Devil and King John

by Philip Lindsay

King John, who reigned from 1199 to 1216, has the unenviable reputation of being one of England’s ‘worst’ kings. Although historians are constantly revising their opinion and adding to what we know of John, people still tend to have a negative impression of him. His portrayal as the villain of Robin Hood must be at least partly responsible for that! This 1943 novel by the Australian author Philip Lindsay attempts to give a more balanced view of John, based around the idea that many of his actions were the result of an uncontrollable temper rather than simply cruelty.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Philip Lindsay (1906–1958) was an Australian writer, who mostly wrote historical novels. He was the son of Norman Lindsay, an Australian artist.

His novels often treated his subject matter in a dark fashion, with his central characters depicted as brooding, depressed, or disturbed characters.

In addition, he did some work for the film industry. He was one of a team of writers on Song of Freedom and Under the Red Robe, and was a technical advisor on The Private Life of Henry VIII.

Reviews

[Heather]

This is a really intriguing take on King John. There doesn't seem to be much out there in terms of stories about John that aren't primarily about the magna carta. It was nice that this had more emphasis on John's life and character, including his famous rages (hence the title).

If you are feeling like you are drowning in Tudor-related books, check this one out. It definitely made for a nice change to the typical fare out nowadays.


**I received this copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

[Kristen]

Goodreads and Amazon both say this book is 224 pp. I have to wonder if that's a typo and they actually meant 2204 or something, because this was the longest, most boring fucking book in the world. If I didn't need to read or for research, I would absolutely have DNF'ed it.

[Mandy]

Although I enjoy historical fiction as a rule, and I’ve no reason to doubt that this book is historically accurate, I found the writing style too dated to continue reading. We have become used to more naturalistic writing now, and to mimic the supposed contemporary speech patterns felt stilted and the heightened mood of the narrative sat uneasily with me. King John makes good material for an interesting novel, but this one wasn’t for me.

[Jennifer (JC-S)]

‘There is a devil in me at times, and it grips my hands, and uses them.’

King John of England (he reigned from 6 April 1199 to 19 October 1216) features in a number of novels, and is frequently depicted as a villain in television series and movies. I’ve not come across many novels with John as the main character, and was very keen to read this re-published novel by Philip Lindsay. ‘The Devil and King John’ was first published in 1951, and some of the language useage clearly reflects this. [Yes, Gentle Reader, ‘gay’ was once an adjective that referred only to happiness]

The novel follows John, from his time as ‘John Lackland’, favourite of his father King Henry II, through the reign of King Richard I, through his kingship.

In this novel Philip Lindsay has focussed on John’s beliefs – in the ‘Old Religion’ of witchcraft – as being behind his clashes with the Church after he becomes King. Was his first wife, Isabella, Countess of Gloucester (also known as Hadwisa) really a witch? Such a portrayal serves the plot of Mr Lindsay’s novel as it provides him with a connection between John and witchcraft. After his marriage to Hadwisa is annulled, John is depicted as being besotted by his second wife Isabella, Countess of Angoulême. But John can also be very cruel, the legacy perhaps of his famed Angevin temper.

At times I found myself feeling some sympathy for John: his being drawn to the ‘Old Religion’ provides a surprisingly plausible explanation (in fiction, at least) for some of his responses to the Church. And the Magna Carta? In this novel there are two sides to the argument over the Magna Carta. I have to think about that some more.

This is an interesting portrayal of John, and more sympathetic towards him than any other fictional account I’ve read.

Note: My thanks to NetGalley and Endeavour Press for providing me with a free electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Supreya Mahabir]

A slow read