https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Labyrinth_(novel)&oldid=1093431165, This page was last edited on 16 June 2022, at 15:34. I got about halfway through the book and i was still waiting for something to happen! Ive always adored adventure storiesfrom Rider Haggards classic novel She and Dumas The Three Musketeers to more modern proponents of the genre such as Wilbur Smiths The Seventh Scroll and Alastair McLeans Ice Station Zebra. By the time I reached the end of the book, I was so bored that I speed-read until I could finally call it a day. Article I could have forgiven it being long and annoyingly pretentious if Kate Mosse could actually, you know, write, but she absolutely cannot. Do you think it is important that, after the prologue, Kate starts the novel proper with 10 chapters set in the medieval past? It came back to U.S. television as a four-hour-long mini-series on SyFy on Wednesday, December 23, 2015. BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfictionbooks that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us. On TV, Kate is the presenter of BBC Fours Readers & Writers Roadshow. have a lot to answer for. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. Let's go through all the reasons why. [5], In the fall of 2012, the series aired on Showcase in Canada, AXN in Korea, TVCine in Portugal, and Canal + Film in Poland. Alice, a volunteer at a French archaeological . [5] Christopher Smith was signed on to direct. She treats the Cathar subjects well, clearly having spent at least a few hours on Wikipedia researching the matter. Her short stories and articles have appeared in a range of magazines and newspapers. It was done with finesse. ), adventures, setbacks and triumphsbut Labyrinth is a quest novel rather than a happily-ever-after. (And judging from the letters and emails Ive had so far, there are lots of male readers, as well as female readers, who like the idea of the women doing the swashbuckling!). It was the best-selling fiction title in 2006 in the United Kingdom and reached The New York Times bestseller list. I like to think that I am a fairly forgiving reader. The purpose of the plot gets somewhat lost in the numerous murders, betrayals, and kidnappings that are thrown our way. Promising a Da Vinci Code-like plot, premised on historical mystery, it did not take a huge amount of effort on the part of Waterstones to secure my purchase (although the multi-buy sale certainly helped). Alice later discovers that she is Alas's descendant. - Kirkus Reviews. Over the past sixteen years, Ive spent a great deal of time exploring not only the medieval Cit of Carcassonne, but also many of the tiny villages, tracing the old mountain paths in the Pyrenees, disappearing down caves in the mountains, much to the consternation of my family! But she doesnt tell you who is who, which to sympathise with and which to condemn. It starts off intriguing and the landscape descriptions towards the end are quite lovely, but I wasted way too much time on this one. It's utter garbage. Rather than a traditional action hero, I wanted the women to get to do the swashbuckling for once. The narratives are tied together by the unravelling of the mysteries of the true Grail, which is written and bound in three volumes, and the symbol of the labyrinth. and even though I knew the ending, I still throughly enjoyed this CD. Because of their Dualist doctrine, the Cathars had no churches or sanctified buildings, they despised the Cross as an instrument of torture, and had no need of relics. And have you visited our website to learn more about these peoplewww.mosselabyrinth.co.uk? Yet, there were several loose ends. It was hard to get into, but overall I liked it more than not. Personally, I am proud of having made to the end where so many others fallen in the effort. And the story of the Grail is one of the most well-known of the lesser-known histories. As the resident "other times that aren't 16th-century through 19th-century" "expert" (yes, that is a lot of friendly quotes), I was kind of surprised that I hadn't heard about Kate Mosse's Labyrinth, which apparently came out in 2012 (and aired in the US on the CW in 2014).It's one of those time-hopping historical novels turned historical film fluff, so maybe that's why I . Part 2 May 23, 2014 1 h 39 min TV-14 Subtitles Subtitles English [CC] Audio languages Audio languages English I slogged my way through all 694 pages, willing it to get better. Why are there so few adventure heroines, and even fewer female adventure authors? How are the two novels alike and different? As I was reading this I greatly disliked it at some times and was really into it at other times. Their groundswell of support, coupled with their beliefs, obviously put them into opposition with the accepted Catholic orthodoxy of the day. Digital, 9780752876702, 0752876708. Yes, Im a walking clich. However, the moment I started reading, I realised that despite the obvious similarities with Labyrinthand I was sure readers who liked one will like the other tooin fact the two novels were actually significantly different in tone, atmosphere, style, scope and intention. A recommendation from a friend of a friend of my mother-in-law was the only reason we found ourselves heading towards the Pyrenees. The language is overly florid, overly dramatic, overwrought in every sense of the word and yet, despite all the fucking words, nothing ever actually happens. Q. The two stories occur in a shared geography and intertwine. [5] The screenplay was adapted by Adrian Hodges. I am aware. And the Grail legends, of all the classics, fit the bill in every way. Aleksandar Hemon's characters are romantics. Although Alais cannot understand the strange words and . Kate Mosse is an English writer and broadcaster, mostly known for her book Labyrinth. This book isn't very good. However, I think that Mosse fails to achieve the blending of fact and fiction that I believe defines historical thrillers. The setting jumps between modern and medieval France and follows two women (played by Vanessa Kirby and Jessica Brown Findlay) who are searching for the Holy Grail. Brought vividly to life by Louise Brealey's narration, this new, unabridged audiobook also includes extra content read by the author, Kate Mosse. Skilfully blending the lives of two women divided . July 2005. It also gave birth to the Inquisition, which most of us think started in Spain. The book, he says, contains the secret of the true Grail, and the ring, inscribed with a labyrinth, will identify a guardian of the Grail. The first synopsis and official images have gone. My repulsion was, however, centered on the regrettably mediocre writing. I think it's lazy, sloppy, and thoroughly uninteresting, and since in this book everything else was also uninteresting, that was really just the straw that broke the camels' back. "Fun for most of the way - and very likely to be one of next summer's popular vacation reads." I was a little worried people might think I was jumping on the bandwagon, but the sheer volume of research (and length of the book!) What I hope is that someone visiting Carcassonne, for example, or any of the key towns mentioned in the novel will be able to use Labyrinth as a guide book! The novel has also been translated and published in 38 languages worldwide. Having thoroughly familiarised myself with all aspects of my medieval time period, I then researched Grail legends and gathered information about the development and proliferation of pavement and walls, labyrinths in medieval Europe (and beyond). Kate Mosse is the author of nine novels & short story collections, including the No 1, multimillion-selling Languedoc Trilogy - Labyrinth, Sepulchre and Citadel - and No 1 bestselling Gothic fiction including The Winter Ghosts and The Taxidermist's Daughter, which she is currently adapting for the stage. I also like history, traveling, Shakespeare, coffee, cheese, musicals, Italian Baroque art, the ballet, Mock the Week and Have I Got News For You, flowers, makeup, high heels, and baking. God ruled Heaven, the Devil held sway over the World and everything in it, so they therefore had no concept of Hell beyond their living existence. The Cathars were a sect of Christians who flourished in southwest France and Italy in particular, from the end of the 11th century to the middle of the 13th century. Eight hundred years ago, on the night before a brutal civil war ripped apart Languedoc, a book was entrusted to Alais, a young herbalist and healer. At first glance, Brown and I look to be working with a similar sort of materialsecret societies, ancient secrets, based in France and the Grail at the heart of our stories. 20 Oct 1961 -. . As crusading armies led by Church potentates and nobles of northern France gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take great sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe. The historical nature of the novel is also executed well, with some brilliant and vivid descriptions of life in Carcassonne during the 1200s. ugh this one promised to be slow.I couldn't get past ch.4.The premise has been over used lately. From 19982001, Kate was Deputy Director of Chichester Festival Theatre in West Sussex, the first woman ever to hold the position. item 4 LABYRINTH by KATE MOSSE (2006, CD, Unabridged)--A STORY/ PUZZLE OF THE GRAIL LABYRINTH by KATE MOSSE (2006, CD, Unabridged)--A STORY/ PUZZLE OF THE GRAIL. In medieval times, as today, history is written by the winners, not those who are defeated. Click here for the lowest price! The books contain the secrets to the Holy Grail. It's 7oo pages, and needed to be brutally edited down. Although theres much discussion about the origins of their religious beliefthere are links with Zoroastrianism, Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Bogomolism as well as some aspects of Hinduismit is difficult to trace their particular brand of Christianity to just one source. But this seemingly supernatural ability is never adequately explained. We could have lost the entirety of one of the two timelines and the story would not have suffered from it at all. Who were the Cathars, and why do they figure so prominently in your book? (For example, Raymond-Roger Trencavel, Agns de Montpellier, Simon de Montfort and others.) Unfortunately, Mosse only seemed able to display her legit historical chops and obvious devotion to France's little-known historical nooks through a poorly-edited vomitorium of words -- the writing isn't. $ 4.49 - $ 4.79. At some point I acquired the second book in the series and have yet to read it, so A surprising mix of historical fiction, fantasy and ghost story all very well rolled into one intriguing novel. The extent of the characterisation in this book was that every character had One Defining Personality Trait, and they were only ever referred to by that trait. Click here and be the first to review this book! All right, friends, here we go - the first stinker of 2022! And I would certainly be interested in seeing how the TV serialisation picked up on these elements. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. This is where youll see your current point status and your earned rewards. Her fiction includes the novels Labyrinth (2005), Sepulchre (2007), The Winter Ghosts (2009), Citadel (2012), The Taxidermist's Daughter (2014) and The Burning Chambers (2018), as well as an acclaimed collection of short stories, The Mistletoe Bride & Other Haunting Tales (2013). January 24, 2019 In Labyrinth, Kate Mosse tells the story of two courageous women, in two different times, and their efforts to guard a powerful secret against those who would use it for evil. Labyrinth Season 1 (3) 5.8 2014 Separated by time but united by destiny, two headstrong heroines, 17-year-old Alais Pelletier du Mas (Jessica Brown-Findlay) from 13th century Carcassonne and modern day PhD graduate Dr. Alice Tanner (Vanessa Kirby) embark on a journey of peril, passion and adventure as they battle to protect the secret of the Grail. Some of the modern scenes have the advantage of location filming in Carcassonne, which helps distract you from the mostly indifferent performances. As crusading armies led by Church potentates and nobles of northern France gather outside the city walls of Carcassonne, it will take great sacrifice to keep the secret of the labyrinth safe. Not Paris. To get inside Alas skin, I also had a couple of sword fighting lessons what it felt like to wield a sword. They were vegetarians (although they ate fish) and, most interesting of all given the historical context, had female as well as male priestsan issue that the Church of England is still struggling with in the 21st century! Is there a conflict between literary quality and commercial success? Many of us are also fascinated by the way that history becomes myth, myth becomes legend. When Dr Alice Tanner, who works as a volunteer at the archaeological site of Pic de Soularac, in France, discovers two skeletons in a long-hidden cave in the hillside, she unearths a link with an horrific and brutal past. Your email address will not be published. Whereas The Da Vinci Codemakes clear from the outset what its question/mystery is, Labyrinthfails to do the same. Join BookBrowse today to start discovering exceptional books! No one can imagine how exhilarating it is to hear and see a hail of arrows being shot, turning the sky black above your head, until youve witnessed it for yourself! Im incredibly lucky to be bilingual, so I read books in both French and English, and will talk about both of those on here although I will do more in English, since I know thats probably what the majority of the people who ever find this blog will be interested in! How did you research the different aspects of the bookthe archaeology, the history of the Cathars and the Crusade against them, the Grail legends, and so forth? I would love to give it five stars, but because of the first part I must give it four. Two converging timelines (13th and 21st centuries) portray the never ending quest for the Holy chalice and its contents. in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. In this extraordinary thriller, rich in the atmospheres of medieval and contemporary France, the lives of two women born centuries apart are linked by a common destiny. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read. The first obviously Holy Grail story is Chrtien de Troyes Le Conte du Graal (Perceval) in the mid-1170s (although, in common with the custom of the time, he credited his patron for having told him the story in the first instance); this was followed shortly afterwards by a poem by Robert de Boron, Joseph of Arimathea, then, most significantly, the great Parzival, by the German poet Wolfram von Eschenbach, in 1200, which put the story on the map for good! 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