Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Welsh adds to the legends!, 8 Aug 2006
Historically overshadowed by the Legend of the Time, Mr. Shakespeare, Christopher (Kit) Marlowe still holds a candle to the Bard, controversies, arguments, beliefs, and proofs aside. Indeed, Marlowe's great plays ("Tamburlaine the Great," "The Jew of Malta," "Doctor Faustus," " Edward II") are classic in their complexities, as now some five centuries have proven. In "Tamburlaine Must Die," Louise Welsh has taken Marlowe and engineered a tautly written (140 pages) three day episode in his life. Alas, it's the last three days of his life, but still a brief segment of it. Welsh manages to capture the tonal integrity and dynamic symmetry of the time and usher these events into an absorbing "mini-mystery/thriller."
One of the celebrated wits (and geniuses) of the Elizabethan stage, Marlowe's life on and off stage was anything but dull as he mesmerized his age (and generations thereafter) with this antics, theatrics, and devotion to his Queen and country. Much has been speculated (and little proved) in all this time; still, his is a life worth examining, and while we may never know the truth, it was still a life that continues to fascinate us. (Anthony Burgess's brilliant "A Dead Man in Deptford" is a highly recommended side-read to this book, incidentally.)
Welsh introduces us (without dispelling any of the rumors, innuendos) to Marlowe enjoying some free time away from the throes of plague-ridden London as a guest of his patron Walsingham,. This respite is suddenly interrupted by a summons from the Privy Council, setting into motion the ultimate actions of these final 72 hours. The Council gives him an offer he thinks he cannot refuse--betray Walter Raleigh or forfeit his own life, due to charges made against him (heresy, among other charges). Verses, deemed heretical by the Council, have appeared about town, signed by Tamburlaine, one of Marlowe's most ruthless characters. The Council is holding Marlowe responsible. And the story line's hook: who is this person and why is he doing these terrible things to our Kit.
Welsh gives us a viable picture of the underside of the Elizabethan world, this world of theatrics and espionage (Marlowe had done spy work for the crown) where apparently honor and ethics don't exist. At the same time she's giving us a history lesson, Welsh also expertly presents an exciting thriller, albeit a brief one. Told in the first person, of course, it ends before his death (readers will know Marlowe's history, surely!) . The author presents us with a central character, for better or for worse, who ends up with all our sympathies. The many varied accounts of his death clearly beside the point, Marlowe's portrait is that of a brilliant, yet human, 29-year-old, a multi-talent genius, a "rock star" of his own time, one who's fate was destined to end before he really got started.
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12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Don't believe the hype, 26 Aug 2004
By A Customer
I was pretty astonished to find that the reviews of this book have been so positive. It's not awful, but it's certainly not the work of art it's cracked up to be - I was pretty disappointed. I didn't think the characterisation showed depth or maturity, especially when compared to the excellent The Cutting Room. It felt like a sixth-form creative writing exercise, to be honest - it should have been put in a drawer and left to germinate a bit. Marlowe enthusiasts should try The Reckoning by Nicholls (for the real history) or Anthony Burgess's A Dead Man in Deptford (for a far more convincing fictional job).
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Really dull and dry, 27 Sep 2005
The Cutting Room was such an astounding work of creative genius that I swore I would read anything Louise Welsh wrote, however, I may have to retract this vow after reading this short but dry novella. Yes, it is well written and evokes the times and language authentically, but somehow Welsh manages to suck the life out of what should be a passionate and enthralling tale. The plot progression is tiresome, dull, and dry - as if Welsh was writing a "What if?" essay on a topic she cared little about. PLEASE get back to the passion ensnared in The Cutting Room!!
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