Barry Unsworth (1930–2012)

La bailarina y el rubí
Barry Unsworth
Publicado: 2006 | 345 páginas
Novela Histórico

A mediados del siglo XII, Palermo se había convertido en un auténtico crisol de civilizaciones, razas, lenguas y religiones, y ni siquiera la desastrosa segunda cruzada impidió que musulmanes, judíos, cristianos, griegos o normandos continuaran viviendo en aparente armonía.Sin embargo, a menudo las apariencias engañan y los individuos no son capaces de advertir el peligro que la deriva de la historia supone para ellos.Thurstan de Beauchamp, el protagonista de esta novela, es hijo de un caballero normando pero trabaja para un musulmán al servicio del rey Rogelio de Sicilia; lleva años enamorado de lady Alicia, y sin embargo cae en las redes de la bella bailarina Nesrin.Con el corazón divido y en intenso debate interior, Thurstan se ve arrastrado a una perversa trama que amenaza la vida de su mentor y de su rey. Sólo uno de los dos saldrá indemne.Tensiones políticas y religiosas, erotismo, espionaje, personajes fascinantes, soberbia recreación histórica y una trama absorbente hacen de esta novela una lectura irresistible.… (more)

To finish my author A-Z of 2017, I powered through this, Barry Unsworth’s ‘Morality Play’ to finish the challenge with hours to spare. Luckily, it was an entertaining book which made finishing it quickly a pleasurable experience.

It tells the tale of a renegade clergyman who having wandered out of his diocese and sleeping with a woman, adjoins himself to a wandering band of actors living hand to mouth during the dark ages. With one of their ensemble recently deceased, they take in the minister and head to a nearby town to try and bury their late companion. And it is within this village that they become embroiled in the tragic deaths of young boys under suspicious circumstances. Carried on a macabre and judicious wave of artistic furore the company decide to take the hitherto step of ditching their biblical enactments to instead perform an impromptu play of the most recent murder when, after gathering evidence from various town sources, they stumble upon a suspicious verdict as to who the town believe commits the crime: the boy’s deaf mother, no less.

Part philosophical treatise on ‘the roles we play’, part mystery, part historical, medieval narrative, this short novel offers substantial intrigue and ideas about medieval life and what it is to portray oneself and others. It’s an engaging, fast-paced novel that transports you to a time of a brutal and primitive England, where the finesse and talents of artists and artisans exist precariously amidst the oppressive royal and religious regimes. 3/5
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I hadn't read much (if any) historical fiction until encountering Barry Unsworth‘s work. Although I wouldn't say it is a genre I'm too enthused about, a sincere doff of the cap is in order to authors like Unsworth who can migrate the seas of time to present a seemingly vibrant and 'real' narrative of the particular era in which they anchor their story. In this case, we are transported to Liverpool in the 1700s and more broadly the world when slavery was rife and prosperous. A struggling businessman and his son decide to risk failing profits in launching their very own freshly constructed slaver in the hope of plundering hefty rewards on the seas. Complete with illicitly acquired crewmen, a wily, nefarious Captain and their distant, heretic cousin on board, the Kemp's fortune takes its maiden voyage across the seas to Africa in pursuit of the 'Sacred Hunger' that being the profit such mean seek to feast on. The book is in part (but by no means primarily) an account of life on a slaver; the fetid conditions, brutal treatment and precarious existence of master and slave are harrowing. Unsworth's prose is stark and hard hitting; he pulls no punches. Parallel to this, we are told the story of the Merchant's son as he endeavours to win the affections of a young daughter of another local businessman. Sadly, his tale is less well crafted and clunky which adds further disappointment due to the fact both strands come together as the book progresses. Unsworth writes well but I feel he misses a certain something to truly engage me and feel for his characters. This is another 3/5 but unlike ‘Morality Play’ I became a little disinterested in parts and so took a long time to finish it. A readable book but falls short of an unforgettable tale.… (more)