The Earl

by Cecelia Holland

Book Overview

At the end of the long anarchy of King Stephen's reign in England, in the twelfth century, an Anglo-Norman baron connives and conspires, while struggling with troubles in his personal life. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394461894
• ISBN13: 9780394461892
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
• Length: 301 Pages
• Weight: 1.24 lbs.

Customer Reviews

One of THE best historical novels about medieval England

I've been a great fan (and avid collector) of Holland's historical novels for a couple of decades. This is her sixth, and still one of her best. As usual in her earlier work, Holland shows you great and dramatic events through the eyes of a minor figure. This time, the drama is the late stages of the civil war in England (c.1150) between Stephen of Blois (who had himself anointed king by his brother, the Bishop of Winchester) and Henry Plantagenet, son of the Empress Maud (who was the daughter of King Henry I and had been designated his successor). The viewpoint-character is Fulk de Bruyere, Earl of Stafford -- an Honour which didn't exist at this time, but easily could have. Fulk is a very intelligent, complex, shrewd man who worries about his sons, sometimes acts impulsively, is able to laugh at himself, and is quite aware of his own failings. Prince Henry, very learned at a young age, is also very full of himself but his blazing charisma and psychological subtlety overshadow most of the warrior aristocracy. The earls of Chester, Pembroke, and Leicester (especially) are very individual in style and personality, and so is Fulk's son and heir, Rannulf. Only Fulk's outlawed uncle, Thierry Ironhand, never quite comes completely alive for me, perhaps because we only see him through Fulk's eyes -- and Fulk hates him. Holland does great battle scenes, especially on a small scale, which are noted for their bottom-up viewpoint and understated verisimilitude, but her real joy is the convolutions of medieval politics, of which she displays a very sure grasp. (A taste I share, which is partly why I like her stuff so much.) Holland is known for her spare, unadorned, incisive narrative style, filled with physical, emotional, and intellectual tension. Her unblinking grasp of the often harsh details of life in the distant -- or recent -- past is impeccable and her depiction of it is meticulous. She has the knack of showing how even the strangest of strange worlds makes perfect sense to those immersed in it. Her characters always converse in a semi-colloquial English rather than the self-conscious antique style of Sir Walter Scott, giving the reader the impression of listening in on a conversation in the speakers' own vernacular. Only occasionally in this book are you told, subtly, that Fulk and his fellow earls are (of course) speaking French. Every few years, I work my way once more through this author's mostly extraordinary body of work again, and every time I find something new to appreciate.

A Historical Novel worth the time to read!

What a terrific insight into history! The main character, Fulk, Earl of Stafford, was so deep and so very human with his conflicting emotions concerning family and his political affairs. He brought this story to life! I really have never learned so much about Henry II before. It was a great tale from different point of view. LOVED IT!

One of the great historical novels

The Earl tells the story of an Anglo-Norman nobleman during the struggle for the English crown involving King Stephen and Henry Plantagenet (later Henry II, husband of Eleanor of Aquitaine). This conflict saw a large number of these nobles changing sides constantly to increase their possessions. However, the protagonist, Fulk of Stafford, remains loyal to his chosen candidate for the throne. In this novel, Cecelia Holland creates memorable characters and brings the period vividly to life. This is a book I have read and re-read, both for its fine historical detail and its absorbing, complex characters. It cannot be recommended too highly for lovers of historical fiction.