Official Review: The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth

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L_Therese
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Official Review: The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth

Post by L_Therese »

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth" by David Lane.]
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4 out of 4 stars
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The political climate in 18th-century France is tense. Though the king purports to value the people, an air of discontent is quickly turning into hostility. Fear and betrayal lead to a notorious revolution, and the royal family is no longer safe in their own country. In The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth, author David Lane combines the art form made famous by William Shakespeare with historical events that live in infamy to present a play that is at once beautiful, gripping, and heart-rending.

The most important thing a prospective reader needs to know about The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth is that it is highly stylized. The play is written entirely in traditional blank verse, which is unrhymed iambic pentameter. The language is poetic and archaic; some readers might find it difficult to understand. Even the title is stylized. In pre-Romantic poetic forms, the author explains in his introduction to the play, names and places were Anglicized. Likewise, Louis XVI’s name is spelled “Lewis” in the play.

For me, the best aspect of this book is the language. The beauty of this blank verse format is the way it showcases the possibilities of the English language. As I read the play, I made a list of some truly fabulous words that I wish people could use more often: lickpennies, wolving, boggling ninnies, premonish, enisle, multiloquacious, and contumeliously. There were also some amazing lines that recalled some of Shakespeare’s gems that people still quote 400 years later. For example, in Act 1, Scene 3, King Lewis XVI uses the phrase “brought abubble by combustion of events”. In Act II, Scene 1, John Paul Marat declares, “I go to set the world upon its wig.” King Lewis XVI refers to the English Channel as a “flying Sleeve of Ocean” in Act V, Scene 1, and in the following scene, Count von Fersen articulates, “Thy miserable words are spinach.” These are just a few examples, but they show how extremely expressive this writing form can be.

As an added bonus, the book also includes a poem after the end of the play. Titled A Young Poet’s Elegy to the Court of God, this poem is another exploration into the blank verse style. Like the play, the poem is written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It also maintains the style of language found in the play. Instead of being focused on a story or an event, the poem switches gears and is more philosophical and introspective. The theological narrative of Lucifer’s rebellion in the first part might remind readers of a similar narrative in Milton’s Paradise Lost. As the poem moves on, it considers inspiration and what it means to be a poet.

For me, David Lane’s The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth more than merits 4 out of 4 stars. It is an exciting, well-crafted example of a literary form that is rarely made new. However, this will not be a good choice for all readers. If you can read a Shakespeare play in its original form and enjoy it, try this book. If that idea makes you flinch as you flashback to high school English class, Mr. Lane’s book is probably not the best choice. For any willing to accept the challenge, I am confident that you will agree with me that this book is a veritable treasure.

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The Tragedy of King Lewis the Sixteenth
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Rachaelamb1
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Post by Rachaelamb1 »

I'm definitely one of those who balk at the idea of reading the original form of Shakespeare, but I'm glad you were able to appreciate the book.
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Post by kimmyschemy06 »

Wow! That is overwhelming. I'm not sure I would enjoy the book but I'm glad you like it. Great job on the review. Congratulations to David Lane.
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Post by Silvermoon »

Sounds fascinating! Good review!
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Post by Kia »

I don't tend to enjoy reading plays. This is of course because plays are meant to be watched and not read. This does sound really interesting though. Great job on the review!
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Post by TrishaAnn92 »

I was honestly never a fan of plays in school, in fact I hated them. This sounds worth checking out though! Wonderful review! :)
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Post by lane_vespertine »

Did it take you very long to get into the rhythm or reading verse?
Also, on a unrelated note, I recently teased someone for making up words when they used "multiloquacious" in a sentence. Maybe I was wrong? Still sort of sounds made up though ;)
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Post by L_Therese »

I'd say it took me maybe a page or two to get into the rhythm, and the effect was repeated every time I had to put the book down and pick it back up again. It's the same for me when I read any verse of this sort.
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Post by gali »

A highly stylized play about the life King Lewis? Sounds interesting enough. It is nice that the author added a poem after the end of the play. I am glad you enjoyed the writing and the play. Thank you for the review!
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Post by jwalker73 »

Not a book I think I would read. Unfortunately I am one of those people you referred to, who flinches with flashbacks to high school. Nicely written review though. I appreciate your ability to describe the book in a way that enabled me to understand what it is about. I saw the Amazon reviews and I think I had more difficulty trying to understand what they were saying than I would reading the actual book.
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Post by OmololaAK »

For some reason, I like the classical English of the Shakespeare era. This book appeals to me.
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Post by GPM »

The review for the book was nicely written, detailing a glimpse of the play and how the lines were written. I am not a fan of plays, but the story seems intriguing. Also, the review was positive that makes readers want to read the story.
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Post by ritah »

This is such an impressive review. I'm definitely up for the challenge, I've always had an appreciation for plays and poetry. This book sounds amazing!
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Post by kandscreeley »

It's definitely unusual to see a new book written in this format. It sounds interesting. I'm not sure it's for me. To me, you almost have to hear these read aloud or acted out for it to make sense. Thanks for the review, though!
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Post by tarafarah7 »

Boggling ninnies! Hehee! Fantastic review! When my students learn about Shakespeare and read Romeo & Juliet, I have them write insults in Shakespeare's language, and they get a kick out of it. :-) However, the play R&J is a bit easier to read because it was written in Iambic Pentameter...with the ababcdcdefefgg rhyme scheme. Blank verse may be a bit more difficult, but I'm up for the challenge! Thank you so much!
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