Prince Karl - Morice Gerard

Published by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd: London, Edinburgh, and New York, date unknown.
First published 1900.

This obscure book by a fairly obscure author (one who does not even have a wikipedia page at present, and who was actually an English clergyman writing under a pseudonym) has a special connection to me. This book, in fact this copy of this book, was originally given to my grandfather, Leslie Howan, and in turn was read by my mother when she was young. And, as a result, it is the book she credits with inspiring my first name, Karl.

It is not a book I have ever read before though.

It turns out that Prince Karl is quite a "wholesome" (as Elise described it) adventure story, and one that sucked us in despite being fairly straightforward. Hermann Reichal, his wife Elsa and son Michael live in the Black Forest in Germany, and are preparing for the annual trip down the Raal river on a raft of logs to sell. However, their preparation is cut short by the arrival of Princess Elizabeth (the widow of the former ruler of the area) and her son, the titular Prince Karl. Prince Karl's uncle Leifrink, who has been acting as regent until Karl comes of age, has been tempted by his ambitious advisor, Hugo Montel, to seize the throne for himself, which means arranging for the assassination of Karl. Elizabeth has caught wind of this plot, and has fled with Karl to Hermann's cottage, aided by the noble Count Mark of Felsberg. Now our heroes must protect the prince while preparing to do battle against the regent and his armies if necessary.

The book is written in a slightly old-fashioned style, with most dialogue being spoken in "thees" and "thous", but it is a style that grows on you after a while. A few of the characters have quite a deep faith, and this is allowed to influence their decision making in a natural and warm way, which reflects somewhat upon the author's own convictions. Gerard also chooses to tell the story from a number of different perspectives, giving us insight not only into what is happening at Hermann's cottage, but at the castle of Felsberg and in the court of Leifrink and Montel. This allows the reader to have a bit more insight into what is happening than any one character possesses, but Gerard still manages to handle the story in a way that leads to a few surprises. 

It is sweet, it is cute, and it still manages to be a fun adventure.

Although Gerard might be a difficult author to follow due to his obscurity, Elise and I would both happily try something else of his.

And its a nice book to have associated with part of my own story.

Completed with Elise, 13 April 2021.



(Elise Books)

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