looking for novels from obscure periods

[EC2]

[quote=""annis""]I consider "Knights of Dark Renown" and "Kings of Vain Intent" to be Graham Shelby's best work, though I believe that he received a bit of flak here and there for his portrayal of Conrad Monferrat as über -villain in KOVI.
In 'Edge of the Blade" I have the feeling that he was feeling a bit playful, and going for a "Boy's Own" style adventure.[/quote]

Yes, I've seen the flack discussions on various forums re Conrad of Montferrat. I don't know enought about that aspect to have an opinion either way.
Re Edge of the Blade. I really enjoyed this at the beginning, but it had a VERY strange ending - as if the author had suddenly got bored and stopped in mid sentence. It went something like 'And that was the rest of the young man's life.' I remember thinking 'Eh? Is this all?' Most peculiar.

[annis]

Ash, if you don't mind tackling an older book (1831), you might enjoy Washington Irving's "Tales of the Alhambra".

I'm trying to remember if Paulo Coelho's novel "The Alchemist" features the Alhambra- it's so long now since i read it.

[diamondlil]

Tales of the Alhambra is the book that Fanny had read in the mini-series version of North and South!

I don't remember a mention of the Alhambra in The Alchemist but it has been a while for me to.

You know you are enjoying a book when you are disappointed to see the people that you sometimes chat with on the train. Less reading time!

[Ash]

Annis, thanks, now have that in my shopping cart.

[Kveto from Prague]

[quote=""annis""]Keny, maybe there is historical fiction in French about Charlemagne and his paladins which we don't have access to?

I dont know about french or german. I know theres some stuff in Italiano as the Italian masters (aristo and boriado) kind of adopted these heros in their epics. really masterful works which basically invented the concept of following multiple storylines. im really surprised somebody hasnt tackled them for fiction. i had ambitions to do so many years before but unfortunately i can't write.

i bought some great sicilian puppets in palermo based on orlando (roland), rinaldo and angelica, characters from the Orlando poems

ive read some YA fiction about the peers of charlemagne but nothing noteworthy.

And speaking of historical fiction from other languages, I recently came across this nineteenth century book written by a German author which might appeal to you ( it has been translated into English, luckily)
"The Struggle for Rome" by Felix Dahn.
It's set in the sixth century AD, when the Roman Empire had crumbled into dust and is about the struggle for Rome, and for Italy, between the Eastern Roman Empire of Byzantium, ruled by Justinian, and the Gothic warrior tribes who had captured Italy under their legendary king Theodoric.[/quote]

that sounds way cool. thanks for the tip. ill look out for it.

[annis]

Seeing we discussed Charlemagne, I'll add this novel which I just came across, though Charlemagne is not necessarily a hero in this story which is
about the rise of the Carolingian Empire and set in Italy. The protagonist is a Langobard prince swept up in the Carolingian empire, but the real point of the novel is that it's an analysis of how people compromise in the face of power, and how power corrupts.
This novel was insrtumental in making the author a Nobel Prize winner for literature.
By Swedish author Eyvind Johnson
"The Days of his Grace" (In English translation)
http://www.amazon.com/days-His-Grace-no ... 031&sr=8-1

[Kveto from Prague]

again annis, thanks for the great tip