- Paperback: 448 pages
- Publisher: Sphere; New Ed edition (29 April 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0751535818
- ISBN-13: 978-0751535815
- Product Dimensions: 19.2 x 12.6 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 88,050 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Sixth Lamentation (The Father Anselm Novels)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
This is a remarkable novel, and puts Brodrick in the frame for prize-winning (John Dugdale, Sunday TIMES )
It is a wonderful book, it has a timeless quality and really should go on to become a classic. It reminds me of the early works of John le Carre, but captures much more accurately the internal workings of ordinary people, and shows how, just by bumping (Paul Britton, author of THE JIGSAW MAN )
The Sixth Lamentation is a meticulously-plotted, cat's cradle of a mystery with the interwoven stories pulled as taut as a piano-wire. The setting of Paris during the war is invoked to chilling effect. William Brodrick has written the first of what I hope will be a series of especially literate thrillers (Martha Grimes )
It's indeed rare to find such a masterful blending of sharp suspense and literary resonance as we see in THE SIXTH LAMENTATION. Brodrick has produced a truly compelling novel (Jeffery Deaver, author of THE VANISHED MAN and THE STONE MONKEY )
It is a wonderful book, it has a timeless quality and really should go on to become a classic. It reminds me of the early works of John le Carre, but captures much more accurately the internal workings of ordinary people, and shows how, just by bumping (Paul Britton, author of THE JIGSAW MAN )
The Sixth Lamentation is a meticulously-plotted, cat's cradle of a mystery with the interwoven stories pulled as taut as a piano-wire. The setting of Paris during the war is invoked to chilling effect. William Brodrick has written the first of what I hope will be a series of especially literate thrillers (Martha Grimes )
It's indeed rare to find such a masterful blending of sharp suspense and literary resonance as we see in THE SIXTH LAMENTATION. Brodrick has produced a truly compelling novel (Jeffery Deaver, author of THE VANISHED MAN and THE STONE MONKEY )
John Dugdale, Sunday Times
'This is a remarkable novel, and puts Brodrick in the frame for prize-winning'
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is an excellent first novel with a tightly plotted theme which leads the reader on through a labyrinth of courage, love, fanaticism and betrayal, but which always holds the light of hope just out of reach. The reader is led on and on, caught up in the unforseen events that cast an innocent woman as a villain and the plight of her children as heart-rending casualties of war. The characters take their places on an ever-shifting stage and one is newver quite sure of where the firm ground lies.
And just when you think you have everything mapped out, the final twist throws it all in the air again and makes you reassess the whole story. I began it again as soon as I finished it to pick up the intricacies that the ending threw new light upon. Brilliant - let's have more from this author!
And just when you think you have everything mapped out, the final twist throws it all in the air again and makes you reassess the whole story. I began it again as soon as I finished it to pick up the intricacies that the ending threw new light upon. Brilliant - let's have more from this author!
56 of 63 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
The Sixth Lamentation is a wonderful book that all fans of literature should read. A former German SS officer, Schwermann, claims sanctuary at a monastery as the police are looking to charge him with war crimes. One of the monks, Father Anselm, sets out to locate Schwerman's collaborator, Victor Brionne. At the same time the Lucy, grandaughter of one of Schwerman's victims is also searching for Brionne, and the truth behind who betrayed the smuggling ring her grandmother was involved in, The Round Table.
The two sides of this story are excellently blended to reveal the truth behind The Round Table and what became of it's members. Broderick creates suspense throughout the novel brilliantly, and there are many twists and turns that quite often left me shocked and suprised. The characters are wonderfully drawn. Many books discussing Holocaust subject matter portray one side as good to the point of being perfect, and the other side as evil. Broderick resists this temptation and instead produces a set of very human characters with human failings. This makes the story all the more believeable and moving.
The book is very revealing about life in occupied Paris and the effects that the Holocaust had on the survivors. It is also strong in presenting the effects of motor neurone syndrome, the disease afflicting Lucy's grandma. Broderick seems to have done his research well, and the resultant story is extremely moving. He also knows his stuff about religious life and thus presents the lives of the monks involved in the story very well. I would not want anyone to be put off by the religious aspects of this books - it merely contributes to the power of the story and certainly does not make the book heavy reading.
Overall this is a wonderful book. The story is brilliantly told and will keep you guessing and fascinated to the end. It is well paced and never boring or tedious at all. The characters are appealing and very human. Most of all, the book is very moving and, particularly for those of us too young to have experienced the war, gives a real sense of the horror and fear of the Holocaust. Please, please read this - a modern classic.
51 of 58 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Holocaust has never lost its capacity to make readers catch their breath and wince. Rarely has its story been told in such a personable, approachable way yet with such artistry. It's like watching Eastenders but having a poem recited over the top. Sometimes an author can alienate their readers by exquisite prose, but Broderick's book is a delight from start to finish.
The main story is that of Father Anselm, who gets a shock when a man accused of war atrocities rolls up in his monastery claiming Sanctuary. At the same time, a young woman is growing closer to her grandmother who suffers the dreadful demise of motor neurone disease. As one woman fades into the darkness, a hidden man comes into light - and with it history is stripped bare. The horrors of the Holocaust are never skimped over. Broderick doesn't want to protect his reader, nor let the subplots of love, friendship and family allow you to forget why the whole situation came about.
The twists and turns of this story are delicately crafted and catch the reader out. The characters are beautifully formed and the story drawn out. This book is unputdownable and unforgettable. I challenge you to read it without your eyes filling.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
interesting book
This is a fascinating book all about families, their history, relationships, very touching and beautifully written spanning generations. And I haven't even finished it yet!!
Published 3 months ago by crazy chicken
Onion skins
Agnes Aubret's past is a well-concealed secret - even from her closest family. They know she suffered greatly in World War II but it is not until she is diagnosed with Motor... Read more
Published 9 months ago by Clive A. H. Still
Audio Book review
In creating clerical detective Father Anselm William Brodrick, drew upon his own experience first as an Augustinian friar and later as a practicing barrister plus the actual story... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Ruby
Slightly muddled
I enjoyed this book but had difficulty in keeping up with the characters at times - so was grateful for the 'dramatis personnae' at the beginning. Read more
Published 10 months ago by ankaja
Phew.
I thought I was really getting too old to understand anything slightly convoluted, but the fault seems to be at least partly the author's. Phew.
Published on 27 Feb 2010 by Mrs. A. M. J. Wigmore
The Sixth Lamentation William Brodrick
A fascinating book. Well written, witty, easy to read. Gives a view of a time in recent history through the eyes of Agnes Aubret. Read more
Published on 26 Feb 2010 by Mr. William H. Bellshaw
Nothing like le Carre
I'm not into monks, death camp memoirs, or John le Carre. I loved this book.
The writing is excellent. The reading was a pleasure.
The writing is excellent. The reading was a pleasure.
Published on 10 Jan 2010 by patacake
good book but a bit sanitised
I enjoyed reading this book - as a detective novel it works and keeps you guessing with plenty of twists and turns. It is just too gentle for the topic chosen. Read more
Published on 7 Nov 2009 by Avid Reader
Only a means to an end
This must have seemed a good idea at the time - but its convolutions trip it up somewhat. Agnes lies dying while her granddaughter Lucy sets out on an exploration of her somewhat... Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2009 by Eileen Shaw
"Tears in my soul"
"You will never understand fully, and in a way, you mustn't. If you do, you'll be trotting out formulas" (p.413). Read more
Published on 16 Aug 2009 by Roman Clodia
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
