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Product Description
From Publishers Weekly
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
David Sowd, formerly with Stark Cty. District Lib., Canton, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
IT WAS A DEATH that began it all and another death that led us on. Read the first page
Concordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
A good book club discussion book,
By MelB "mel_bagby" (Cloverdale, CA USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Morality Play (Paperback)
Set among a troupe of players in Medieval England, "Morality Play" is a vigorously researced historical novel. There's a murder mystery, but that's secondary. Unsworth goes into great deal about the troupe's costumes, dramatic tools, recitation, and improvisation. One of the most interesting parts of the book is when he explains how hand gestures were used to communicate certain ideas to the audience and how they were used among players while improvising.Others in my book group liked the book more than I did but we all agreed that the value lies in its description of the times and the power and evolution of theater. There's even a clever use of Deus Ex Machina in the plot. It proved to be a good discussion book but is a must read of theater people.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Evocative, compelling, focused,
By
This review is from: Morality Play (Paperback)
I don't read historical novels; I grabbed this one because the bookstore was closing in five minutes and the first page seemed interesting.This is an excellent book. There's no history to slog through--throughout, context is implied briefly as the narrative proceeds; there are no "info dumps"--and the story is in motion by the time you get to page two. It's a tight story, a shrewd observation of the functions and origins of art, and a convincing historical setting, in that order of prominence. My reason for emphasizing this order is that I'd like people like me, who don't read historical fiction, to try this one. There's a lot to admire, but most of it can be reduced to this: clarity. Clarity of thought, clarity of plot, clarity of language. An admirable trick in itself is the way the language seems always "period" in flavor, but is never arcane or difficult. I've been recommending this one.
4.0 out of 5 stars
Murder in the North,
By
This review is from: Morality Play (Paperback)
"Morality Play" is a murder mystery set in the Middle Ages. Nicholas Barber, a wayward priest, joins a troupe of itinerant actors in northern England who are on their way to Durham.The troupe stops in a remote town, where recently a child has been murdered. Will the murderer be discovered as the troupe becomes more interested in the case? "Morality Play" is a short, entertaining book. I suppose that every novel of this type tends to be compared to "The Name of the Rose", despite the fact that it might be a little unfair to do that. It has a similar feel to Eco's work, but "Morality Play" is still good stuff - Unsworth is a skilled author, and manages to convey what might be an authentic feel for what life was like then. Although it's not as weighty as say "Stone Virgin", "Sacred Hunger" or "The Rage of the Vulture", it's still a well-controlled piece of writing. G Rodgers
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