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Sylvia
From master storyteller Bryce Courtenay comes the colourful epic of Sylvia. Late twelfth-century Europe is torn by religious intolerance. Sylvia, with a singing voice that can literally charm the birds out of the trees, and an acute and questioning mind that refuses to accept unreasoned beliefs, embarks on a pilgrimage. She joins the Children's Crusade, bound for the Holy Land. From a bawdy life as an entertainer in a whorehouse to an austere and frequently cruel existence in a convent, she fights to be true to her destiny. And her mysterious birthmark causes much confusion: can this peasant maid indeed be a chosen messenger? SYLVIA is a tale of adversity, of adventure and crusades, and of a beautiful and gifted woman.
486 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
July 21, 2012
SPOILER ALERT
Was there ever a bigger Mary Sue created than this character? I'm sure many of you are sitting here thinking, well, what on earth is a Mary Sue? Here's a little bit of a definition on that term (courtesy of Urban Dictionary): "Mary-Sues are characters who are usually extraordinarily gorgeous, amazingly talented, unusually powerful, and exceedingly attractive .... They often possess ridiculously fancy and pretentious first names -- Angel, Raven, Jewel, Lorelei Bianca Julia Marizza Snape -- and are very, very annoying."
So, obviously, I'm referring to Sylvia Honeyeater in this instance. Never mind that she's led thousands of children to their short and painfully horrific deaths. She's perfect. She's beautiful. She's INTELLIGENT. Why, it's almost as if she's an angel. Oh wait, she is the petticoat angel! But never mind, she's too humble and modest to accept that praise.
So, let's have a look at this character and all of her wonderful flaws:
- She is the most beautiful woman created
- Has magnificent glowing blonde hair
- Has the most lovely voice ever heard
- Can speak numerous languages fluently
- Can read numerous languages fluently
- Is the nicest kindest person
- Is a master healer
- Is fierce and fiery
- Can call the birds from the sky
- Has the sign of god on her
- Is surrounded by miracles constantly
- Starves herself for the benefit of the children in the crusade but never gets sick as a result.
- Has a photographic memory
- Is a nun but has sex only after deciding to take this route and hours before she enters a convent. (Which is probably the biggest 'F U' to God I've ever heard)
- Is exceedingly charitable
Boy, I feel like I could go on for ever about how perfect this character is. But I'll save you the ten page list. One thing to note about Mary Sues is how often people mistake negative environmental factors for personal flaws. A Mary Sue may be abused, may be spat on or thrown out of society but it's important to note that this generally isn't a result of their own personal flaws. This is what most bothered me about this character. I wouldn't mind if they hated her a result of her being pretentious or irritating or too brash but they generally don't. They admire her brashness and everyone always wants to be exactly as she is if they are on her side in the fight. When I make criticism such as I have above, it's not because I'm being bitter. I'm not reading this book and thinking to myself how I wish I could be so perfect and lovely. I'm writing this criticism because there was real potential for this character and for the book, which I feel is limited by this shallow, one-dimensional Sylvia.
But I'm getting ahead of myself and I feel like I first must introduce this book a little better. The plot is as follows: Sylvia is the story of a young girl who is cruelly abused by her father and removed from society because of her strange and very odd ways. After years of never showing her true self to her village, she is eventually forced into a situation in which she must sing for her freedom, an event which shows off her natural talent and gives her the courage she needs to leave her village forever. Her beautiful voice eventually leads her into a partnership with a ratcatcher, a devilish and engaging boy who lures rats to their deaths which his piping. After many years of working together, an event that could only be the work of god himself thrusts Sylvia into the organisation of the Children's Crusade, although the consequences of this are disastrous.
The book itself is a good read. Bryce is a great storyteller and there's some wonderful writing in this. It's obvious from his style and technique that he is experienced with novels and that he is exceptionally talented. Other than Sylvia, I really enjoyed most of the characters that he introduced. Particularly the ratcatcher, who has an interesting story and a very loveable personality throughout the entire book. Nicholas, one of the leaders of the Children's Crusade, was quite interesting as well and his development from a street smart orphan into a frenzied, maniacal leader was very interesting to read. I also loved the two jewish foster parents that are introduced as it's often the case within books in this time period that Jews are simply constrained to one or two sentences and never really explored within this strange moment in history.
I also enjoyed the way that Bryce examined how miracles are created and how the mob sentiment can twist an ordinary explanation into something holy. And I especially enjoyed how he still managed to create a skeptical character such as Sylvia but could still justify her evangelical faith in god consistently. It was great to have a science-minded character who throughout it doesn't actually turn atheist but still maintains that faith which was so unique to the time period.
Overall though, the glaring perfection of Sylvia was the biggest flaw of this book. There was no true development to her character because she was already introduced as practically perfect in every way. However, she did act as great medium of introduction for characters who are actually interesting and wonderful to read about. For that reason, I give this book a three stars. It is readable, fun and has some great moments. But there is work that needs to be done on Sylvia herself.
Was there ever a bigger Mary Sue created than this character? I'm sure many of you are sitting here thinking, well, what on earth is a Mary Sue? Here's a little bit of a definition on that term (courtesy of Urban Dictionary): "Mary-Sues are characters who are usually extraordinarily gorgeous, amazingly talented, unusually powerful, and exceedingly attractive .... They often possess ridiculously fancy and pretentious first names -- Angel, Raven, Jewel, Lorelei Bianca Julia Marizza Snape -- and are very, very annoying."
So, obviously, I'm referring to Sylvia Honeyeater in this instance. Never mind that she's led thousands of children to their short and painfully horrific deaths. She's perfect. She's beautiful. She's INTELLIGENT. Why, it's almost as if she's an angel. Oh wait, she is the petticoat angel! But never mind, she's too humble and modest to accept that praise.
So, let's have a look at this character and all of her wonderful flaws:
- She is the most beautiful woman created
- Has magnificent glowing blonde hair
- Has the most lovely voice ever heard
- Can speak numerous languages fluently
- Can read numerous languages fluently
- Is the nicest kindest person
- Is a master healer
- Is fierce and fiery
- Can call the birds from the sky
- Has the sign of god on her
- Is surrounded by miracles constantly
- Starves herself for the benefit of the children in the crusade but never gets sick as a result.
- Has a photographic memory
- Is a nun but has sex only after deciding to take this route and hours before she enters a convent. (Which is probably the biggest 'F U' to God I've ever heard)
- Is exceedingly charitable
Boy, I feel like I could go on for ever about how perfect this character is. But I'll save you the ten page list. One thing to note about Mary Sues is how often people mistake negative environmental factors for personal flaws. A Mary Sue may be abused, may be spat on or thrown out of society but it's important to note that this generally isn't a result of their own personal flaws. This is what most bothered me about this character. I wouldn't mind if they hated her a result of her being pretentious or irritating or too brash but they generally don't. They admire her brashness and everyone always wants to be exactly as she is if they are on her side in the fight. When I make criticism such as I have above, it's not because I'm being bitter. I'm not reading this book and thinking to myself how I wish I could be so perfect and lovely. I'm writing this criticism because there was real potential for this character and for the book, which I feel is limited by this shallow, one-dimensional Sylvia.
But I'm getting ahead of myself and I feel like I first must introduce this book a little better. The plot is as follows: Sylvia is the story of a young girl who is cruelly abused by her father and removed from society because of her strange and very odd ways. After years of never showing her true self to her village, she is eventually forced into a situation in which she must sing for her freedom, an event which shows off her natural talent and gives her the courage she needs to leave her village forever. Her beautiful voice eventually leads her into a partnership with a ratcatcher, a devilish and engaging boy who lures rats to their deaths which his piping. After many years of working together, an event that could only be the work of god himself thrusts Sylvia into the organisation of the Children's Crusade, although the consequences of this are disastrous.
The book itself is a good read. Bryce is a great storyteller and there's some wonderful writing in this. It's obvious from his style and technique that he is experienced with novels and that he is exceptionally talented. Other than Sylvia, I really enjoyed most of the characters that he introduced. Particularly the ratcatcher, who has an interesting story and a very loveable personality throughout the entire book. Nicholas, one of the leaders of the Children's Crusade, was quite interesting as well and his development from a street smart orphan into a frenzied, maniacal leader was very interesting to read. I also loved the two jewish foster parents that are introduced as it's often the case within books in this time period that Jews are simply constrained to one or two sentences and never really explored within this strange moment in history.
I also enjoyed the way that Bryce examined how miracles are created and how the mob sentiment can twist an ordinary explanation into something holy. And I especially enjoyed how he still managed to create a skeptical character such as Sylvia but could still justify her evangelical faith in god consistently. It was great to have a science-minded character who throughout it doesn't actually turn atheist but still maintains that faith which was so unique to the time period.
Overall though, the glaring perfection of Sylvia was the biggest flaw of this book. There was no true development to her character because she was already introduced as practically perfect in every way. However, she did act as great medium of introduction for characters who are actually interesting and wonderful to read about. For that reason, I give this book a three stars. It is readable, fun and has some great moments. But there is work that needs to be done on Sylvia herself.
January 4, 2022
Though an imaginative tale from A.D. 12, the Children’s Crusade must have been challenging research for Courtenay trying to sort reality from myth or just storytelling. For me it was a complicated stew of a religious event I didn’t know much about before reading the book. I did have to persevere, not enjoying the characters but having a long standing admiration from Bryce Courtenay and my early reading experiences.
April 28, 2013
audiobook 6/16. Uh oh......too many elements, too pure, too many coincidences....doesn't bode well.
Thank goodness that this is an audiobook. I would have chucked the book by now. So many, many coincidences, Sylvia is holier than Jesus and water parts for her.
First book by Courtenay that has me scratching my head. He's usually a wonderful story-teller. Sigh.........only 5 discs left.
Oy! So much holiness.
The most interesting part of this story was in the acknowledgments: Sylvia was a real person. Huh! Wonder if she was as holy as Courtenay portrayed her.
If you're reading this review, please don't discount Bryce Courtenay's other books. His books are awesome. Just bypass this one; read the others, particularly Brother Fish, The Power of One and The Australian Trilogy.
Thank goodness that this is an audiobook. I would have chucked the book by now. So many, many coincidences, Sylvia is holier than Jesus and water parts for her.
First book by Courtenay that has me scratching my head. He's usually a wonderful story-teller. Sigh.........only 5 discs left.
Oy! So much holiness.
The most interesting part of this story was in the acknowledgments: Sylvia was a real person. Huh! Wonder if she was as holy as Courtenay portrayed her.
If you're reading this review, please don't discount Bryce Courtenay's other books. His books are awesome. Just bypass this one; read the others, particularly Brother Fish, The Power of One and The Australian Trilogy.
November 27, 2021
3.5 stars
It’s the 13th century in Germany. Sylvia was young when her mother died and her father abused her. When he died, she was driven from her mother’s home and land by the local people. As she travelled, she met up with Reinhardt, who played lovely music on his flute that often caused rats and other animals to follow him; he called himself the Pied Piper of Hamelin. They travelled together and with her angelic voice and his flute, they entertained people (and/or he drove rats away) to get food to eat and shelter. Sylvia had additional (to the singing) gifts of her own, that when combined with the fish birthmark on her back, people tended to believe she was an angel and miracles happened when she was around.
Eventually, Sylvia and Reinhardt met up with a child, Nicholas, who seemed to have a gift for preaching (at least, when he partook of the mushrooms Sylvia showed him how to consume). Nicholas drew other children to him with his preaching and he decided (well, he was told by Jesus) there would be a “Children’s Crusade” from Germany to Jerusalem.
This was good, but long. A lot of religion in this one, and it seems some of it (but what?) was historically accurate. Unfortunately, the author only included acknowledgments at the end, so the fact that some of this really happened was mentioned but not expanded on, as I was hoping. I assume what really happened was the Children’s Crusade, but I will have to look that up to find out. This is long – almost 500 pages of small font (in the physical book).
It’s the 13th century in Germany. Sylvia was young when her mother died and her father abused her. When he died, she was driven from her mother’s home and land by the local people. As she travelled, she met up with Reinhardt, who played lovely music on his flute that often caused rats and other animals to follow him; he called himself the Pied Piper of Hamelin. They travelled together and with her angelic voice and his flute, they entertained people (and/or he drove rats away) to get food to eat and shelter. Sylvia had additional (to the singing) gifts of her own, that when combined with the fish birthmark on her back, people tended to believe she was an angel and miracles happened when she was around.
Eventually, Sylvia and Reinhardt met up with a child, Nicholas, who seemed to have a gift for preaching (at least, when he partook of the mushrooms Sylvia showed him how to consume). Nicholas drew other children to him with his preaching and he decided (well, he was told by Jesus) there would be a “Children’s Crusade” from Germany to Jerusalem.
This was good, but long. A lot of religion in this one, and it seems some of it (but what?) was historically accurate. Unfortunately, the author only included acknowledgments at the end, so the fact that some of this really happened was mentioned but not expanded on, as I was hoping. I assume what really happened was the Children’s Crusade, but I will have to look that up to find out. This is long – almost 500 pages of small font (in the physical book).
August 22, 2011
"Sylvia is the story of the Children's Crusade - 1212 - possibly the strangest event to take place in European history. It is the story of the power of a young girl's love in the midst of medieval darkness to fight brutality and bigotry.''
The book started off promising but lost momentum towards the middle, sadly it never recovered. It is also a very long book and I struggled to finish it as I became bored and fatigued by a story that seemed to go around in circles.
I found too many references to modern ideas with the over all effect of destabilizing the mood the author tried to create. Overall, it is well written and Courtenay sure knows how to create a picture in your mind.
Character-wise Sylvia is generally likable, she is gusty, sharp and modest. Reinhardt, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, is camp, irreverent and witty. The remaining characters are extremes of hideous cruelty or philosophical and tolerant.
Overall the story was bizarre, even unbelievable - though it is loosely based on actual events. I found it hard reading due to the style of language used. The children in the book experience great hardship and suffering, which added to the weight of the book - not easy reading!
This was my first Bryce Courtenay book and I'm not sure I'd jump into another one. The time commitment wasn't worth the meagre ROI.
The book started off promising but lost momentum towards the middle, sadly it never recovered. It is also a very long book and I struggled to finish it as I became bored and fatigued by a story that seemed to go around in circles.
I found too many references to modern ideas with the over all effect of destabilizing the mood the author tried to create. Overall, it is well written and Courtenay sure knows how to create a picture in your mind.
Character-wise Sylvia is generally likable, she is gusty, sharp and modest. Reinhardt, the Pied Piper of Hamelin, is camp, irreverent and witty. The remaining characters are extremes of hideous cruelty or philosophical and tolerant.
Overall the story was bizarre, even unbelievable - though it is loosely based on actual events. I found it hard reading due to the style of language used. The children in the book experience great hardship and suffering, which added to the weight of the book - not easy reading!
This was my first Bryce Courtenay book and I'm not sure I'd jump into another one. The time commitment wasn't worth the meagre ROI.
January 8, 2009
As the name suggests this book follows the life of a German peasant girl Sylvia Honeyeater from the death of her Mother through to her involvement in the Children's Crusade of 1212. I knew absolutely nothing about the Children's Crusade prior to reading this and after reading this book I know only marginally more. Granted it's fiction based around true events but I expected, more! What I got was an interesting genuinely like-able character repeating what at first was a clever talent but by the end I was expecting Bill Murray to announce it was Ground Hog Day because it was the same sequence relived every time a new character or group of characters was introduced. I love Bryce Courtenay's The Power Of One, but have found that the formula he uses in writing is becoming too obvious, and the character's are beginning to blend into one. Sorry to say that it will be the last book of his I will choose to read for quite a while.
November 11, 2009
Bryce hits another home run. This time he tackles the ill fated Children's Crusade. I didn't know quite what to expect from this book as it is set much further back in history, than the time periods he usually keeps himself to. His ability to write so clearly from a male or a female perspective made me confident that he could carry Sylvia's voice, convincingly. I read this book in 2 days (it's much shorter than his usual behemoth novels- only about 500 pages) But, in a similar echo to my previous threads, I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly. I was also surprised that the factors around Sylvia's life before the crusade took up about 3/4ths of the book... I guess I expected the bulk of the book to be about the crusade. But nonetheless, it was another well written Courtenay book and yes, it moved me to tears, too...
June 16, 2009
A lot of the people I talked to found this book difficult to read... personally I thought it captured the essence of the times it was written about. It may have been a little fanciful at points, but hey, who knows what went on back in the day... Loved the main character!
I think Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong! I love 98% of all his books :)
I think Bryce Courtenay can do no wrong! I love 98% of all his books :)
January 28, 2013
I can't really give this a real rating as I didn't finish it. I really like Courtenay's books generally but this one was terrible. I really couldn't stand the whole father/pig sty/ daughter scenes - you will know them when you get to it. I thought it just went too far and the story was slow and not really intriguing.
August 2, 2011
I couldn't finish this one, I just could not stand reading anymore about the abuse, sickened me, maybe one day I will go back to it but for now its back in the bookcase
May 8, 2012
I couldn't finish this novel. After the second child abuse scene I'd had enough. Not something I am interested in reading.
November 5, 2022
My god, this was laborious to get through!
A combination of the terminology and the language though may be accurate to the time the story took place but it caused me to struggle through this as well as emotionally connect to the characters who in my opinion who were a little bonkers especially when the main character is a Mary Sue: a peasant girl with an angelic singing voice, also possesses gifts of mimicry and languages, who also has the uncanny knack to talk her way out of everything ... no thanks i pass!
A combination of the terminology and the language though may be accurate to the time the story took place but it caused me to struggle through this as well as emotionally connect to the characters who in my opinion who were a little bonkers especially when the main character is a Mary Sue: a peasant girl with an angelic singing voice, also possesses gifts of mimicry and languages, who also has the uncanny knack to talk her way out of everything ... no thanks i pass!
October 21, 2024
Magnificent. Bryce Courtenay was the ultimate storyteller. I enjoyed this story immensely.
January 20, 2025
"I am Sylvia Honeyeater. I came originally from Uedem, a village some distance from Cologne. I think myself born in 1196, whether at the beginning or the end I cannot say. This is the story of my life. I will relate it as honestly as I may, for they say confession is good for the soul and my soul, poor dead thing, is much in need of some good. If I should attempt to justify my deeds with the adage that the alley cat cannot choose the bowl from which it laps, you must accept that the truth is often painful."
Sylvia is the story of a peasant maid in the medieval times whose courage prevails over brutality, bigotry, abuse, r@p€, and poverty. We follow her story throughout her life, witness Miracle after Miracle that the common folk always think has her as the cause, and eventually see her participation in the Children's Crusade of the year 1212. This was probably one of the strangest but true things to have taken place in the history of Europe.
I found this story a super interesting read. It was way different from my usual genre/writing style, but that made it all the more interesting. It was hard at first to get into the flow as it could be hard to read at times, but after a while it was almost like I didn't notice the writing style. I can understand why some people didn't enjoy this book, it wouldn't be for everyone. But I really enjoyed it.
I would highly recommend for anyone interested in history, specifically the medieval times, and if you're looking for something different to read then this is your book.
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
Sylvia is the story of a peasant maid in the medieval times whose courage prevails over brutality, bigotry, abuse, r@p€, and poverty. We follow her story throughout her life, witness Miracle after Miracle that the common folk always think has her as the cause, and eventually see her participation in the Children's Crusade of the year 1212. This was probably one of the strangest but true things to have taken place in the history of Europe.
I found this story a super interesting read. It was way different from my usual genre/writing style, but that made it all the more interesting. It was hard at first to get into the flow as it could be hard to read at times, but after a while it was almost like I didn't notice the writing style. I can understand why some people didn't enjoy this book, it wouldn't be for everyone. But I really enjoyed it.
I would highly recommend for anyone interested in history, specifically the medieval times, and if you're looking for something different to read then this is your book.
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
September 5, 2026
I agree 100% with Kelly’s review.
November 18, 2012
This is a well-written (fictional, of course) memoir, by a girl named Sylvia, of her early life leading up to the 13th century Children's Crusade across Europe and the trials and tribulations which occurred during the journey.
The first two-thirds of the book concentrates on her life prior to the Crusade: first her drunken, raping father and dead mother; then her life as a traveling performer; her life as a nun; and, her life as an ex-communicated, then re-enstated member of the Catholic Church of Rome. The final third of the book concerns her role as an organizer and spiritual leader in the Children's Crusade. Though little is known about this scantly mentioned historical event, existing accounts testify that the children were attempting to recreate the flight of God's children from Egypt by journeying to Jerusalem.
I am a huge fan of Bryce Courtenay's books. This is the first of his books, that I've read anyway, which concern a time and event so far into the past. Typically, his books are WWI, WWII or Vietnam/Korean war era. While I don't dislike this story, because I did enjoy the story quite a bit, I just didn't feel that typical Courtenay'esque-ness. Hard to explain. Maybe because the entire book was written from the perspective of a young girl, rather than his more common young Australian/South Africa lads (with interjected sections from the POV of a female). It was experimental for him and I'm sure a very challenging departure from his normal authors voice (I have yet to read "Jessica" so I could be entirely off the mark here). Anyway, the gamble worked but it still, in my opinion, could be further honed. A recommended read for fans of medieval historical fiction.
The first two-thirds of the book concentrates on her life prior to the Crusade: first her drunken, raping father and dead mother; then her life as a traveling performer; her life as a nun; and, her life as an ex-communicated, then re-enstated member of the Catholic Church of Rome. The final third of the book concerns her role as an organizer and spiritual leader in the Children's Crusade. Though little is known about this scantly mentioned historical event, existing accounts testify that the children were attempting to recreate the flight of God's children from Egypt by journeying to Jerusalem.
I am a huge fan of Bryce Courtenay's books. This is the first of his books, that I've read anyway, which concern a time and event so far into the past. Typically, his books are WWI, WWII or Vietnam/Korean war era. While I don't dislike this story, because I did enjoy the story quite a bit, I just didn't feel that typical Courtenay'esque-ness. Hard to explain. Maybe because the entire book was written from the perspective of a young girl, rather than his more common young Australian/South Africa lads (with interjected sections from the POV of a female). It was experimental for him and I'm sure a very challenging departure from his normal authors voice (I have yet to read "Jessica" so I could be entirely off the mark here). Anyway, the gamble worked but it still, in my opinion, could be further honed. A recommended read for fans of medieval historical fiction.
February 23, 2010
Damn Courtnenay knows how to write. He has an amazing writing style. However, I wandered about all the mishaps Sylvia faced - was it over done? Would love to know from Bryces lips the accuracy of the character. Apparently, thoses in the know on the children's crusade checked and varified everything he wrote.
Still not sure on the theme of the story. I can think of a couple I guess.
My favourite character was the Ratcatcher and Sylvia too. I found myself wishing that I had Reinhardt in my life.
I have read different versions of what happen to Nicholas, that when the sea did not part, he and his followers moved on eventually reaching Pisa - who knows.
Although, the crusade was the main part of the story, I found this part of the book dragged out a little too long for me and I wanted to know more about Sylvia's life. But over all I am a fan of Courtenay and intend to read his other books.
Still not sure on the theme of the story. I can think of a couple I guess.
My favourite character was the Ratcatcher and Sylvia too. I found myself wishing that I had Reinhardt in my life.
I have read different versions of what happen to Nicholas, that when the sea did not part, he and his followers moved on eventually reaching Pisa - who knows.
Although, the crusade was the main part of the story, I found this part of the book dragged out a little too long for me and I wanted to know more about Sylvia's life. But over all I am a fan of Courtenay and intend to read his other books.
March 4, 2010
I was given this book for christmas and found it really silly. I have enjoyed some of Bryce Courtenay's books, but I found that I had to suspend belief too far, he just piled too much on. The book combines the Pied Piper of Hamelin, the Children's Crusade and a peasant girl with a wonderful singing voice, a gift for mimicry and languages, who also has the uncanny knack of working miracles...
That said, if you want some historical fiction to while away a plane flight, it may tick the boxes for you
That said, if you want some historical fiction to while away a plane flight, it may tick the boxes for you
March 30, 2012
I am not much of a history buff so I have no idea what really happened on the Childrens Crusade, that is probably why I absolutely enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and to imagine the characters.
In all if you love to stick to the script and real life events then don't read this book but if you like a good story then this is a great book.
In all if you love to stick to the script and real life events then don't read this book but if you like a good story then this is a great book.
June 5, 2012
I can't remember the details of this one, but it was another Bryce Courtenay book I was a little disappointed with. I think I must really prefer his Australian based stuff, and when it deviates I'm already biased. I haven't read this since it was released, but I'd like to give it another go in the future.
May 3, 2013
Great read. Sylvia is a fabulous character and this book was well researched. Would love a sequel to find out what happened next!
August 7, 2026
In the past I have read lots from this author and love the storytelling and this book is a good example.
This book involves the story of the ill fated Children's Crusade, and whilst the crusade definitely is one of the focuses of the book, the crusade itself didn't actually get started until two thirds of the way through the book. The story was really about Sylvia, and chronicled her path to involvement in the crusade. Be prepared to step back to the brutish life for most people in 1196.
The main focus of the book is also a study of religion and superstition within the early 1200's and also has incorporated in fables, most especially that of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Sylvia herself is a mass of contradictions. She is born a peasant, at a time when there really is no way to change your station in life. Born to a drunkard who thinks he can do anything he likes because he has been forgiven his sins by going on crusade, and an industrious woman, Sylvia is left to look after herself after her mother dies whilst she is still young. She has the voice of an angel, is a talented mimic of both people and birds. She suffers terrible abuse at the hands of her depraved father, and is then banished by the people of her town, and so she starts the journey of her life.
Along the journey, she meets up with Reinhardt, a rat catcher with a talent for charming everyone he meets, and a talented flautist. As they head for Cologne, they start a double act - Sylvia sings, Reinhart plays the flute and together they put on a show that brings them enough money and food to be able to survive on the journey.
After arriving in Cologne Sylvia causes quite the scene when she is involved in several "miracles", all of which Sylvia can explain, but in a time of great religious restrictions, once the Church says that a miracle has occurred then it is very difficult to change that perception. Coincidence and "miracles" continue and Sylvia becomes known as the Petticoat Angel.
As a character, Sylvia becomes all things to all people. To the people of Cologne she is the girl who feeds the homeless children in the morning, but in the evening she is friends with the girls in the whorehouse, learning from them all the theory of the pleasures that she can ready for the day that she has the chance to "know" a man. And yet, despite this knowledge and this background she ends up as a nun where she has the opportunity to learn chess and languages from one of the scholarly fathers and then as one of the leaders of the ill-fated Children's Crusade.
Her friends come from all walks - the young widow who teaches her about her own body and feelings , but also gets her ready for what her forthcoming transition to womanhood will be like, numerous priests, the Jewish couple who manage her career and who give her a sense of family despite the fact that at that stage in history the Jewish were considered to be the lowest of the low.
As Sylvia goes through the story she rarely exhibits any signs of imperfections , that to be honest in a way that is one of the weaknesses of the book in some ways. There are a number of times where she is nearly condemned as a demon but she is saved by the fact that she has a birthmark on her back in the shape of a fish and therefore as soon as people see that it is confirmed as another sign of her special blessing from God. The books itself is quite graphic in terms of some of the sexuality and also some of the torture scenes.
October 18, 2018
Having been a fan of Bryce Courtenay for years, I was a bit disappointed when I re-read this novel.
That being said, I think my disappointment was less due to the quality of his writing than it was a distaste for the protagonist, Sylvia. Courtenay has always been a solid author; the clarity of his descriptions and the surprising characters he includes are usually above reproach, but Sylvia is one of those characters that just gets under my skin.
Although Courtenay acknowledges his use of creative license (which he does well, and quite seamlessly), I fell like Sylvia's character is quite unrealistic. She's a great singer, a natural beauty, immeasurably pious, a polyglot, and for a woman of peasant upbringing; remarkably assertive. While I'm sure such people were not un heard of, I just feel like there were a few too many things going for Sylvia, and her avoidance of death and unfortunate circumstances on multiple accounts seems just a bit too fortuitous. Perhaps that was Courtenay's intention?
While Sylvia's character remains something of a literary hangnail and/or monotone, I did enjoy his description of Reinhardt, as well as Frau Sarah, and the supposedly-charismatic Nicholas; all of whom were developed into relatable, imperfect personalities. Compared to her character, their flaws and traits were refreshing and gave the story much more colour for their inclusion. All standing as exceptions to the status quo of the twelfth century, I would have enjoyed some more insight into their stories; Reinhardt's travels to France, or Frau Sarah's various business ventures with musicians after her success with Sylvia and Reinhardt's partnership. Even Nicholas' descent into what could be described as utter delirium regarding his own omnipotence or spiritual significance would have been an interesting and entertaining, if somewhat morbid, sideline story.
All in all, I ultimately enjoyed this book for it's description of the Children's Crusade, and the various supporting characters, however felt his protagonist was somewhat lacking in imagination. It's still worth a read, and is easily digestible as a holiday read.
That being said, I think my disappointment was less due to the quality of his writing than it was a distaste for the protagonist, Sylvia. Courtenay has always been a solid author; the clarity of his descriptions and the surprising characters he includes are usually above reproach, but Sylvia is one of those characters that just gets under my skin.
Although Courtenay acknowledges his use of creative license (which he does well, and quite seamlessly), I fell like Sylvia's character is quite unrealistic. She's a great singer, a natural beauty, immeasurably pious, a polyglot, and for a woman of peasant upbringing; remarkably assertive. While I'm sure such people were not un heard of, I just feel like there were a few too many things going for Sylvia, and her avoidance of death and unfortunate circumstances on multiple accounts seems just a bit too fortuitous. Perhaps that was Courtenay's intention?
While Sylvia's character remains something of a literary hangnail and/or monotone, I did enjoy his description of Reinhardt, as well as Frau Sarah, and the supposedly-charismatic Nicholas; all of whom were developed into relatable, imperfect personalities. Compared to her character, their flaws and traits were refreshing and gave the story much more colour for their inclusion. All standing as exceptions to the status quo of the twelfth century, I would have enjoyed some more insight into their stories; Reinhardt's travels to France, or Frau Sarah's various business ventures with musicians after her success with Sylvia and Reinhardt's partnership. Even Nicholas' descent into what could be described as utter delirium regarding his own omnipotence or spiritual significance would have been an interesting and entertaining, if somewhat morbid, sideline story.
All in all, I ultimately enjoyed this book for it's description of the Children's Crusade, and the various supporting characters, however felt his protagonist was somewhat lacking in imagination. It's still worth a read, and is easily digestible as a holiday read.
April 11, 2020
Sylvia narrates her own story of adversity and triumph in Bryce Courtney's book “Sylvia”. Set in twelfth century Europe, young Sylvia's continuous thoughts are of not “sinning”. She allows herself no blasphemy, no lies and blames herself, as a child, for meekly submitting to her drunken incestuous father's wanton cruelty as she fears for her life.
Sylvia is intelligent and questioning and possesses a glorious singing voice. She meets flute playing Reinhardt the rat catcher who accompanies her as she ventures to Cologne in Germany initially looking for work. Their natural musical partnership enables them to literally sing for their supper. Reinhardt and Sylvia eventually entertain the clientele in a local brothel. Throughout this time Sylvia takes every opportunity imaginable to learn. She even joins a convent because a priest says she can learn from a great teacher, but she soon leaves. Bishops, priests and nuns although revered, are very cruel and Sylvia receives many thrashings from the nuns. Children join Sylvia and Reinhardt as they walk to Cologne and eventually they both join the Children's Crusade bound for the Holy Land.
Bryce Courtney uses extraordinary vocabulary with attention to medieval detail. Sylvia's singing echoed in my ears as did the sounds of Reinhardt's flute and the birds Sylvia coaxed from the trees. The glory of her voice, her intelligence, strength and love present a strong character who cares beyond normal expectations. She is surely blessed by the Lord.
Sylvia is intelligent and questioning and possesses a glorious singing voice. She meets flute playing Reinhardt the rat catcher who accompanies her as she ventures to Cologne in Germany initially looking for work. Their natural musical partnership enables them to literally sing for their supper. Reinhardt and Sylvia eventually entertain the clientele in a local brothel. Throughout this time Sylvia takes every opportunity imaginable to learn. She even joins a convent because a priest says she can learn from a great teacher, but she soon leaves. Bishops, priests and nuns although revered, are very cruel and Sylvia receives many thrashings from the nuns. Children join Sylvia and Reinhardt as they walk to Cologne and eventually they both join the Children's Crusade bound for the Holy Land.
Bryce Courtney uses extraordinary vocabulary with attention to medieval detail. Sylvia's singing echoed in my ears as did the sounds of Reinhardt's flute and the birds Sylvia coaxed from the trees. The glory of her voice, her intelligence, strength and love present a strong character who cares beyond normal expectations. She is surely blessed by the Lord.
June 1, 2019
Phew!......reading this felt like such a hard slog- it felt like it went on for ever and ever.
I have read quite a few Bryce Courtenay books, sad to say this isn’t one of his better efforts.
The protagonist Sylvia is a peasant girl in medieval Germany. She has an unusual birthmark on her back - it is the shape of a fish, this convinces all who see it to fall on their knees believing her to be chosen by God. This coupled with a few hidden talents of hers (singing to birds and calling them to her and generally performing perceived miracles) leads her to a different kind of life to that of the average female peasant of the times. She joins forces with a rat catcher who uses a flute played at the highest pitch to entice the rodents to follow him whereby he leads them to a river to drown. Together they form a musical act and head for Cologne. He reinvents himself as “The Pied Piper of Hamlyn”. Sylvia impresses everyone who meets her.She is treated with reverence by priests and paupers alike. Together they embark on a holy crusade to lead thousands of children to Jerusalem.
I found this story to be so unlikely and oft times ridiculous I’m not really sure why (or how) I finished it. Not my sort of book I’m afraid, as much as I like historical fiction and as well as Mr. Courtenay can write, the repetitive drooling over Sylvia’s singing, beauty, goodness, piety, and her miraculous deeds left me cold.
It was a relief to get to the end.
I have read quite a few Bryce Courtenay books, sad to say this isn’t one of his better efforts.
The protagonist Sylvia is a peasant girl in medieval Germany. She has an unusual birthmark on her back - it is the shape of a fish, this convinces all who see it to fall on their knees believing her to be chosen by God. This coupled with a few hidden talents of hers (singing to birds and calling them to her and generally performing perceived miracles) leads her to a different kind of life to that of the average female peasant of the times. She joins forces with a rat catcher who uses a flute played at the highest pitch to entice the rodents to follow him whereby he leads them to a river to drown. Together they form a musical act and head for Cologne. He reinvents himself as “The Pied Piper of Hamlyn”. Sylvia impresses everyone who meets her.She is treated with reverence by priests and paupers alike. Together they embark on a holy crusade to lead thousands of children to Jerusalem.
I found this story to be so unlikely and oft times ridiculous I’m not really sure why (or how) I finished it. Not my sort of book I’m afraid, as much as I like historical fiction and as well as Mr. Courtenay can write, the repetitive drooling over Sylvia’s singing, beauty, goodness, piety, and her miraculous deeds left me cold.
It was a relief to get to the end.
April 10, 2019
I thought the book was good but by no means great. I struggled to get through the later part of the novel. I think this was because some of the events are very similar during the lead up/journey of the children’s crusade. This made it predictable and a bit sluggish at times. There was some very good parts and in a way the novel critiques Christianity and the church. This is the second Bryce Courtenay book I have read and I really enjoy the the main protagonists that he creates. Sylvia starts off her journey in a truly horrible situation and it does get slightly better. She has a great voice and used her mimicking skills to charm birds out of trees, which people mistake for miracles. This snowballs into the story and from there it continues into the Children Crusade; I later found that the children’s crusade actually happened which is pretty unbelievable! I probably would of rated it a bit higher if it wasn’t for a few slow parts.
September 23, 2024
More of a 3.5 star for me. I found it very readable, but the revelations of Sylvia and Reinhardt's special gifts (the birdsong, animal attracting flute pitch and playing and the birthmark), and Sylvia's sexual trauma, became quite repetitive. The Children's Crusade was only vaguely on the periphery of my memory and this encouraged me to do some more reading afterwards to understand better what was most likely to be fact and what was most likely to be fiction. The incorporation of the Pied Piper of Hamlin may have some basis in truth but this does seem a bit tenuous. (And I never understood why the Pied Piper of Hamlin fable would have rats drown if drawn into the rivers as they're pretty good swimmers). I did enjoy the premiss behind the miracles and the repeated spins that people put on explainable events which suited their own agendas. The discussions on Judaism vs Christianity, and the supporting character's personalities and traits were also interesting.
July 13, 2020
Sylvia is a young peasant from the German countryside who was born in unsettling times but was given exceptional gifts. She can call birds to her, memorize the liturgical prayers and is exceptional at learning different languages and singing. Her mother dies when she is seven, fleeing an abusive, violent father she finds solace and grace in the church and nature. She flees the hatred of her home and journeys to Cologne and on the way, she meets Reinhardt and between them and their musical gifts and his ability to pipe to the rats their lives change. in 1212, the women of Cologne and surrounding areas have a vision of "Our children in Jerusalem". This is a miracle in their eyes and with misgivings, Sylvia, the Pied Piper and a young preacher set off on an arduous journey filled with death, miracles and unfortunate tragedy.
June 20, 2021
Thank goodness that this is an audiobook. I would have chucked the book by now.
Bryce hits another home run. This time he tackles the ill-fated Children's Crusade.
"Sylvia is the story of the Children's Crusade - 1212 - possibly the strangest event to take place in European history.
First her drunken, raping father and dead mother; then her life as a traveling performer; her life as a nun; and, her life as an ex-communicated, then re-enstated member of the Catholic Church of Rome. The final third of the book concerns her role as an organizer and spiritual leader in the Children's Crusade. Though little is known about this scantly mentioned historical event, existing accounts testify that the children were attempting to recreate the flight of God's children from Egypt by journeying to Jerusalem.
Bryce hits another home run. This time he tackles the ill-fated Children's Crusade.
"Sylvia is the story of the Children's Crusade - 1212 - possibly the strangest event to take place in European history.
First her drunken, raping father and dead mother; then her life as a traveling performer; her life as a nun; and, her life as an ex-communicated, then re-enstated member of the Catholic Church of Rome. The final third of the book concerns her role as an organizer and spiritual leader in the Children's Crusade. Though little is known about this scantly mentioned historical event, existing accounts testify that the children were attempting to recreate the flight of God's children from Egypt by journeying to Jerusalem.
March 5, 2020
Before finishing the first chapter I was enraptured with the art of words. Sitting back I held the book close and reveled in the luxury of reading a masterpiece. Turning each page felt like an indulgence. I savored the descriptions as I do a piece of dark chocolate.
Bryce Courtenay truly is a master of words and a weaver of stories.
Some reviews here have faulted the book for a few historical inaccuracies, but this is a work of fiction. I enjoyed the liberties taken to weave history and stories such as the Pied Piper together.
For those who want a nice little story without the realities of abuse and horrible behavior this is not the story for you. This is a depiction of beauty even in the midst of the harshness of life.
Bryce Courtenay truly is a master of words and a weaver of stories.
Some reviews here have faulted the book for a few historical inaccuracies, but this is a work of fiction. I enjoyed the liberties taken to weave history and stories such as the Pied Piper together.
For those who want a nice little story without the realities of abuse and horrible behavior this is not the story for you. This is a depiction of beauty even in the midst of the harshness of life.
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