The Scarlet Cloak

by Jean Plaidy

Blasco Carramadino and his older brother, Domingo, are caught up in the plans of King Philip II of Spain to overthrow the British government and restore Catholicism. Reprint.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Romance, Novels

354 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1957

About the author

Eleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia

Reviews

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel I should start this review by saying that, despite how short the blurb is, it manages to misrepresent the plot of the novel - although this is not the author's fault. Whoever wrote it has taken a sub-plot and expanded it into a summary of the novel as a whole.

Otherwise, I will mostly let the rating speak for itself so far as my opinion of this novel goes. However, I will say that Jean Plaidy has a nice style, and I was engaged enough to finish the novel, even if I have some misgivings about the ending - or lack thereof.

The novel is set in the late 16th century, at the height of the conflict between Elizabethan English and King Philip's Spain - over religion, empire and more. I don't think the plot makes the fullest use of this setting and its potential, or explores the personal nature of the conflict as deeply as it could.

I would not say this was a bad novel, but so far as historical fiction goes - especially set in this era - it wouldn't be the first I would recommend.

[Trine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problem about different nationalities, different beliefs and different loyalties is interestingly treated in this book personalized in the girl Pillar. She is the daughter of an English buccaneer and a spanish girl of strict Catholic faith abducted from her native country. Pillar loves both her parents who are so different that what pleases one the other abhors. How is it possible to live in peace in a divided family - and in a divided world? The book gives an interesting picture of life both in England and in Spain around the time of the Spanish Armada.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Вот я думаю- как здорово, что эту книгу я читала в электронном виде. А то увидев на обложке эту жуть жуткую, вряд ли взялась ее читать.
А книга приятно удивила. Вообще-то, это не совсем любовный роман. Любовь тут конечно присуствует, но как-то больше на заднем плане. На переднем плане история, приключения, война Англии с Испанией, католиков с протестантами. История двух братьев которые, не по своей воле, оказываются в гуще событий в противостоянии двух стран.
Конечно "Алая мантия" не шедевр литературы, но читалась с огромным удовольствием.

[Phil Syphe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite the clever plotting and well-drawn characters I didn't like "The Scarlet Cloak" as much as I thought I would.

Certain episodes are entertaining but the narrative pace is slow and the story is lacklustre on the most part.

[Francine Chu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favourite but still a solid read overall.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

16th century England, Spain, and France.
Another excellent Jean Plaidy/Victoria Holt historical fiction.
The Inquisition is a sad subject, and, interestingly, it was an uncomfortable re-read in today's world. Catholics torturing, beheading, and/or burning Protestants. Protestants ditto to Catholics. Religious fanatics on both sides, hiding behind politics. Still not sure how the title comes into play -- I must have missed the reference to a scarlet cloak when I skipped the bloody parts...

[Joshua Pascoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with so many other Jean Plaidy novels, the story is all here, the characters engagingly correct, the feel of the period is brought to life... and yet, the stilted language, clichéd dialogue and slow pace make it hard going. If she'd wrote in the style of more contemporary writers she'd be more famous now then she ever was when she was alive.

[Margareth8537 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this many years ago and finding it on a secondhand bookshelf gave it another try. Still quite a good story