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The Dark Pageant
In the wars and confusion of 15th century France, two romantic figures have become the stuff of legend: Joan of Arc whose destiny led her through the flames to be viewed as a saint, and her champion, Gilles de Rais, the glittering Marshal of France, who has gone down in history as a byword for limitless evil.
What did happen to the hundreds of young victims that were taken to Gilles' Brittany castle and never returned? Gilles' story is told here through the eyes of Raoulde Saumeur, his lifelong comrade-in-arms, impelled by curiosity to fathom his friend's secret yet terrified by what he might discover.
What did happen to the hundreds of young victims that were taken to Gilles' Brittany castle and never returned? Gilles' story is told here through the eyes of Raoulde Saumeur, his lifelong comrade-in-arms, impelled by curiosity to fathom his friend's secret yet terrified by what he might discover.
278 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
28 people want to read
About the author
Edward Lucie-Smith
450 books29 followersJohn Edward McKenzie Lucie-Smith, known as Edward Lucie-Smith, is an English writer, poet, art critic, curator and broadcaster.
Lucie-Smith was born in Kingston, Jamaica, moving to the United Kingdom in 1946. He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, and, after a little time in Paris, he read History at Merton College, Oxford from 1951 to 1954.
After serving in the Royal Air Force as an Education Officer and working as a copywriter, he became a full-time writer (as well as anthologist and photographer). He succeeded Philip Hobsbaum in organising The Group, a London-centred poets' group.
At the beginning of the 1980s he conducted several series of interviews, Conversations with Artists, for BBC Radio 3. He is also a regular contributor to The London Magazine, in which he writes art reviews. A prolific writer, he has written more than one hundred books in total on a variety of subjects, chiefly art history as well as biographies and poetry.
In addition he has curated a number of art exhibitions, including three Peter Moores projects at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; the New British Painting (1988–90) and two retrospectives at the New Orleans Museum of Art. He is a curator of the Bermondsey Project Space.
Lucie-Smith was born in Kingston, Jamaica, moving to the United Kingdom in 1946. He was educated at The King's School, Canterbury, and, after a little time in Paris, he read History at Merton College, Oxford from 1951 to 1954.
After serving in the Royal Air Force as an Education Officer and working as a copywriter, he became a full-time writer (as well as anthologist and photographer). He succeeded Philip Hobsbaum in organising The Group, a London-centred poets' group.
At the beginning of the 1980s he conducted several series of interviews, Conversations with Artists, for BBC Radio 3. He is also a regular contributor to The London Magazine, in which he writes art reviews. A prolific writer, he has written more than one hundred books in total on a variety of subjects, chiefly art history as well as biographies and poetry.
In addition he has curated a number of art exhibitions, including three Peter Moores projects at the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool; the New British Painting (1988–90) and two retrospectives at the New Orleans Museum of Art. He is a curator of the Bermondsey Project Space.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
February 20, 2014
A fine biographical novel of the life and horrors of Gilles de Rais--- marshal of France, companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, great nobleman, wartime hero, and supposed serial killer of children and would-be necromancer. Edward Lucie-Smith is a fine art historian and critic, and his depiction of mid-15th France is well-done, with a subtle depiction of a time and a society (the aftermath of Agincourt, in a disintegrating France late in the Hundred Years War) where Gilles' killings (peasant children, after all) are barely noticeable or worth mentioning until his peers and the Church come to think that he just might really be able to invoke the Devil...or make himself too important at court. Lucie-Smith draws a picture of a crumbling feudal era where no one much cares if Gilles' wealthy grandfather sends him out with armed men to kidnap an heiress-bride in a foray that leaves her bodyguards dead in the road or if mercenaries of one side on another randomly despoil the countryside and its people...but where the presence of the Devil is all-too-real and frightening. A very well-done historical novel, told by a narrator whose own growing horror at his childhood friend Gilles even while having no particular problem with the wartime desolation around him is the voice of fifteenth-century reason. Well-crafted, highly recommended.
September 21, 2023
This is a good but deeply flawed historical novel and although faithful to the sources and historical record it completely fails to bring the reader any closer to understanding (which doesn't mean sympathising with or liking) Gilles de Rais, one time companion of Joan of Arc and whose crimes provided the foundation for the 'Bluebeard' legend. Gilles remains as much of an enigma at the end of this novel as he may in any straight forward biography or history of those times. A historian has to concentrate on the known, the verifiable, but an author of fiction is supposed to go beyond what is in the archives - otherwise what is the point?
To provide an example Robert Graves used the information from the remaining Roman historians to recreate and tell the story of the first Roman Emperors, Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula, through the eyes of their relative the emperor Claudius. While sticking to facts he imagines motives for many of the historical figures which the sources don't support. He has created fictional lives and realities for his historical characters that while not 'true' bring you a greater sense of understanding of particular historical peoples and their times.
If a novelist doesn't use his imaginative skills to bring an extra level of understanding to the past, as the past (rewriting history so it confirms to current standards is just a cope out) then there is no point to it. Nor is there any point in writing a novel about a monster that refuses to engage with his monstrosity. Although the crimes are not the only reason to look at his life failure to engage them means that we have no understanding of the man for good or bad. This novel is a failure because it is dull and unsatisfactory promising more than it delivers.
I hate to be so harsh to Lucie-Smith's efforts - clearly this novel and it's companion one on Joan of Arc were works of love and in this novel his accounts of the Hundred Years War, the battles, the political machinations at court etc. are well told. But no one is going to pick this up to read because they want medieval historical fiction (I least of all - the middle ages in fact or fiction leave me cold) they want the story of man, who was the companion of saint as well as a monster. This he fails to provide.
I have given it three stars for being well written but cannot recommend it.
To provide an example Robert Graves used the information from the remaining Roman historians to recreate and tell the story of the first Roman Emperors, Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula, through the eyes of their relative the emperor Claudius. While sticking to facts he imagines motives for many of the historical figures which the sources don't support. He has created fictional lives and realities for his historical characters that while not 'true' bring you a greater sense of understanding of particular historical peoples and their times.
If a novelist doesn't use his imaginative skills to bring an extra level of understanding to the past, as the past (rewriting history so it confirms to current standards is just a cope out) then there is no point to it. Nor is there any point in writing a novel about a monster that refuses to engage with his monstrosity. Although the crimes are not the only reason to look at his life failure to engage them means that we have no understanding of the man for good or bad. This novel is a failure because it is dull and unsatisfactory promising more than it delivers.
I hate to be so harsh to Lucie-Smith's efforts - clearly this novel and it's companion one on Joan of Arc were works of love and in this novel his accounts of the Hundred Years War, the battles, the political machinations at court etc. are well told. But no one is going to pick this up to read because they want medieval historical fiction (I least of all - the middle ages in fact or fiction leave me cold) they want the story of man, who was the companion of saint as well as a monster. This he fails to provide.
I have given it three stars for being well written but cannot recommend it.
February 14, 2020
For such an ominous title, this book has almost zero "darkness." Look, I found out about Gilles de Rais through a Cannibal Corpse CD. Being interested in things macabre and historical, I wanted to read a book about him. The title sold me.
If I wanted to read a book that dealt with history, that would be one thing. But I wanted to read about the atrocities Rais committed. Maybe that makes me a sicko. Whatever. I sleep fine at night.
This book starts promising, with an incident involving a puppy. This is gonna be GREAT, I thought. Then, nothing. For 50 pages, nothing but wars (yes, the wars were mundane and vanilla), arguing about land, and gay sex. With minors. Then, Joan of Arc is brought into the story. Almost a quarter of this book is dedicated to her. I did not want to read about Joan of Arc.
I struggled to finish this thing. The stories don't seem to mean anything. Hell, Rais is absent from a large portion of this novel. Joan of Arc is all over the place but Rais? Not so much.
This was the first book in years that I almost didn't finish. It's well written but for me, it was as exciting and interesting as a dried-up dog turd. Sure, the last 10 pages were good, but the other 260+ pages were crap.
If I wanted to read a book that dealt with history, that would be one thing. But I wanted to read about the atrocities Rais committed. Maybe that makes me a sicko. Whatever. I sleep fine at night.
This book starts promising, with an incident involving a puppy. This is gonna be GREAT, I thought. Then, nothing. For 50 pages, nothing but wars (yes, the wars were mundane and vanilla), arguing about land, and gay sex. With minors. Then, Joan of Arc is brought into the story. Almost a quarter of this book is dedicated to her. I did not want to read about Joan of Arc.
I struggled to finish this thing. The stories don't seem to mean anything. Hell, Rais is absent from a large portion of this novel. Joan of Arc is all over the place but Rais? Not so much.
This was the first book in years that I almost didn't finish. It's well written but for me, it was as exciting and interesting as a dried-up dog turd. Sure, the last 10 pages were good, but the other 260+ pages were crap.
February 7, 2013
I purchased this book years ago on no one's recommendation when I was on a quest to find some truly good gay historical fiction. While this book (published by the Gay Men's Press) is historical fiction and does have a gay (or at least bi-sexual) narrator, I can't say that it is really good fiction. It tells the story of Gilles de Rais, a companion-in-arms of Joan of Arc, and a notorious serial killer. Gilles is believed to be the real life inspiration for the 1697 fairy tale "Bluebeard."
The prose is workman-like and as far as I can tell the details have been faithfully brought to life in the narrative but what is missing is any character arc or truth-telling. I'm as clueless as I was at the beginning as to why I should care about any of these men after my trek through this mayhem. I feel no closer to any true wisdom and cannot see why the story has been preserved or re-told. It may well be that I simply don't have the tools in my repertoire to understand the meaning of this tale but after having spent the time to honestly read this, I'm guessing that the fault is not entirely my own.
By all means, read it if you will. The writing is more solid than many things that I've enjoyed more, and gotten more out of. But just as Mozart cannot be truly appreciated by someone who is tone deaf, it may be that my receptors for what's good here are simply defective. Perhaps you'll get more out of it than I did.
The prose is workman-like and as far as I can tell the details have been faithfully brought to life in the narrative but what is missing is any character arc or truth-telling. I'm as clueless as I was at the beginning as to why I should care about any of these men after my trek through this mayhem. I feel no closer to any true wisdom and cannot see why the story has been preserved or re-told. It may well be that I simply don't have the tools in my repertoire to understand the meaning of this tale but after having spent the time to honestly read this, I'm guessing that the fault is not entirely my own.
By all means, read it if you will. The writing is more solid than many things that I've enjoyed more, and gotten more out of. But just as Mozart cannot be truly appreciated by someone who is tone deaf, it may be that my receptors for what's good here are simply defective. Perhaps you'll get more out of it than I did.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews