Identify Books In Favor Of The Quincunx
| Original Title: | The Quincunx, The Inheritance of John Huffam |
| ISBN: | 0345371135 (ISBN13: 9780345371133) |
| Edition Language: | English |
| Literary Awards: | Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction (1991) |
Charles Palliser
Paperback | Pages: 787 pages Rating: 4.07 | 5921 Users | 556 Reviews
Rendition During Books The Quincunx
The protagonist, a young man naive enough to be blind to all clues about his own hidden history (and to the fact that his very existence is troubling to all manner of evildoers) narrates a story of uncommon beauty which not only brings readers face-to-face with dozens of piquantly drawn characters at all levels of 19th-century English society but re-creates with precision the tempestuous weather and gnarly landscape that has been a motif of the English novel since Wuthering Heights. The suspension of disbelief happens easily, as the reader is led through twisted family trees and plot lines.The quincunx of the title is a heraldic figure of five parts that appears at crucial points within the text (the number five recurs throughout the novel, which itself is divided into five parts, one for each of the family galaxies whose orbits the narrator is pulled into). Quintuple the length of the ordinary novel, this extraordinary tour de force also has five times the ordinary allotment of adventure, action and aplomb.
Declare Out Of Books The Quincunx
| Title | : | The Quincunx |
| Author | : | Charles Palliser |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Special Edition |
| Pages | : | Pages: 787 pages |
| Published | : | November 27th 1990 by Ballantine Books (first published 1989) |
| Categories | : | Fiction. Historical. Historical Fiction. Mystery. Victorian. European Literature. British Literature |
Rating Out Of Books The Quincunx
Ratings: 4.07 From 5921 Users | 556 ReviewsNotice Out Of Books The Quincunx
A tatty old copy of this book arrived in the mail today (April 8, 2011).It has particular significance to me, because I first read about it in a newspaper review of another book ("if you like The Quincunx, you will like" this other book).I had never heard of this unusual word or the book, and promptly googled it.I found Paul Bryant's GR review of it, and thus began a lifelong obsession with GR (and Paul Bryant).Cor blimey guv'nor that was a long old read. Weightier than a bag of coal and with more pages than her majesty's coronation. I view my current love of this sort of Victorian era homage with the highest amusement for, despite having recently read and enjoyed The Crimson Petal and the White and Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell and now The Quincunx, I am yet to read the books which these so lovingly ape. Not a dash of Dickens or a jot of James has passed my eyeballs.And frankly, after over 1000
------------------------------------------------------This book of course sets out to recreate a traditional nineteenth century novel. The language, the plot curves, the characters, the settings, these elements all work admirably towards that end. If you are transported by historically accurate nineteenth century details; if you love very, very complex mysteries; if intrigues and the Gordian knots of family genealogies lure you; if the you are charmed by the reconstruction of pre-Victorian plot
If every other novel was like this it would be terrible. I'd never leave the house. I'd call my office : "sorry, can't make it today, I have 450 pages to finish, I'm sure you'll understand, put it down as a family emergency" and eventually they'd email me - "you're fired" - but I wouldn't read the email. My cat would have to become feral. Empires might tumble, Bob Dylan might be chosen as the next Pope, I wouldn't notice.Anyway, fortunately, most novels aren't either this good or this long, so
My first read from this author and I had high hopes for this book. I loved the length, the topic and the time period. I ended up sorely disappointed.The author, obviously, is a fan of Dickens. The language and "feel" of the book definitely spoke that clearly. However, after the 27th time that John got abducted/beat up/wronged/double-crossed, I gave up (and there were at least another 30 times it happened after that!). I get the down and despair. I get that it was a struggle for him to make his
I suppose we could regard Charles Palliser's Quincunx as final proof that for every genre or great genre master of fiction, however obscure or archaic, there is not only someone who will attempt a pastiche of it/him, but sometimes there is even one who is very, very good at it. Charles Palliser is one of these, an otaku's otaku in the realm of... the nineteenth century social novel?I didn't know there could be such a thing. Did you?For Quincunx* is a Dickensian pastiche of the very highest
From the time of its release, my friends and I were all fascinated by Oliver Stone's film JFK. We'd watch it together and discuss such for hours, debating the motives and agency each suspect would have. This continued for many years and I'd wager if circumstances allowed such, we'd all still gather and view the film again. Most of us were never drawn to the literature surrounding the assassination, by which I mean the myriad accounts and theorists who created an additional universe of sinister
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