The Golden Bell by Robert L. Stone is an exquisite and beautiful book.
I would describe this more as literary fiction more than historical fiction. Yes, it was set historically but I think the focus was less on the story and events that happen and more on the prose. If you pay attention to the writing, I felt I could really appreciate it's impact and it was stunning to read.
The writing was exquisite - especially the poetry within. It simply sung a sweet harmony if that makes sense, and was beautiful to read.
I am a huge fan of poetry, so of course a book all about a poet in the 12th century is bound to excite me. The premise sounded fascinating and it didn't disappoint! I really enjoyed the poetry and links to other works.
I found part 1 to be better than part 2, mainly because it just seemed a lot freer and less constrained. I thought part 2 lost a little sparkle but was still enjoyable.
I was absolutely mesmerised and completely fascinated throughout. I simply loved it.
30 June 2023, Instagram – @daisy_blacklock
I was hugely drawn to this book by the absolutely stunning cover design - looking just like a beautiful stained glass window, it really stood out for me
The story was equally beautiful
We are transported back to the 11th and 12th century where we follow the life of poet and philosopher Yehuda Halevi through his life
I was completely immersed in this right from the start. Based on his true life story, I found this totally fascinating and found myself searching for more information online throughout and since.
I loved the settings which were described to perfection and this helped to transport us right there with the characters. This gave us a detailed and concise insight into life in that era in Spain.
It was enlightening to see how well each of the different religious groups wove together and shared ideas and writings with each other without any conflict at all.
But in contrast to this we also saw invasions by pirates and bandits burning books.
The inclusion of the love interest softens the intensity of the historical facts which pulls this together nicely as a really great read.
4 July 2023, Instagram – @book_a_holic_17
It is a stark reminder that there have been periods in time when commonalities and appreciation of beauty, intellectual prowess and the ability to interpret and communicate the same to the world was a factor that bound people. People across religions, regional differences, tribal disputes and country boundaries.
This highlights the deterioration when disputes occur, when small differences in the common denominators are used to create fear, spread mistrust, which is always about power and control. The path of the talented poet and philosopher Yehuda Halevi is littered with people who share the emotional connection to the beauty in words, life and human beings – it is also equally laden with obstruction, especially by groups who see enlightenment and the immersion in word as a threat.
It’s a fascinating book, perhaps because history that took place many centuries ago is often described in comparison to today and people equate time with lack of understanding, development and intellect. The 21st century, lessons learnt and what we have gleamed from those gone before is often forgotten.
The journey of Yehuda is a long winding path of belief, religion, the acknowledgment of power in history and in the present, and it is also an ode to the beauty of expression of word.
4 July 2023, Cheryl M-M's Book Blog (wordpress.com)
Born around 1075, Yehuda Halevi was a Spanish Jewish physician and philosopher. He is also considered one of the greatest Hebrew poets, and is still appreciated for both his religious and secular poems, many of which are still used in liturgy today.
In this fictionalised account of his life, Robert Stone takes us to 12th century Andalucia and follows Yehuda through his adult life as he moves from city to city amidst the conflict and uncertainty of the times, and with an increasingly yearning to travel to Jerusalem. The thorough research and care behind this novel is evident, as each chapter moves us forward to a different point in Yehuda’s life; his story also offers some reflection on the wider events of the time.
Scattered throughout the novel were extracts from Yehuda’s poetry (translated into English), as well as a few verses from some of the other poets of the times. They provided further insight into the thought and feelings of our protagonist. Not having heard of Yehuda Halevi before, I found myself dwelling on these, appreciating the beauty and insights of his writing, and I found they helped me have more of a grasp on his emotional centre.
I understand that less is known about Yehuda’s personal life, and, for me, the love story was maybe the least effective part of the novel, but I felt the conversations amongst men were well imagined and here the pages came alive, giving texture to the places and the people.
6 July 2023, Bookographia – Nicola (@bookographia)
I do love historical fiction, especially well-researched historical fiction that's rooted in fact. This book has that in spades, it's quite clearly very well-researched and that shows. I loved the fact that we had the story of Yehuda Halevi and his life and love of Deborah and then behind it, we had all the changing political and religious environment that occurred in that time around what is now part of Spain. I know very little about that area of the world, especially in this time period (that which I know is sporadic and from the Not Just The Tudors podcast) so I really enjoyed learning about this time period through this book, and the descriptions were so vivid it was beautiful to read.
Now sattered throughout this book we have sections of poetry by Yehuda Halevi and they were really lovely to read, quite beautiful prose and I liked how they broke up the story a little. It was a really easy book to read and once I started I found I quite easily read big chunks in one go, it was nice to sit and devour it with a cuppa.
Now magpie that I am, obviously the look of the front cover is one of the things that drew me to this book along with its tagline. The cover has a really pretty tile-like pattern to it, I can imagine it as a floor in one of the buildings in Andalucia. The tagline "A poet finds love and fame in medieval Andalucia" well it just sounded like my cup of tea.
8 July 2023, One More Chapter (onemorechapterreviews.blogspot.com)
This is an incredibly interesting and unusual story which follows the life of the 12th century poet Yehuda Halevi in such a way as to draw the reader into the life and times at the start of what could have been an era of religious uncertainty in Southern Spain. What it extraordinarily shows though is the tolerance all the different religious factions had towards each other and how each of the leaders interacted with Yehuda as he progressed through his life. The book shows how the different groups learned to live and, at times, work together for the benefit of all which carried on for a further three centuries after the end of Yehuda's story.
Robert is undoubtedly a learned historian who is able to put his thoughts eloquently on the page through the narrative of Yehuda and show us how he managed to gain, quite rightly, everyone's trust through his use of poetry and valued medical knowledge.
As we follow the life of Yehuda we learn about his loves and aspirations and the calmness with which he managed those around him whilst earning himself, quite rightly, the reputation of being one of the greatest Hebrew poets. Because of this he was able to live easily with both the Muslims and the Christians before finally in 1140 making the decision as to whether he should stay with his family or, follow his head and go to Israel.
By following the love story of Yehuda and Deborah, Robert takes the book away from just being an historical piece of fiction and adds depth to the story, and intrigue for the reader, as their relationship develops.
I have learnt so much about what life was like in Southern Spain in the 12th Century, an area of the country that I love for its historical richness from this incredible book.
10 July 2023, From the Book Elf – (abookfiresimagination.blogspot.com/)
This excellent book spans parts of the eleventh and twelfth centuries. I have not read many books set during that period so this made for really interesting reading. It is ambitious in scope and relates the oft unstable religious and political environment in existence during this period of history.
Although this is a work of fiction, the author has clearly completed extensive research which gives this novel a scholarly feel whilst also being easy to read. Whilst the backdrop is complex, the characters enable this book to keep the reader engaged and although it is intellectual in feel, it carries the reader along with it very nicely.
The book follows the life of Yehuda Halevi. He was a well written and fully fleshed character who was easy to engage with. I enjoyed accompanying him on each step of his journey, and the author's descriptions made Yehuda's world feel very relevant. I equally enjoyed reading of his wife, Deborah, who Mr. Stone portrays as a strong female character within a very patriarchal society.
Well written, it's excellent narrative and dialogue propels the story forward, making it well worth reading. I learned much about both the time period and the places that Yehudi travelled. There is much attention to detail which enables the reader to feel very close to the story and setting.
What this book demonstrates clearly is that during the time period in which it is set different faiths were able to co-exist harmoniously and indeed learn from one another. It is a book that is very relevant to today’s society and is well worth reading.
11 July 2023. Left on the Shelf (leftontheshelfbookblog.blogspot.com, @JillGal91513266)
This is such a stunning book, in so many ways. I loved the blurb and was drawn into the story, from the start. I knew I would love the journey and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. The cover adds to that beauty, with its intricacy and vibrant nature. Then you start the story and are instantly thrown into this beautiful time, when they shared parties to share intellectual and artistic challenges and beauties. It was so lovely to travel with the main character, as he first explored the poetic world, describing a rose and then the stars as if they were laid amongst the most stunning backdrops.
Then we travel through his life, as he finds love, his words and his growing popularity. It’s great getting to know him, but this makes it even harder when we then have to watch as he struggles to choose between family and a journey he has always yearned for. It the time of his life, such a journey takes ages to achieve and it means lots of time away. Sacrifices are made and the words are there to beautifully describe the moments. Overall, a unique and interesting read.
12 July 2023, Naturalbri_books (@naturalbri_books)
This fictionalised story of one of the greatest Hebrew poets and philosophers takes us back to eleventh century Spain, when young Yehuda ben Shmuel haLevi begins his apprenticeship in medicine in the city of Cordoba.
There he impresses the Rabbis with his poetic prowess, and Deborah, spirited daughter of his patron Rab Abraham, with his gentle manners and steadfast approach.
We follow him through life as he moves from Spanish city to Spanish city, building on his reputation for poetry and philosophy, and working as a doctor for both Muslim and Christian royalty, in a time of political and religious turbulence.
This is a beautifully written story exploring the life of a man determined to devote himself to a higher plane, and this is reflected in the philosophical and poetic tone of the narrative.
The writing reflects the rich diversity of the society in which Yehuda lives, where Jews, Muslims and Christians have learned to live together, and learn from each other. But there is always the threat that religious zeal will spill over into violence, which makes for a suspenseful story.
I have to put my hands up and admit that a lot of the philosophy went right over my head, but I loved all the rich descriptive writing that immersed me as the reader into eleventh century Spain.
I particularly enjoyed the cosy ordinariness of Yehuda and Deborah’s domestic life as they embarked on marriage and raising their family, their loving relationship with each other and their daughter, and their kind and caring approach to friends, family and servants alike.
I don’t think this book is for everyone – you would have to really love history and be keen to learn more about Judaism and Islam to get the very most out of it, but if you do choose to dip in, it is a fascinating and immersive account of a man who was a legend in his own lifetime, and whose fame and legacy continues to this day.
13 July 2023, Karen Byron (@karensbookblog)