Where Sir Kenneth Screws Up

The talisman./ Sir Walter Scott; by Walter Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sir Walter Scott most often sets his historical novels (or romances in the action-adventure sense) in England or Scotland. Here, though he still has English and Scottish characters, he has set the novel in Palestine during the Crusades. It seems a perfect fit for him. Lots of room for lots of action. I was looking forward to it.

However, to my disappointment, it's not that kind of novel. It's more a novel of courtly manners (including bad manners) and intrigue. The main conflict revolves around the bickering between the King of England and other royals from France, Austria, and elsewhere, especially when they disrespect his banner. The larger conflict of the crusade to retake Jerusalem comes into play, along with a couple subplots, but it was primarily about a single incident when Sir Kenneth was lured away from his post watching the banner and someone steals it. I kept thinking, with its narrow focus and slight action, that it could have been a play. There's movement, but the great majority of action and dialogue takes place in tents and pavilions and caves, all of which could be done on a stage. Additionally, there's a lot of Shakespearean touches, like characters in disguise, prophecies from a holy man, and star-crossed lovers.

There are a few action scenes, though, and they are important, especially the trial by combat in the last few pages. (The first encounter between Sir Kenneth and a Muslim soldier, both alone in the desert, was very similar to the scene in The Kingdom of Heaven, when Balian faces Imad in single combat near a lonely oasis. As in that scene, it mostly establishes character, showing that both men are honorable despite being mortal enemies.) I'm not sure how one could stage either battle, but there are tricks to get around such difficulties.

Sir Kenneth is a typical hero--good guy, full of pride, slightly flawed--and he's easy to like. His love interest is a relative of the king, and she's alright, but doesn't appear too much. Saladin features in the novel, and he is a very cool character (portrayed much like he is in The Kingdom of Heaven--I'd like to ask Ridley Scott and the writer if they read this novel). King Richard the Lionheart is interesting--capable, proud, and courageous, but too rash and too hot-tempered for his own good--and I found him much less likable and sympathetic. That's fine--I think that's probably historically accurate. :)

A few lines are regrettable. The author usually does a good job of limiting expressions of the kind of religious intolerance and racism that was common in the 1800s when he wrote his novels, but he doesn't do so well here. When the knights are super intolerant of Islam and Muslim customs, the reader has to allow for it, and when they say racist things about the African characters (and ugly things about the little people found in the novel), we kinda understand, as that was the unfortunate way people saw the world 800 years ago. But when the narrator joins in, I'm put off and disappointed. He wrote 200 years ago, sure... but he usually seemed to rise above it more than here.

:(

Putting that aside, or at least in context, it's otherwise an entertaining, well written novel, and as it's not quite as long as some of his books it's a quick read. I also liked the ending, which helps.

This is more for readers of Sir Walter Scott than for general readers, though who knows--others might find something here that interests them. So--a qualified recommendation.

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