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A Rare Benedictine (Brother Cadfael Mysteries)
by Ellis Peters
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Mysterious Press (1989-11-01)
ISBN: 0892963972
EAN: 9780892963973
Dewy Decimal #: 823.912
Hardcover: 118 pages
SKU: 05587
Condition: Collectible: Good Fi
Comments: First edition book, in good condition
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Finally, Brother Cadfael's many fans can discover the chain of events that led him into the Benedictine Order! Lavishly illustrated, these three tales show Cadfael at the height of his sleuthing form. "Three classic stories featuring Brother Cadfael . . . whose powers of deduction are practically miraculous."--Booklist. HC: Mysterious Press.
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Customer Reviews
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Charmed, I'm Sure
Rating  (4)
Date: 2007-12-28
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
A RARE BENEDICTINE is the atypical entry in the Brother Cadfael series. Instead of a novel, this book is a set of three short stories conceived, no doubt, by Ms. Peters to supply some welcome background on her popular sleuth. Here, readers learn of the circumstances surrounding Cadfael's decision to become a monk in the Abbey at Shrewsbury.
As always, these stories have a truly charming flavor. Ms. Peters' prose is lovely, and she employs it to give the reader interesting and appealing characters caught up in a tangled plot set in an idealized rendering of twelfth century England. The plots, while tangled, are not too difficult to see through as far as "whodunit" is concerned. There is usually a character who comes across as a likely "bad guy". The challenge is to sort out the "why" and, perhaps, the "how". Cadfael's adventures are always well-plotted and enjoyable to read, however, even if not terribly mysterious.
Brother Cadfael isn't for everybody. If you're looking for lots of action, or a really intriguing whodunit, you won't find it here. For readers who appreciate the Brother Cadfael series for what it is, however, A RARE BENEDICTINE is a must. It provides insight into the character's past only alluded to in other stories.
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Light On The Road To Woodstock.
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-09-10
20 out of 20 customers found this reveiw helpful
This contains three good reads. It has fine plots, descriptive characterizations, & smooth writing. Cadfael is a wondering Welsh soldier with a huge heart, but feels that a big change is needed in his life after coming home from the Crusades. He soon rescues an English monk from Cadfael's own master, & tensions abound. Not so surprisingly, he realizes that the serenity of being a monk is what he now needs. Jump fifteen years to "The Price Of Light," where Cadfael is now deeply settled as the abbey's apothecary & herbalist. This one was the best of the three stories. I won't spoil it by divulging the details, just read it for yourself. The third story "Eye Witness," is about a violent theft of the abbey's rents. Here cadfael is the dogged detective who has to sort out a myriad of possible suspects. Can a witness help, or is Cadfael alone? To a certain degree these are condensed medieval mystery soap opera's. But, far superior to most anything that we are used to. These stories made the twelfth century come to life in vivid pictures. For that alone, it deserved four stars.
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I am a fan of Brother Cadfeal
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-03-23
0 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
Brother Cadfeal is one of my favorite characters in fiction.
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The one with the insight
Rating (4)
Date: 2006-09-12
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
This book is composed of three short stories.
The first, Light on the Road to Woodstock, is recount of how Cadfael came to God. It's interesting to see Cadfael in the [but only slightly] different mode of soldier. However, his decision to join the brotherhood is not especially believable, perhaps even to Peters, who only sets up the situation then ends the story in one fell swoop. The rest of the story is fine, the characters solid and the writing fluid.
The second, The Price of Light, brings come-uppance to Hamo FitzHamon, a `gross feeder, heavy drinker, self indulgent lecher, harsh landlord and a brutal master'. Sounds like he deserved it, no? Romance triumphs again but there is a small mystery which Cadfael solves and the plot is resolved so neatly it is a pleasure to read.
The third story, Eye Witness, is a thin, almost transparent, out of kilter oddball, which serves mostly to point out the absolute importance of the romantic subplot for Peters. It's not just padding or detail. Without romance there is no emotional core to her stories and they become mechanical and not terribly believable. Even the characters become brittle without the mojo of romance. In this story there is no romance
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History and Mystery
Rating  (5)
Date: 2006-01-17
2 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
I enjoy history and a good mystery and "A Rare Benedictine" offers both. We have three solid stories, each adding a bit more to the life of a favorite fictional brother who inhabits a more real world.
Cadfael's returned to England and entry into the Benedictine Order are chronicled as of the first mystery. Cadfael's observations, and his ability to understand and empathizes with transgressors makes him an even more likable. And Cadfael is likeable, and I appreciate his sense of justice in the very difficult time he lives in, because he laws of the land and the punishments are simple and brutal, and the monk does his best to balance the justice with common sense.
The stories and the character are refreshing, and it's not surprising that Cadfael is still as popular as he is.
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