Rupert Hatton's Tale

by Norah Lofts

In eighteenth-century England, a boy's passion for the violin, despite his father's opposition, causes a disaster which results in a totally new life.

Genres: Historical Fiction

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

Norah Ethel Robinson Lofts Jorisch (27 August 1904–10 September 1983) was a 20th century best-selling British author. She wrote over fifty books specialising in historical fiction, but she also wrote non-fiction and short stories. Many of her novels, including her Suffolk Trilogy, follow the history of a specific house and the residents that lived in it.

Lofts was born in Shipdham, Norfolk in England. She also published using the pseudonyms Juliet Astley and Peter Curtis. Norah Lofts chose to release her murder-mystery novels under the pen name Peter Curtis because she did not want the readers of her historic fiction to pick up a murder-mystery novel and expect classic Norah Lofts historical fiction. However, the murders still show characteristic Norah Lofts elements. Most of her historical novels fall into two general categories: biographical novels about queens, among them Anne Boleyn, Isabella of Castile, and Catherine of Aragon; and novels set in East Anglia centered around the fictitious town of Baildon (patterned largely on Bury St. Edmunds). Her creation of this fictitious area of England is reminiscent of Thomas Hardy's creation of "Wessex"; and her use of recurring characters such that the protagonist of one novel appears as a secondary character in others is even more reminiscent of William Faulkner's work set in "Yoknapatawpha County," Mississippi. Norah Lofts' work set in East Anglia in the 1930s and 1940s shows great concern with the very poor in society and their inability to change their conditions. Her approach suggests an interest in the social reformism that became a feature of British post-war society.

Several of her novels were turned into films. Jassy was filmed as Jassy (1947) starring Margaret Lockwood and Dennis Price. You're Best Alone was filmed as Guilt is My Shadow (1950). The Devil's Own (also known as The Little Wax Doll and Catch As Catch Can) was filmed as The Witches (1966). The film 7 Women was directed by John Ford and based on the story Chinese Finale by Norah Lofts.

Reviews

[Cynthia Egbert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rupert Hatton's Story by Norah Lofts, 135 pages. The story does differ from the way it plays out in The House at Old Vine and that makes it more dramatic but it that's okay. It offers a great look of the passion that one can have for a real talent. It is a good story and gives a real sense of London and surrounding areas in the 17th century. You really cannot go wrong with Norah Lofts! A quote I really loved:
"I saw for the first time a great truth. We all, when we are young, know our value to ourselves, but not our value to other people...I had my first glimpse of what I might mean to other people...Up to that moment I had only thought of what they meant to me."

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tale about a boy. He lives at a school partially owned by his father. One day he picks up an old violin in a school master’s room, and it calls to him personally and deeply. His father forbade him to touch it. This story chronicles the boy’s life from the point where he decides that playing the violin is something he must do at all costs. It’s an enchanting tale that I found relatively fast moving. The boy is rather self-centered, but likable nonetheless. The characters are somewhat type cast, but enjoyable despite that. It’s a short book and a charming story. I also like that the story is totally suitable for children of all ages.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book written for an adolescent audience, but because it is by Norah Lofts, it is in no way condescending or written-down to a lesser level. It is more straightforward than most adult fiction and has only one plot thread, but otherwise, it is completely engaging and satisfying.
However, all the excellent technique and style aside, it was a somewhat disappointing read in that the author has taken an established character from a well-known book, " The House At Old Vine," and used poetic license to reinvent Rupert Hatton from a somewhat smarmy and sly boy who will stop at nothing to get his own way (his objective in both books is to play the violin) into a far more complex and thoughtful young man who is capable of learning life lessons as he pursues his obsession. She tweaks several "facts" presented in the original book in order to create a far more lovable and human personage. It was a bit disconcerting to find that Mr. Flowerdew rather than Canon Hatton is the one who dies and the whole sequence of events leading up to that climactic scene departs substantially from the former book. On the whole, this is a quaint look at the countryside of Suffolk, as well as London, during the late 17th century.