Taking as its point of departure the alleged inaccuracy of the
chronicles of Matthew Paris, "Hubert's Arthur" presents an
alternative retelling of English history from the point of view of
Hubert de Burgh. In Hubert's narrative, which begins with an
account of the struggle for succession in the wake of King Richard
Lionheart's death, young Duke Arthur of Brittany does not die at
the hands of King John, but instead ascends to the throne. Hubert
relates Arthur's adventures as he combats the wily John, fights in
the Crusades, and wages battle against the treacherous Simon de
Montfort, before facing perhaps his greatest challenge when his
reign is threatened by the crucifixions of young Christian
boys.
Penned by the brilliant but eccentric Frederick Rolfe (who
styled himself Baron Corvo) whilst he was starving and homeless in
a self-imposed exile in Venice, "Hubert's Arthur," first published
posthumously in 1935, is one of the strangest and most remarkable
novels of the twentieth century. Filled with action and suffused
throughout with Rolfe's characteristic humor, the novel is notable
for its blatant homoeroticism, its savage anti-Semitism, and its
shockingly graphic violence. This edition features a new scholarly
introduction by Kristin Mahoney, who also provides detailed
annotations to help guide readers through Rolfe's labyrinth of
historical and literary references and his unique vocabulary of
archaic words, some of which have not been used since the sixteenth
century.
"Mahoney's introduction to "Hubert's Arthur" is excellent
advocacy for the virtues and importance of the work. With notes in
the text up to this standard, the edition will not only contribute
importantly to scholarship on Rolfe, but also help forge new
understanding of the values of his age." - Prof. Edmund Miller,
Long Island University
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