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Morality Play (Paperback)

by Barry Unsworth (Author) "IT WAS A DEATH that began it all and another death that led us on ..." (more)

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

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Product Details

Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: WW Norton; Reissue edition (Sep 1 1996)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0393315606
ISBN-13: 978-0393315608
Product Dimensions: 20.3 x 14 x 1.5 cm
Shipping Weight: 91 g

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (37 customer reviews)

Amazon.ca Sales Rank: #60,275 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)
Popular in this category:
#49 in Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery > Historical

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Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

Set in 14th-century England, Unsworth's novel revolves around a theater troupe whose decision to enact a recent murder leads them to uncover a conspiracy.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The author of the Booker Prize-winning Sacred Hunger (LJ 7/92) brings 14th-century England to life in this imaginative medieval mystery, which will inevitably invite comparisons with Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose (LJ 4/1/83). Its narrator is Nicholas Barber, a young monk who has forsaken his calling and joined an itinerant troupe of players that gets caught up in the real-life drama of a small-town murder. The crime presents Barber and his fellows with an opportunity to attract a larger-than-usual audience, and they turn sleuths, weaving the bits of information yielded by their investigation into an improvised play that eventually reveals the surprising, sordid truth. Rich in historical detail, Unsworth's well-told tale explores some timeless moral dilemmas and reads like a modern page-turner. Recommended for fiction collections.
David Sowd, formerly with Stark Cty. District Lib., Canton, Ohio
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Inside This Book (Learn More)

First Sentence
IT WAS A DEATH that began it all and another death that led us on. Read the first page

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Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover

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Customer Reviews

37 Reviews

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (37 customer reviews)

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3.0 out of 5 stars A good book club discussion book, Jan 12 2004

By	"mel_bagby" (Cloverdale, CA USA) - See all my reviews

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.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Evocative, compelling, focused, Jan 2 2004

By	Keith Snyder (Rego Park, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

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4.0 out of 5 stars Murder in the North, Sep 4 2003

By	A Customer - See all my reviews

"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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Most recent customer reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Atmspheric Medieval Mystery
I picked up this book because I've always loved mysteries, this one promised to be a mystery and also qualify as decent lit., and because I loved the cover. Read more

Published on Feb 14 2003 by Emily McB

3.0 out of 5 stars Roaring promise but weak conclusion.
Morality Play starts out with roaring promise as the curtain opens: a fugitive monk stumbles into a traveling actors troupe in the woods of medieval England and is taken under... Read more

Published on Dec 29 2002 by KateMc

4.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous tale churns the ages
I took a wild chance on this book, having never heard of the author, and loved it, cover to cover. Unsworth has a masterful pen and a magnificent imagination. Read more

Published on Sep 16 2002 by Quickhappy

4.0 out of 5 stars A Masterful Tale of Fourteenth Century England
Life in fourteenth century England was a grim affair, particularly when viewed through modern eyes. There was little in the way of material comfort, most people struggling merely... Read more