 First edition | |
| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Chatto & Windus |
| Publication date | 2003 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 213 pp |
| ISBN | 1856197069 |
| Preceded by | Dickens: Public Life and Private Passion |
| Followed by | The Lambs of London |
The Clerkenwell Tales is an historical novel by English writer Peter Ackroyd, first published in 2003.
The novel is set in the late 1390s. It focuses on the Lollardy and on a conspiracy against Richard II of England.
Plot summary
The novel is set in London in the year 1399, a year of revolt, revolution and religious conspiracy. As Henry Bolingbroke challenges Richard II for the throne of England, the reader's attention is focused on Dominus, a secret society of religious fundamentalists, known to history as Lollards. The story is oriented similar to Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales and makes use of some of the characters from The Canterbury Tales as well. It turns on the conspiracies of a religious sect, led by the mad nun and making use of the prophecies of the mad Clerkenwell nun to foment panic and hysteria to bring forth the dethroning of Richard II. The result is a gothic novel which effortlessly merges fact and fiction into an almost recognizable alternate history.
References
- "Explore the British Library".
- "Observer review: The Clerkenwell Tales by Peter Ackroyd". the Guardian. 10 August 2003.
- Pye, Michael (31 October 2004). "'The Clerkenwell Tales': A Mad Nun's Tale". The New York Times.
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- 2003 British novels
- Fiction set in the 1390s
- Novels set in the 14th century
- English novels
- British mystery novels
- British historical novels
- Novels set in London
- Novels by Peter Ackroyd
- Chatto & Windus books
- Cultural depictions of Richard II of England
- Cultural depictions of Henry IV of England
- Lollardy
- Novels based on The Canterbury Tales
- 1990s mystery novel stubs
- Gothic novel stubs
- 1990s speculative fiction novel stubs