Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
München : Wilhelm Heyne, 2003. 15. Aufl. Taschenbuch,
574 S.
Description
A story spanning centuries. A long awaited revenge. In London, journalist Jo Clifford plans to debunk the belief in past-lives in a hard-hitting magazine piece. But her scepticism is shaken when a hypnotist forces her to relive the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, a noblewoman during the reign of King John. She learns of Matilda's unhappy marriage, her love for the handsome Richard de Clare, and the brutal death threats handed out by King John, before it becomes clear that Jo's past and present are inevitably entwined. She realises that eight hundred years on, Matilda's story of secret passion and unspeakable treachery is about to repeat itself... Barbara Erskine's iconic debut novel still delights generations of readers thirty years after its first publication.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member soliloquies
Recently re-read this in the updated 25th anniversary version with the added 'What happened next' short story. It's an epic story charting the dual lives of Jo Clifford and Matilda de Braose centred around regression. Whilst you cannot fault the story telling abilities of Erskine some of the
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characterisation rankles. *spoiler* I'm not certain how many modern women who had been beaten/raped by their ex would be willing to let them back into their lives, but this is what happens to Jo. It doesn't ring true and that is the major thing that annoys me about the book.*/spoiler* That aside it is an interesting tale with great historic detail. For me, the added short story adds nothing to the overall storyline. Show Less
LibraryThing member ElizabethChapman
I will give Barbara Erskine credit for trying, but this fails as historical fiction and as an introspection on modern life. The main character, Joanna Clifford, undergoes hypnosis and gains access to a past life in 12th Century England. I found Erskine's depiction of medieval England unconvincing
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and her characters maddeningly annoying and unbelievable. I haven't read any other of her books and will be staying away like the plague. Show Less
LibraryThing member JaneSteen
Where I got the book: bought retail. Full price. Seriously, sometimes I do that just for laughs.
I read this book back in 1985 when it came out. I was 25. I cannot imagine this. I thought this book was AMAZING back then. I was hoping to recapture the moment...
Sigh.
You can never go back.
Plot:
And they DO reach for the Scotch, oh yes they do, when they're not reaching for the coffee. In the contemporary parts of the novel intensely-blue-eyed (STRIKE THREE) ex-boyfriend Nick, sinister ex-boyfriend-brother-who-may-or-may-not-have-blue-eyes-but-who-cares? Sam, wimpy wannabe-boyfriend Tim and slightly-slutty-ex-boyfriend's-girlfriend Judy narrow their eyes a lot, drink much Scotch and much coffee, sleep with each other and gaze at each other with intensely blue eyes.Most of them are reincarnated, natch. Because it's PERFECTLY NORMAL to find reincarnated royalty/nobility who happen to have cassette tapes of the EXACT SAME flute music from the Middle Ages in London in 1985.
But thank heaven for the reincarnations, say I. The Middle Ages plot is the only plot in the novel, the contemporary parts being nothing but the aforesaid Scotch drinkings and eye narrowings, with a bit of driving around foggy damp Welsh hills and the occasional punch-up thrown in. The Middle Ages characters do all sorts of exciting activities, either on horseback or at swordpoint or, I was going to say in bed but the sex is pretty perfunctory, his eyes narrowed and next minute they were smoking a cigarette or drinking a post-coital Scotch kind of thing. Oh no, wait, I was in the Middle Ages so perhaps no Scotch. Damned if I know.
This is the anniversary edition, so there's a sequel short story which is over-the-top silly with lots! of! exclamation! points! Interestingly, Erskine seems at times to refute the New Age beliefs which evidently gave rise to this idea that you could simply hypnotize yourself back into the past. Or fly, depending on which drugs you were taking. The 70s were awesome.
You know, if you just stuck to the Middle Ages story you'd have a great tale of love, loss, dynastic power-mongering, rogue kings and towering castles. I only felt like screaming every time we landed back in the 1980s. Of course, if you remember the 1980s you'll sympathize with that.
Verdict: a novel that is past its prime. A humungous hit in its day, but it doesn't travel well.
I read this book back in 1985 when it came out. I was 25. I cannot imagine this. I thought this book was AMAZING back then. I was hoping to recapture the moment...
Sigh.
You can never go back.
Plot:
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beautiful, talented journalist Jo (STRIKE ONE) appears to have no other purpose than to be hypnotized back into a previous life. Because absolutely EVERYONE she meets can do this. Really? I could count the number of regression hypnotists I've met on one.... hair follicle. Minus one. But when it comes to Jo, NOOOOO everyone can wave a hand and send her back to the Middle Ages, where she's a beautiful, willowy (STRIKE TWO) Lady of Hay called variously Matilda, Matilde, Maud or Moll. If nobody else is around to hypnotize her, Jo self-hypnotizes, boom, back in time before you can reach for the Scotch.And they DO reach for the Scotch, oh yes they do, when they're not reaching for the coffee. In the contemporary parts of the novel intensely-blue-eyed (STRIKE THREE) ex-boyfriend Nick, sinister ex-boyfriend-brother-who-may-or-may-not-have-blue-eyes-but-who-cares? Sam, wimpy wannabe-boyfriend Tim and slightly-slutty-ex-boyfriend's-girlfriend Judy narrow their eyes a lot, drink much Scotch and much coffee, sleep with each other and gaze at each other with intensely blue eyes.
But thank heaven for the reincarnations, say I. The Middle Ages plot is the only plot in the novel, the contemporary parts being nothing but the aforesaid Scotch drinkings and eye narrowings, with a bit of driving around foggy damp Welsh hills and the occasional punch-up thrown in. The Middle Ages characters do all sorts of exciting activities, either on horseback or at swordpoint or, I was going to say in bed but the sex is pretty perfunctory, his eyes narrowed and next minute they were smoking a cigarette or drinking a post-coital Scotch kind of thing. Oh no, wait, I was in the Middle Ages so perhaps no Scotch. Damned if I know.
This is the anniversary edition, so there's a sequel short story which is over-the-top silly with lots! of! exclamation! points! Interestingly, Erskine seems at times to refute the New Age beliefs which evidently gave rise to this idea that you could simply hypnotize yourself back into the past. Or fly, depending on which drugs you were taking. The 70s were awesome.
You know, if you just stuck to the Middle Ages story you'd have a great tale of love, loss, dynastic power-mongering, rogue kings and towering castles. I only felt like screaming every time we landed back in the 1980s. Of course, if you remember the 1980s you'll sympathize with that.
Verdict: a novel that is past its prime. A humungous hit in its day, but it doesn't travel well.
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LibraryThing member s3273710
I love Barbara Erskine, I got hooked on her books "Lady of Hay" and 'Kingdom of Shadows" many years back.
I have just grabbed those books off my bookshelf and will read them again.
Her books take you to away and transform you to another place.
I have just grabbed those books off my bookshelf and will read them again.
Her books take you to away and transform you to another place.
LibraryThing member WanitaCoy
What would you find out about yourself in a past life reading? This book reveals this and much more while entertaining the reader....
LibraryThing member twilightlost
I can never put this book down once I have started it, even though I have read it many times. Erskine shows true skill in weaving past and present together, and also a strong knowledge of what life would have been like back in 12th century England. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves
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historical fiction. Show Less
LibraryThing member JanaRose1
Jo, an investigative journalist, is working on a series about hypnosis, past-life regression and reincarnation. Initially skeptical, she allows herself to become hypnotized as part of her research. Immediately she begins reliving the life of Matilda, the Scottish Lady of Hay who lived eight-hundred
I was immediately drawn into the story through Erskine's writing style and dynamic characters. The historical nature of the book was carefully entwined with the present, creating an interesting and dynamic plot. At times the book did seem to drag on and the people Jo encountered seemed a bit too serendipitous. Despite these flaws I highly enjoyed this book.
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years earlier. As she becomes more and more involved in Matilda's life, the men around her also appear to be reincarnations of the men in Matilda's life.I was immediately drawn into the story through Erskine's writing style and dynamic characters. The historical nature of the book was carefully entwined with the present, creating an interesting and dynamic plot. At times the book did seem to drag on and the people Jo encountered seemed a bit too serendipitous. Despite these flaws I highly enjoyed this book.
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LibraryThing member crazy4reading
I don't even know where to begin with this review. My emotions were thrown for a loop while reading this book. I found myself wanting to learn more again about history.
So this is a work of fiction which includes a bit of history from the 1200's. I am not too familiar with history that far back. I
Joanna is the main character of this book. Some of the other important characters are Nick, Judy, Tim, Sam, Dr. Bennett and many more from their pasts or not. Joanna is doing an article on hypnosis and reincarnation. She doesn't believe in reincarnation. She also doesn't believe that being hypnotized can make someone go back to a previous life, especially her.
She soon discovers that her first thoughts are not exactly correct. Jo also learns about the first time she was hypnotized and what happened. Did she really live a life in the past? Or is it just something that someone suggested and put in her mind? Those are the questions that she needs to figure out.
I found the characters so diverse and interesting. Jo is a strong woman that can be intimidated or scared at times. Judy I felt was very self absorbed at first but then her character seemed to grow and mature. Nick was just a lost soul, confused about who he really was. Sam was the one character that I found very manipulative, self absorbed, jealous and so much more.
By middle of my book I found myself wondering about hypnosis and reincarnation. Wondering if it was possible to hypnotize yourself.
So this is a work of fiction which includes a bit of history from the 1200's. I am not too familiar with history that far back. I
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never found it interesting or something I wanted to learn. I have realized that as I read these types of books I want to do research and learn more about the history.Joanna is the main character of this book. Some of the other important characters are Nick, Judy, Tim, Sam, Dr. Bennett and many more from their pasts or not. Joanna is doing an article on hypnosis and reincarnation. She doesn't believe in reincarnation. She also doesn't believe that being hypnotized can make someone go back to a previous life, especially her.
She soon discovers that her first thoughts are not exactly correct. Jo also learns about the first time she was hypnotized and what happened. Did she really live a life in the past? Or is it just something that someone suggested and put in her mind? Those are the questions that she needs to figure out.
I found the characters so diverse and interesting. Jo is a strong woman that can be intimidated or scared at times. Judy I felt was very self absorbed at first but then her character seemed to grow and mature. Nick was just a lost soul, confused about who he really was. Sam was the one character that I found very manipulative, self absorbed, jealous and so much more.
By middle of my book I found myself wondering about hypnosis and reincarnation. Wondering if it was possible to hypnotize yourself.
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LibraryThing member Isisunit
This is a rather convoluted story given that you must keep track of both past and present story lines for multiple characters. The characters are compelling by themselves, but when placed into this particular story they become entrancing.
Ms. Erskine was very thorough in researching the material for
That hiccup aside, the story is riveting. All the main characters are strong forces on their own and combined together they become a volatile mix. Even the secondary characters have a surprising depth not often seen in a character that may only be in two or three scenes in the entire book. Just when you feel that the story arc is beginning to drag, you are whisked back in time to relive the extraordinary life of Matilda, otherwise known as the Lady de Baorse. However for the majority of the book the story moves right along at a lovely clip.
If you have an issue with wanton alcohol consumption be forewarned, as I'm not sure if there is a single scene in which either alcohol or coffee is not consumed - and often the coffee contains alcohol. Also, Jo comes across as having a rather loose moral code when it comes to sex, but I much of that is driven by the historical portions of the book oddly enough.
This book is perfect for those who enjoyed such books as 'The Other Boleyn Girl,' 'The Virgin's Lover,' and other books that take historical periods and their more well-known people and try to recreate what their lives might have been like. While that may sound like a simple romance novel it is clear the hundreds of hours of research that goes into the creation of the top-shelf books of this genre. And there is no doubt in my mind that this book belongs up near the top-shelf with the others, though it is not in the same league as the Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. Definitely a challenge to put the book down and get anything else done until I finished reading it. Thankfully it is a fairly quick read, regardless of its size.
Ms. Erskine was very thorough in researching the material for
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this book, and the descriptive details were wonderfully enchanting. The only place I feel she slipped a bit was in the way the historical characters spoke, occasionally using the word "hey," which was not introduced into common language until several hundred years after the historical portion of the story took place. And for all that Lady de Baorse was a trailblazer, I still found it a bit challenging to reconcile her attitude and how on the one hand she spoke to men - particularly the king - as if they were equals, and on the other hand she would talk about the duties of women being to submit to their husbands and acknowledging that they were owned by their husbands just like a horse or an item of clothing. But much of that can be forgiven and understood since the Lady de Baorse was being channeled by a modern-day woman who wouldn't be afraid of men as women of the 1200's would be, since women were chattel and only used to gain necessary alliances and such. That hiccup aside, the story is riveting. All the main characters are strong forces on their own and combined together they become a volatile mix. Even the secondary characters have a surprising depth not often seen in a character that may only be in two or three scenes in the entire book. Just when you feel that the story arc is beginning to drag, you are whisked back in time to relive the extraordinary life of Matilda, otherwise known as the Lady de Baorse. However for the majority of the book the story moves right along at a lovely clip.
If you have an issue with wanton alcohol consumption be forewarned, as I'm not sure if there is a single scene in which either alcohol or coffee is not consumed - and often the coffee contains alcohol. Also, Jo comes across as having a rather loose moral code when it comes to sex, but I much of that is driven by the historical portions of the book oddly enough.
This book is perfect for those who enjoyed such books as 'The Other Boleyn Girl,' 'The Virgin's Lover,' and other books that take historical periods and their more well-known people and try to recreate what their lives might have been like. While that may sound like a simple romance novel it is clear the hundreds of hours of research that goes into the creation of the top-shelf books of this genre. And there is no doubt in my mind that this book belongs up near the top-shelf with the others, though it is not in the same league as the Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series. Definitely a challenge to put the book down and get anything else done until I finished reading it. Thankfully it is a fairly quick read, regardless of its size.
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LibraryThing member ELEkstrom
I was surprised by how this book pulled me in from the very beginning - I wanted to see how the Matilda/Jo characters connected, perhaps aspects of their lives. The Nick subplot and his creepy brother Sam (why wasn't he arrested for more than D&D Why did people put up with him?) started to get old,
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however - and yet, I kept reading because I wanted so much to find the connection between Matilda and Jo, why the reincarnation of a medieval noblewoman in a modern journalist. Halfway through, I was annoyed by the modern-day 'friends' of the heroine, Jo Clifford, who sit around and talk about her and always weem to have a drink in their hands - or plot against her. The medieval story was wonderful and had the modern story been handled differently, I would have liked it more. The abuse Jo puts up with and the cruelty of Sam and Nick, just didn't make sense. Show Less
LibraryThing member LarissaGBrown
DNF. It has a cool concept, but it's just not interesting.
LibraryThing member Tess_Elizabeth
I think this is a book you either hate, or you love. I happen to love over the top time-twisting, slightly supernatural love story adventures, so this was right up my alley.
Yes, Erskine's heroine's can be maddeningly dense and self-destructive and sometimes you just want to slap some sense into
Yes, Erskine's heroine's can be maddeningly dense and self-destructive and sometimes you just want to slap some sense into
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them. Yes, you have to suspend a good deal of disbelief to accept the premise. But if you like this genre than no one does it better than Barbara Erskine Show Less
LibraryThing member richardderus
Someone somewhere mentioned [Lady of Hay] in a favorable light. Luckily for them, I don't remember who. It was Pearl Ruled at p42. U. G. H. Tedious, ponderous sentences. Tiresome characters from Central Casting. Too old, too many books better than this to make me want to persevere.
LibraryThing member emmakendon
Loaned by a friend when I was walking in the Black Mountains. Rubbish characters (the C20 ones), and more gratuitous rape than in a Ken Fosset, dealt with maybe more appallingly (I only read one of his, and I'll only read this one of hers). Couldn't wait to finish the story and get these people out
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of my life, so it was quite fun that the central characters felt pretty much the same! Show Less
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1986
Physical description
574 p.; 18 cm
ISBN
3453032780 / 9783453032781