The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay

Hewlett, Maurice, 1861-1923Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

Rating 3.0
Word count
586K words
Chapters
59

Tags

English Originals Historical Fiction Historical ReappraisalLegendary LivesPalace IntrigueLoyalty and BetrayalTragic HeroPower GameTragic LovePatriotismChivalryMedieval Life

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.The Life and Death of Richard Yea-and-Nay by Maurice HewlettAuthor: Hewlett, Maurice, 1861-1923,Language: English, Class: PR: Language and Literatures: English literature, Release Date: Jan 26, 2005

Editor's review

Hewlett's historical novel sums up Richard I's contradictory temperament in the two words "yea" and "nay," portraying this medieval monarch as a figure who oscillates between resolve and hesitation. The work does not aim for chronological reconstruction; instead, in a prose marked by romance and lyricism, it depicts character and fate, with the narrative centered on psychology and atmosphere, and a style that leans toward the archaic with carefully wrought syntax. For readers familiar with the tradition of the English historical novel, it is a sample of how an early twentieth-century writer rewrote a medieval subject; for general readers, it is a literary historical narrative that requires patience to enter. Its value lies in the tension of its characterization and the interest of its style rather than in the completeness of historical detail, and readers would do well to read it as literature rather than as a historical source.

Who it's for

A good fit for

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Reading tips

  1. First learn the broad outline of Richard I's life, then read the novel, so as to distinguish fact from literary invention.
  2. Read the first few chapters slowly, adjusting to the archaic syntax and narrative tone before entering the plot.
  3. As you read, note the concrete manifestations of "yea" and "nay" in the character's choices, to grasp the thematic thread.
  4. After finishing, compare it with other works on Richard I to see how different eras shaped him.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

Contents

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9
  10. 10
  11. 11
  12. 12
  13. 13
  14. 14
  15. 15
  16. 16
  17. 17
  18. 18
  19. 19
  20. 20
  21. 21
  22. 22
  23. 23
  24. 24
  25. 25
  26. 26
  27. 27
  28. 28
  29. 29
  30. 30
  31. 31
  32. 32
  33. 33
  34. 34
  35. 35
  36. 36
  37. 37
  38. 38
  39. 39
  40. 40
  41. 41
  42. 42
  43. 43
  44. 44
  45. 45
  46. 46
  47. 47
  48. 48
  49. 49
  50. 50
  51. 51
  52. 52
  53. 53
  54. 54
  55. 55
  56. 56
  57. 57
  58. 58
  59. 59

FAQ

What do "yea" and "nay" in the title mean? They point to the protagonist Richard I's contradictory character: sometimes resolute, sometimes hesitant. The author uses these two words to sum up the tension in his temperament and builds the characterization around this contradiction; they do not refer to a specific historical event. While reading, note the character's wavering at key decisions.
Can this book be read as historical material? It should not be. It is a historical novel focused on character and literary atmosphere, with a narrative tinged with romance and lyricism, and it selects and reshapes historical facts. To learn about Richard I's life, consult historical works instead, and treat this book as a sample of literary rewriting.
How difficult is the language, and is it suitable for beginners? The original is in English, with a rather archaic style and carefully wrought syntax, and the narrative moves at a leisurely pace, posing a certain barrier for non-native readers. A good command of English reading is recommended; read a chapter or two first to confirm you can adjust to the tone before reading it through.

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About the author

Hewlett, Maurice, 1861-1923 Author

Maurice Hewlett (1861–1923) was an English writer whose biographical details are limited in publicly available sources, yet his surviving works reveal the character of his writing. Fifteen of his works are held in this collection, drawing chiefly on history and legend while also touching on rural life and human destiny. Representative titles include Little Novels of Italy, The Forest Lovers, The Village Wife's Lament, In a Green Shade, The Spanish Jade, The Fool Errant, The Ruinous Face, and Gudrid the Fair. These titles suggest a preference for restrained storytelling about emotion, adventure, and everyday experience, balancing historical atmosphere with observation of human nature. His works are often grouped under inspirational and coming-of-age reading, and their classical tone suits readers interested in the English literary tradition and historical narrative.