Books: Act Of Oblivion By Robert Harris

 

(Drivebycuriosity) - The 17th century in England was a bloody mess, full of violence. After the death of Elizabeth I the Stuarts became kings. The son and the grand sons of Elizabeth`s nemesis Maria Stuart intended to turn England`s history back and tried to nullify the Anti-Catholic reforms of the Tudors. Especially the regime of Charles I, an absolutist and tyrannic ruler, ruined England and cost the lives of many. Charles`tyranny lead finally to a revolution and his execution in the year 1649, followed by a republic, led by Oliver Cromwell (very well described in Jonathan Healey`s "The Blazing World - A New History of Revolutionary England" my review ). 

Robert Harris`novel "Act of Oblivion" begins about 20 years after the execution (amazon ). Another Stuart became king, Charles II, the son of the executed, another absolutist ruler & tyrant. It goes without saying that the new king started a bloody revenge and ordered a hunt for those who participated directly or indirectly on the execution, the regicides. The plot follows two of the regicides, who had fled over the ocean and tried to hide in the English colonies, and one (fictional) man, who has just one target, to catch the regicides and to kill them.

It is a sad & sinister plot, maybe about karma - this comes from that - and also about revenge, obsession, fanaticism, bigotry, superstition and politics. The plot is well told. Harris describes 17th century London, the roughness of the English American settlements, the violence of conflicting radicals and more impressively. "It seems that wherever you go, disaster follows". 

But the plot became too depressing and the finale  seems ridiculous & implausible too me. I stick with Healey`s history.