Customer Reviews

Outcast

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In "Outcast," by Rosemary Sutcliff, Beric is adopted by a Celtic tribe in Britain after he is found alive following the wreck of the Roman ship in which his parents were traveling with the infant boy. He is raised by the tribe until the age of 16, when bad harvests and other calamities befall the tribe; they blame the "foreigner" in their midst and he is cast out of the group and thereafter must find his way in the world alone. Having been captured by slavers, he next finds himself in Rome, and his adventures there are only the beginning of his long journey.... I enjoyed this glimpse into everyday life for classes in the Roman world not usually described, although the Celtic setting early in the book was quite inaccurate (for example, these cultures were matrilineal, not patriarchal as depicted here; fostering children from other tribes was common and those fosterlings were not blamed for ill fortune). Once past those early chapters, though, I found the storytelling quite good and worth reading. So, a mild recommendation, with reservations.

Culture clash in Roman Britain is presented in an unbiased manner for both Celts (or Picts, judging from the facial tattoes) and Romans in this interesting YA novel. Sutcliff's predilection for ancient times and primitive civilizations results in a gripping plot of teenage identity crisis, while
presenting precise historical detail about Roman culture
superimposed upon the Celts in a way that does not impede enjoyment. Instruction and Enlightenment the easy way.

An infant boy miraculously survives a shipwreck off the coast of prehistoric Britain, providing filial replacement for a cherished infant who recently perished. Raised as one of the tribe until the age of 9 Beric, suddenly realizes that he is not universally or automatically accepted, despite his loyalty to his foster tribe. There is a long and bitter history of hatred for the Red Crests, who prove to be his Roman progenitors.

For the next 6 years the boy must constantly prove his right to remain in the village, struggling aginst both his peers, superstition and even an adult nemesis. He also battles his own internal doubts as to his identity--in which world does he truly belong? Can he wander through life belonging to neither or both? A sincere youth caught in the remorseless web of Nature vs Nurture, Beric faces difficult choices in a harsh adult world, where men abuse and torture him without compassion. Will Beric ever be freed of the shackles of hate and humiliation re his mixed heritage which bind his soul, even more surely than the chains on his body? Many teenagers--searching for their personal Belonging Place--can recognize his anguish. An excellent introduction to the Roman world; for readers of all ages.

"Outcast" is an excellent literary composition that tells the tale of Beric, who is branded as cursed by a druid since he was in a frightful shipwreck whilst he was only a newborn child, and was the solitary survivior.
So the tribe that have taken in Beric are insistant that the holy beings in which they place their faith are unhappy with them for this, because Beric is a red-crest.
I found parts of the book deeply disturbing and so would reccomend any easily - unsettled reader of my age to be prepared before you read it.
Nevertheless Rosemary Sutcliff vividly describes every needed detail without overbalancing action with description.

This is a great book for pre-teens, teens, and even adults who like fiction set in the ancient world. Here we see the harsh social realities faced by foundlings in the life of Beric, Roman child adopted from the sea by Britons during the Roman Empire -- when exactly isn't given. While I'm glad the attempt was made to show the harshness of life both in the north and then among the Romans there was still a bit of sugar-coating that is perhaps the result of wanting to respect our own morals or the result of a lack of knowledge. Thus the sexual terror and abuse of slavery is not mentioned and there is the idea that slaves have special clothes or jewelery to mark their status which is not the case unless one had been a runaway or a master really wanted to use a collar or brand or tattoo. The ending was also a bit too positive but then again most people don't want to read a sad tale even if it is more realistic.

I really enjoyed this book. I have always been interested in this period of British history. This book is too scary for young children: I would not recommend it for a child less than 10 years of age. The Outcast is a Roman boy, found nearly dead on a beach after a shipwreck, fostered by a Celtic family. He is thrown out of his tribe when a series of misfortunes convinces some in the village that they have offended their gods by harboring a Roman. Going to the Roman village, he is captured by slavers, and a truly horrible four years as a slave begins. The book reveals the Horror That Was Rome, when we have too often heard only of the Glory.

Once again, Rosemary Sutcliff has written an outstanding work of fiction! Enticing, suspensful, and all-around wonderful, Outcast is the best book I have read in a long time. Outcast is the story of a young boy named Beric, who is raised in the village of a celtic tribe living in Britain at the time of the Roman Conquest. However, Beric is actually a Roman child, whose parents died in a shipwreck and who was rescued by a kind-hearted Celt and then adopted. But when the village has a series of bad turns, the local druid manages to convince the chief that Beric is the cause of all the trouble. Exiled from the only life he has known, Beric must learn to survive in the harsh Roman world that is so different from his own. And things take a turn for the worse when Beric falls into the hands of a slave trader! Outcast is a refreshing historical novel that gives startling insight into the ancient cultures of Britain. This one is definately a keeper!