет поставлена красавица Лисбет, желающая счастья для себя и других, но обречённая созерцать угнетающую действительность. Годы пройдут, она постареет, вырастут её дети, и уже им предстоит продолжить находить способы для противления испанцам. И вот “пепел Класса” должен был застучать, чего так и не случится. Кажется, Райдер излишне растянул события, забыв, насколько важен каждый персонаж. Все действующие лица приходили, чтобы покинуть страницы, будучи глубоко опечаленными людьми.
(c) Trounin
(c) Trounin
March 16, 2025
বইমেলা ২০২৫ এ সেবা থেকে ��্রকাশিত অনুবাদটা পড়লাম। ৪৪৫ পেজের দীর্ঘ বই। কিছুটা ইতিহাস, কিছুটা এডভেঞ্চার, কিছুটা প্রেম মিলিয়ে কাহিনী৷ মূল পটভূমিতে ক্যাথলিক আর প্রোটেস্টেন্টদের সংঘাত, সাথে নেদারল্যান্ডস আর স্পেনের রাজনৈতিক দ্বন্দ। এরই মাঝে বয়ে চলা লিসবেথ আর তার জীবনের কিছু কাহিনী। তবে মূল বইতে লিসবেথের ভূমিকা খুবই কম। বরং তার ছেলে ফয় আর ভৃত্য মার্টিনকে নিয়েই মূল কাহিনী৷ তবে লেখক কিছু চরিত্রের প্রতি একপেশে মনোভাব নিয়েছেন। বিশেষ করে ফয়ের প্রতি বেশিই সমর্থন দেখিয়েন। মোটামুটি সাদাকালো ছিলো চরিত্রগুলো। তবে আদ্রিয়ান আর ভিলেন মনটেলভাকে ভালো লেগ��ছে। ত্রিমাত্রিক চরিত্র হিসেবে। কিছু কিছু জায়গায় বেশ স্লো হয়ে গেছে কাহিনী।
অনুবাদ ভালোই। তবে জায়গায় জায়গায় অতিরিক্ত ইংরেজি শব্দের ব্যবহার বিরক্তিকর লেগেছে। এতে গল্পের ফ্লো কমে গিয়েছে বলে আমার মত।
অনুবাদ ভালোই। তবে জায়গায় জায়গায় অতিরিক্ত ইংরেজি শব্দের ব্যবহার বিরক্তিকর লেগেছে। এতে গল্পের ফ্লো কমে গিয়েছে বলে আমার মত।
May 21, 2017
Historical novel with love story about a Dutch woman who is caught up in the terrors of the Spanish Inquisition during the 1500s.
This book takes place in the Netherlands and is about Lysbeth van Hout and love triangle involving her, her true love and the the story’s arch villian who threatens her into a loveless marriage and is carried into the next generation involving her 2 children, Foy and Adrian. Starts around the year 1544 ending in 1574.
Typical of Haggard's style, the true loves face numerous trials and tribulations while the story goes on and on and on.
This book takes place in the Netherlands and is about Lysbeth van Hout and love triangle involving her, her true love and the the story’s arch villian who threatens her into a loveless marriage and is carried into the next generation involving her 2 children, Foy and Adrian. Starts around the year 1544 ending in 1574.
Typical of Haggard's style, the true loves face numerous trials and tribulations while the story goes on and on and on.
March 17, 2018
Such a good book. The ending almost made me cry. Why did Adrian have to die? I have a headcanon now that Foy and Elsa had a son they named Adrian. *sniffles*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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March 23, 2020Interesting story about a time when you could be killed for belonging to the wrong religion.
August 26, 2022
I love this better each time I read it- great story, so Christian, wonderful, inspiring, educational, and classic!
May 20, 2025
Didn’t feel like Haggard's work. The story was good but compared to his other books, it felt a bit average.
September 26, 2013
I had a hard time at first getting into this book, but my sister encouraged me to keep on- And I'm so glad I did! It was absolutely wonderful. I expected the story to be extremely dramatic and powerful, and H. Rider Haggard did not disappoint. I was pleasantly surprised by his sound biblical commentary throughout. When unlawful (in the biblical sense) things happened (things that very likely would have occurred during this tumultuous time), he does not leave the reader alone to wade through the moral dilemmas, but guides us with God's truth. I appreciated the realistic heroes and heroines- Right away I was confronted with the sins and failures of the saints. Throughout the story, they are disciplined by The Lord, chastened (often severely) and sanctified. This is an important message for anyone who has not learned, or forgets, as I do, that The Lord has called us to conflict and a cross. The one problem I had was the failure of Haggard to comment on the murderous mob at the end, when Ramiro the Villain is killed. Of course, at this point, we are all very happy to see him go- Yet, still, it was an unrighteous method of execution, at the approval of Red Martin, everyone's favorite character. A swift trial and public execution would have been easy for the author and far more believable of these principled Christians. The author goes on to justify the act as "the judgement of the people", insinuating the mob's will is law. This was shocking, as he condemns the angry mob earlier in the story (in the scene when the evil priest is murdered). We all of us have inconsistencies, and in this scene we run head first into his. I was glad to see Adrian come to repentance in the end, proving Martin's prediction ("The Sire sets the strain.") to be false, lest anyone think that grace, or reigning sin, runs in the blood.
Overall, an excellent read and one you are not likely to forget.
Overall, an excellent read and one you are not likely to forget.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2019
I should wait a while before writing this review, as I just finished the last words mere seconds ago. I may update my review later.
This is the most amazing book I have read (in a long time). I have been taking up some of those old-fashioned “coming of age” novels full of simplicity, descriptions of sunsets, and all sorts of romances. This is not that.
This has so much to it! The historical background (and foreground, frankly), the sufferings of the Christians (which was sobering to read of, as I am one of them as well), the adventure, action, scandal, betrayal, and redemption was breathtaking.
The different stories told are also cool—history pretty much repeated itself. And that is always interesting.
I was enthralled and fascinated.
Thank you Mr. Haggard for the book.
Please read this book.
PS—why hasn’t anyone made a movie out of this? I guess they’d butcher it anyway. But still.
This is the most amazing book I have read (in a long time). I have been taking up some of those old-fashioned “coming of age” novels full of simplicity, descriptions of sunsets, and all sorts of romances. This is not that.
This has so much to it! The historical background (and foreground, frankly), the sufferings of the Christians (which was sobering to read of, as I am one of them as well), the adventure, action, scandal, betrayal, and redemption was breathtaking.
The different stories told are also cool—history pretty much repeated itself. And that is always interesting.
I was enthralled and fascinated.
Thank you Mr. Haggard for the book.
Please read this book.
PS—why hasn’t anyone made a movie out of this? I guess they’d butcher it anyway. But still.
March 29, 2012
This tale of the persecution of the Protestant Dutch by their Spanish oppressors was very well written and gave one a good grasp upon the historical figures and events of the time. What really stood out to me, though, was the way that it made you "feel" with the characters. Many times, I tend to view persecution and martyrdom as far off and impersonal things. They do not live in my mind; they are not fully real. This book, along with others I have read, helped to bring home to me just how terrible the Spanish Inquisition was; what those saints suffered, not only physically, but emotionally as well, and made me pray that if ever I were called to face such hardships for Christ that He would give me the grace to trust and lean on Him as fully as those who have gone before.
The only reason that I gave this only four stars was because, in my personal, humble opinion, the Dutch were sometimes a little more violent and unforgiving than I think was Biblically justified. Just my opinion. :)
The only reason that I gave this only four stars was because, in my personal, humble opinion, the Dutch were sometimes a little more violent and unforgiving than I think was Biblically justified. Just my opinion. :)
December 6, 2016
I read an earlier review that commented on the way the book ended. Though I agree that mob justice was not a morally upright way to finish off the villain, I think Haggard was being honest to human emotions. Though in most cases I think Lysbeth and her family would have gone through with an honest trial and execution, this is one case where, if I were Lysbeth, I probably would have done the same thing. All in all, a very good read. The characters are real and multi-dimensional, and it is written in an engaging way. If you're not used to older historical fiction books like this one, it may feel like the story takes a while to get started, but once you're into it, it is very enjoyable.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 15, 2015
This book was well-written and an interesting piece of historical fiction that takes place during the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands in the 1400 and 1500s, something that I knew nothing about. It also revealed a side of H. Rider Haggard that I knew nothing about. I've always associated him with adventure novels like "King Solomon's Mines" and "She". But apparently he wrote other books like "Lysbeth" and "Pearl Maiden" that focus on people of Christian faith and their struggles to be free of persecution and oppression. Interesting...
February 22, 2020
oh. my. word. I LOVED THIS BOOK! I cannot praise it enough! The characters are remarkable, the plot is interesting and complex, and the romance and adventure are satisfying and fun. It is a long book, and a touch slow at times, but it is well worth the read, because it is a fantastic story! I would definitely recommend this to anyone 13 and up. Just beware that there is some gore, and the characters endure extreme hardship.
October 23, 2012
Okay, so I gave it three stars because it is a well writen engaging story. But it by no means is an easy to read, light hearted, and happy story. This is set during the persecution of the Dutch church, mondern comparison would be Nazis hunting Jews. There are some REALLY harsh times, and sorrow and death are frequent, though never hopeless. Don't let that scare you away, but be aware.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 20, 2014
This was a weird book, and not a good sort of weird. I didn't like the way the book was divided into two parts and the amount of time that went between the two parts. Not to give anything away, but frankly this heroine needed to stand up for herself. I grew weary of the constant "damsel's in distress" and the plot in and of itself was really just odd.
July 13, 2012
Lysbeth is an enchanting and enveloping tale of a young girl during the Spanish Inquistion. Her amazing stregnth and braveness inspires me. H. Rider Haggard has impressed me once again with his supreme ability of story-telling. With no regrets, I recommend this book 110%.
August 21, 2016
another poorly-researched, borderline-racist novel about the spanish inquisition, written by a british dude. there are some pretty passages here and there. everybody in the book is annoying or awful, even the "heroes"—ie. anyone who isn't spanish.
February 19, 2010
I have read this book twice over--I loved it so much--it is about the dutch and the spanish war and William of Orange.
December 28, 2012
This is much longer than I thought it would be. Not bad, but a little strange.
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