What do you think?
Rate this book
Lion Heart
Richard Cathar recalls his recently deceased father, Alaric, as a delusional hippie, one who fancied himself an intellectual and a historian. One of many far-fetched claims was that he had discovered—and then lost—documentation of a meeting between his hero, Richard the Lionheart, and Robin Hood after the Third Crusade.
In a quest to sort out the fact and fiction of his father’s life, Richard (named for the legendary king) leaves London and travels to Jerusalem, where he falls in love with the mysterious Noor, a journalist who herself has many secrets. Back in England, he continues his research, finding his own evidence that Richard the Lionheart recovered the True Cross from Saladin. Again he sets out, this time on the trail of the True Cross, which leads him through the Middle East and Europe—and to the powerful sense that myth and history may be inseparable.
Justin Cartwright’s latest novel is an utter original. Full of insight into the life and times of Richard the Lionheart, it is exciting, deeply moving, funny, and profound.
In a quest to sort out the fact and fiction of his father’s life, Richard (named for the legendary king) leaves London and travels to Jerusalem, where he falls in love with the mysterious Noor, a journalist who herself has many secrets. Back in England, he continues his research, finding his own evidence that Richard the Lionheart recovered the True Cross from Saladin. Again he sets out, this time on the trail of the True Cross, which leads him through the Middle East and Europe—and to the powerful sense that myth and history may be inseparable.
Justin Cartwright’s latest novel is an utter original. Full of insight into the life and times of Richard the Lionheart, it is exciting, deeply moving, funny, and profound.
331 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
14 people are currently reading
722 people want to read
About the author
Justin Cartwright
49 books48 followersJustin Cartwright (born 1945) is a British novelist.
He was born in South Africa, where his father was the editor of the Rand Daily Mail newspaper, and was educated there, in the United States and at Trinity College, Oxford. Cartwright has worked in advertising and has directed documentaries, films and television commercials. He managed election broadcasts, first for the Liberal Party and then the SDP-Liberal Alliance during the 1979, 1983 and 1987 British general elections. For his work on election broadcasts, Cartwright was appointed an MBE.
Cartwright had a wife, Penny, and two sons.
He was born in South Africa, where his father was the editor of the Rand Daily Mail newspaper, and was educated there, in the United States and at Trinity College, Oxford. Cartwright has worked in advertising and has directed documentaries, films and television commercials. He managed election broadcasts, first for the Liberal Party and then the SDP-Liberal Alliance during the 1979, 1983 and 1987 British general elections. For his work on election broadcasts, Cartwright was appointed an MBE.
Cartwright had a wife, Penny, and two sons.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
April 1, 2024
A simple test measures how likely you are to enjoy the fiction of Justin Cartwright. First, read this quote.
'Americans have never really been interested in Existentialism. They're too busy existing.'
Now note your response. Did you just (a) guffaw, (b) laugh politely, letting that little tsst-tsst ride over your front teeth like the noise of a pop can being opened or (c) or stare blankly? If the answer was c, you will dislike this novel intensely. If your answer was b, you will soldier on for forty pages, then dislike this novel moderately. If your answer was a, you will still dislike the novel. That's how disappointing it is.
Cartwright's best novels (Look at it This Way, Other People's Money and The Promise of Happiness) rise above his formula for constructing a novel. His worst stick to it like tar. Cartwright's main characters tend to be male, Oxford-educated, middle-aged, inactive, work in journalism, advertising, film-making or all three; are inclined to melancholy, aimless musing, and are largely unaware of the world north of the M25. They invariably have a broken marriage or relationship behind them, an existential crisis ahead of them, and at least one of their sexual partners will be a shrill, mentally unstable nymphomaniac.
Lion Heart recycles much material Cartwright used in a recent documentary on the True Cross. It shows no urge to do anything fresh. It belongs in the same league as Cartwright’s other dud, In Every Face I Meet. At least the main character of Look at it this Way and Masai Dreaming has moments of endearing tenderness. The main character starts out as a snooty, misanthropic grouch, and gets worse. You've seen his many prototypes in Cartwright’s fiction before, and wished you hadn't:
'Emily's face, newly pale in an ethereal, sun-deprived northern way, was older and more troubled.'
'I feel a tremendous surge of well being after my period of anomie. Durkheim defined anomie as a mismatch between the individual and the norms of a society, a sort of detachment. Now I am fully engaged. Society and I are matched.'
'it seemed to me unfair that after having sex with her in a therapeutic spirit I should have been declared the guilty party by a tribunal of one.'
Is he too affected, too self-involved? That may be harsh, since any first person narrator novel is going to sound 10% more self-important than usual. But in the absence of charm, integrity or any other redeeming qualities, Cathar and his quest won’t sustain the reader's interest for long. Nor thwart the urge to hurl his story out the train window and let the crows decide its merits. As Bloomsbury don't seem eager to reprint Cartwright's earlier novels, I recommend buying the best of them second-hand from Amazon while you wait for the next one.
'Americans have never really been interested in Existentialism. They're too busy existing.'
Now note your response. Did you just (a) guffaw, (b) laugh politely, letting that little tsst-tsst ride over your front teeth like the noise of a pop can being opened or (c) or stare blankly? If the answer was c, you will dislike this novel intensely. If your answer was b, you will soldier on for forty pages, then dislike this novel moderately. If your answer was a, you will still dislike the novel. That's how disappointing it is.
Cartwright's best novels (Look at it This Way, Other People's Money and The Promise of Happiness) rise above his formula for constructing a novel. His worst stick to it like tar. Cartwright's main characters tend to be male, Oxford-educated, middle-aged, inactive, work in journalism, advertising, film-making or all three; are inclined to melancholy, aimless musing, and are largely unaware of the world north of the M25. They invariably have a broken marriage or relationship behind them, an existential crisis ahead of them, and at least one of their sexual partners will be a shrill, mentally unstable nymphomaniac.
Lion Heart recycles much material Cartwright used in a recent documentary on the True Cross. It shows no urge to do anything fresh. It belongs in the same league as Cartwright’s other dud, In Every Face I Meet. At least the main character of Look at it this Way and Masai Dreaming has moments of endearing tenderness. The main character starts out as a snooty, misanthropic grouch, and gets worse. You've seen his many prototypes in Cartwright’s fiction before, and wished you hadn't:
'Emily's face, newly pale in an ethereal, sun-deprived northern way, was older and more troubled.'
'I feel a tremendous surge of well being after my period of anomie. Durkheim defined anomie as a mismatch between the individual and the norms of a society, a sort of detachment. Now I am fully engaged. Society and I are matched.'
'it seemed to me unfair that after having sex with her in a therapeutic spirit I should have been declared the guilty party by a tribunal of one.'
Is he too affected, too self-involved? That may be harsh, since any first person narrator novel is going to sound 10% more self-important than usual. But in the absence of charm, integrity or any other redeeming qualities, Cathar and his quest won’t sustain the reader's interest for long. Nor thwart the urge to hurl his story out the train window and let the crows decide its merits. As Bloomsbury don't seem eager to reprint Cartwright's earlier novels, I recommend buying the best of them second-hand from Amazon while you wait for the next one.
January 7, 2014
Drivel. I could only make it partway through the second chapter before I gave up. I don't know which was worse the writing style or the self-important, misogynistic protagonist. Either way, don't waste your time or your money on this book.
August 8, 2013
Richard Cathar decides he really needs to get to grips with his late father’s papers. They had been estranged for the last ten years of his father’s life and when his girlfriend dumps him Richard decides he needs to do something about his father’s papers. Alaric Cathar led a hippie lifestyle and spent a lot of his time in the Middle East researching Richard the Lion Heart and the Crusades. Richard wants to track down the True Cross which was captured from Saladin by Richard the Lion Heart.
The story is narrated by Richard and covers his experiences in Jerusalem, following in his father’s footsteps. There he falls in love and it is this star crossed love which forms a large part of the story and is interspersed with a fragmented history of Richard and the Crusades. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like Richard as a character but I did warm to him after a while and he did grow and develop during the course of the book. I felt he spent too much time trying to justify his less moral actions while at the same condemning his father’s actions.
I thought the book was well written and if you like the idea of the stories written by authors such as Dan Brown but would like something rather more literary then this book may be the sort of thing you will enjoy. I thought the author made a fascinating and complex web of the plot and sub plots and I did think at one stage about two thirds of the way through the book that he might not be able to find his way out from the web of interconnecting stories he had created,
This is a thoughtful and complex book with many layers and many interesting characters. The reader sees some of the characters only by their letters and by the idea of the people formed from Richard’s narration. As a result they seem shadowy at times but they still dominate the plot. Is Richard an unreliable narrator? This is something each reader will need to decide for themselves.
The story is narrated by Richard and covers his experiences in Jerusalem, following in his father’s footsteps. There he falls in love and it is this star crossed love which forms a large part of the story and is interspersed with a fragmented history of Richard and the Crusades. I wasn’t sure whether I was going to like Richard as a character but I did warm to him after a while and he did grow and develop during the course of the book. I felt he spent too much time trying to justify his less moral actions while at the same condemning his father’s actions.
I thought the book was well written and if you like the idea of the stories written by authors such as Dan Brown but would like something rather more literary then this book may be the sort of thing you will enjoy. I thought the author made a fascinating and complex web of the plot and sub plots and I did think at one stage about two thirds of the way through the book that he might not be able to find his way out from the web of interconnecting stories he had created,
This is a thoughtful and complex book with many layers and many interesting characters. The reader sees some of the characters only by their letters and by the idea of the people formed from Richard’s narration. As a result they seem shadowy at times but they still dominate the plot. Is Richard an unreliable narrator? This is something each reader will need to decide for themselves.
October 7, 2013
Justin Cartwright's previous novel, Other People's Money, was one of the best of the many 'state of Britain' novels that were published a couple of years ago.
This latest novel, Lionheart, is more of a 'state of the Middle-East and Britain's relation to it' novel.
On the surface it is the story of a year in the life of Richard Cathar, an attractive, intellectual but footloose thirty-something. He decides to complete some research, started by his estranged, now deceased, father into Richard I (the eponymous Lionheart)and the third crusade. He travels to Jerusalem and meets and begins a relationship with a Canadian/Palestinian journalist called Noor.
The novel is written as a first person narrative with occasional epistolary interludes used to provide another point of view. Cathar narrates the events as he sees them. When he is apart from Noor he can only imagine what is happening to her and fear for her safety. What he can never do is really understand what she is going through. In a similar way, Britain (and other Western powers) may feel sympathy and frequently intervene in events taking place in the Middle-East but so often this interference is misplaced and based on a lack of understanding.
The West's interference goes far back, as the parallel story of Richard I's part in the third crusade and his dealings with Saladin show us.
If you are looking for a novel which you will be thinking about long after you finish reading it, then this may be for you. Be warned, there is much sadness here.
This latest novel, Lionheart, is more of a 'state of the Middle-East and Britain's relation to it' novel.
On the surface it is the story of a year in the life of Richard Cathar, an attractive, intellectual but footloose thirty-something. He decides to complete some research, started by his estranged, now deceased, father into Richard I (the eponymous Lionheart)and the third crusade. He travels to Jerusalem and meets and begins a relationship with a Canadian/Palestinian journalist called Noor.
The novel is written as a first person narrative with occasional epistolary interludes used to provide another point of view. Cathar narrates the events as he sees them. When he is apart from Noor he can only imagine what is happening to her and fear for her safety. What he can never do is really understand what she is going through. In a similar way, Britain (and other Western powers) may feel sympathy and frequently intervene in events taking place in the Middle-East but so often this interference is misplaced and based on a lack of understanding.
The West's interference goes far back, as the parallel story of Richard I's part in the third crusade and his dealings with Saladin show us.
If you are looking for a novel which you will be thinking about long after you finish reading it, then this may be for you. Be warned, there is much sadness here.
February 2, 2014
For those that feel obligated to classify a book by genera this may pose a challenge. Mystery novel, intermittent historical novel, romance novel, adventure story? Yes, it's all that but it's primarily an exploration of the possibilities of life in the face of what often seems an indifferent and sometimes depraved universe. Richard Cathar's search for self identity seems star crossed as he struggles to make sense of his and his father's past as they seem to intertwine and then parallel the travails of Richard the Lion Heart, England's twelfth century monarch; his father's obsession and his namesake. The author's power of descriptive narrative is superlative. His depiction of the middle east and it's people is an in-depth consideration of how little the cultural and secular divide between Islam and Christian Europe has changed in the last eight hundred years. Richard often seems as haunted by the blurred line between present day reality and antiquity as his father was between drug addled mysticism and scholarly pursuit. When his quest for the “true cross” begins to dominate his life he observes: “I cling to the idea that there is a truth in fiction that isn't available to historians.” This is an intensely vivid novel that I hated to see end. Like Richard, I wanted to see what the next possibility might be.
February 13, 2021
The history of Richard the Lionheart and the Crusades, a missing artifact, a bit of modern-day espionage thrown in... one could have made an interesting book from these ingredients, but instead all of it faded into the background while the reader was treated to the internal workings of a pompous, misogynistic protagonist who spends entirely too much time thinking about every woman he encounters in sexual terms and feeling sorry for himself for a variety of reasons.
January 13, 2015
BEWARE of spoilers. One man's bookflap summary is another man's spoiler.
The story switches back and forth between present-day 30something Brit character, Richie Cathar (named after Richard the Crusader king, who was a great study interest for Richie's dad) and the actual Crusader king during the 1100s.
Both characters searched for treasure, had to strive to set boundaries with siblings, and sometimes used feints to distract or mislead their adversaries.
Although I didn't look up any of the history on the Crusades, I'm assuming that author Cartwright did his research properly. If so, I got an entertaining lesson on that historical period -- including the search for the remnants of the cross that Helena had found (which probably was not the original cross on which Christ died).
On another level, though, this is just a story about a rake - a youngish man who, on the one hand, can get genuinely involved emotionally with a woman but, on the other hand, likes to play the field using deception. (example: He tells some people that Noor is a blood relation. He tells other people that she's his fiancee. Rarely does he tell anyone the whole truth.)
In other words, Richie basically leaps from one romantic relationship to the next in such a way that he's still hanging on to the prior until he gets a firm "grasp" on the next. That seems dishonest behavior toward both women.
In particular, I was dis-heartened by the way "lion-heart" Cathar acts toward Noor in their final visit (implying they still have a future together, when he's already involved w. the bookseller), and then returns to the bookseller, denying that he'd left to spend time w. a romantic interest.
The way it worked out for Cathar seemed a bit engineered - hero had his cake, and ate it, too.
Just because I didn't like everything about the protagonist doesn't mean I didn't like the book.
The story switches back and forth between present-day 30something Brit character, Richie Cathar (named after Richard the Crusader king, who was a great study interest for Richie's dad) and the actual Crusader king during the 1100s.
Both characters searched for treasure, had to strive to set boundaries with siblings, and sometimes used feints to distract or mislead their adversaries.
Although I didn't look up any of the history on the Crusades, I'm assuming that author Cartwright did his research properly. If so, I got an entertaining lesson on that historical period -- including the search for the remnants of the cross that Helena had found (which probably was not the original cross on which Christ died).
On another level, though, this is just a story about a rake - a youngish man who, on the one hand, can get genuinely involved emotionally with a woman but, on the other hand, likes to play the field using deception. (example: He tells some people that Noor is a blood relation. He tells other people that she's his fiancee. Rarely does he tell anyone the whole truth.)
In other words, Richie basically leaps from one romantic relationship to the next in such a way that he's still hanging on to the prior until he gets a firm "grasp" on the next. That seems dishonest behavior toward both women.
In particular, I was dis-heartened by the way "lion-heart" Cathar acts toward Noor in their final visit (implying they still have a future together, when he's already involved w. the bookseller), and then returns to the bookseller, denying that he'd left to spend time w. a romantic interest.
The way it worked out for Cathar seemed a bit engineered - hero had his cake, and ate it, too.
Just because I didn't like everything about the protagonist doesn't mean I didn't like the book.
November 26, 2013
Justin Cartwright's newest novel Lion Heart is a pleasure to read. Gracious, urbane, and clever, it reads like a tasteful Dan Brown intrigue, its bravura genuine and not the special-effects variety. The sympathetic, skillfully-drawn contemporary character, Richie, seeks his namesake, Richard Coeur de Lion, King of England, by delving into the heart of the 12th century, through reading, travel, and conversations with an array of intriguing friends. As he travels, he seeks meaning in his own life through a succession of interesting female partners. The book is subtle, deep, and smart, reminding me of Robert Hellenga's immensely popular novel, Sixteen Pleasures. Both authors deserve Laurence Sterne's praise: "What a large volume of adventures may be grasped within the span of his little life by him who interests his heart in everything." Just as Sixteen Pleasures made me a fan of Hellenga, Lion Heart has set me on a quest to read all of Justin Cartwright's novels.
January 26, 2014
Loin Heart ..By Justin Cartwright.. I won this book form Goodreads. This story seemed new and fresh, when I started reading the book. But poor Rich, trying to find his place in life, estranged from his father Richard. Rich was looking for the Holy Cross in the Middle East. Rich was a researcher, falls in love with a beautiful woman. He finds out things about his father he doesn't like. Richard The Loin Hearted and Robin Hoods adventures are part of the research. He felt he was getting close to where the True Cross was. Alas he found the True Cross. He lost one love and found another permanent love. Good story.
August 18, 2014
I enjoy books where I feel I am learning something while I read and this book comes into that category.
I loved the story of Richie and Noor and enjoyed his quest. For me the historical sections about Richard the Lionheart were perhaps a little too detailed and I found myself wanted to rush past them to get back to the story. However, that probably says more about me than the authors writing! I tend to read last thing at night so perhaps I would be better reading those sections when I am more alert.
On the whole though I feel richer for having read the book and that is all you can ask.
I loved the story of Richie and Noor and enjoyed his quest. For me the historical sections about Richard the Lionheart were perhaps a little too detailed and I found myself wanted to rush past them to get back to the story. However, that probably says more about me than the authors writing! I tend to read last thing at night so perhaps I would be better reading those sections when I am more alert.
On the whole though I feel richer for having read the book and that is all you can ask.
January 20, 2018
Justin Cartwright’s novel ‘Lion Heart’ came as a complete surprise. I picked it up in a thrift shop, attracted by the name and the lions rampant on the cover. The apparent connection to Richard I, Saladin and the Crusades grabbed my interest.
I was not disappointed. As described by the Financial Times (per the back-cover blurb) ‘Lion Heart’ is part love story, part grail quest, part historical detective novel. It is also a bit of a spy story as well.
Richard Cathar is the son of a hippy historian who was fixated on Richard the Lionheart, after whom he was named. Following the dissolution of his current relationship, he heads for Jerusalem, where he meets and falls in love with a Canadian-Arab journalist named Noor.
But Noor is more than she seems, and what Richard comes to suspect about her is only part of the truth.
After Jerusalem, Richard begins in earnest his work on the Art of Outremer – the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem of the Crusaders. This launches him on a quest to track down one of the most fabled relics of era.
But the fate of Noor and other affairs of the heart turn his quest into a journey of self-discovery.
The narrative is beautifully written, told in the first person by Richard, interspersed with parts of his thesis. I was entranced by both.
Discovering this book in the thrift shop was an unexpected gift worth far more than the couple of dollars I paid for it.
Review by Kerry Hennigan
January 2018
I was not disappointed. As described by the Financial Times (per the back-cover blurb) ‘Lion Heart’ is part love story, part grail quest, part historical detective novel. It is also a bit of a spy story as well.
Richard Cathar is the son of a hippy historian who was fixated on Richard the Lionheart, after whom he was named. Following the dissolution of his current relationship, he heads for Jerusalem, where he meets and falls in love with a Canadian-Arab journalist named Noor.
But Noor is more than she seems, and what Richard comes to suspect about her is only part of the truth.
After Jerusalem, Richard begins in earnest his work on the Art of Outremer – the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem of the Crusaders. This launches him on a quest to track down one of the most fabled relics of era.
But the fate of Noor and other affairs of the heart turn his quest into a journey of self-discovery.
The narrative is beautifully written, told in the first person by Richard, interspersed with parts of his thesis. I was entranced by both.
Discovering this book in the thrift shop was an unexpected gift worth far more than the couple of dollars I paid for it.
Review by Kerry Hennigan
January 2018
November 15, 2018
I often pick out books at the library by authors I do not know. I read the sleeve and revues and often, after a few pages, give up for any number of reasons. Every so often one picks out an author who you want to read more of. This was the case with Lion Heart.
It is a story which flips between the days of the crusades and the present day and I found both stories intermingled cleverly.
The present day part is about a spoiled academic who has wangled a grant to do some research into the life and times of Richard 1st. His story takes us to Jerusalem, Oxford, London and the Greek Islands. The historical part of the story is enjoyable because of the quality of the writing even for those (like me) who have little knowledge of the crusades.
An intelligent and entertaining read. I look forward to more.
It is a story which flips between the days of the crusades and the present day and I found both stories intermingled cleverly.
The present day part is about a spoiled academic who has wangled a grant to do some research into the life and times of Richard 1st. His story takes us to Jerusalem, Oxford, London and the Greek Islands. The historical part of the story is enjoyable because of the quality of the writing even for those (like me) who have little knowledge of the crusades.
An intelligent and entertaining read. I look forward to more.
July 30, 2018
I had forgotten that I had this book, but then I found it on my Kindle, about a quarter read. I started it again and got a little further, but then realised why I had not finished it on the previous attempt.
There may be a way to combine the "true cross", the Third Crusade, and the Arab Spring in an interesting and enjoyable way, but this book is not it. The blurb describes the book as funny, but I found the protagonist to be deeply unpleasant and the situations he experiences just farcical. One to be deleted.
There may be a way to combine the "true cross", the Third Crusade, and the Arab Spring in an interesting and enjoyable way, but this book is not it. The blurb describes the book as funny, but I found the protagonist to be deeply unpleasant and the situations he experiences just farcical. One to be deleted.
October 23, 2019
I found this book tedious for the first two thirds. The potted history of Richard Lionhearted seemed to have little connection to the story and I felt as though I was being set up to fail in any interpretation of the links. But then the two stories came together and the book gathered momentum. However I found the writing laboured and the ending predictable. I have enjoyed previous Cartwright books very much.
December 18, 2024
Hard going. I almost gave up. It’s not historical fiction - I don’t actually know what it is??
And the main character - does he have to fall in love with/ screw every woman he meets?
I don’t think I’ll be trying any more of this author’s scribbling
And the main character - does he have to fall in love with/ screw every woman he meets?
I don’t think I’ll be trying any more of this author’s scribbling
February 6, 2019
Liking Old English history helps with this book. Took awhile to relate to the characters.
January 2, 2020
Perfectly fine but I never really got the point of it. No real plot.
August 21, 2024
It has taken 2 attempts to read this book, I guess I was not in the right frame of mind the first time. Really interesting and informative read. Very human main character
August 19, 2018
Way to much words for so little story of low quality.
May 15, 2014
Lion Heart is a tale of two Richards – the current-day protagonist, Richie, a doctoral researcher into crusader history, and the English king after which both the protagonist and the book are named: the heroic Richard Coeur de Lion. Yet the modern Richie is the true hero of the book. By contrast, King Richard is presented in italicised installations, his life delineated in condensed biography form, his character thus distant and unknowable. Nevertheless Cartwright makes it clear that Richie is modelled very much upon the medieval Richard.
How so? Modern Richie is no warlike aristocrat. He is a bookish scholar with no evident sporting bent beyond being a dab hand at grouse shooting. Most obviously, both Richards are improbably talented, charming and handsome. In fact, I took this as a fault in Cartwright’s characterisation of Richie until I realised the motivation behind it. So too both Richards are tall, womanisers (Cartwright refutes Coeur de Lion’s modern reputation for homosexuality at least twice), look great in a suit (armour or modern tailoring!), and leave a trail of casualties in their wake. King Richard was the supreme warrior, having done little else but fight since his teens; Richie is superlative instead on the battlefield of academia. He has never done anything else – never had a ‘real job’ as he puts it. Again, I found fault with Richie’s excellence at Oxford until I realised that it was designed in reflection to his medieval namesake. Both Richie and Richard I are estranged from their fathers. Finally, both characters are distinctly self-centred.
I even begin to wonder whether Richie’s doomed eastern love, Noor, is a stand-in for Berengaria, King Richard’s neglected wife.
These parallels emerge only very gradually throughout the novel. The ongoing contemporary story charts Richie and Noor’s love, and Richie’s search for the relic of the True Cross. In the process, Cartwright inserts all manner of delightful vignettes, many slyly ironical, including: the archetypal aristocrat Lord Huntingdon, the grungey Fair Trade café, and Emily-who-must-find-her-creative-soul. I think it was these vignettes and telling descriptions that I enjoyed most. I particularly enjoyed Cartwright’s portrayal of modern Jerusalem, having just visited it myself. For his character Richie, the Old City is the site of a golden romantic idyll – one that cannot survive what the world throws at it. King Richard surely viewed his crusading goal of Jerusalem in a similar light, although he never entered the Holy City itself.
I think Cartwright’s strength (and it is a prodigious strength) is in depiction of contemporary society, its character types and mores. The historical sections of the novel, although the frame was ingenious, I found much less satisfying. The italicised sections seemed stilted and dry in comparison to the richness of the contemporary story. Perhaps this was Cartwright’s aim? I can accept that the real King Richard is to us today unknowable and distant, but as a historical novelist myself, I look for vitality in the portrayal of history. This was quite absent from Lion Heart.
This novel is not a ‘page-turner’ in any obvious way, yet I finished reading it in the space of two days (which is unusual for me). What compelled me to keep reading? I was seduced by the beauty, irony, and pathos of the contemporary story. Perhaps this renders Lion Heart a literary page-turner.
How so? Modern Richie is no warlike aristocrat. He is a bookish scholar with no evident sporting bent beyond being a dab hand at grouse shooting. Most obviously, both Richards are improbably talented, charming and handsome. In fact, I took this as a fault in Cartwright’s characterisation of Richie until I realised the motivation behind it. So too both Richards are tall, womanisers (Cartwright refutes Coeur de Lion’s modern reputation for homosexuality at least twice), look great in a suit (armour or modern tailoring!), and leave a trail of casualties in their wake. King Richard was the supreme warrior, having done little else but fight since his teens; Richie is superlative instead on the battlefield of academia. He has never done anything else – never had a ‘real job’ as he puts it. Again, I found fault with Richie’s excellence at Oxford until I realised that it was designed in reflection to his medieval namesake. Both Richie and Richard I are estranged from their fathers. Finally, both characters are distinctly self-centred.
I even begin to wonder whether Richie’s doomed eastern love, Noor, is a stand-in for Berengaria, King Richard’s neglected wife.
These parallels emerge only very gradually throughout the novel. The ongoing contemporary story charts Richie and Noor’s love, and Richie’s search for the relic of the True Cross. In the process, Cartwright inserts all manner of delightful vignettes, many slyly ironical, including: the archetypal aristocrat Lord Huntingdon, the grungey Fair Trade café, and Emily-who-must-find-her-creative-soul. I think it was these vignettes and telling descriptions that I enjoyed most. I particularly enjoyed Cartwright’s portrayal of modern Jerusalem, having just visited it myself. For his character Richie, the Old City is the site of a golden romantic idyll – one that cannot survive what the world throws at it. King Richard surely viewed his crusading goal of Jerusalem in a similar light, although he never entered the Holy City itself.
I think Cartwright’s strength (and it is a prodigious strength) is in depiction of contemporary society, its character types and mores. The historical sections of the novel, although the frame was ingenious, I found much less satisfying. The italicised sections seemed stilted and dry in comparison to the richness of the contemporary story. Perhaps this was Cartwright’s aim? I can accept that the real King Richard is to us today unknowable and distant, but as a historical novelist myself, I look for vitality in the portrayal of history. This was quite absent from Lion Heart.
This novel is not a ‘page-turner’ in any obvious way, yet I finished reading it in the space of two days (which is unusual for me). What compelled me to keep reading? I was seduced by the beauty, irony, and pathos of the contemporary story. Perhaps this renders Lion Heart a literary page-turner.
October 3, 2013
Richie Cathar is in his early thirties but has never had a 'proper' job. Named after his hippy father's hero, Richard I of England, the Lionheart, he muses often on the former monarch that almost everyone he meets sums up with the words, "wasn't he gay?" or something to that effect. Dissatisfied with his relationship, he is nevertheless disgruntled when the earnest Emily leaves him for another man and less than gentlemanly when she tries to return. I feel that some people may struggle with the book, simply because Richie is not the most likeable of narrators. However, there is nothing which says the heroes of novels must be heroic (or even likeable). Richie manages to gain a research grant and uses his father's old notes to suggest he is looking at the art of the Kingdom of Jerusalem as his topic. In Jerusalem, he meets an attractive Canadian Palestinian journalist, named Noor, and the two fall in love. She has to leave for Cairo and he has a feeling of unease as she drives away. Returning to England, he has not heard from her and her enigmatic aunt is evasive. Before long, he hears she has been kidnapped - and asks how well he really knows her.
This novel shifts between the perspective of Richard I as he searches for the True Cross, Richie's quest to try to discover the True Cross for himself and, along the way, understand his father, his relationship with Noor and other women in his life. I have read most of Justin Cartwright's novels - some have been brilliant, others less so. I feel this is slightly bogged down by a myriad of storylines - spying, politics, romance and historical fiction are all touched upon. However, it is an enjoyable read and Cartwright's novels are always well written.
This novel shifts between the perspective of Richard I as he searches for the True Cross, Richie's quest to try to discover the True Cross for himself and, along the way, understand his father, his relationship with Noor and other women in his life. I have read most of Justin Cartwright's novels - some have been brilliant, others less so. I feel this is slightly bogged down by a myriad of storylines - spying, politics, romance and historical fiction are all touched upon. However, it is an enjoyable read and Cartwright's novels are always well written.
September 1, 2014
(I received this book for free as part of Goodreads First Reads giveaways).
(This review may contain spoilers).
This is a book I have some quite mixed feelings about. The blurb on the back sounded really intriguing, but I felt that it wasn't entirely accurate, because the book was very much more about the modern Richard and not so much about Richard the First.
There were some quite intriguing parts about this book, but I found the characters quite difficult to get behind. I think it was trying too hard to be a mixture of different genres; and, well, I didn't really like Richard as a character.
I liked the storyline with Noor and I did feel that her reactions to certain things came across as really natural and realistic. I couldn't believe in them being in love, though - there were hardly any scenes of them together before the engagement happened.
The historical pieces were fairly interesting, but I felt that they could have been worked a bit better... perhaps being written as a parallel storyline. There were some things that were attempted to be linked to modern-Richard's storyline, but I think those failed for the most part.
I'm not sure if I'd read any more books by this author. It would have to depend on the book itself.
(This review may contain spoilers).
This is a book I have some quite mixed feelings about. The blurb on the back sounded really intriguing, but I felt that it wasn't entirely accurate, because the book was very much more about the modern Richard and not so much about Richard the First.
There were some quite intriguing parts about this book, but I found the characters quite difficult to get behind. I think it was trying too hard to be a mixture of different genres; and, well, I didn't really like Richard as a character.
I liked the storyline with Noor and I did feel that her reactions to certain things came across as really natural and realistic. I couldn't believe in them being in love, though - there were hardly any scenes of them together before the engagement happened.
The historical pieces were fairly interesting, but I felt that they could have been worked a bit better... perhaps being written as a parallel storyline. There were some things that were attempted to be linked to modern-Richard's storyline, but I think those failed for the most part.
I'm not sure if I'd read any more books by this author. It would have to depend on the book itself.
July 6, 2014
I must say, I am not a fan of Cartwright's style of writing in this novel. The point of view changes from letters from the main characters, to snapshot's of the main character's past with his father, to the extreme past of the 1100's and following the story of Richard the Lion Heart. It was very ragged and I found it difficult to keep up with. The writing is extremely verbose and difficult to keep up with. Plus the story tells a tale of a man who didn't know what he wanted to do with his life and ended up becoming an author and was encouraged by other character's in the book to write his own story. I couldn't help but imagine that this part of the story was about the author. I did find it slightly comical that the main character was looking down on his first girlfriend Emily for wanting to be a creative writer. It seemed he was laughing at the whole creative writing process which seemed slightly ironic considering that's what this book was.
Other than the problems I had with the writing, the story was not too bad. I wish there would have been more focus on finding the True Cross and the story of Richard the Lion Heart, as it seems like it would be a good story.
Other than the problems I had with the writing, the story was not too bad. I wish there would have been more focus on finding the True Cross and the story of Richard the Lion Heart, as it seems like it would be a good story.
December 5, 2014
Richie is 33, a talented scholar but living a life of mediocrity, in an unhappy relationship and with no visible means of support. His father was sent down from Oxford and lived a life of hippy abandonment on drugs until his death. Then things start to move for Richie. He undertakes a thesis with a grant from his old college which is based on Crusader Art, he journeys to the Middle East and starts to follow a trail related to King Richard's lost treasure, the True Cross.
So far so good. This is an interesting book as on the face of it the story is preposterous, Richie has no visible means of support yet can travel at the drop of a hat, he is in an unsatisfactory relationship but once that ends he is incredibly attractive to every woman he meets and academically the papers he needs suddenly appear as if by magic. However despite the fact that the plot is ridiculous, the writing is excellent and the reader really gets drawn in the story. Despite myself I really enjoyed this book.
So far so good. This is an interesting book as on the face of it the story is preposterous, Richie has no visible means of support yet can travel at the drop of a hat, he is in an unsatisfactory relationship but once that ends he is incredibly attractive to every woman he meets and academically the papers he needs suddenly appear as if by magic. However despite the fact that the plot is ridiculous, the writing is excellent and the reader really gets drawn in the story. Despite myself I really enjoyed this book.
August 12, 2016
Some books are what I call "potato chip" books. You're probably familiar with them. They're fast-reading guilty pleasures with little substance and no purpose beyond sheer meaningless entertainment. This book, however, doesn't fall into that category. Nope. This book climbs the ladder to the loftier category of bona fide "literature." It's the kind of book you csn feel good about reading.
At first, I found it disconcerting (and annoying) to switch back and forth between the present-day story line and a somewhat pedantic dissertation on Richard I and the Crusades, but I ended up not only enjoying the tactic, but being impressed with how well Cartwright used it to parallel the historic and present-day stories and quests.
Bottom line? This is the first of Cartwright's books I've had the pleasure of reading, but it definitely won't be the last.
At first, I found it disconcerting (and annoying) to switch back and forth between the present-day story line and a somewhat pedantic dissertation on Richard I and the Crusades, but I ended up not only enjoying the tactic, but being impressed with how well Cartwright used it to parallel the historic and present-day stories and quests.
Bottom line? This is the first of Cartwright's books I've had the pleasure of reading, but it definitely won't be the last.
May 24, 2014
A thinking man's version of the Davinci Code? Jason Cartwright, born and raised in South Africa but living now in the UK, sets his bid at superstardom in the Middle East, France and England. He has created not only a historically accurate exploration of Richard Coeur de Lion's quest for a piece of the True Cross during his exploits in the Holy Land, but a spy story and a father son conflict story. Cartwright came of age in the hippie era (he was born in the forties), but like many these days, his hero doubts the value of the sixties legacy. He doesn't seem to doubt the sexual revolution, and his character sleeps with four women in the course of 325+ pages to show that he's game. He even throws in a "switched at birth" subplot worthy of the 19th century. More best seller than Booker material, though he lacks the earnest naivete that made Dan Brown a hit.
April 1, 2014
This story takes place now and then, the then being around 1182, the time of Richard I, the Lionhardt, King of England, most of France, etc.,etc.,etc. It's a story of a modern and an ancient quest. I read this because I am a self professed Angliophile especially in the terms of Henry II, Eleanor, etc. At first I didn't think I would like it, the way the story was flowing, BUT, after about the first 50 pages or so it all came together and I did like it, the historical especially. There are a few current issues also intertwined in the story and it blends in well. Overall, if you like history and you can stick out the story at first, you will like it. Worth the read from an historical viewpoint.
August 23, 2014
This was a disappointing effort from Justin Cartwright, one of my favourite authors and I was really looking forward to his follow-up to Other People's Money. In an interview recently he intimated that he felt he should get the same kudos as Ian McEwan and Julian Barnes - he won't get it with this book. I think one of the main problems is that the protagonist in the book is not a very sympathetic character, regardless of his screwed up father and disastrous love affair. Also, there's a very pat wind-up to the whole thing. However, because of the fact that our hero's work involved considerable research on Richard the Lionheart and the Crusades, there was an interesting educational aspect to the novel.
April 13, 2014
just finished it. really marvellous. Hardly any of the irony or knowingness that made The Promise of Happiness and Other People's Money so delighful. BUT Cartwright's decides to commit you to an improbable story, and one he will try to make moving and emotionally resonant. And he succeeds.
I wonder would a woman read it differently? Many attractive and intelligent females in this book but somehow they are victims of circumstance. Well, maybe all the people are.
So many descriptions of hot beverages - mainly coffee. Delightful.
Also - I wish Justin Cartwright would write just one gay novel.
I wonder would a woman read it differently? Many attractive and intelligent females in this book but somehow they are victims of circumstance. Well, maybe all the people are.
So many descriptions of hot beverages - mainly coffee. Delightful.
Also - I wish Justin Cartwright would write just one gay novel.
February 4, 2014
Story of an unlikeable youngish University student who is researching the mystery surrounding Richard the Lionheart and the true cross, which was apparently given to him by Saladin and transported from Jerusalem to France, where it disappeared. While on location in Jerusalem, Richie becomes engaged to Noor, a young Canadian/Palestinian journalist, who is kidnapped and raped in Egypt.
The historical narrative was fascinating, but the rest of the story contrived and the portrayal of Richie made him a very unsympathetic character.
The historical narrative was fascinating, but the rest of the story contrived and the portrayal of Richie made him a very unsympathetic character.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews