Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Barnes

These are strong not only on their own account but also within the context of the entire story. Strikingly, Barnes infuses “Within the Hollow Crown” with philosophical candor and riveting tidbits that are breath-taking in a literary scope and result in deep contemplation from the reader. Furthermore, some of the historical events during Richard’s reign, such as the Peasants’ Revolt could have used more detail and are glossed over more than preferred. On a negative end, Barnes has the habit of skipping chronologically ahead in subsequent chapters without any warning or allusion making “Within the Hollow Crown” occasionally difficult to understand and thus making the novel slightly disjointed and choppy in texture. Barnes certainly creates and spins a strong connection between the character and readers. The maturity is relatable and readers will gain a sense of that man that Richard II truly encapsulated. The character development of Richard II is evident in its growth portraying him as a teen King lacking confidence to a spirited, calculated adult ruler. These do not hinder the merit of the novel but do help to maintain the pace and keep reader attention.

Barnes finds the perfect ratio of fictional storytelling to more pressing history.Įlaborating on this, “Within the Hollow Crown” sticks mostly to credible historical fact with only slight deviations that are occasionally ‘silly’.

This offers a complex depth that is classical in strain but could be a set-up to cause reader confusion and an uneasy feeling of being overwhelmed.īarnes exemplifies her classic lit-like writing methods beautifully by composing figurative sentences with delectable illustrative and visionary allusions that are neither contrived nor over-the-top. Barnes dives into the story without a fluffy introduction and eschews a ‘buildup’ to the multitude of characters and figures surrounding Richard II.

Historical fiction author Margaret Campbell Barnes steps outside the norm and showcases Richard II in, “Within the Hollow Crown”.īeing first published in 1947, means “Within the Hollow Crown” smoothly follows the style of historical fiction novels of the period plus her own template of infusing the novel’s pages with more history than fiction.

Richard’s life is an interesting one but yet not as obsessively pored over as other English monarchs. King Richard II is known for two main contributions to English history: the uproarious ‘Peasants’ Revolt’ during his reign and for being disposed by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke and dying under suspicious circumstances.

Within the Hollow Crown by Margaret Campbell Barnes