Scan barcode
A review by thebobsphere
The Gallows Pole by Benjamin Myers
5.0
Generally, I am not a huge fan of historical novels. There are exceptions but out of the books I never manage to finish (there’s a lot of those) the historical novels are usually are the ones which lay in the DNF pile. My problem is that I have trouble relating to them. True that a king during Tudor times may experience the same passions as I but I still have difficulty trying to understand an era I have not lived in.
I am a fan of Benjamin Myers, though, and I knew that if he was going to tackle historical fiction, I would be ok with it.
The Gallows Pole is based on an actual period of 18th century Yorkshire where a group of men forged counterfeit coins. Their leader, the self professed king, David Hartley rules these men by intimidation and violence. Despite the strong façade, he is prone to visions of the mystical variety and tends to put his faith in magic, which actually works in his favour.
Due to Hartley’s aggressive demeanour, one of his own workers betrays him to a taxperson sent by the actual King to investigate the the counterfeiting. Hartley is arrested but there are consequences to this, which does affect a lot of protagonists in the book.
The book is divided into two narratives. One consists of Hartley’s story being told and the other is a series of badly spelt scribblings by Hartley himself in prison (whether these actually existed, I’m not sure) I am a fan of the unreliable narrator and the comparison between the narratives is an interesting one.
The Gallows Pole is a multi-faceted story. On one hand hand it’s about how a bunch of working class men managed to create utter chaos to an organised system. While not admirable it is a pretty brash thing to do, especially when everyone knew the consequences would be hanging. As this is a Benjamin Myers book, there are beautiful descriptions of nature but also contrasts between nature’s balance with the cruelty of humankind. It is said that we, as a race. are little better than animals but I think pure brutal savagery lies within our race. I also loved the pagan and mystical sections involving alchemy and stagmen. I have said many times that British pagan rituals and beliefs are topics I like to read about and that curiosity was satisfied.
This is a disturbing dark work but it is also a fascinating look at an era of history that I never knew about. Once again Benjamin Myers has managed to write a novel which keeps me hooked. This is my fourth book by him and I keep on being impressed.
I am a fan of Benjamin Myers, though, and I knew that if he was going to tackle historical fiction, I would be ok with it.
The Gallows Pole is based on an actual period of 18th century Yorkshire where a group of men forged counterfeit coins. Their leader, the self professed king, David Hartley rules these men by intimidation and violence. Despite the strong façade, he is prone to visions of the mystical variety and tends to put his faith in magic, which actually works in his favour.
Due to Hartley’s aggressive demeanour, one of his own workers betrays him to a taxperson sent by the actual King to investigate the the counterfeiting. Hartley is arrested but there are consequences to this, which does affect a lot of protagonists in the book.
The book is divided into two narratives. One consists of Hartley’s story being told and the other is a series of badly spelt scribblings by Hartley himself in prison (whether these actually existed, I’m not sure) I am a fan of the unreliable narrator and the comparison between the narratives is an interesting one.
The Gallows Pole is a multi-faceted story. On one hand hand it’s about how a bunch of working class men managed to create utter chaos to an organised system. While not admirable it is a pretty brash thing to do, especially when everyone knew the consequences would be hanging. As this is a Benjamin Myers book, there are beautiful descriptions of nature but also contrasts between nature’s balance with the cruelty of humankind. It is said that we, as a race. are little better than animals but I think pure brutal savagery lies within our race. I also loved the pagan and mystical sections involving alchemy and stagmen. I have said many times that British pagan rituals and beliefs are topics I like to read about and that curiosity was satisfied.
This is a disturbing dark work but it is also a fascinating look at an era of history that I never knew about. Once again Benjamin Myers has managed to write a novel which keeps me hooked. This is my fourth book by him and I keep on being impressed.