WILL UNWOUND #288: “Will’s Mystery Project – ‘A Morbid Taste for Bones’ by Ellis Peters
November 27, 2010I love books about the early Middle Ages. To me this is the most interesting part of the history of Western Civilization. Why? It’s because the period that preceded the Middle Ages – the fall of the Roman Empire - is the closest thing that we have in history to an apocalypse on a large geographic scale.
How do people recover from an apocalypse? When the political and military institutions that hold your world together crumble and die, and when the economic and physical infrastructure that bind your population centers together deteriorate and decay, how do you go about the process of rebuilding something resembling a civilized society? That’s what the Middle Ages were all about.
So what institutions sprang up in the post apocalyptic Dark Ages? There were basically two: the feudal manor (which became an enclave of political, military, and economic security for the hierarchy of its members) and Christendom (which became an enclave of educational, spiritual, and charitable security for the hierarchy of its members).
The interesting thing about the Middle Ages is that as a period it seems more foreign to our modern sensibilities than does the ancient world. To buttress that point it’s instructive to consider that according to just about every reputable historian the modern world did not emerge from the dark shadows of the early Middle Ages until there was a Renaissance of ancient learning.
It’s precisely because the early Middle Ages were such a shadowy period that have left us little in the way of enduring architecture, artifacts, historical documents, and literature, that such a rich and speculative literature has grown up around it. I’m thinking of authors like Tolkien (The Ring Trilogy), Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe), Tennyson (Idylls of the King), and Lewis (the Narnia books). They have mined the shadows of medieval myth and legend to bestow some wonderful stories upon us.
It is in this rich cultural milieu that Ellis Peters creates a first rate mystery series featuring a Benedictine monk named Cadfael who tends his herbal garden and says his prayers at the Shrewsbury Abbey in western England. The first book in the series, A Morbid Taste for Bones, sets the pace for the other mysteries to follow. In a word I loved this book.
Peters does a meticulous job of capturing the swirling sense of chaos that prevails in the early Middle Ages. The book takes place during the period in England that historians have dubbed “The Anarchy” because it was characterized by the ongoing struggle for the crown by two warring factions representing King Stephen and Empress Maud.
It is within this chaotic framework that Cadfael serves as a steadying force of reason. As a veteran of the Crusades, he has seen the world and learned a great deal. As a herbalist/healer he approaches the chaotic conundrums of his abbey and his society with a much needed dose of rationality and skepticism.
The problem at hand in this book is the attempt by the overbearing and holier than thou Prior Robert to seize the bones of Saint Winifred from her resting place of two centuries in Wales and transport them to Shrewsbury where they will basically serve as a tourist attraction for wayfaring pilgrims. The murder of a rich Welsh noble who vehemently opposed the Prior’s nefarious plot, sends Cadfael into overtime as a homicide detective and a diplomat of peace in an increasingly volatile setting. That he is able to untie the Gordian knot of the murder and diffuse the Saint Winifred crisis at the same time is a testimony to both sides of Cadfael’s personality, the logical thinker and the faithful believer.
As intriguing a character as Cadfael is, I was more impressed with Peters’ depiction of the inner workings of the Benedictine Monastery in Shrewsbury. Here we see the main occupational hazard of the medieval church hierarchy – pride and sanctimony. Fortunately it is balanced by the humility and good will of Brother Cadfael.
A Morbid Taste for Bones gets 5 shining stars (out of 5).
I enjoyed the Cadfael books immensely. Derek Jacobi played Cadfael in the televised versions. Those were good, too.
Ellen, I love Derek Jacobi’s Shakespearn performances so I will have to check him out as Cadfael. Thanks for pointing this out to me.
Darn! Another series I’ll probably have to investiage.
Beth, this might be the best mystery I have read so far this year.
I loved these books, too. This was the first mystery series I specifically tracked down to read in order and when it was time to read the last story, I put it off for several months knowing that Ellis Peters had died and this really would be the last one. I also loved the Benedictine monastery and it was because I was confident in this reality (given my Catholic background) that I also felt her medieval history was accurate as well. The whole series becomes a learning experience into the life of the Middle Ages. No wonder Peters is considered the the originator of the true historic mystery. Excellent review, Will.
Donna…thanks for the additional info!
Yea!!!! We agree completely on this one.
I am so on this bandwagon. I am very fond of Brother Cadfael. In fact, this fortunate reminder makes me think I should read them all again, starting at the first one. They have a way of putting you in another place and time.
I’m really thrilled you enjoyed the Brother Cadfael book Will! Once the year is over, I hope you go back and read the others. The history is accurate so I’m assuming that a lot about the culture is accurate as well. Brother Cadfael is such a marvelous character! But you are right, what makes the series shine is the history that comes through the books. And I think Susan has a great idea, one I think I may start doing as my holds list will let me: start rereading the series from the first one. And yes, I had to wait awhile to read the final book too, knowing that it was the last one forever.
Woohoo!–two birds killed with one stone! I’ve been in a rut looking for another mystery series but also have had a hankering for some historical fiction. This satisfies both–thanks Will and everyone else for the positive reviews. The only wrinkle is having to wait until tomorrow for the library to open. Stay warm everyone!
Do have fun Elizabeth! The Brother Cadfael series is so wonderful!
I agree with you about the Ellis Peters Cadfael books – I’m not a mystery fan as a general rule but I love history and found the books interesting and accessible.
Can’t wait to read them all, Linda!
Good review, Will, of a mystery I read many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed.
Thanks, Wayne!
Step out of your comfort zones Will!
Try this one out – it will combine genres – perhaps it will lead you to try Science Fiction for awhile – oh gosh – perhaps you could alternate!
Bimbos of the Death Sun is a 1988 mystery novel by Sharyn McCrumb. It won the 1988 Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Original Paperback Mystery.
ISBN 978-0-3454-8302-7
Regards, John B
Worth looking at for the title alone.
John…thanks for the tip. As soon as the mystery series is finished…it’s on to science fiction. Get your pencil ready. I’ll be making a list and checking it twice!
This series is one that I point to about the value of reading fiction. I have learned a great deal of history (especially the periods missing from my formal education) by reading fiction, and in particular historical fiction, including mysteries. The other value, which you pointed out, is that in fiction you can get a glimpse of the everyday life which is left out of much of the “drier” historical narratives which we shelve in the 900s. Enjoy the rest of the series!
Former, can you recommend some other good historical fiction?
At some point I really need to look at this series. I’ve often heard it praised, but you know how it is, Mt. Bookmobile is already pretty high. Earlier this year I read Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, another mystery of sorts set in the Middle Ages. More than by anything else, I was struck by Eco’s very convincing re-creation of what he conceived to be the medieval mind–a very foreign kind of mind to me. (Neither Eco’s priest-detective, nor I presume Brother Cadfael, had those habits of thought typical of the Middle Ages, or at least were not bound by them.)
(Did I mention How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill long ago when I first started posting here? That was my real introduction to the so-called Dark Ages. But I digress. Excellent review–thanks!)
Mt. Bookmore, that is. But I kind of like Mt. Bookmobile, not that it makes any sense at all. Time for bed, and then some. zzzzzzzzz …
RA…Rose is on my list, and the Cahill book is on my favorite book list. Great minds….