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Born to rule Although born to rule, Aidan lives as a scribe in a remote Irish monastery on the far, wild edge of Christendom. Secure in work, contemplation, and dreams of the wider world, a miracle bursts into Aidan's quiet life. He is chosen to accompany a small band of monks on a quest to the farthest eastern reaches of the known world, to the fabled city of Byzantium, where they are to present a beautiful and costly hand-illuminated manuscript, the Book of Kells, to the Emperor of all Christendom. Thus begins an expedition by sea and over land, as Aidan becomes, by turns, a warrior and a sailor, a slave and a spy, a Viking and a Saracen, and finally, a man. He sees more of the world than most men of his time, becoming an ambassador to kings and an intimate of Byzantium's fabled Golden Court. And finally this valiant Irish monk faces the greatest trial that can confront any man in any age: commanding his own Destiny.… (more)
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LibraryThing member atimco
Stephen Lawhead's Byzantium tells the story of a young monk, Aidan, who is captured by Vikings while traveling to Byzantium with a beautiful manuscript. Unfortunately I can't go into any more details about the plot because I dropped the book a little less than halfway through.
I know that first
Turns out I could. On page 328 of 870, I had to concede defeat. There is something about Lawhead's prose that I just don't like. Maybe it's the sporadic attempts to sound Irish (every now and then prefacing a statement with "Sure, and") or just the way the story dragged. When a book starts feeling like a chore to pick up, it's time to put it down.
So I don't think I'll be picking up another Lawhead book any time soon. Maybe I should just start trusting my first impressions!
I know that first
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impressions can be deceiving, but lately it seems all my negative first impressions of authors and books — which I have tried to change with rereads and an open mind — have been correct. I remember reading some of Lawhead's fantasy in high school and not really finding anything memorable there. It was passable stuff, acceptable fodder for a young reader scouring the slim shelves of a provincial library, but I remember very little of it and have never had a desire to revisit his work. A recent enthusiastic recommendation for Byzantium determined me to try this author once again. After all, I couldn't explicitly trust the literary impressions I formed in high school, could I?Turns out I could. On page 328 of 870, I had to concede defeat. There is something about Lawhead's prose that I just don't like. Maybe it's the sporadic attempts to sound Irish (every now and then prefacing a statement with "Sure, and") or just the way the story dragged. When a book starts feeling like a chore to pick up, it's time to put it down.
So I don't think I'll be picking up another Lawhead book any time soon. Maybe I should just start trusting my first impressions!
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LibraryThing member littlebookworm
Not really as good as I'd hoped. I found the resolution of the novel extremely questionable, but to say more would invite spoilers. Aidan's questioning is sometimes frustrating, because he seems oblivious, and I knew the resolution had to come sometime. The Vikings definitely steal the show, as
Except for the corruption, I found the portrayal of early medieval society in every way jarred with my own conceptions derived from history. This didn't bother me that much, but I would not really count on this as a historical novel, especially considering the characters are not history.
I also found the small love story to be completely unbelievable, as there was absolutely no basis for it, and it seemed pointless regarding the plot anyway, except for some minor point.
I did like this book though, I enjoyed the adventure and I liked Aidan. Most of the events were unpredictable, even though Aidan's dreams provided some foreshadowing. I liked Aidan's relationships with his friends and could clearly see how they developed. I probably won't read it again, but I'm happy that I read it to begin with.
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they are so surprisingly lovable.Except for the corruption, I found the portrayal of early medieval society in every way jarred with my own conceptions derived from history. This didn't bother me that much, but I would not really count on this as a historical novel, especially considering the characters are not history.
I also found the small love story to be completely unbelievable, as there was absolutely no basis for it, and it seemed pointless regarding the plot anyway, except for some minor point.
I did like this book though, I enjoyed the adventure and I liked Aidan. Most of the events were unpredictable, even though Aidan's dreams provided some foreshadowing. I liked Aidan's relationships with his friends and could clearly see how they developed. I probably won't read it again, but I'm happy that I read it to begin with.
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LibraryThing member sirfurboy
This is the story of St Aidan, written with Lawhead's usual talent for evoking a real feeling for the age and a love for the characters. Aidan and a group of other monks travel from Ireland to Byzantium to hand deliver an exquisitely illuminated manuscript to the emperor - the famous book of Kells.
Lawhead describes the various people's well. He does not romanticise the vikings, for instance, but paints them with all their barbarity as seen through the eyes of the Irish monk. And yet as the book progresses, these characters become some of the most wonderful that Lawhead has written, and you feel regret to wave them good bye at the end of this story.
Lawhead's research into his novels is extensive, but usually there are areas where experts on the subject would tell us that things were not quite the way they are set out. This is a fictional work, and sometimes the facts of history are massaged a little to make a better tale. But even with this in mind, this story is a wonderful historical narrative too, and most readers must surely come away with a better feel for the period than they had before they started.
All in all I think this is perhaps one of the author's best works, and thoroughly recommended.
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But disaster overtakes them and Aidan is captured by vikings and taken into slavery.Lawhead describes the various people's well. He does not romanticise the vikings, for instance, but paints them with all their barbarity as seen through the eyes of the Irish monk. And yet as the book progresses, these characters become some of the most wonderful that Lawhead has written, and you feel regret to wave them good bye at the end of this story.
Lawhead's research into his novels is extensive, but usually there are areas where experts on the subject would tell us that things were not quite the way they are set out. This is a fictional work, and sometimes the facts of history are massaged a little to make a better tale. But even with this in mind, this story is a wonderful historical narrative too, and most readers must surely come away with a better feel for the period than they had before they started.
All in all I think this is perhaps one of the author's best works, and thoroughly recommended.
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LibraryThing member nolak
Aidan was supposed to be a king, but when the Danes conquered, he became a scribe in an Irish monastery. Then he is asked to take the Book of Kells to the Emperor of all Christendom in the Golden Court of Byzantium. He experiences many things on the way there and during his time there. A great
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historical novel of a little known time and place. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kirconnell
A whopper of a book, it tallys in at over 700 pages. The reader travels from Ireland to Byzantium and back again. The book chronicles the adventures of a group of Irish monks who go to Medieval Byzantium to deliver a beautiful handcrafted Bible to the emperor. Lots of action and history covered. I
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wasn't sure that I would make it through, but I persevered (just as the monks do) and am now glad that I did. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisaMaria_C
This is a door-stopper of a book, a first person narrative of a 10th Century Irish monk, Aidan, and his pilgrimage to Byzantium in the course of which he'll become "a slave, a spy, a sailor" going from a monk's robes to a slave's rags and collar to "the silken robes of a Sarazen prince." This book
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is on a fantasy rec list, is found in the fantasy section in the store and is by a fantasy writer--but I wouldn't call it fantasy despite a few prophetic dreams. Rather it's a work of pure historical fiction based on a real historical figure. I felt it got to a slow start, it became a page-turner about a hundred pages in, but it grew more and more engrossing as it went on--both adventure and mystery with a dollop of romance featuring memorable characters and an interesting insight into the appeal of Christianity (but not in a preachy way, I promise, even though a crisis of faith is at the center of the book.) Show Less
LibraryThing member Shimmin
Very long, but very good. All of 650 pages! It recounts the life and adventures of an Irish monk sent on a pilgrimage. The adventures themselves would be pretty interesting, but I think one of the strongest points of the book is the way it portrays people. Characters of all peoples and lands are
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depicted as people, capable of both goodness and vileness, and there are ever-shifting relationships between them all. Aidan, the viewpoint character, seems an excellent depiction of someone experiencing marvels, undergoing horrific hardships, and losing his faith on account of his experiences before finally recovering it. The book itself doesn't reveal just who he is until the end, but I spoiled myself for that by accidentally seeing something on the last page - I recommend avoiding it, as it'll make the developments less striking. Although the book is pretty violent and emotionally tough at times, I didn't feel it was a problem, and in some ways it felt less unpleasant than some books with less violence (The Kite Rider, say). I wouldn't like to read anything else along these lines for a while, I'm feeling the need of a gentler read, but I feel like this one was worth it. And I will be keeping an eye out for further Lawhead books. Show Less
LibraryThing member Pennylane63
The best book I ever read.
I leared a lot about the spread of Christianity during the time of Constantinople
I leared a lot about the spread of Christianity during the time of Constantinople
LibraryThing member bicyclewriter
I vacillated a lot during the reading of this book. There were times it was very dry and slow, and other times when the author did a great job of building and engaging characters. There were times it was a 5-star book for me, and times it was a 2-star book for me. One thing it did well was to share
I'll certainly try another book by this author.
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the main character's struggle with Faith - from a high to a low. I was a bit disappointed at the end when the character just "fell back into" faith through what felt to me like a cliche of Christian doctrine. There was deep work and life that tore the character's Faith from him, and if he is really to reclaim it in any significant way, I guess I'd want to experience that same depth of life and experience. Otherwise, it just feels like a cheap choice. Of course, it seems there was an actual historical figure behind the fiction, and if that's the case, perhaps the author felt justified in the simplified version if it's all the history gave him.I'll certainly try another book by this author.
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ISBN
0061092967 / 9780061092961