Historical novels based on the Camino?

[omi1]

Does anyone know of any good historical novels about the Camino? I have read my fill of modern pilgrim's experiences and would like to find some alternative camino-related literature.

 

[petitewalker]

Does anyone know of any good historical novels about the Camino? I have read my fill of modern pilgrim's experiences and would like to find some alternative camino-related literature.

I second that. Love a good historical novel. I'd even entertain a Steven King novel

 

[Kanga]

"Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett

 

[Rebekah Scott]

"The Moorish Whore," by Rebekah Scott

 

[Kanga]

"The Moorish Whore," by Rebekah Scott

Of course! Reb, we could do with another. I've found quite a few older children's books with a "quest" theme, but none specifically based on the medieval pilgrimage to Santiago.

 

[Letsgocamino]

"The Moorish Whore," by Rebekah Scott

I loved the Moorish Whore. Bought it as a Nook book and wish I had purchased it in hardback. I enjoy looking at my favorites sitting in my bookshelf. Its just not the same with a Nook. More stories please, Rebekah.

 

[tploomis]

The Canterbury Tales is about a pilgrimage ending in Canterbury rather than Santiago, but it is a wonderful description of a cast of characters from all walks of life in medieval England all headed on a journey together, each with his own tale to tell. The issues they are dealing with are relevant to today's world.

 

[obinjatoo@yahoo.com]

The Man of La Mancha... Does not end in Santiago I don't think (I don't know I havena read it and it's coming with me) but it's about a quest in Spain. Can't go wrong with reading Cervantes while in Spain. Oh I'm also bringing some Dumas.

 

[Felipe]

Alejo Carpentier, one of the maestros of magic realism, wrote "El Camino de Santiago" (title badly translated as "The highroad of Saint James", published apparently by Knopf, 1970). It is more "a long short story" than a book. Not your "motivational" kind of reading; it is more in the tradition of Spanish picaresque. But the portrait of XVI century Europe is very enjoyable, and Carpentier's baroque prose is really magnificent.

 

[jefferyonthecamino]

Pazos de Ulloa is not about the Camino, but it's a great read, takes place right outside of Palas de Rei and offers an outstanding description of Santiago in the XIX century.

 

[Kanga]

"Shadow of the Wind" is not about the Camino but set in Barcelona after the Civil War. I couldn't put it down. The author is Carlos Ruis Zafron. There is always Hemingway, too - "The Sun Also Rises" mentions Burguete, which is on the Camino.

There are a few movies that may be up your alley - not about the Camino but historical fiction set in Spain - Pan's Labyrinth (beautiful, Guillermo del Toro's Oscar-winning, historical adventure, violence warning) and Vacas (Julio Medem's epic masterpiece about two Basque families through three generations from the late 19th century).

Pan's Labyrinth: http://www.panslabyrinth.com/
Vacas: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005RY9Z/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Rebekah Scott]

You guys warm the cockles of my heart.
There's a book called "The Ramsay Scallop" you might enjoy, set on the camino. It is classified as "young adult" fiction, but it's a nice read.
If you can read Spanish, there are many potboilers and even sci-fi novels set on the medieval camino, of varied quality. (This is why I am going ahead and getting MW translated into Spanish. She can stand up to any of that stuff!)
But if you want truth that is better than fiction, get hold of a copy of Jonathan Sumption's "The Age of Pilgrimage." It is not narrative fiction, but it almost is... nonfiction writing at its best, very easy to read, and packed with fascinating information.

Hiking in the Valley of Silence gave me an idea. It is not any more particularly camino-y than Moorish Whore was, just the setting is along The Way. Maybe I will get on with it!

 

[Deleted member 3000]

A novel about the "real" bones in Santiago:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004MDLPMS/?tag=casaivar02-20

 

[Rebekah Scott]

Ah yes, we cannot forget! Tracy Saunders (she of Little Fox House) wrote two books on the deep past behind the Santiago legend, she reaches clear back to Priscillian, an early Christian "heretic" bishop who some say is the real person buried in the cathedral. The latest, "St. James' Rooster," is about the powerful bishop who really put Santiago on the map.

 

[Audax]

Brother Jacob by the Danish author Henrik Stangerup. It is about Jacob the Dacian, a franciscanian monk and pilgrim of the 16th century.

 

[peregrina13]

I was about to suggest Iacobus by Matilde Asensi, with the caveat that it was not available in English but had been translated from Spanish to both French and German. Just pausing a moment to check on other languages, I discovered that it has finally just become available in English, albeit for Kindle only.

It takes a while to get going but if you enjoy Dan Brown or Templar mystery /quest books, you'll probably enjoy this novel set in the early decades of the 1300s, partly in France, partly along the Camino Francés.

Be careful if you order it - the name is the same across various different language editions. Check that you have the English version before confirming your order.

 

[peregrina13]

"Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett

'The Pillars of the Earth' is highly recommended! Although it is set in England, it gives a real insight into the building of the Gothic cathedrals, such as those at Burgos and León. Although I missed it when it was broadcast, there's also an awarding British TV mini-series adaptation. Also called 'The Pillars of the Earth', it was released in 201.

 

[k1ypp]

I agree with Rebekah, Tracy Saunders has some interesting work. St. James' Rooster, but it is on my list.

 

[William Marques]

The Red Velvet Turnshoe by Cassandra Clark is a historic crime novel based in the Via Francigena

 

[Olivares]

The one I read years and years ago (bought it at a bookstore in Madrid) was "El Peregrino" by Jesus Torbado. It was a fantastic read based on a French pilgrim walking the Camino during the Middle Ages. Some of the best characters are based in Sahagun. The historical references and the "saucy" undertone made this book very enjoyable. I would think it would be translated to English by now, then again, it may not...

 

[robertt]

At least it's short: http://withtwist.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/the-thief-of-saint-faith/

These even shorter:
http://withtwist.wordpress.com/2013/09/17/devils-bridge/
http://withtwist.wordpress.com/2013/09/18/truffles-and-demons/

The last two aren't about pilgrims, but the Valentre Bridge is a high-light of the Le Puy camino. I actually stayed the night at Trigodina, or Late-for-Dinner.

 

[MichaelC]

I'm currently reading In the Name of the Rose. It's not about the Camino per se, and it's set in a Benedictine Abbey in Northern Italy ... but it paints a vivid picture of life (and murder) inside a 14th century monastery. And the Camino seems to pass by many of these. It definitely helps me to picture what these places were like when they were at their prime.

 

[robertt]

I did a short novel or long story. Part of a keep-busy thing, while sinus and other matters are keeping me grounded.

Set on the Le Puy route.
https://withtwist.wordpress.com/2012/08/04/the-thief-of-saint-faith/

 

[jayree]

Does anyone know of any good historical novels about the Camino? I have read my fill of modern pilgrim's experiences and would like to find some alternative camino-related literature.

'Guernica' by Dave Boling describes the Basque ethos extremely well in the context of the events surrounding the 1937 bombing. Although historical fiction many of the characters are real. This is one of the most memorable books about Spain I have read.

 

[malcolm mckay]

Does anyone know of any good historical novels about the Camino? I have read my fill of modern pilgrim's experiences and would like to find some alternative camino-related literature.

You could try my own novel The Path by Malcolm McKay. It is the story of a group of international travellers of all ages, all professions, all religious denominations (and none). They include a British ex-army captain, a beautiful Danish businesswoman, a manic Austrian architect, A Welsh painter, a driven American priest and a comic mother and daughter duo from Canada. The thirty-five day walk is tough and demanding, They relate intellectually, spiritually and sexually, as they search for their own deep and personal truths which are not always what they expect - or want - to find.

The climax is a terrible and shocking death which changes their view of themselves forever as they arrive in the holy city.

 

[Saint Mike II]

"The Moorish Whore," by Rebekah Scott

I can thoroughly recommend "The Moorish Whore" - it was a great read - set in and around Sahagun - 11th or 12th century periods. (Its an e_book)

 

[Stacey Wittig]

I also recommend to anyone who asks "The Moorish Whore" which is also available in paperback as well as ebook on Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0985503211/?tag=casaivar02-20