The School of Night by Louis Bayard

In a perfect and indolent reviewing world (and an the inevitable excuse for brevity) I would sum up Louis Bayard’s “The School of Night” with the following:

“Stunning, simply stunning”

However, a book of this quality doesn’t deserve such an inconsequential review and with this in mind I will continue!

Confession, they say, is good for the soul and the opening line had me vexed!

“Against all odds, against my own wishes, this is a love story. And it began, of all places, at Alonzo Wax’s funeral. “

I would go as far to say it had me stumped. I took a deep breath and lowered the book – I didn’t want to sit down and work my way through a romance novel, it’s just not me. I have no problem watching a chick flick, it’s usually over so quickly, but the thought of sitting down for two days reading a romance novel didn’t exactly fill me with inspiration or should I say desire! That said, people do say – “never judge a book by its cover” – upon completion I would also add “never judge a book by its opening line”!

When I reviewed Urban Waite’s “The Terror of Living” a couple of months ago I remember thinking (and writing) that it would be hard to beat, but after reading “The School of Night” I can say with a high degree of certainty Urban’s debut thriller has stiff competition!

“A shared quest and a mysterious cabal, four centuries apart . . .

When Henry Cavendish attends the funeral of an old friend, the last thing he expects is to be given a business proposition. A handsome sum to retrieve a document that was in his friend’s possession when he died – a letter from Sir Walter Ralegh. Henry accepts the challenge, despite severe misgivings about his sinister new employer.

Four centuries earlier, in Elizabethan England, another quest is playing out. Thomas Harriot, once a member of the mysterious School of Night, a group whose members included the toast of Elizabethan society, has shut himself off from the world. Working day and night, he devotes himself secretly to his experiments.

As both searches deepen, the two men realise that there are forces at work against them. Harriot’s work is threatened by discovery and Henry’s search becomes a deadly one, when someone close to him dies in mysterious circumstances. The School of Night is the story of a quest that spans centuries, of alliances forged in unexpected circumstances and of men who will stop at nothing to get what they want.”

“The School of Night” is available from Amazon – UK & Amazon – US

The narrative is not only fluid and imaginative but breathtakingly beautiful in its delivery. The storyline, spanning four centuries, is intoxicating and has an effortless ability to educate and entertain simultaneously; all the while ensuring the reader remains captive – as if under its magical spell. Predominately told in the first person (Cavendish) Bayard takes his time to set the scene, building a solid foundation for the latter stages of the novel.

Bayard’s characterisation is, for me, flawless. Concentrating on the two protagonists (Henry Cavendish and Thomas Harriot) throughout – one from each era – he somehow manages to avoid isolating the supporting characters, who are in their own quiet way equally as important as Bayard’s leading men. Given “The School of Night” is part historical, part fiction, I found myself on more than one occasion searching for more information on the historical names and places he utilizes in the book – Sir Walter Raleigh, William Shakespeare, Christopher Marlowe and the aforementioned Thomas Harriot – astronomer and mathematician – who lived and worked for Henry Percy at Syon House in West London.

“Ex nihilo nihil fit” – Nothing Comes From Nothing

The mark of a good historical fiction book for me is how well an author blends truth with fiction all the while remaining true to events of yesteryear and delivering information in an exciting and modern way. Bayard resoundingly manages this.

Full of intelligent and exciting twists and turns the novel, slowly but surely, increases its intensity during the latter stages as Bayard seeks to tie in the sub plots. I have to admit I failed to see one or two of the twists and he does a great job of hiding the red herrings. The dénouement will surprise and satisfy the most demanding of readers and will without doubt leave you wanting more.

The school of night (derived from William Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour Lost”), the modern name for a group of like-minded men and alleged atheists, is intriguingly brought to life in the Bayard’s book. It examines the relationships between Raleigh, Marlowe, Harriot, Percy and Chapman – and although no concrete evidence exists of such a collaboration, Bayard argues the case for its authenticity.

A wonderfully taut historical thriller, full of adventure and beautiful prose “The School of Night” is a marvellous blend of fact and fiction. This book without doubt will retain a prominent position on my bookshelves and one I will without fail revisit in the months and years to come. Highly recommended the book is one of my top tips for 2011. It’s hard to believe an American has so gracefully captured the essence of 17^th century England.

Published by John Murray “The School of Night” is available from Amazon – UK & Amazon – US