The Illuminator

I was first attracted by the beautiful cover of this book. I was later rather pleased to find that the story within was as rich and deserved its elaborate covering since the story in itself was immensely interesting and beautifully spun out throughout the book. Though mainly fictional, the story intertwines various historical figures and events of late thirteenth century British history. It does it in a literally artful way, and helps establish various perspectives and attitudes of the time, as does any historical fiction worth its salt. Though at one point I was beginning to think the story was using the stylistic devices of Shakespearian tragedy by killing off almost all of the characters, the work redeemed itself by the end and I realized that death in itself was far more apart of 13th century common everyday life than it is today. The settings described gave rather detailed mental visuals for the reader which helped immensely in the placing of characters. The portrait of daily life showed that whether lord or serf, life was difficult regardless of rank in a feudal society. Both sides were always being threatened, whether by a coomon foe, ie. the CHURCH, or by a progressive stage of changes that were inevitable. Overall a great quick read that will give one a glimpse into the rich past that mayhap become forgotten easily.

This is a first novel, and I wish it had been better marketed. I have done a lot of research into English History and the Protestant Reformation in England. Much attention has been given to Henry the Eighth, his scism with Rome and his much misunderstood search for an heir to solidify his family's hold on the throne. However, before Henry, there was Wycliffe and the people who followed his lead. We never really see Wycliffe, but we follow the impact he is making on the English citizenry. Power corrupts and etc. etc. So it was with the Christian church in the preReformation period. Ms. Vantrease not only covers this situation well, but she explains the position of all the citizenry. The peasants, in spite of their sad position in society, had it easiest because they had no hope until the teachings of this new look at Christianity made them begin to believe in themselves. But the threat of loss of lands and property to whims of the King and the Church kept everyone, even nobility balancing on the edge of a knife. Ms. Vantrease explains this balance well, and she relates the levels of society in such a way as to make us realize how valuable democracy really is. One of the other characters in her book and one who is seen much more fully is the Anchoress known as Julian of Norwich. Dame Julian's writings are wonderful in their own right, but the fact that she was one of the first people to write in English, to visualize Christ as a muliti faceted figure and had the trust in her God which allowed her to stand against the powerful Bishop of Norwich makes her a worthy subject for deeper study. This is a first novel, but I look forward to reading more of Ms. Vantrease's work in the future.

The Illuminator is extremely well written and I was thoroughly engrossed during my journey. Many historical fictions sound like the History Channel. This well-researched book's narration blended like an additional character with a personality. The author's extraordinary use of the English language made the pages come alive. Prepare to escape to fourteenth century England.

It's an intriguing and lovely image: an artist bent over the pages of a manuscript, transforming pages of words into works of art with brushes and paint. More still if the pages the artist is illuminating are those of the first translation of the Bible into English--a task done, at no small risk, against the edicts of church and state. But this richly textured and well-researched novel does so much more than deliver an interesting and evocative historical story--though THE ILLUMINATOR does that well, too. Brenda Rickman Vantrease's characters come alive on the page and nearly walk off it, from brave Lady Kathryn and the charming Finn--the Illuminator of the title--to Finn's daughter Rose, the midget Half-Tom, Kathryn's sons, the Archbishop, and even the kitchen staff. There is love and intrigue, art and religion, a dead husband and a dead priest--not to mention lovely writing throughout and an ending that will leave you in tears. A wonderful read!