SIGNED Bryce Courtenay SYLVIA 1st edition RARE One-of-a-Kind Children's Crusade*

Description: This is a one-of-a-kind signed and inscribed first edition. VERY RARE. Bryce Courtenay passed away in 2012, so signed first editions are becoming more scarce.No other copy listed for sale at the time of my listing this copy for sale. From master storyteller Bryce Courtenay comes a colourful, lusty story set in the thirteenth century.The story of Sylvia Honeyeater, who sings like an angel and can literally charm the birds from the trees, this epic tale of a Europe torn by religious intolerance also features the Pied Piper of Hamelin, Francis of Assisi, the Muslim Sultan and his harem, as well as the fervour that became the Children's Crusade and then later the CrusadesA review of SYLVIA, by a reader: This is a well-written (fictional, of course) memoir, by a girl named Sylvia, of her early life leading up to the 13th century Children's Crusade across Europe and the trials and tribulations which occurred during the journey. The first two-thirds of the book concentrates on her life prior to the Crusade: first her drunken, raping father and dead mother; then her life as a traveling performer; her life as a nun; and, her life as an ex-communicated, then re-enstated member of the Catholic Church of Rome. The final third of the book concerns her role as an organizer and spiritual leader in the Children's Crusade. Though little is known about this scantly mentioned historical event, existing accounts testify that the children were attempting to recreate the flight of God's children from Egypt by journeying to Jerusalem. I am a huge fan of Bryce Courtenay's books. This is the first of his books, that I've read anyway, which concern a time and event so far into the past. Typically, his books are WWI, WWII or Vietnam/Korean war era. While I don't dislike this story, because I did enjoy the story quite a bit, I just didn't feel that typical Courtenay'esque-ness. Hard to explain. Maybe because the entire book was written from the perspective of a young girl, rather than his more common young Australian/South Africa lads (with interjected sections from the POV of a female). It was experimental for him and I'm sure a very challenging departure from his normal authors voice (I have yet to read "Jessica" so I could be entirely off the mark here). Anyway, the gamble worked but it still, in my opinion, could be further honed. A recommended read for fans of medieval historical fiction.Another review of SYLVIA, by a reader: Bryce hits another home run. This time he tackles the ill fated Children's Crusade. I didn't know quite what to expect from this book as it is set much further back in history, than the time periods he usually keeps himself to. His ability to write so clearly from a male or a female perspective made me confident that he could carry Sylvia's voice, convincingly. I read this book in 2 days (it's much shorter than his usual behemoth novels- only about 500 pages) But, in a similar echo to my previous threads, I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly. I was also surprised that the factors around Sylvia's life before the crusade took up about 3/4ths of the book... I guess I expected the bulk of the book to be about the crusade. But nonetheless, it was another well written Courtenay book and yes, it moved me to tears, too...A review of Bryce's most popular novel, THE POWER OF ONE, by a reader: The dazzling writing style of Bryce Courtenay is captured in this, his debut novel. Its intricate prose and powerful characters bring a story to life that few readers will be able to resist. In rural South Africa during the late 1930s, Peekay is a young boy who has been sent to boarding school. With English roots, Peekay struggles in this school where the Boer boys ridicule him for his heritage, turning verbal pokes into full-on malicious attacks. With war building in Europe, Peekay is led to believe by classmates that Hitler will soon arrive in South Africa to toss the shackles from the Afrikaner people, long subjugated by the English. After a number of brush-ups with others, the matron agrees to send Peekay to his grandfather’s home, a long train ride across the country. Eager to leave, Peekay begins the long train ride, soon joined by the conductor, Hoppie Groenewald. This new friend helps Peekay with the ways of the rails, as well as being an amateur boxer in his own right. Peekay develops a passion for boxing and attends a bout where Hoppie is set to meet a much larger opponent, all during the train’s layover. Peekay is astonished when he sees Hoppie box, as well as the passion that others feel about the sport. From there, it is back on the train, where Peekay must survive the rest of the journey without his dear Hoppie. Arriving at his grandfather’s home, Peekay has distant memories of life with his family, including two young kitchen maids who keep him entertained. As he tried to acclimate to life in rural South Africa, Peekay befriends a highly interesting man, one Professor ‘Doc’ Karl von Vollensteen. Doc is a former concert pianist from Germany whose interest in botany piques Peekay’s curiosity, allowing him to further his education in a less formal setting. War continues to rage and South African officials choose to detain Doc, citing his German heritage as an issue that cannot be overlooked. While incarcerated, Doc continues to share his passion of music with Peekay and the other prisoners, many of whom are poor blacks. Straddling the middle, Peekay is able to forge strong friendships with the prisoners, who respect him for not treating them as lower class citizens, as well as with the guards, who help hone is boxing skills. Still young, Peekay must sell his abilities as a boxer to those who will help shape him into the athlete he hopes to become. Peekay’s passion for learning helps him excel in school and he’s sent off to yet another boarding school, but remains close to all those who have helped him along his path. The reader can easily become lost in Courtenay’s fabulous narrative that continues to twist from here, adding depth and insight to an already powerful tale. Highly recommended for those who love complex stories that touch on history and coming of age. How do I feel about the book? As Professor von Vollensteen would say, “for this I give... eleven out of ten. Absoloodle!”Those who have not experienced a Bryce Courtenay novel are in for a treat with this piece. Not only does the reader have the opportunity to experience Courtenay’s first foray into writing but also experience his unique style, which combines well-developed characters with a plot that is rich with detail. Some may find his writing to be both excessive and too much to digest in a single novel, but it is this that makes the books even more enjoyable. Courtenay uses an interesting formula in his writing, which the attentive reader will discover as they meander throughout his novels, this one being no exception. There are scores of characters who cross the pages, each serving to develop their own backstory and to offer a slice of character revelation for the protagonist, Peekay. While the reader will notice strong ties between Peekay and one character in the early portion of the book, that individual will soon vanish, though their life lessons and impact are felt throughout the rest of the story. Courtenay inundates the reader with names and characteristics, which may cause some to stumble or require crib notes, but, rest assured, it is well worth the temporary confusion. Having read all of Courtenay’s novels, I can see character themes that reemerge, including token characters of a variety of backgrounds. The story itself becomes a tale full of twists and turns, such that the path on which the narrative is leading the reader soon changes, leaving what one might have expected to be left in the proverbial dust. This is also something that some may criticise, but I find this serpentine journey to be refreshing and forces the reader to remain engaged, rather than skim through parts of the story. As Courtenay calls this piece his loose attempt at a fictionalised autobiography (yes, the dichotomy of the statement is not lost on me), the historic moments and struggles are more than conjured up dramatisations from world events, but actual experiences that Courtenay felt. One can only imagine the strife in which South Africa found itself in the late 1930s and into the 40s. The Afrikaner population is still smarting as they are being regulated by the English, but they, too, have developed a sense that, perhaps, Hitler can come to save them and return the land to the rightful Boers. Peekay feels this throughout the novel, an English boy tossed amongst the strong-willed Afrikaners who look down upon him. However, there is also the theme of brewing apartheid, which has been loosely permitted for decades already. Courtenay’s narrative shows the subjugation of the black population and the brutality that is inflicted upon them. While I do not condone this whatsoever, I have always been very interested in the apartheid mentality and how the Afrikaners justified it to the world. Courtenay offers up a front row seat to the reader, hoping they will better understand what went on. As an aside, the book’s publication came just as the grip of apartheid was loosening, so it may be an educational piece to those who could not fathom the true horrors of the policy as it gained momentum and became a way of life. It is this sort of depth that has drawn me to all of Courtenay’s books, as he offers more than a superficial look at the world, which entertaining the reader. True, his books are long and tangential, but, like a well-paced journey, they permit the reader to gather many wonderful nuggets of information from page to page. As a friend commented to me recently, the story ends somewhat abruptly and has no strong sense of finality. Therefore, I’ll rush to get to the sequel, Tandia , to continue the exploration of Courtenay’s Africa.Kudos, Mr. Courtenay, for such a stupendous piece. Re-reading this book has solidified why I consider it one of my favourites and a book I’d surely pack for an island isolation. boer, boers, adventure, novel, epic, romance, fiction, story, tale, tales, hunter, big game, action, exciting, excitement, fun, thriller, best-seller, best seller, zulu, sotho, swaziland, kimberley, johannesburg, pretoria, south africa, xhosa, matabele, tribe, warfare, fantasy, stories, novels, gold mining, diamond mining, Afrikaans, Afkrikaner, Afrikander, Dutch, elephant, antelope, buck, hunting, hunt, matabele, rhodesia, cecil rhodes, diamonds, gold, war, impi, shield, assegai, xhosa, lion, elephant, big game, buffalo, eland, koodoo, kudu, leopard, biltong, mealies, kraal, sotho, sesotho, twsana, setswana, inkosi, nkose, rider haggard, bertram mitford, wilbur smith, antiquarian,

Price: 49.95 USD

Location: Oak Ridge, Tennessee

End Time: 2024-03-04T20:40:13.000Z

Shipping Cost: 6.95 USD