Gaveston

by Chris Hunt

Book Overview

A brilliant retelling of a true medieval tale that has entered gay mythology. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0854492623
• ISBN13: 9780854492626
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Gay Men's Press
• Length: 326 Pages
• Weight: 0.80 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Very sexy, but too long

This novel is narrated by King Edward II in the first person, looking back over his life and his passionate relationship with the Gascon Piers Gaveston. Edward's barons, fed up at the excessive favour Edward shows to his lover, ensure that the love affair comes to a tragic end. There's much to enjoy in the novel. Edward's feelings for Gaveston are sweet and touching, Gaveston comes vividly to life, and the descriptions of early fourteenth-century England are extremely well done. Much of the language is poetic and lyrical, and there were many passages I read over and over again in pleasure at their beauty. It's also one of the most historically accurate novels I've ever read. Hunt's research is extremely impressive. On the negative side, Edward's inability to get Gaveston's 'arse' out of his head for more than about five minutes starts to grate after several hundred pages, and he too often comes across as a lovesick teenager. Edward and Gaveston's total absorption in each other, and their indifference to absolutely everybody else, including their wives, eventually makes them seem selfish and thoughtless. And the novel starts to drag horribly in the middle, when Edward is involved in endless negotiations to revoke the barons' exile of Gaveston - twice. Judicious editing would have solved this problem. I'd recommend this novel to anyone interested in the period. There are quite a few explicit sex scenes, but the focus is much more on how much Edward and Gaveston love each other, rather than what they're doing in bed. Just be prepared to skip a few dozen pages in the middle!

Interesting History is Hard to Capture in a Fictional Book.

I love the story. Always wanted a fictional account of this affair that didn't borrow heavily from Marlow. My main flaw is that I was never drawn into the story. I really never care about the characters. In this sense, the characters were too historical and not fictional enough. It is difficult to write an engaging fictional account about the people of an interesting historical event. Although Hunt does this better than most people, I still felt like I was reading a great history book rather great fictional novel.

Excellent Historical Fiction

Possibly Chris Hunt's best novel. A moving and believable fictionalized account of the relationship between King Edward II and Piers Gaveston. The author's careful attention to detail transports the reader into Medieval Britain, and his masterful handling of the events of Edward's life makes it difficult to leave. I read this book in all of two days. Highly recommended.