HF about the Cathars

Carine · Post by **Carine** » Tue January 27th, 2009, 5:54 pm

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions everyone.

A few of the writers you mentionned I had never heard about and I will certainly have a look for them.

A couple of others I have on my TBR pile like EC's Daughters of the Grail and Alys Clare's Whiter than the Lily but didn't actually know they were about the Cathars.

annis · Post by **annis** » Tue January 27th, 2009, 6:40 pm

EC 's timeslip mention reminds me of aanother timeslip novel about the Cathars which I read many years ago: "The Quiet Earth", by Elizabeth Harris.

There's an interesting novel about the Cathars by ltalian author Adriano Petta, a professor of the history of science. It's called
"The Path of the Sun"( original title "Pure Heresy") It's quite hard to come by, but worth a read.
Adriano Petta is fascinated by points in time where the flowering of free thought and knowledge is overthrown by religious zealotry. He's also written a novel about Hypatia of Alexandria, who was murdered in 415 AD.

Rowan · Post by **Rowan** » Tue January 27th, 2009, 7:52 pm

I agree on "The Fire and The Light"!!! I thoroughly enjoyed it. Labyrinth was good too.

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed January 28th, 2009, 6:36 am

I think you've solved a mystery for me, EC. I kept recalling a book about the Cathars which I read in the '80s- one of those annoying ones where the story stays in your mind but not the useful stuff like the author and title. I haven't ever been able to track it down, but there it is in your post- Robert Shea's "All Things are Lights"! Thanks very much

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed January 28th, 2009, 10:42 am

[quote=""annis""]I think you've solved a mystery for me, EC. I kept recalling a book about the Cathars which I read in the '80s- one of those annoying ones where the story stays in your mind but not the useful stuff like the author and title. I haven't ever been able to track it down, but there it is in your post- Robert Shea's "All Things are Lights"! Thanks very much

[/quote]

I didn't remember the author initially Annis, but I did know the title, which helped. There is a follow up book, but I don't remember its title, but I guess if I went googling Robert Shea, now I have his name, I'd find it.

annis · Post by **annis** » Wed January 28th, 2009, 5:25 pm

He did go for two volume series. I do remember him doing that in a series about Medieval Japan,"Shike" and another one set in the Crusade era called 'Saracen", though I had forgotten that he wrote the story about the Cathars.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Wed January 28th, 2009, 5:30 pm

Yes, I remember Shike. I think I may even have read it - although I've forgotten it all now. I didn't know about Saracen though.

chuck · Post by **chuck** » Thu January 29th, 2009, 3:36 am

I enjoyed Derek Lee Armstrong's "The Last Troubadour" Song of Montsegur....I'm not sure how accurate the story and characters are....First of a trilogy.....Some of the characters loosely based on Tarot cards and their symbolism....A bit of a stretch, but it works for me....a very interesting read and I love reading and learning more about the mysterious people of the light....Looking forward to reading DA's second novel in the series "The Last Quest"

Kasthu · Post by **Kasthu** » Thu January 29th, 2009, 2:54 pm

They're nonfiction, but I suggest Rene Weis's The Yellow Cross, or Le Roy Ladurie's Montaillou.

annis · Post by **annis** » Fri January 30th, 2009, 9:19 pm

Carine, I read Kate Mosse's "Labyrinth", which I was a bit so-so about, but I found the NF book by her husband Greg very interesting and you might too, if you're travelling to Cathar country. It's called "Secrets of the Labyrith"