Merivel: A Man of His Time

It's been a while since I've had time for reading, and a long while since I've read any books that have inspired me to blog -- but this one definitely deserves some praise.  Rose Tremain's novel is a sequel to the prize-winning Restoration, but it can be read as a stand alone book: it's been years since I read Restoration, but this didn't detract at all from the reading experience.

Tremain's prose is fluent and elegant, and you feel immersed in the period and the character of Merivel from the very beginning.  Merivel is a book about aging: as Charles II declines in health, there is a sense that the country, too, lapses into decay.  Merivel himself tries to seek new adventures, but these do not turn out as optimistically as he begins them.  This is a story about expectations, about the limitations of human life - and those of animals - and how dealing with this brings both comedy and tragedy. 

As you can see, the cover of the paperback, by Vintage Books, is one of the most beautiful I've seen for ages.  There is a Tumblr animation of how it evolved here, which shows the imagery progress from some embroidery in the V and A to the final cover design.  The lettering is hand-drawn by Stephen Raw, whose work is itself worth investigating - reminds me a lot of the work of David Jones. 

If you like historical fiction, this is going to be a real treat.  Highly recommended!

Reviews:
Guardian
Independent
Telegraph

Interview with Rose Tremain