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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