6/22/2023 0 Comments The Lute Player by Norah Lofts![]() A strange love triangle unfolds through The Lute Player: the musician is hopelessly in enamored of the princess Berengaria, who will stop nothing at seeking Richard's attention, who himself appears to care for no one at all, which frustrates Queen Eleanor, who is trying to arrange his marriage. I can't say which I loved more about the book, its rich descriptions of everyday life so long ago: the inner workings of a monastery, the boredom of court ladies cloister in the castle, the struggles of a ruler to make decisions, the sufferings of soldiers on crusade or the utterly human frustrations and longings its characters undergo in their separate yet intertwined quests for love and power. ![]() Although its largest characters are Richard the Lion-Heart, his mother Eleanor of Aquitaine and other historical figures, the story is actually told through the eyes of minor ones such as Richard's musician the lute-player, and a lady of the court who is physically disabled, yet subtly wields influence on all the others. ![]() This grand novel is set during the Third Crusade. ![]()
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