A rare gem from a consummate master of historical fiction.
Who would have thought that the early 1500s could be so absorbing a subject? Mika Waltari’s epic historical novel takes his protagonist, Finnish-born Mikael Karvajalka (aka Pelzfuss), from one set of seminal historical events to another, spanning a quarter of a century from 1502 onward. From Finland and Sweden, where Danish King Christian II wreaks bloody havoc in an attempt to unify all of Scandinavia; to Paris during the religious ferment of the early Reformation; to Germany during the savage Peasants’ War; to Hungary during the expansion of the Ottoman Empire; to Italy and France during war between Hapsburg Emperor Charles V and the French King Francis I; and finally to the Sack of Rome; Pelzfuss and his stalwart sidekick Andy fight, cajole, lie, steal, drink and carouse their way through one close scrape after another. And along the way, we get cameo appearances by such historical figures as the physician Paracelsus, theologian Martin Luther, radical protestant preacher Thomas Muentzer, Pope Clement VII, and the heads of state mentioned earlier in this paragraph. Pelzfuss and Andy even come close to joining the Spanish expedition to Peru, led by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro.
From childhood, Pelzfuss’s driving ambition is to become a Catholic priest, but being born poor and out-of-wedlock largely rules this out. Nonetheless, through some none-too-honorable behavior, he wins the funds he needs to study theology in Paris during the early years of the Protestant Reformation, when the Catholic Church is suffused with corruption. After several years there, Pelzfuss gains sufficient learning and stature to embark on his many adventures, developing from a naïve and bookish youth with absolute faith in the Church to a cynical adventurer.
The story of THE ADVENTURER, first published in Europe in 1948, is told from the first-person point of view of Pelzfuss, a flawed character who doesn’t shirk from describing the shocking violence, cruelty and suffering of the age. Physical danger and moral peril await Pelzfuss and Andy around every corner, and the book dishes up heaping portions of suspense, along with frequent dollops of humor and an undertone of irony. The events and settings described are historically accurate, the language sufficiently archaic to lend an air of verisimilitude, and the interpersonal relations devoid of today’s political correctness and revisionism, lending an uncanny authenticity to the novel.
THE ADVENTURER is a long book and is set during an obscure period of history whose most noteworthy events will not be familiar to the average reader. As the reading can be challenging at times, I suggest resorting to the audiobook version read by the superb Charlton Griffin. Nonetheless, the story moves very quickly and is filled with complex, compassionately drawn characters. If you are new to Mika Waltari’s novels, I agree with several other reviewers in recommending that you start with THE EGYPTIAN and THE ROMAN. Having savored these, you will be in the enviable position of being able to choose from a handful of other Waltari novels, set in varying periods and places, but all highly rewarding, like THE ETRUSCAN, THE DARK ANGEL, THE ADVENTURER, and its sequel, THE WANDERER.
By mikawaltari
A rare gem from a consummate master of historical fiction.
Who would have thought that the early 1500s could be so absorbing a subject? Mika Waltari’s epic historical novel takes his protagonist, Finnish-born Mikael Karvajalka (aka Pelzfuss), from one set of seminal historical events to another, spanning a quarter of a century from 1502 onward. From Finland and Sweden, where Danish King Christian II wreaks bloody havoc in an attempt to unify all of Scandinavia; to Paris during the religious ferment of the early Reformation; to Germany during the savage Peasants’ War; to Hungary during the expansion of the Ottoman Empire; to Italy and France during war between Hapsburg Emperor Charles V and the French King Francis I; and finally to the Sack of Rome; Pelzfuss and his stalwart sidekick Andy fight, cajole, lie, steal, drink and carouse their way through one close scrape after another. And along the way, we get cameo appearances by such historical figures as the physician Paracelsus, theologian Martin Luther, radical protestant preacher Thomas Muentzer, Pope Clement VII, and the heads of state mentioned earlier in this paragraph. Pelzfuss and Andy even come close to joining the Spanish expedition to Peru, led by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro.
From childhood, Pelzfuss’s driving ambition is to become a Catholic priest, but being born poor and out-of-wedlock largely rules this out. Nonetheless, through some none-too-honorable behavior, he wins the funds he needs to study theology in Paris during the early years of the Protestant Reformation, when the Catholic Church is suffused with corruption. After several years there, Pelzfuss gains sufficient learning and stature to embark on his many adventures, developing from a naïve and bookish youth with absolute faith in the Church to a cynical adventurer.
The story of THE ADVENTURER, first published in Europe in 1948, is told from the first-person point of view of Pelzfuss, a flawed character who doesn’t shirk from describing the shocking violence, cruelty and suffering of the age. Physical danger and moral peril await Pelzfuss and Andy around every corner, and the book dishes up heaping portions of suspense, along with frequent dollops of humor and an undertone of irony. The events and settings described are historically accurate, the language sufficiently archaic to lend an air of verisimilitude, and the interpersonal relations devoid of today’s political correctness and revisionism, lending an uncanny authenticity to the novel.
THE ADVENTURER is a long book and is set during an obscure period of history whose most noteworthy events will not be familiar to the average reader. As the reading can be challenging at times, I suggest resorting to the audiobook version read by the superb Charlton Griffin. Nonetheless, the story moves very quickly and is filled with complex, compassionately drawn characters. If you are new to Mika Waltari’s novels, I agree with several other reviewers in recommending that you start with THE EGYPTIAN and THE ROMAN. Having savored these, you will be in the enviable position of being able to choose from a handful of other Waltari novels, set in varying periods and places, but all highly rewarding, like THE ETRUSCAN, THE DARK ANGEL, THE ADVENTURER, and its sequel, THE WANDERER.