The Bondman

by Hall Caine

The plot revolves around two half-brothers: the one, Jason, sworn to avenge the wrongs done by their father; the other, Michael, sworn to rectify these wrongs.

Genres: Classics, Historical Fiction, Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1890

About the author

Sir Thomas Henry Hall Caine CH, KBE (1853-1931), usually known as Hall Caine, was an English author. He is best known as a novelist and playwright of the late Victorian and the Edwardian eras. In his time he was exceedingly popular and at the peak of his success his novels outsold those of his contemporaries. His novels were primarily romantic in nature, involving the love triangle, but they did also address some of the more serious political and social issues of the day. Caine acted as secretary to Dante Gabriel Rossetti and at one time he aspired to become a man of letters. To this end he published a number of serious works but these had little success. A man of striking appearance, he travelled widely and used his travels to provide the settings for some of his novels. He came into contact with, and was influenced by, many of the leading personalities of the day. His best known works include: The Shadow of a Crime (1885), The Bondman (1890), The Scapegoat (1890), The Prodigal Son (1904), The White Prophet (1909) and The Woman Thou Gavest Me (1913).

Reviews

[Jay C · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I not love a book that takes place on my two favorite islands?! (Iceland and Isle of Man). Add to that a complex plot with twists and turns that would make even Thomas Hardy dizzy and you get five stars. Loosely based take on the story of Jacob and Esau from the Bible.

I hope to visit Greeba Castle (the author’s home and named for one of the characters in this book) on my latest trip to IoM in a few weeks.

[Ahmed Aziz · Rating 3 out of 5]

রূপান্তরটা যাচ্ছেতাই রকম সংক্ষিপ্ত, না হলে কাহিনিটা ইন্টারেস্টিং ছিল। পুরো কাহিনিতে কাকতালীয় ঘটনা অতিরিক্ত বেশি, দুনিয়ায় লোকজন খুব কম, যাদের সাথে যখন দেখা হওয়া দরকার তখনই দেখা হয়ে যায়। লাস্টের গন্ধক দৌড়ের অংশটা টান টান।

[Dipta Akash · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot is set in two different islands. Some reality(and cruelty of sulfur industry) of eighteenth century Iceland has been revealed, also with plenty of twists so a good read it is.

[Nicole C. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loosely based on the Biblical tale of Jacob and Esau and set on Iceland and the Isle of Man. It was okay, about par for the time of writing: a bit melodramatic and overly sentimental.