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Stuart's Reviews > A Song for Arbonne
A Song for Arbonne
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A reimagining of the Crusades against music-loving, female-dominated Provence
This is another of Guy Gavriel Kay's historical reimaginings of dramatic and tumultuous historical periods in European history, in this case the Albigensian Crusade of Pope Innocent III against the Cathar heretics of Languedoc (in southern France), with the troubadours and Court of Love and elevated status of women, all anathema to the Catholic Church of the times. GKK goes to great lengths to depict this world in lush detail and prose, much like his other historical fantasies Tigana (Renaissance Italy), the Lions of Al-Rassan (Moorish Spain), and Sarantium Mosaic (clash between Byzantine Empire and Ostrogothic Empire of Italy).
As his many fans can attest to, his writing is rich, lyrical, emotion-laden, and colorful. This can either work for or against him, depending on reader taste. I thought it was very effective in Tigana, as the basic story was clearly understandable and the character's motivations were understandable and relatable. However, I found the machinations and motivations of the large caste of characters in A Song for Arbonne difficult to follow, especially as many have difficult-to-remember names like Bertran de Talair, Urte de Miraval, Thierry de Carenzu, Galbert de Garsanc, etc. I realize that real historical events feature just such complex and numerous casts of characters, and plotting and scheming and motivated by cultural modes of thinking and historical rights and wrongs, but it was all a bit overwhelming.
It's always interesting to speculate on why GKK chooses to cloak and reimagine historical events with invented countries, cultures, regions, religions, and stories. Why not just write historical fiction in that case? But perhaps he can take greater artistic license by exploring the themes the run throughout European antiquity with a freer hand, though sometimes it all seems a bit unnecessary. The magical elements have become minimal since his Tolkienesque fantasy trilogy The Fionavar Tapestry, so there seems even less need for this elaborate approach to history, but his writing skills are undeniable.
This is another of Guy Gavriel Kay's historical reimaginings of dramatic and tumultuous historical periods in European history, in this case the Albigensian Crusade of Pope Innocent III against the Cathar heretics of Languedoc (in southern France), with the troubadours and Court of Love and elevated status of women, all anathema to the Catholic Church of the times. GKK goes to great lengths to depict this world in lush detail and prose, much like his other historical fantasies Tigana (Renaissance Italy), the Lions of Al-Rassan (Moorish Spain), and Sarantium Mosaic (clash between Byzantine Empire and Ostrogothic Empire of Italy).
As his many fans can attest to, his writing is rich, lyrical, emotion-laden, and colorful. This can either work for or against him, depending on reader taste. I thought it was very effective in Tigana, as the basic story was clearly understandable and the character's motivations were understandable and relatable. However, I found the machinations and motivations of the large caste of characters in A Song for Arbonne difficult to follow, especially as many have difficult-to-remember names like Bertran de Talair, Urte de Miraval, Thierry de Carenzu, Galbert de Garsanc, etc. I realize that real historical events feature just such complex and numerous casts of characters, and plotting and scheming and motivated by cultural modes of thinking and historical rights and wrongs, but it was all a bit overwhelming.
It's always interesting to speculate on why GKK chooses to cloak and reimagine historical events with invented countries, cultures, regions, religions, and stories. Why not just write historical fiction in that case? But perhaps he can take greater artistic license by exploring the themes the run throughout European antiquity with a freer hand, though sometimes it all seems a bit unnecessary. The magical elements have become minimal since his Tolkienesque fantasy trilogy The Fionavar Tapestry, so there seems even less need for this elaborate approach to history, but his writing skills are undeniable.
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Reading Progress
August 1, 2013
– Shelved as:
historical-fantasy
August 1, 2013
– Shelved as:
to-read
August 1, 2013
– Shelved
December 24, 2013
– Shelved as:
literature
January 26, 2019
–
Started Reading
February 10, 2019
–
Finished Reading
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OK, I admit they only have "de" in common, what I should have said is "difficult-to-remember" names. I think a lot of my problems with following the story are because I was listening to the audiobook on my daily commute on the extremely noisy Northern line tube in London, so it's just tough to concentrate. I just finished Children of Earth and Sky, which was cool since I visited Dubrovnik last spring so it was easy to picture the setting of Dubrava in that book. Now moving to ancient China and the Tang Dynasty with Under Heaven.
understandable.Under Heaven is not just on the list, it is physically on the bookshelf. I must get back to GGK!
Glad to see you continuing with GGK. I need do that as well, for some reason stopped after Lions.