Crusader's Tomb

by A.J. Cronin

The story of Stephen Desmonde, an English painter who struggles for recognition in a conventional world, sacrificing everything for his passion for art. The title is a reference to John Keats' 1818 poem, Endymion, which begins: “A thing of beauty is a joy for ever…”

Genres: Fiction, Classics, British Literature, Historical Fiction, Art, Novels

621 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Archibald Joseph Cronin was a Scottish novelist, dramatist, and non-fiction writer who was one of the most renowned storytellers of the twentieth century. His best-known works are The Citadel and The Keys of the Kingdom, both of which were made into Oscar-nominated films. He also created the Dr. Finlay character, the hero of a series of stories that served as the basis for the long-running BBC television and radio series entitled Dr. Finlay's Casebook.
-Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A.J._Cronin

Reviews

[Chrissie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another winner by Cronin. Amazing? Uet I REALLY love it! You will empathize with the artist Stephen!

The story takes you from Sussex, England. to France and Spain. We visit London, Paris and Madrid along with places out in the provinces. This is a book of historical fiction showing what was happening in art during the first decades of the 20th century. The book is better than other such books in that it draws the reader in on a personal level. An artist’s sense of beauty and the struggle to convey this is the central focus of the book.

If visual art moves you, you must read this book.

Yje audio narration by Elsa Nordin was lousy.

Writing this brings me to tears—I cannot properly get on paper what I want to say. I cannot see the damn keys on the keyboard.

******************

Standalones:

*The Keys of the Kingdom 5 stars
*The Stars Look Down 5 stars
*A Thing of Beauty 4 stars
*The Citadel 4 stars
*Adventures in Two Worlds 4 srats
(autobiography)
*The Judas Tree 4 stars
*The Spanish Gardener 4 stars
*Hatter's Castle 4 stars
*Beyond This Place TBR
*Three Loves  TBR
*The Northern Light TBR
*Vigil in the NightTBR
*Grand Canary TBR

Duologies:
1,The Green Years 5 stars
2.Shannon's Way 3 stars
--------------------
1.A Song of Sixpence 5 stars
2.A Pocketful of Rye 3 stars

[Tina Tamman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like reading old books. They are very good on plot, for example. And A.J. Cronin has excellent plots to tell, with interesting characters. This is the story of a young man, Stephen Desmonde, who desperately wants to become a painter but it's very difficult for all kinds of reasons. The novel is a bit predictable but I for one felt for Stephen. He is so well drawn, so credible in his determination and disappointments. I think it is a very good read. A bit old-fashioned perhaps with its numerous descriptions; that is the reason why it's only three stars.
However, Cronin was not lucky with his titles. The best book of his I've read is called "Beyond This Place" - not exactly memorable, does not exactly roll off the tongue. And "Crusader's Tomb" does not sound appetising. I believe it was also published under the title of "A Thing of Beauty" which I think is much more inviting.

[Manuel Alfonseca · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 *

ENGLISH: The style of this novel reminds me of "The citadel" by the same author. The second part of the plot, however, reminds "Of Human Bondage" by Somerset Maugham. The protagonist (Stephen) is trying to become a painter (the same as Philip, the main character in Maugham's novel), and gets trapped by a woman who fascinates him, but is unworthy of his interest and mistreats him awfully, (Emmy in this novel, Mildred in Maugham's). Both men know that they should leave her, they actually despise her, but are unable to follow their reason.

From the third part, this novel diverges from Maugham's. While Philip abandons painting and becomes a doctor, Stephen becomes a slightly successful artist, awarded with the Prix de Luxembourg and with a few of his paintings in other museums.

The fourth part is an illustration of the words of Jesus: No prophet is accepted in his own country (Lk 4:24). Stephen's art is not accepted in his hometown, a "backwards" area of England, dominated by the residues of Victorianism. However, at the risk of being considered backwards, I must allow that the assertion a great work of art cannot be obscene, implicit in the novel, is at least debatable.

The fifth part provides a poignant summary and closure of Stephen's life, almost exclusively dedicated to art at whatever the cost.

ESPAÑOL: El estilo de esta novela me recuerda "La ciudadela", del mismo autor. La segunda parte de la trama, sin embargo, me recuerda "Servidumbre Humana" de Somerset Maugham. El protagonista (Stephen) está tratando de convertirse en pintor (al igual que Philip, el personaje principal de la novela de Maugham), y es atrapado por una mujer que lo fascina, pero no es digna de su interés y lo trata terriblemente mal (Emmy en esto novela, Mildred en la de Maugham). Ambos hombres saben que deberían dejarla, en el fondo la desprecian, pero son incapaces de actuar racionalmente.

A partir de la tercera parte, esta novela se aparta de la de Maugham. Mientras Philip abandona la pintura y se convierte en médico, Stephen llega a ser un artista con algún éxito tras recibir el Premio del museo de Luxemburgo y ver unos pocos de sus cuadros adquiridos por otros museos.

La cuarta parte ilustra las palabras de Jesús: Nadie es profeta en su tierra (Lc 4:24). El arte de Stephen es rechazado en su ciudad natal, una zona "atrasada" de Inglaterra, dominada por residuos de moral victoriana. Sin embargo, a riesgo de que me llamen atrasado, debo reconocer que la afirmación una obra maestra (de arte) no puede ser obscena, implícita en la novela, es al menos discutible.

La quinta parte proporciona un resumen final conmovedor de la vida de Stephen, dedicada casi exclusivamente al arte a cualquier precio.

[Mariangel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, which drew me in from the start. Everything was good: writing, characters, story.

[scafandr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Когда-то я 5 лет занимался в художественной школе. В итоге после получения диплома у меня был выбор - или идти в училище и готовится потом к академии искусств, или бросать рисовать и идти в какой-нибудь физ-мат и лингвистический класс (последнее я и выбрал). Было немного сложно изменить свои цели в жизни, т.к. с 10 лет я думал, что буду художником. Правда, через 3 года я уже думал про фармацевта, а через год про программиста=) Мне ни один преподаватель, ни один знакомый художник не советовал идти в искусство, потому что это дорога в бедность. Один раз преподавательница за 2 часа нарисовала потрясающий натюрморт акварелью, на что мы тратили 4-6 часов. Другой преподаватель, молоденький совсем, только-только закончил академию, за час для примера нарисовал великолепный графический рисунок черепа. Но все они работали за мизерную зарплату учителя. На рынке у нас всегда был уголок с картинами, некоторых художников я знал лично. Они рисовали красивые рассветы и закаты, за которые я им делал комплименты. А они говорили, что рассветы и закаты - это то, чем приходится заниматься всю жизнь, потому что только они хорошо продаются. А настоящие работы, в которые вложена душа, никому не нужны. Один знакомый из Минска возил каждые выходные свои работы в Москву, т.к. там хоть что-то можно продать. А потом наступает пенсия, а потом... А потом ты можешь жить в хрущёвке, заставленной пустыми бутылками и смотреть на свои работы, вытирая слёзы.
В общем, перед тем "Памятником крестоносцу" я прекрасно знал всю эту кухню изнутри. Роман о художнике Стефене Десмонде (вымышленный персонаж), который умел и любил рисовать. Он очень хотел рисовать всю жизнь, но родился он в семье священника, а отец совсем не понимал искусство, т.к. считал, что это временное баловство. Стефен с детства был вынужден бороться. Все вокруг считали, что пойти по пути художника - это путь в никуда. Но стать священником не было никакого желания. Для Стефена как раз именно это решение было бы уничтожением своей жизни. Арчибальд Кронин нас рассказывает историю художника, который не побоялся трудностей и пошёл против ветра.
Мне очень было интересно, сможет ли главный герой сломать систему. Хоть он и не вызывает особых симпатий (тихий, скромный, в чём-то даже закомплексованный), но мне очень хотелось, чтобы он утёр всем нос. Правда, каждый новый поворот истории только разжигал костёр инквизиции. Где-то примерно до половины романа мне было очень интересно, а потом интерес немного стал угасать. Был интересный французский период, в котором было полно интересных людей. Была яркая интрига с молодой велосипедисткой, работающей в цирке. А потом пошёл какой-то тлен. Мне даже кажется, что и женщину Стефену дали чисто в нагрузку, а он не особо и понял, что ему от неё нужно, ибо важнее всего закончить свою работу. Никому не нужную работу, которую сожгут в печи.
Вот такая сложная жизнь у людей искусства. Что у художников, что у музыкантов, что у актёров.
Хороший роман, легко читается, первая половина понравилась больше. Но предсказуемый. Для меня предсказуемый. 8/10.

[Inessakos · Rating 5 out of 5]

АРЧИБАЛД КРОНІН «МОГИЛА ХРЕСТОНОСЦЯ»
⠀
Жанр: класичний художній роман.
.
.
Стефен Десмонд - син священика, на якого вся надія його батька: він просто зобов'язаний вивчити теологію та продовжити сімейну справу.
⠀
Але якщо душа Стефена тягнеться зовсім не до релігії, а до мистецтва? Як бути, якщо не стіни церкви дарують спокій та задоволення, а пензлик у руці?
⠀
Всупереч усім навколо, вірячи в свій талант і призначення, не боячись тягарів і поневірень, Ст��фен вирушає за своєю мрією, щоб стати художником.
.
.
Читаючи, згадувала історію Ван Гога із художньої біографії Ірвінга Стоуна «Ван Гог. Жага до життя».
⠀
І знову не змогла зрозуміти, як можна відмовитися буквально від усього заради мистецтва: не лише матеріальних благ, а й родини. Але найчастіше саме так у світ приходять шедеври.
⠀
Не перестаю захоплюватися творчістю Арчибальда Кроніна: вже четверта його книга викликала шквал емоцій, закохала в себе.
⠀
І що цікаво: нічого не тямлю в образотворчому мистецтві, але втретє читаю про художника (ще був роман «Місяць і гріш» Сомерсета Моема), і мені було дуже цікаво поринути у світ фарб
і полотен.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautifully expressed book about the life-long trials of an early 20th century artist who bucks his family expectations at every turn for his calling. Stephen Desmonde unapologetically refuses to become the vicar his father wishes, and sacrifices all creature comforts to keep on painting. His story is painfully beautiful. I felt that the author understood the intensity of the true artistic calling. This is my first Cronin book. It was stunning, and I loved it. Several others are now on my tbr shelf.

[Jan Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stephen Desmonde is expected to succeed his father as the rector of a rural parish, but Stephen is a sensitive, passionate artist driven by an obsession to discover the beauty in truth. The lack of understanding and subsequent derision from his family results in Stephen leaving for Paris – the hub of all things creative – and then to travel across Spain. He’s a passive character, spurned in love, starved, cheated, forced to take a tough road, and to suffer terribly for believing in his art. Material comforts are sparse but his journey, both artistically, physically, and spiritually, all culminate into a rich and multi-layered experience.
So many great artists are not understood or revered until after their death. Desmonde also falls victim to this stereotype, although arguably some of this down to his pride and lack of interest in material gain. Above all, Stephen Desmonde’s story exposes the flaws of Christian beliefs and the perceived realities of war during the early 20th century. Desmonde and his family are real flesh and blood, as are the many characters who play numerous supporting roles. The depiction of life at Stillwater in England, and of France and Spain are deep and rich without compromising reality.
I was thoroughly engrossed in this book. Cronin is a master of historical detail and perspectives, and manages to extract every ounce of empathy for his protagonist.

[Dorcas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of a young man who, bucking tradition and security sets off on a very unpopular path as an artist. We follow his struggles, insecurities and growth as a human being and final posthumous recognition. Loved it.

[Giovanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il tema trattato è quello dell'arte come ragione di vita,come spinta incontrollabile e incontrastabile che segna il destino dell'artista ,portandolo a compiere scelte tormentate,non volte a soddisfare le sue esigenze umane ma piuttosto le sue esigenze artistiche.È la storia di un giovane che abbandonerà tutto,andrà contro le convenzioni sociali,e sopporterà grandi disagi, fisici ed economici,pur di non tradire la propria aspirazione artistica e il proprio modo di veder l'arte.
Il romanzo è ambientato fra la fine dell'800 e la prima metà del '900,e ci porta quindi nel mezzo di grandi cambiamenti epocali:la fine del vecchio mondo e dei suoi valori,e l'inizio di una nuova epoca dove le nuove tendenze artistiche e la prima guerra mondiale irrompono violentemente,portando con sè ,contemporaneamente,rinnovamento e distruzione.
Nonostante il romanzo sia datato e possa apparirci un poco distante e ingenuo nello stile della scrittura e nella rappresentazione dei personaggi ,credo che i temi in esso affrontati non abbiano età e possano essere benissimo trasportati anche in questa nostra epoca moderna,dove,nonostante si goda in apparenza di ogni tipo di libertà spirituale e morale,ugualmente si è costretti a lottare duramente per mantere la propria individualità e non essere completamente inghiottiti dalla massificazione che livella ogni cosa.

[Jody Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

And with this book, A J Cronin became my favourite author.

I love The Crusader's Tomb. I've read a few of Cronin's works but this is by far my personal favourite. Maybe it's because I'm maturing I find myself relating more to Cronin's work, or maybe it's how persecuted and hammered poor Stephen is throughout the tale which pulled my strings... or maybe it's simply because it is so, so well written.

I made a comment about one of Cronin's earlier works on my blog a few years back, and his grandson got in touch to tell me religion played a large part in Cronin's life. It's heavily involved in Crusader's, and - if his grandson or any other relation see this, I would love to speak to them and find out more about a man I admire and feel so... 'kin' with.

I am not envious of any other writers out there, but I wish I could write like Cronin.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I simply love Cronin's writing style. It's amazing how he can pull me into the story.

So, the story is about Stephen Desmonde, a young Oxford's graduate. He was about to follow in his father's footsteps and become a vicar, but he decides to follow his passion - art. With rebelling againts his father, he was also denied any finacial help. So Stephen stuggled a lot, but he was happy.
The thing I like most about this story is the fact that Stephen followed his dream and never gave up. He was a kind man, at the beginning also exploited quite frequently, but he learned how to deal with the world of the 20th century. He grew up in all aspects, became confident, figured what was truly important in life and survived. Even though the art experts of his time criticised him to no end, he became very famous after his death - like so many artists before him.

[Sarra.o · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to let this simmer before writing a review, so here we go.

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for the longest time, and I picked it to celebrate the upcoming fall season, and boy what a lovely surprise it was.

The main character's journey as an artist is phenomenal. As tragic it might have ended being (no spoilers as it can be deducted from reading the first chapters), readers feel a certain connection with that main character; getting to know his personality, goals, and ambition. Overall, it reminds me of Don Quixotte given the picaresque aspect of the narrative, where we're met with different characters along the journey.

I cannot recommend this novel enough, for it'll appeal to any type of readers for it being such a page turner!

[Jilll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an old book (1955) but I liked the author and reread it. It was kind of hard to get into with the French names but got progressively better.

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Se însera şi o lumină sidefie învăluia dealurile, conturându-le curbele graţioase. Din iarba argintată de ploaie se ridica o ceaţă ce-şi agăţa pânzele de boschete, brodându-şi dantelele până-n depărtări. În părţile albicioase, aidoma unor cupe uriaşe, se oglindea imaginea aurie a lunii ce se ivea la orizont; dolofană şi înclinată ca ochiul unui pisoi ghemuit pe creasta dealului, gata să tresalte.

În această tăcere luminoasă, dintr-o bisericuţă catolică atât de mică, atât de pierdută în ascunzişurile acestui ţinut împădurit, încât în ciuda liniilor sale desluşite, a clopotniţei pătrate şi a pietrelor acoperite de muşchi, părea ireală ― ţâşni o siluetă lungă, neagră, însoţită de scrâşnetul unei uşi care se închise cu un zăvor greu: rectorul din Stillwater, Bertram Desmonde.

Cu capul descoperit, cu pelerina pe umeri, strivind sub picioare dalele năpădite de licheni, el depăşi cele două mari tise noduroase ― dintre care cea mai tânără putea să fi furnizat, cu cinci secole mai înainte, arcuri pentru luptătorii din Sussex ― şi trecu bariera, ieşind în cărare.

Mişcat de limpezimea serii, invadat de o profundă bucurie interioară, se cufundă în contemplarea moşiei sale: două sute de acri, întinzându-se de la pădurea de fagi din Ditehley până la terenurile nisipoase care mărgineau drumul de la Stillwater. Departe, circul din Chanctonbury se profila la răsărit, şi mai jos, în mijlocul copacilor, se distingea baroc şi familiar, turnuleţul din Broughton Court. La apus, pădurea se întindea, tăiată numai de o carieră de var ― plagă fără sânge ― până la găvanele, considerate vechi tunele romane, dar care nu erau, desigur, decât vestigiile unei foste cărămidării. Apoi veneau căsuţele muncitorilor ― şase la rând, precum ciupercile ― şi de cealaltă parte a drumului, luminile licărinde ale satului, iar jos, intens luminat, presbiteriul.

Masiv, ca toate construcţiile georgiene, cu ferestrele prevăzute cu intrânduri, cu porticul flancat de coloane canelate, şi ― fermecătoare concepţie ― împodobit cu o terasă, presbiteriul era o adevărată construcţie de ţară ridicată în 1780 de rectorul Hilary Desmonde, străbunicul său, în piatră albă din ţinut ― cariera ― invadată acum de vegetaţie. Vestigii ale unei construcţii Tudor se mai găseau încă la şură şi la grajduri, în dependinţe, în încântătorul zid bătrân de silex şi galet ce înconjura grădina mare de zarzavat. Înconjurat de gazonul fraged, mărginit de ronduri de lalele şi de ciuboţica cucului, cu terenul plantat cu trandafiri, cu hexagonul regulat al cadranului solar, cu perii bătrâni încărcaţi de flori, aliniaţi precum copiii într-un cor în faţa altarului, cu stejarul uriaş umbrind aleea nisipoasă, această casă, acest mic palat rustic, acest „cămin“ al familiei Desmonde de atâţia ani, umplea în această seară mai mult decât orice, inima rectorului cu o mândrie plină de căldură.

[Cath_Jenta3 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ce roman est une très très belle découverte. En fait, il traînait dans ma bibliothèque, je le regardais et puis je passais à son voisin, sans le prendre en main. Le titre et sa couverture (il faut bien l’avouer, elle n’est pas très avenante) ne me disaient rien. Et puis vint ma Coupe d’Europe livresque et il me fallait un auteur écossais… Alors il est sorti de ma bibliothèque par défaut, c’est le seul auteur écossais qui y habitait 🫢. Et quelle révélation !
J’ai vraiment beaucoup aimé ce roman. Une plume tres agréable, fluide, sensible, claire. Une histoire tellement bien menée, sans longueurs (et pourtant le roman fait plus de 500 pages, écrit tout petit). Des descriptions, des situations heureuses et malheureuses, des sentiments, des émotions, cette histoire est accaparente, on veut savoir, on veut être de la partie, on veut aider Stephen.
Un parcours de vie difficile, une abnégation pour son art qui force l’admiration, comme pour bon nombres d’artistes qui ne profitent pas de la reconnaissance de leur œuvre de leur vivant…
Un auteur que je ne manquerai pas de lire à l’avenir, sans attendre la qualification de l’Écosse en coupe du Monde et/ou d’Europe de football 😉

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

At some point, I stopped reading A. J. Cronin. Generally, the protagonists had such hard struggles at life. Though they won through in the end in pursuing a meaningful life. In this book, Stephen was destined to be a rector but became a painter. But, not just any artist, one driven to perfect his art. That led to controversy. And pain and poverty and mixed success. He marries Jenny Lind and has a child. He does not experience much success during his life but ends up providing for his family. Moving, deep, raw real life, but Stephen was true to himself. On the back cover, Cronin says, “While it is difficult to for an author to appraise his own, work, I can say in all honesty that this book, more than any other, was written from the heart.”

[Matkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

En la primera mitad sentí que iba a toda velocidad y me molestaba bastante porque no se detenía en cosas en las que en cualquier otro libro se dedicarían varios capítulos, pero después cambió el ritmo y lo terminé amando. No es la novela más desafiante ni tiene una manera de narrar ambiciosa, pero tenía todo lo que necesitaba. Una de esas que se quedan en tu cora para siempre en forma de película. Spoilers abajo.


CÓMO VAS A MATAR A DAVIE AAAAA

Me gusta que el viejo al final no aprende absolutamente nada y se alivia cuando el nieto le dice que no le gusta dibujar.

[Garry Duncan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. It was refreshing to be cast back into the early years of the 20th Century. The book is very well written and for most of the time it was a pleasure to be absorbed by the authenticity of the characters, locations and the age, however the hardships and deprivation seemed just a little bit extreme. A page turner close to the quality of Cronin's "The Keys of the Kingdom".

[Angelina Tenuta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. i especially enjoyed the ending and controversy that his art sparked, showing the realism and copious cruel aspects of war. his unbelievable, overpowering dedication to art reminded me a lot of andrew in whiplash.

[Kalin Nikolov · Rating 5 out of 5]

** 5.0 **

[Elena K · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome!!!

[Ram · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://medium.com/@vram45/crusaders-...

[Alena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Как всегда у автора, прекрасно!

[Gwynplaine26th · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Che cos'era in fin dei conti la bellezza, perché gli uomini dovessero martirizzare se stessi nell'inseguirla, morire per essa come i santi del passato"?

[J V Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

A second reading

The first time I read this novel it didn't really register; I was unable to remember a thing about it. At times I found it a bit like reading a travel brochure or a Baedecker especially when the story was in France and Spain. Also the irritating use of french words was annoying. We don't all understand French and having to use an English/French dictionary was a nuisance. However,to get back to the story. Stephen Desmond's complete obsession with his painting and the hardship he endured made fascinating reading. It is a bit of a challenge but worth pursuing to the end. If like me you are a Cronin fan you won't mind the old-fashioned style.
.

[Teaspoon Stories · Rating 3 out of 5]

I discovered Cronin during a summer holiday in my mid teens. My mother had been to the local library and brought back “The Citadel” which she’d enjoyed herself as a girl. I was totally enthralled by it. I couldn’t put it down and I remember finishing it in bed over night as morning dawned. I guess for a teenager it had everything – a gripping story, the young man versus the world, and the burning passion of social justice. 

Since then I think I’ve read most of Cronin’s novels – borrowed from the public library when I was younger, and more recently when I see them in second-hand bookshops.

I tracked down the last one I read, his “Crusader’s Tomb”, after I’d been to an art exhibition of the troubled, 1920s painter, Christopher Wood, on whose life, I discovered, Cronin had based his story. 

Because I’d seen Christopher Wood’s pictures at the art exhibition and had learned a bit there about his life, I found it very interesting comparing real-life facts with Cronin’s fictional narrative. This was probably a bit unfair, as Cronin clearly didn’t write “Crusader’s Tomb” as a factual biography of Christopher Wood. And as they say at the beginning of Hollywood films, the creative process can be “inspired by real events” without being constrained by them.

Anyway, in fairness to Cronin, there were aspects to Christopher’s bohemian lifestyle that his publisher - and their lawyers - would doubtless have found just a tad too exotic, at that time, for Cronin’s vast and respectable readership. If particularly curious readers wanted to put two and two together, though, they may well have decoded the hints and ambiguities that Cronin still manages to weave in plain sight.

The vicissitudes of the tragic artist certainly work well as a typical Cronin storyline. Outsiders by virtue of class, profession, political and religious conviction - and now by artistic temperament - are the defining characters of his novels. Their outsider status generally involves painful struggles, intense loneliness and bitter personal sacrifice. On the rare occasions where his characters do achieve their goals, success is bitter and discovered to have been at monumental cost.

This is why - while there are still a number of novels by Cronin that I’d like to read if I come across them - I need to be careful not to read too many in one go. I’ve found that too much Cronin can become overwhelming if taken in large doses …

[Iryna Slavych · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Геніям за їх життя відмовляють не тільки в славі (а до останнього часу то й у свободі), ба навіть у засобах існування. Лише після смерті їм, як винагороду, ставлять пам'ятники і складають оди"

А.Кронін - надзвичайний автор, романи котрого названі зовсім не випадково, ба більше символічними назвами. Як і хрестоносці в своїх походах на Схід зазнавали поразки, але завдяки цим невдачам наштовхнули Європу переоцінити свої духовні цінності, так і роман Кроніна "Могила хрестоносця" - своєрідний маніфест війнам, які відбувалися у XX ст., з метою змінити погляди людства на істині цінності для розуміння справжньої краси.

Головний герой Стівен Десмонд народився в сім'ї зі сталими традиціями, серед його предків були середньовічні лицарі, які ще брали участь у хрестових походах. З покоління в покоління родина Десмондів розвивала майстерність у сфері армії, адвокатури та священослужінню. Від Стівена не чекали нічого іншого як продовження діяльності батька- священника.

Без фінансової та моральної підтримки зі сторони родичів, із невиліковною хворобою, Стівен обирає шлях художника, який прокладений різноманітними перешкодами. Та найбільшою протидіючою йому силою стають маси людей: пересічні громадяни та преса, що бісилися та заздрили таланту митця. Стівен виступає проти війни, але з позиції пацифізму, він відкидає всі війни взагалі, не поділяючи їх на справедливі й несправедливі, загарбницькі й визвольні.

Отож, глибоко страждаючи від нерозуміння, але поступово відсторонившись від людей, Стівен ставить себе в один ряд з такими великими творцями як Рембрандт, Гойя, Мане…Його друг переконливо його в цьому підтримує, а читачам залишається лише вірити в незвичайний талант, розуміння духовної краси та широкий світогляд художника.

Протистояння Митця і натовпу досить популярна тема як в реальності, й удосталь часто відображається в літературі, згадати "Джерело" Айн Ренд. Але незважаючи на її поширеність, Кронін оббіграв її досить якісно та захопливо.

Ще одна прониклива історія, про яку продовжуєш розмірковувати ще довгий час після прочитання.

[Johann Guenther · Rating 3 out of 5]

CRONIN, A.J.: „Später Sieg“, Bern 1956
Für einen Groschenroman ist es mit 370 Seiten zu dick. Liebesromanzen und Sentimentalitäten durchziehen das Thema eines jungen Theologiestudenten, der Maler werden möchte. Er verlässt für seinen Wunschtraum das „warme Nest“ des herrschaftlichen Elternhauses und wird vom Vater wegen des abgebrochenen Theologiestudiums verstoßen. Er verfällt in ein armes und hartes Leben. Als Künstler wird er auch nach seiner Rückkehr aus Frankreich und Spanien mit einer Auftragsarbeit verstoßen und sogar wegen Unzüchtigkeit von einem Gericht verurteilt. Er flüchtet und findet mit einer Frau, die er noch aus seiner Theologiestudienzeit kennt ein glückliches und zufriedenes Leben, das allerdings von einem Freund, der ihn berühmt machen möchte zerstört. Krank und arm stirbt er. Von einem französischen Galeristen wird er entdeckt und die Witwe und der gemeinsame Sohn kommen zu einem guten Einkommen.
Sehr detailliert beschreibt Cronin die Landschaften und Orte in Spanien, Frankreich und England, wo die Handlungen spielen. Der Protagonist des Romans ist ein Maler. Der Autor Cronin agiert ebenfalls wie ein Maler, allerdings mit Worten. Seine Landschaftsbeschreibungen und Charakterisierungen der handelnden Personen sind Gemälde aus Text.
Wie schon im ersten Roman, den ich von ihm las, liebt Cronin Extremsituationen von Menschen. Armut, Leid und Sorgen werden sehr emotionell und hautnah beschrieben.

[Henry Tegner · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read pretty much all of A J Cronin's fiction over the past 40 years or so. 'The Crusader's Tomb' has to be my favourite. Cronin draws vivid, if sometimes exaggerated characters. It focuses on love, loss and the sadness that it leaves in its wake. Yet in the end there is a sense of hope, but it is regrettable that its cause has to do with the anticipation of Stephen's father that his grandson will pursue that old delusion and enter the church.