UK Book Club discussion
Genre Challenge 2013-15
>
Cadfael Challenge
date
newest »
newest »
I've read a few so far and enjoyed the TV series. You've got a fun challenge there. Enjoy.
Yes, I have read them all a couple of times. I do find them a bit formulaic though - someone gets murdered, young couple gets involved somehow and has to be helped with the happy ever after, someone is sneaky.
Mod
Enjoy the challenge.
Hehe yes. I like the period though and I find them easy to read.
Oh I loved the tv series, not read any of the books though. Sounds a good challenge!
The books are much better:)On number 3 now.
You're tempting me to join you now! Lol!
Mod
On number 3 now."
I thought they did a decent job of the TV series. Which of the 3 actors who played Hugh Beringer did you think was the best? In my opinion it was Sean Pertwee and I was really sorry he didn't do them all!
Oh I am not saying the TV series was bad, it wasn't I just think the books are better. It is a while since I saw the series. I keep looking at buying them but they are quite expensive for the whole lot.
Unless I'm mistaking the listing, they have the full set of DVDs for £18.75 on Amazon just now - seems quite a bargain as they have another listing of the same for £48.73 - just in case you wanted to indulge yourself further Alexandra! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cadfael-Compl...
It's definitely a series I wouldn't mind getting. I've watched a few, but would love to watch from beginning to end.
Mod
Having now read a few of them I think there is a lot more detail and supporting characters which was skimped on in the programmes, so I do agree with you. :) I may just have to head for Amazon now....
Hehe. If you can get the omnibuses. They don't seem to be on Kindle yet.DVD wise I think I saw a box set.
books soooo much better - I was very dissapointed in the TV series - I can re-read them any time esp. when feeling a bit ill - my comfort books along with G Heyer:)- sometimes we need to know all will be well in life - have them all in paperback and my sister has them all in audio so easy to pick one up and indulge - have a fun challenge would join but am racing to read 60+ years of books for the A-Z blog challenge in April:)
Well I am hoping back to fantasy for March for the Fantasy book of the month. I may well pick up a Cadfael as well though, I can get through one in a weekend.
Sir Jacobi came up in another conversation last week I had with a friend - talking about I Claudius - what a star.
have you ever been to the places she wrote about shrewsbury, Ludlow, much wenlock (mainly Shropshire as she came from dawley)
No, I would like to though. That is a very interesting time as well. I am not sure how accurate her accounts are, maybe I should look for something on the period.Helpfully the next one in the series has disappeared...
Mod
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/84... is currently running on BBC Wireless 4 Extra 1300hrs. I have previously put off reading them because I suspect I would spend my time saying, no that wouldn't happen like that back then. I have a factual book out on the Dark Ages, I am just writing a book on Alfred the Great and his legacy, and my next project is Volume 2 of my English History which covers, 1066 to Richard the Lion Heart and so covers Stephen and Maud, the setting for Cadfael.
Ellis peters says she chose the period because so little is known, it saves on research time, up to a point Lord Copper, up to a point.
Any road up I shall dig out an Ellis Peters Cadfael book (I am bound to have a couple kicking about somewhere lol), and look forward to being pleasantly surprised.
I don't know a great deal about that period as my knowledge is either earlier (Roman) or later.I enjoy the mystery although I do find them formulaic. Still if you have a formula which works why change;).
I am not sure "because not much is known" is a good excuse...but I don't read it for the history really. It is, I guess an overview more than a "this is fact" if you ask me.
What is the link to your book, sounds interesting. I might have to wait a while until the monthly money fairy comes.
I haven't found the books on Kindle as yet. I have them all but of course every time I want to read a specific one it promptly does a disappearing act and I have to buy it again or wait.
Was it really a week ago I decided to dig out a Cadfael book, in the end The Virgin in the Ice was what turned up.I actually struggled half way through, as the plot didn't grip me, and it wasn't medieval detail I found wanting but Peters' lack of experience in writing about her subject. There is a hidden bandits hideout (nothing wrong there), however it would have taken half a forest to build what they had, that is why Robin Hood just lived in the forest.
These bandits had built a fort the Conqueror would have been proud of?
I was able to work out whodunnit which is always pleasing, but the Publisher should have edited and vetoed the sort of twist at the end. Too twee and unlikley a coincidence, but hey she sells books by the boat load so must be getting something right.
I am cautious about links, I was banned from one site for just posting, and accused of spamming, as I hadn't provided any links I suspect it was the fact that my name is my dot com name, go to my profile and there is a link.
Actually John, now you mention it I do agree the whole bandit fort is a little unlikey. Someone surely should have noticed!Just finished The Sanctuary Sparrow, now the story is good, but as it was a re-read not a surprise but the copy I hade has a LOT of typos. I mean 5 in the first 5 pages alone! Missing punctuation, capitals in the wrong place, incorrect words - oven not even that sort of thing. Now I do have an ancient copy (1984) but it does annoy me a bit as indie authors get slated for their books being full of typos (which it is true some are) but to have so many in a trad pubbed book by a well known author and a well known publishing house just gets my goat a bit.
Anyway typos aside this is one of the better stories, and a very sweet love affair. I never ceases to amaze me how quickly people seem to fall in love!
Alexandra, you are quite correct, I was slated (for good reason) over the punctuation, and I had gone through the whole book numerous times. But for an established Publisher to make these mistakes is unforgivable.I visited a friend at the other side of the Pennines this weekend and so diverted into every Charity shop going out and coming back, and strangely not a single Cadfael. Not a decent book full stop, but I shall look out for Sanctuary.
My copy is pretty old so hopefully later editions fix the issues. The story is good in that one.
Mod
A Morbid Taste for Bones and Dead Man's Ransom have scenes set in Wales. Of those two the former is probably the better bet.If you are looking for Ireland I think the Sister Fidelmis books are Irish.
Mod
December is going to be a Cadfael month for me, I'll be reading Ellis Peters as my bed-side table author. :0)
don't forget the book a rare benedictine which chronicles cadfael before he became a monk
Yes, that is one to remember. My copy has vanished, no clue where. Just gone:(
I think I might have to do this challenge - I've read some of A Morbid Taste for Bones and enjoyed it, and as I'm on a historical crime fiction kick at the moment I may well read some Cadfael. Only seen part of the TV programme but I thought it was quite good.
I didn't finish in 2013 but I'll finish up this year. Good luck Laura, hope you enjoy them.
Yes that is a good one. My copy has mysteriously vanished.
UK Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Hermit of Eyton Forest (other topics)The Rose Rent (other topics)
The Rose Rent (other topics)
The Raven in the Foregate (other topics)
Dead Man's Ransom (other topics)
More...
So far
A Morbid Taste for Bones
One Corpse Too Many
Monk's Hood
St. Peter's Fair
The Leper of Saint Giles
The Virgin in the Ice
The Sanctuary Sparrow
The Devil's Novice
Dead Man's Ransom
The Pilgrim of Hate
An Excellent Mystery
The Raven in the Foregate
The Rose Rent
The Hermit of Eyton Forest