Book Review: A Rare Benedictine: The Advent Of Brother Cadfael

A Rare Benedictine: The Advent Of Brother Cadfael, by Ellis Peters

This book is a prequel of sorts to the Brother Cadfael series of mysteries by Ellis Peters [1], and contains three short stories that occur before the first novel in the series. Included is a short introduction that explains that the series was not originally meant, but that Cadfael came about as a result of being a solution to various constrants that were imposed upon the plot by setting a mystery in Wales involving an English monestary with a monk detective who was able to move between many worlds. Given the popularity of the book, and the ensuing series, there was a great clamor for a novel. Adverse to writing prequels, a quality the authoress shared with other writers like Lois McMaster Bujold, she nonetheless took advantage of an opportunity to write a short story (“A Light On The Road To Woodstock”) to provide the origin of how Brother Cadfael came to become a brother at the Shrewsbury Benedictine Abbey, to go from one phase of life as a soldier-at-arms to another as a somewhat eccentric and irregular monk. We see Cadfael as being restrained, somewhat canny and perceptive, and immensely brave, rescuing Prior Heribert from a kidnapping whose damage is averted by one of the most unfortunate events in English history, the death of Henry I’s son that prompted the whole Anarchy in the first place, and saving his lord from an attempted murder from his groom and his wife’s paramour.

Adultery also plays a major role in the second of the three stories, (“The Price Of Light”) where a greedy and brutal and wicked man seeks to earn merit through donating a silver candlestick to the Benedictine Abbey that was created by an escaped serf craftsman he had robbed, who just happened to be in Shrewsbury for the year and a day it was required for him to be granted his freedom and be able to marry the comely Welsh villein maid he loved. In this particular story, a young wife lies to protect a runaway servant because the servant’s presence was necessary as an alibi for herself. Here we see Cadfael figuring out clues, helping young lovers thwart the obstacles placed in their way, and seeks justice in his own characteristically irregular way. We see this also in the third story, “Eye Witness,” where Cadfael’s cleverness foils an attempted murder, helps a fellow brother overcome despair that had threatened him with the sin of self-murder (i.e. suicide), and confronts an ambitious newcomer with evidence of his theft and attempt at murder, thanks to plotting with a blind Welsh beggar (here trading on Welsh solidarity) along with the son of the wounded man and a new sergeant for the Sheriff, who is willing for Cadfael to use a ruse.

These stories are much less developed than the novels, as is to be expected since these three stories only take up a little more than 100 pages. Cadfael’s character is pretty distinct, but for the most part the other characters tend to be much less defined, except for Sweyn the Welsh maid, who is given enough time to show her resolve and cleverness. Both of the wealthy nobles in the first two stories are grasping and somewhat unpleasant men, both of their wives are much younger (about half their age or more) and unfaithful, both of them have servant grooms who are cuckolding their arrogant Norman masters. Likewise, the hardworking lay clerk who appears to be easily trusting but turns out to be hiding something is not a well-developed character either. That said, the mysteries are solid and any Cadfael stories are to be appreciated, and best of yet all murders are averted, no runaway serfs are brought to justice, as a way of “sticking it to the man,” and justice generally prevails. That is what one expects given the length of the story and the constraints of the form, and this book delivers.

See, for example:

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/30/book-review-the-hermit-of-eyton-forest/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/31/book-review-the-rose-rent/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/04/07/book-review-the-raven-in-the-foregate/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/13/book-review-an-excellent-mystery/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/book-review-the-pilgrim-of-hate/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/03/10/book-review-dead-mans-ransom/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/26/book-review-the-devils-novice/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/25/book-review-the-sanctuary-sparrow/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/24/book-review-the-virgin-in-the-ice/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/13/book-review-the-leper-of-st-giles/

https://edgeinducedcohesion.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/book-review-st-peters-fair/