Green Darkness by Anya Seton

Green Darkness Anya Seton 14.95     1972 Rating:C+

Green Darkness is the second book I've read by Anya Seton.  After I read Katherine, I acquired several more Anya Seton books for my TBR pile, but there they  have languished lo these many years.  Green Darkness has been there for at least 5.  I can't quite remember what made me pull it out last week - maybe working on the Special Title Listings for AAR made me remember it.  In any case, it was past time for this poor neglected book.

Reading the first chapters, however, made me realize what it was that had made me avoid it: this is a "past lives" romance.  Except it's not really a romance.  It's more historical fiction of the epic/tragic variety.  Personally, I hate the idea of fated love, and I'm not at all sold on the idea of reincarnation.   The tragic slant of the story is sort of a third strike.  In the end, though, I was glad I persevered.  There was a lot of interesting historical material included along with the reincarnation.

The book begins with trouble brewing in the marriage between Richard and Celia Marsdon.   Having met aboard ship, the recognized each other as soul mates and, arriving in England, married immediately.  Then they made their way to Medfield Place, Richard's family estate.  There their blissful honeymoon idyll begins to dissipate as both Richard and Celia are affected by their surroundings.  Local castles and and other sights seem familiar and bring curious and difficult memories for both of them.  Eventually both of them take on less pleasant personas and a sense of anger and betrayal flares between them.  All of this comes to a head at a house party.  Violence erupts and Celia falls into a catatonic state.  She is taken to the hospital and assumed beyond help.  Richard barricades himself in the house.  Only one house party member has an idea of what is wrong and what can be done about it.  Dr. Akananda, an Indian physician sense a historical tragedy at work and knows that Richard and Celia are reliving the past and not in a healthy way.  He insists she be treated by an expert and stays by her side to help her in any way I can.

Green Darkness then shifts its focus to the tragedy precipitating Richard and Celia's difficulties.  Back in time the reader goes to 1552, to the reign of Edward VI, Henry VIII's young successor.  In this lifetime Celia's name is Celia de Bohun, and she is the daughter of the illegitimate son of gentry and the daughter of a tavernkeeper.  She works as a barmaid at a tavern in the village near Cowdray Castle.  Cowdray belongs to Sir Anthony Browne whose father received it from Henry VIII when he dissolved the monasteries and stole all Church property.  Sir Anthony is a Catholic in a newly hostile Protestant England.  As the most important man in the county, he ignores the prohibition of his religion and keeps a house priest Stephen Marsdon (Richard's former incarnation).  Stephen and Celia exist in separate spheres and meet only when Celia's paternal aunt takes an interest in her and decides to try and elevate her.  She presents her to Stephen for learning and he reluctantly teaches her some reading and brings her into the Catholic faith.  Stephen is an attractive and vital man, devoutly religious and serious about his vocation.  Celia is a beautiful girl, but he is not tempted by her.  She on the other hand, conceives an unfortunate love for him.  In an attempt to avoid the catastrophe their relationship could become, Celia's Aunt Ursula meddles and takes her charge away from Cowdray Castle.  But fate cannot be avoided forever...

What is most interesting about Green Darkness, for me, was not Celia and Stephen's ill-fated love, but the times in which they lived.  Growing up Protestant, the diminishing importance of the Catholic Church never seemed dire to me, although I think I always sensed how destructive an act Henry VIII's repudiation of the Pope was, in terms of the overall stability of the nation.  Now as a Catholic and as an adult, it's obvious to me that the changing religious climate of the time was not just confusing but terrifying.  Stephen has to be hidden when Edward VI visits Cowdray Castle because his presence would have been literally fatal to more than one person.  Edward's anti-Catholic court created an atmosphere of suffering, violence and paranoia, much like the early Soviet era.  Everything shifted and it seemed as if only the most ruthless learned to balance.  As the story progresses and Edward finally dies, I was relieved as a reader for all of these Catholic characters who were no longer in danger of persecution.  But then the Protestants were losing their heads.  Some of these clearly deserved their fates, but others - well, it was hard to decide who was in the right and who was in the wrong or what could have been done to establish a greater religious tolerance.  What a terrible time to live as a religiously devout person!

Seton includes quite a bit of historical detail, and it was all very educational.  Not only is religion discussed, but also the distinguishing differences between the classes and the medical practices of the time.  Dr. Akananda's 1552 persona was also a doctor, Julian from Italy.  He is a learned man, but reading his advised treatments and opinions, it's clear how far medical science has to go. 

The book's weakest point is its characters.  While most of them are well explained (due to the book's omniscient viewpoint) and multi-layered, few of them are truly likable.  The modern characters are simply reenacting the past, so they lack depth.  In 1552, however, few of them are, well, nice.  Many of the male characters think nothing of committing casual adultery.  None are deeply committed to their spouses.  Dr. Julian thinks only of self-advancement and gaining royal respect.  Brother Stephen is stern and implacable.  He will not be moved.  It's hard to understand just what Celia sees in him as he lacks a gentler side.  He is not a religious fanatic, but his devotion to his beliefs alienates him from others.  

Celia is young and impressionable.  It's hard to be too critical of a fifteen-year-old girl's decision making, but seducing a monk - well, that's a pretty serious infraction.  Never does she reflect that this is mortal sin.  Her pursuit of Stephen is interrupted frequently, but never does she waver from her conviction that they are meant to be together, and damn the consequences.  I found her self-absorbed, manipulative, and lacking compassion.  

The only truly kind character is the loving Aunt Ursula who is unfortunately more flaky in her modern persona.  She is truly steadfast in her love.  It's too bad she never seems very happy or fulfilled.  One internet review I read gave Seton credit for introducing the sympathetic gay character of Simkin, but I found him to be creepy at best - dangerous and unsteady.

The reincarnation angle - well, you have to accept the premise if you're going to read the book, whether you believe it or not.  What didn't seem natural was how many of the 1552 characters showed up at Celia's modern house party to reenact their history roles.  That seemed pushing coincidence a little too hard.   As for the fated lovers plot element - the love between Celia and Richard/Stephen is more passionate than truly loving.  In the past they act like adolescents, never actually successfully communicating.  In the present they are passive aggressive.  Well, Celia is.  Richard is actually violent.  He rapes Celia the night of the house party, but this is swept under the rug as collateral damage.  It's hard to imagine them moving forward without discussing the rape and how it will never ever happen again.  Ever. 

Perhaps 1972 readers were more forgiving of rape.  I don't know.

Overall, I found Green Darkness to be worth reading for the light it shed on Tudor England in the aftermath of Henry VIII's evil manipulation of religious politics.   But the love story was ultimately unconvincing and fraught with difficulties not adequately resolved.  This one isn't a keeper for me as Katherine was.

tags: books  anya seton  historical fiction