Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion
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Conscience of the King
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MAY 2014 (Group Read 1): Conscience of the King by Alfred Duggan
I'm going to try to read this one in May. There are a couple of copies and all are still in at the library, so I'm going to wait and pick it up after 1 May.
Would love to read this one! Alas, it is almost impossible to find--my library can order it but it has a wait-list of 3 months.
Erika wrote: "Would love to read this one! Alas, it is almost impossible to find--my library can order it but it has a wait-list of 3 months."This is a problem for sure. It is readily available as an ebook, but finding a paper copy is going to be difficult. There are a lot of cheap used copies on Amazon though..if folks are comfortable with buying used.
I wish I had time to join in on this one - Duggan is one of my favorite authors. I've only read his Roman fiction so far, but this is bound to be a good one also. He's also written non-fiction history. Here are the Roman books.
(aka
) about the founding of Rome
about the Octavian/Antony/Lepidus triumvirate
about the abandonment of Britain by Rome in the 400s
about the emperor Elagabalus
about Crassus' ill-fated campaign against the Parthians
Thanks, for listing those, Vicki.
Well, I went to have the book shipped to my local library branch and they no longer have it listed. I'll have to see if they've put it up for sale at the Central branch. *sigh*
I hate that, it's like going to look for a book to find the only copy has gone missing.....so frustrating!!
I got a copy in my hand. My gosh! It was printed in 1951. The pages are all yellowish brown.
Lia wrote: "I got a copy in my hand. My gosh! It was printed in 1951. The pages are all yellowish brown."If it's a paperback from back then, 999 out of 1000 it will be brown or foxed. They didn't print paperbacks on the right kind of paper back then. I don't think paperbacks then were meant to last. I've been burned like that too with other books that I struggled to read then gave away.
@Jane: This one is hard cover but without dust jacket. No ISBN#. The inside cover gave the info about printed year (MCMLI) and the Publishing House (Faber and Faber Limited) and New York distribution house (Coward-McCann). Judging from the stamp inside library pouch in the back cover, the last time someone borrowed this was Feb 10, 1999.
Hmmmm, that's sounds unusual with a hardback. I've gotten others by Duggan and they were all ok. The only one I kept though after reading it was the one on Elagabalus.
Other then the color and the smell, the book still in a very good condition. The binding still very strong. What surprised me was the thickness of the papers. It will be fun to flip the pages while I am reading.
Anybody else starting this one yet?
Lia wrote: "Anybody else starting this one yet?"I just dug it out for a reread. 'Looking forward to reconnecting.
Steven wrote: "Lia wrote: "Anybody else starting this one yet?"I just dug it out for a reread. 'Looking forward to reconnecting."
Great! I hope more will join soon. :)
Lia wrote: "Steven wrote: "Lia wrote: "Anybody else starting this one yet?"I just dug it out for a reread. 'Looking forward to reconnecting."
Great! I hope more will join soon. :)"
As do I.
Lia wrote: "Anybody else starting this one yet?"I am about 1/4 way through right now and I have to say that I am really enjoying it thus far!
I am reading with a lot of googling. To be honest, I did not know if the Saxon was named after their weapon of choice.
I really wish I could have located a copy of this. I was really interested in reading it.
@Darcy: So far, this book is in 4-5 stars range for me. Very enjoyable.
Curious if there are good source of informations about Noviomagus hill-forts. I've been googling it but could not find satisfactory one.
I think they're similar to Oppida (Oppidum - singular), and there's more archaeology done on Oppida. The only really good data I know of for Noviomaguses are in Dutch.
Querying 'Oppida' was better. I found this that caught my attention;http://historyguru.com.au/Celts-of-Ga...
I like to read everything I can from the Anglo-Saxon period, so this one has been on my "to read" list for a while now. The May discussion here is a great opportunity to finally read it.None of the local libraries had a copy of this. I ordered one of the cheap Amazon copies as soon as it was announced as the May book, and I'm now on chapter 2. So far I am enjoying it, but of course I have barely started.
If the lack of any library holdings in a reasonably large city is any indication, this book is not generally popular, at least not in this part of Texas. I wonder if the relative unpopularity of the book is due to Duggan's choice to choose a rather unsympathetic and amoral character as the protagonist. I guess we don't really know much about the real Cerdic, but Duggan's portrayal at least seems plausible.
I would have liked to read this one too. Unfortunately no cheap used copies available with cheap postage in Australia. :(
I am about 3/4 way through this book now. One thing that has stood out to me is the lack of actual dialogue. It is actually refreshing. I understand it is a memoir and it is a told from the point of view of Cerdic when he is old but when you look at other books told in the same way (Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles) there is much more dialogue. Like I said though, it is refreshing. I sometimes like to read just straight story that detail everything but conversations.
I do really like some dialogue, but if a book is done well with limited dialogue I give it much respect. It is not easy to do well.
As I began the read I did not find Cerdic very likable. How far into the book did ya'll read before finding some empathy for him?
Have been giving my attention first to Burnable Book since that is due soon at the library, so am really no further along than a few days ago. But I finished BB today, so I should be getting further into Conscience of a King very soon.As of right now (still in chapter 2), I'm not feeling much empathy for Cerdic.
Steven wrote: "As I began the read I did not find Cerdic very likable. How far into the book did ya'll read before finding some empathy for him?"By the time I started chapter 3, I found him likeable. I think, I understood his motivation by now and this will undermine my judgment of his character down the line.
I always assume that only the Norse performed 'Blood Eagle', but here we were told that the Saxon were practicing it too.
Just to add my two cents worth: I read this (along with the other books in Duggan's 'Wessex trilogy' ie
and
) 25+ years ago.The impression that has remained of this novel is the amount of treachery. The other thing is that Duggan's origins for Cerdic no longer seem as far-fetched as when I first read it.
This flew under my radar somehow (which probably wouldn't happen if I spent less time trying to be a comedian/wise-ass in other discussions and paid more attention to Terri's emails ;) )....looking for copy now.
Geoff wrote: "Just to add my two cents worth: I read this (along with the other books in Duggan's 'Wessex trilogy' ie and ) 25+..."Your two cents are always welcome Geoff.
Sceadugenga wrote: "This flew under my radar somehow (which probably wouldn't happen if I spent less time trying to be a comedian/wise-ass in other discussions and paid more attention to Terri's emails ;) )....looking..."Dude, you shouldn't ignore my emails. There are very important things about books in my emails. Ignore them at your own risk.!.. :)
Terri wrote: "Sceadugenga wrote: "This flew under my radar somehow (which probably wouldn't happen if I spent less time trying to be a comedian/wise-ass in other discussions and paid more attention to Terri's em..."LOL....half-assed reading rather than ignoring
Lia wrote: "Steven wrote: "As I began the read I did not find Cerdic very likable. How far into the book did ya'll read before finding some empathy for him?"By the time I started chapter 3, I found him likea..."
Yes, by 3 or 4 for me, too.
This is really slow out of the starting gate....please tell me it picks up. I think I've gotten too used to Giles Kristian.
Sceadugenga wrote: "This is really slow out of the starting gate....please tell me it picks up. I think I've gotten too used to Giles Kristian."You are out of luck if you are hoping this is going to be like Giles'. I think, the major reason for this was the central character's personality. Giles's Raven has a "do it now, think later" mentality, while Duggan's Cedric was a very calculating and self centered person. :)
Alfred Duggan, Giles Kristian.
Lia wrote: "Sceadugenga wrote: "This is really slow out of the starting gate....please tell me it picks up. I think I've gotten too used to Giles Kristian."You are out of luck if you are hoping this is going..."
Agreed on both.
On page 200, Cedric mentioned about "... a great throw of double or quits....", I wonder if he was referring this to the game of dice. I did google around and this is what I foundhttps://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doubl....
I don't think Cedric knows about Solitaire back then.
For some reason I keep typing Cedric instead of Cerdic. :(
Lia wrote: "On page 200, Cedric mentioned about "... a great throw of double or quits....", I wonder if he was referring this to the game of dice. I did google around and this is what I foundhttps://en.m.wiki..."
I thought dice. 'The great throw' was a clue for me. The only card game I know that throws is 52 Card Pick Up. :o)
Steven wrote: "Lia wrote: "Steven wrote: "As I began the read I did not find Cerdic very likable. How far into the book did ya'll read before finding some empathy for him?"By the time I started chapter 3, I fou..."
Steven wrote: "Lia wrote: "Steven wrote: "As I began the read I did not find Cerdic very likable. How far into the book did ya'll read before finding some empathy for him?"
By the time I started chapter 3, I fou..."
Finished Ch 3 today, and still not finding Cerdic likable. I understand him better than at the beginning, but at this point, he is really not a very sympathetic character at all.
Many books lead you to root for the protagonist at some level, even when the protagonist's faults are clearly visible. This book does not really do that, at least not as of this point in the book (beginning of Ch 4).
Aly wrote: "Steven wrote: "Lia wrote: "Steven wrote: "As I began the read I did not find Cerdic very likable. How far into the book did ya'll read before finding some empathy for him?"By the time I started c..."
It gets a little better a little further along. I wondered if Duggan himself really liked the guy. Wait till you see how Duggan writes Arthur.
Steven wrote: "The only card game I know that throws is 52 Card Pick Up. :o) ..."LOL. Yeah, me too. :)
Steven wrote: "... The only card game I know that throws is 52 Card Pick Up. :o) "Ha ha ha. Were you the thrower or the picker? :D
Here it is the last day of May, and I finally finished it and posted my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction
Books mentioned in this topic
The King of Athelney (other topics)The Cunning of the Dove (other topics)
The King of Athelney (other topics)
The Cunning of the Dove (other topics)
Founding Fathers (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Alfred Duggan (other topics)Giles Kristian (other topics)
Conscience of the King by Alfred Duggan
Cerdic Elesing, King of Wessex and ancestor of all subsequent British monarchs, narrates in this fictional biography how he murdered, cheated, looted and lied his way to the great position he ultimately held - and in the process served with the great Roman leader Ambrosius and the Saxon warlord Aella, and was the foe Arthur defeated at Mount Badon.