Stonehenge: A Novel
by Bernard Cornwell
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Book Summary Information
Author: Bernard CornwellEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-12-14
ISBN: 0060956852
Number of pages: 448
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Book Reviews of Stonehenge: A Novel
Book Review: Brilliant as literature, but poor content makes Stonehenge a failure
Summary: 2 Stars
I picked up this book because I've always been interested in the topic Stonehenge is on. So when I saw this book, I thought that it had everything going for it. Bernard Cornwell is, after all, one of the best historical fiction authors out there. The story, the writing, or the subject didn't disappoint me, but some other aspects that definitely took away from it. I'll address those later one.
Stonehenge tells the story of three brothers, Saban, Camaban, and Lengar. Our hero is Saban, and we follow him throughout his life as he is raised in his father's clan. Unfortunately, his brother Lengar is a power-hungry pig and kills his father to be ruler of the clan. Lengar's quest for power causes him to go to war with another tribe, while on the side the third brother, Camaban, is trying to convince Lengar to do otherwise. He thinks they should make piece by creating a temple to the gods. Thus they begin building Stonehenge. During all of this, Saban is trying to survive, and eventually settle down with a family. But he is having trouble with that, because he is in love with a woman from the tribe they are fighting.
First of all, I'd like to say that Cornwell is an amazing author. His style is modern, and put to an ancient setting gives the book an interesting feel. I liked the way the facts and the researched information fit in with the engaging plot. The book may get a little bogged down with the details, but overall, I wasn't bored. There was enough action to keep the book moving me engaged.
As to what went on in the book itself, Saban is always trying to do the right thing for others and him. He is self-sacrificing, and makes friends easily. That's not to say he doesn't have his faults, because he does have a bunch, as well as the book.
This brings me to the book's major problem. There are heavy sexual themes. There isn't anything drastically explicit, but there are some very suggestive scenes. Scattered throughout the whole books, little things (and big things) pop up. I won't go into detail. Many aspects are simply part of the culture of that time and place, but I think Cornwell could have toned it down significantly, at least, or removed it completely. This kicked the book down quite a few steps.
Moving on.
Bernard Cornwell is known for being violent and gruesome, and he lives up to it here. As I said earlier, there are some human sacrifices. Cornwell doesn't stop at merely say what happened, he goes into detail. We imagine the axes coming down on not only adults, but also young children. People are also burned, cut up, bludgeoned, and spiked in the name of the gods.
The violence and gore is not limited to sacrifices either. Other happenings include, but are not restricted to, brutal battles with spears and arrows and swords and knifes, and sticks and stones, all doing their bloody work on the enemy, sequences of murder, child killing (outside of sacrifices), painful things like characters cutting themselves, and the list can go on... and on.
I personally don't have a big problem with some violence, but when an author describes human sacrifices (with children being sacrificed as well) in graphic detail, I'd say he's gone too far. Another example, at one point a priestess cuts up her own child and uses the bones as decoration on what clothes she wears.
To tell the truth, if Bernard Cornwell had cut out the sexual content and toned down the violence significantly, I would highly recommend this book. The only other negative elements that I can think of are that the book may be a bit too long. It drags just slightly in places. Though it's not enough to make me put it down, he could have picked up the pace. Another thing is that he spends a lot of time detailing how Stonehenge was built, and at times didn't focus enough on the main character.
Other than what I have mentioned, Stonehenge, as literature is a pretty solid read.
Bernard has brought us, yet again, another well-researched, incredibly detailed, brilliant novel of a time we really don't know much about. He brings life to the times and to the characters, making us want the hero to succeed, and making us want to keep reading to find out what happens despite the fact that it may drag slightly in places.
Unfortunately, he throws in an unhealthy dose of sexual content and inappropriate violence, making this book unworthy of my bookshelf. Was it worth the read? No, not really. With a lot of editing, this novel would work very well, but it falls short not because of poor writing and inaccuracies, but because of a few aspects that could easily have been avoided.
I recommend you stay away from Stonehenge. There must be another book out there on the subject.
Summary of Stonehenge: A Novel
Bestselling author Bernard Cornwell takes us back four thousand years, to a vibrant world of ritual and sacrifice that is at once timeless and wholly original. This historical novel unlocks the mystery of Britain's most haunting and puzzling structure, and tells a tale of three brothers?fierce rivals?who are uneasily united in their quest to create a temple to their gods. Lengar, the eldest brother, kills his own father to become chief of his tribe. Camaban, the illegitimate middle brother, is determined to have a massive temple built in his own honor. And Saban, the youngest, who actually builds Stonehenge, must act as mediator between the other two. Stonehenge is the enthrallingly dramatic story of patricide, betrayal, and murder; of bloody brotherly rivalry; and of the never-ending quest for power, wealth, and spiritual fulfillment.
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