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Sunday, November 8, 2009

Lord of the Sunset by Parke Godwin

Our January discussion will be on "Lord of the Sunset" by Parke Godwin. Get a copy now and be ready to discuss with Pokeygirl and I in January!

9 comments:

  1. Hi Pokeygirl....I just wanted to know if you have a date when we will be discussing this book. I have found my copy, but I'm hoping that we'll start our discussion at the end of January?
    Thanks!

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  2. My copy should come in tomorrow's mail -- yay. New books are always a treat. You mentioned this is a prequel. Would you say it stands on it's own? You would assume you wouldn't need to know what comes after to get the story. Looks like a fun read.

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  3. Hi folks,

    Just wanted to let everyone know, the questions for "Lord Of Sunset" will be posted next week, on January 30, 2010.

    Believe me, its an incredible book folks, romantic, a real heart breaker, AND a significant history lesson into the bargain.

    Hope everyone's enjoying the new year!

    The Warriors say hello as always.


    Pokeygirl

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  4. Hi everyone!

    Well here goes (I finally get to this great book; personaly, I think it rocks, so.....on with the show.

    A little note: this time I thought to post these questions in two segments. The first half tonight, and the other part on Feb 6. So many of us have not had a chance to get aquainted with the new site, and some are still showing up on the old one, (yep its still open folks.....gotta wonder whats goin' on at good BBCA, no?) Also, a lot of us haven't had the chance to read a lot of the other books, (for instance , this one). So I thought to give everybody a chance to catch up and therefore split these in two:

    "Lord Of Sunset" is the "pre-quel" to Parke Godwin's "Sherwood"......series... ("Robin And The King"). Like Steven R. Lawhead, he chose to set his version of The Legend about a century earlier, (during and/or immediately after the Norman conquest of Saxon England); as opposed to the more traditional (as in about the last 150 years or so); setting with King Richard away on Crusade whilst little brother Prince John plots to steal the throne away from big brother Richard. In the previous set of questions, we've covered the thought that changing the time table probably didn't alter The Legend or its appeal much at all. However, this version does tend to illustrate just WHY The Legend was SO very necessary, and why England's people needed a "peoples" hero. So, the first question:

    1.) Just HOW does Godwin's version of The Legend show how much the peoples of England, (Saxon, Scot, Celt, Irish, Dane, and Briton) needed such hero? The Saxon monarchs had a restriction on their absolute power by means of The Witan, (and common sense,LOL). They (and Godwine, Harold's father.) might have respect for any king, but would not be ruled by someone they thought unfit for the office.

    (Could THIS attitude have planted the tiny kernal or acorn into the minds and hearts of the people; that would blossom into The Legend?)

    Pokeygirl

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  5. 2.) Was the fact England's population was made up of the recent (and some not so recent) descendants of the refugees of the chaos of the Dark Ages make any difference here? Did it create a "fortress England" mentality. Could this situation help create The Legend in the first place?

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  6. 3.) As he did in previous books, Godwin uses familial relationships to illustrate how important these people were to the outcome of history. Once again, he gives you sets of couples.

    We have:

    Harold of Wessex and
    Edith of Nazeing (Harold's "handfast" wife, and the great love of his life)

    Godwine and Gytha (Harold's parents)

    Queen Eadgytha (Harold's sister)and King Edward, (called The Confessor)

    Teinfrith and Hildre (Edith's parents)

    Swegn (Harold's beloved older brother)
    and Agatha, (the defrocked nun),

    and once again,

    Duchess of Normandy, Matilda of Flanders (daughter of Count Baldwin of Flanders) and her husband, William, Duke of Normandy (soon to called The Conqueror).

    How important was each couple to the outcome of THIS particular story, and why?

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  7. 4.) The narrative style of this book was that of the first person; almost a diary. We get to hear from each of these important characters, each in their own words. Did this make the story more immediate/and or intimate for you and why?

    5. Now, something for all of you fan fic writers: Could you see or place any of the ancestors of our BBCA cast of characters in this time period? How (or would you) show how those people left their mark on their children, grandchildren, and the great grandchildren (which is where our BBCA cast of characters would fit in to all of this.)? Could they have prepared the ground to receive the seeds of The Legend?

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  8. OK folks,

    thats the first set of questions, (the next 4 or 5) will be here next Saturday.

    I'll focus more on the characters as individuals then.

    Have a beautiful morning, we'll have to enjoy every moment of it here in good old Sunny California....as we're about to get another "trouncing" by rain next week.

    See you all next week.

    Pokeygirl

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  9. I'll be looking forward to reading everyone's insights, even though I won't be reading this book.

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