Who Would Like This Book:
If you love immersive historical fiction with a literary flair, "Morality Play" is a winner. Barry Unsworth transports you right into the gritty, uncertain world of 14th-century England - complete with lingering fear from the Black Death, desperate traveling players, and a bold murder mystery. Fans of clever mysteries, medieval settings, or meta explorations of theater and storytelling will find lots to savor here. The rich atmosphere, philosophical undercurrents about fate and performance, and the palpable sense of danger and change make this a standout for anyone who enjoyed books like "The Name of the Rose." It’s also a treat for theater buffs interested in the origins of dramatic storytelling.
Who May Not Like This Book:
Some readers found the book’s deliberate, measured pace a bit too slow and the period-style narration occasionally heavy-handed. If you prefer nonstop action or deeply fleshed-out character arcs, you might find the introspection and historical detail a tad dense or detached. A few people also felt that the characters, apart from the main narrator, didn’t quite leap off the page or that the ending wrapped up too conveniently. Those looking for emotional warmth or modern-feeling dialogue might not connect as much.
About:
Set in 14th century England, 'Morality Play' by Barry Unsworth follows a young monk, Nicholas Barber, who joins a theatre troupe and gets involved in investigating a murder in a small town. The troupe decides to enact the murder as a play to attract an audience, leading to a deeper investigation that uncovers surprising truths about the crime and the people involved. The novel is praised for its rich historical detail, exploration of moral dilemmas, and the clever intertwining of the improvised play with the real-life drama.
Genres:
Tropes/Plot Devices:
Topics:
Notes:
Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings
The novel includes themes of murder, violence, and historical societal issues that may be unsettling for some readers.
From The Publisher:
A New York Times Notable Book
In medieval England, a runaway scholar-priest named Nicholas Barber has joined a traveling theater troupe as they make their way toward their liege lord's castle. In need of money, they decide to perform at a village en route. When their traditional morality plays fail to garner them an audience, they begin to stage the "the play of Thomas Wells"-their own depiction of the real-life drama unfolding within the village around the murder of a young boy. The villagers believe they have already identified the killer, and the troupe believes their play will be a straightforward depiction of justice served. But soon the players soon learn that the details of the crime are elusive, and the lines between performance and reality become blurred as they discover, scene by scene, line by line, what really happened. Thought-provoking and unforgettable, Morality Play is at once a masterful work of historical fiction, a gripping murder mystery, and a literary work of the first order.
Ratings (3)
Incredible (1) | |
Loved It (1) | |
Liked It (1) |
Reader Stats (15):
Read It (3) | |
Want To Read (11) | |
Not Interested (1) |
What can you read after
Morality Play?
About the Author:
Barry Unsworth was born in 1930 and grew up in a mining town in northeast England. Descended from a long line of coal miners, he was the first Unsworth to escape the mines. He attended Manchester University and published his…
When you click the Amazon link and make a purchase, we may receive a small commision, at no cost to you.
