The Man in Black

by Stanley J. Weyman

"I am Jehan de Bault, Seigneur of -- I know not where, and Lord of seventeen lordships in the County of -- I forget the name, of a most noble and puissant family, possessing the High Justice, the Middle, and the Low. In my veins runs the blood of Roland, and of my forefathers were three marshals of France. I stand here, the last of my race; in token whereof may God preserve my mother, the King, France, and this Province! I was stolen by gypsies at the age of five, and carried off and sold by my father's steward, as Joseph was by his brethren, and I appeal to -- I appeal to -- all good subjects of France to -- help me to --" "My rights!" interjected Crafty Eyes, with a savage glance. "My rights," the boy whispered, lowering his head.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1894

About the author

Admired by renowned authors such as Stevenson, Wilde, and Rafael Sabatini, Stanley John Weyman is today a forgotten literary giant of the late 19th century. While for years his best-selling historical romances enchanted thousands of readers, today his books are mostly neglected.

Stanley Weyman (pronounced Wyman) was the second of three sons born to solicitor Thomas Weyman and his wife Mary Maria Black on August 7, 1855, at 54 Broad Street, Ludlow, Shropshire. He attended King Edward VI Grammar School, Shrewsbury School (after age 16) and obtained a second class degree in Modern History at Christ Church, Oxford in 1877. As History Master at King's School, Chester, he served under his future brother-in-law, Rev'd. George Preston.

In Ludlow in 1879 he read for the Bar and was called in 1881, to begin a disappointing law career with Weyman, Weyman and Weyman, the family law firm. He has been described as nervous, shy, short in height and a poor cross-examiner and was said to have angered a judge because of these shortcomings. It is to our blessing that Weyman's law career was unsatisfactory. As a result, he was able to devote his ample spare time to writing. James Payn, editor of Cornhill Magazine, encouraged him to tackle larger literary works. The House of the Wolf was serialized in the English Illustrated Magazine in 1888/89 and was published in 1890 after Weyman contacted literary agent, A. P. Watt. This first book received no less than six rejections by publishers. Two additional books, The New Rector and The Story of Francis Cludde, were published in 1891 and these allowed him to become a full-time novelist.

Beginning his professional literary career in middle age, Weyman had a lifetime of experience to share including the insights gained from his extensive travels. On one notable vacation in the south of France in 1886, for a "weakness in the lungs" in the company of his younger brother Arthur, both were arrested as spies for sketching and crossing the border into Spain. They were detained for 24 hours until the British Ambassador helped them.

Experiences such as these are reflected in his novels. Stanley Weyman was a man of few words but those that were given were meant to be savoured. As an author, he had an uncanny way of using precisely the correct phrase. With his eloquent and extraordinary use of language, he painted a vivid picture of life and human emotion. His work is finely honed by a razor sharp mind that combines the skill of a great storyteller and an Oxford scholar's love of history.

Weyman's fame stands on the foundation of his historical, romantic fiction. The 15 novels written between 1890 and 1904 are set amidst the turmoil of 16th and 17th century France. Weyman was one of the first authors to 'cast the romance of adventure' in the historical framework. He was able to resurrect the great heroes and bring them to life by his loving hand. This author claimed: "The graves of our heroes--the real heroes--move us; the doors through which the famous dead have passed are sacred to us." Stanley Weyman regarded himself as fortunate that the timing of his early novels followed closely the popular historical fiction of Alexandre Dumas in France.

Reviews

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travel back to 1600s France with a poor boy of twelve, Jehan, cuffed and beaten and made to work for the benefit of others. The man in black proves to be the cruelest of all, and when Jehan’s one act of independence results in deadly consequences, how many will be affected?

[Sepide · Rating 3 out of 5]

داستان درباره پسربچه ای ۱۲ ساله ای است که در پاریس به کار نمایش و دوره گردی با مردی بدجنس و روباه صفت مشغول است تا اینکه مردی با لباس سراپا سیاه او را از چنگال مرد بیرون می اورد و با خود همراه میکند مردی که ستاره شناسی با شغلی شوم است .
اول از همه ، طراحی های کتاب خیلی قشنگ هستن . دوم اینکه نثر روونی داره و خیلی کوتاهه. درکل داستان قشنگیه و از اون رمان هایی که نقطه اوج بانمکی داره و با اینکه یه سری نقطات در پایان هم مجهول میمونه اما همچنان در توصیف این اثر میشه از کلمه دوست داشتنی استفاده کرد .
و اینکه مقدمه رو خیلی دوست داشتم خیلی جالب بود
پیشنهاد میکنم برای کسی که دوست داره یه چیز کوتاه بخونه که اوقات خوبی رو سپری کنه .
پایان ۳۱ خرداد ۱۴۰۴

[Jared Estes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thus far I have read about 8-10 Stanley Weyman books and oddly enough I have to say that this is probably his best along with Gentleman Of France. I say oddly, because this book is quite odd for a Stanley J. Weyman book in that the tale is not one of swashbuckling romance as so many of his greats are; though there are parallels in his writings (for instance, Little Wizard).

Like his later book A Little Wizard this book follows the tale of a young boy (12) who has an unlucky streak of fortune, but as with all Weyman book's it turns out alright in the end for him.

I rank this up there as one of his best books because there is not one lull throughout the entire book... During my brief week of reading it, I was dying to turn to the next page and highly disappointed when I was too tired or had something else to do. The story is engaging, terrifying and suspenseful and as I said, though it us unusual for a Weyman book, it is also one of his best.

[Ralph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good historical fiction makes you feel as if you were then and there while you are reading it. This book does that. Why 3 stars instead of 4? Although it paints a vivid picture, it is short. Too short. It ended without a sense of completeness and satisfaction. Still, I highly recommend Weyman if you care for historical fiction.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another of this 19th century author's really enjoyable books. Yes they were dated, but they still made a really good read