Sylvia

By: Bryce Courtenay

Narrated by: Edwina Wren

From master storyteller Bryce Courtenay comes a colorful, lusty story set in the 13th century, an epic tale of a Europe torn by religious intolerance. The story centers around Sylvia Honeyeater, who sings like an angel and can literally charm the birds from the trees. The narrative also features the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Francis of Assisi, the Muslim Sultan and his harem, and the fervor that becomes the Children's Crusade and then, later, the Crusades.©2013 Christine Courtenay (P)2014 Bolinda Publishing Ltd

Same thing over and over. Disappointing

First of his books I can't recommend. Always rats, birds and a birthmark that saves the day. Not the originality one has come to expect of him. The book fails to combine history and fantasy in a believable manner. Character developments lack breadth and the feeble nature of the Clergy in the story is not accurate or entertaining.
Best skipped or forgotten

Good Story, Narration Irritates

I am a Bryce Courtney fan. I was intrigued by "Sylvia" because the protagonist is a female--the only time I've encountered this in a Courtney novel. And it is also a historical novel, and I have liked his historical pieces, like "The Potato Factory Trilogy." I did enjoy the story, which is about the doomed Children's Crusade of the 13th Century. However, I almost gave up on it because of the narrator. She has a pleasant voice, but she chose to use a screechy tone for many of the characters that really grated on me. She also adopted a bad German accent when Sylvia or others from Cologne were speaking. You haven't lived until you've heard "vouched" pronounced as "wowched." Every W became a V, and vice versa, while J words like "Johanna" were pronounced J instead of Y, which they would be in German.

Nonetheless, I persisted. Sylvia is a fictional character who accompanies the historical Nicholas of Cologne in his crusade to peacefully reclaim the Holy Sepulchre in the Holy Land. The Church did not support this endeavor, making it even harder for the thousands of children who made the journey--or tried to. Many thousands died in the attempt. Sylvia herself is an intriguing character. She perceives herself as ordinary, but because she can call the birds and has a fish-shaped birthmark on her back, many think her a holy emissary. She struggles with the desire to be holy and the knowledge that she is not throughout the book. In the end, it is her desire for sanctity that is her undoing.

Sylvia is befriended and accompanied by a gay rat catcher who wants to be a musician, and Reinhardt is one of the most appealing characters in the book. He is clearly based on the Pied Piper, and his abilities to soundlessly pipe the rats and control dogs were also viewed as miracles. I don't know if I believed in the amazing abilities of this unlikely duo, but I enjoyed their adventures anyway.

Long story short: if you can endure the narration, you will probably enjoy this book.

Very good, yet not Courtenay's best

Having read almost all of Bryce Courtenay's book, I have always been moved by how easily he blends attention to historical detail with a seemingly natural ability to tell a fascinating story. In this Sylvia is no different from any of his other novels and Edwina Wren does a great job, even though Humphry Bower is impossible to top. The story is well told, the charachters are brought to life in typical Courtnay fashion, yet somehow in its entirety the story lacks the luster of his Australia novels. Still, Sylvia is a great book, educational as well as entertaining.

New Territory for Bryce but done well

Would you listen to Sylvia again? Why?

Yes

What did you like best about this story?

Not only the history given in the story but also the continually moving pace of the story.

Which character – as performed by Edwina Wren – was your favorite?

Sylvia

If you could take any character from Sylvia out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Sylvia

Any additional comments?

Nice to see something different from Bryce

A really good read.

What did you love best about Sylvia?

The fact that Sylvia kept questioning herself regarding her performance.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The Pied Piper of Hamlin. He was Sylvia's constant support who did not judge what she did.

Have you listened to any of Edwina Wren’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No