The Apple and the Thorn

Rating:   Write a review

Customer review:
A review by Pat Mead, submitted by WW Melnyk


Is it a novel? Is it a theological treatise? Is it myth reworked? Well yes, yes and yes. Its a bumblebee too. You know theoretically the bees body is too heavy for its wings, making it unable to fly. However, the bee doesnt know its aerodynamically unsound, and it manages to fly very nicely, thank you. The weight of theology and philosophy in The Apple and the Thorn ought to keep it mired on the ground, but somehow it manages to fly right up there alongside the bumblebee. (And produces some fine honey too.)

The two main characters in the story are Joseph of Arimathea (called Eosaidh in the book), and Vivian, the Lady of the Lake. The narration moves from one to the other and begins as Eosaidh arrives in Avalon, fifteen years after his great-nephew was crucified in Jerusalem. Eosaidh settles on what is now Wearyall Hill, and meets his old friend Vivian once more. They seek to understand each others spirituality, exploring their very different beliefs about the divine, about male and female, light and dark, the outer and the inner worlds, and the importance of the land itself. Often they misunderstand each other, but there is always liking and respect between them, and before long they have become lovers.

The peaceful idyll is shattered with the arrival of strangers who lay claim to twelve hides of Avalons sacred land. They are converts to the new Christian cult, and they see the Lady and her people as sorceresses and demons. Hot on their heels are the pragmatic Romans who seek only to quell rebellion and seize the wealth and resources of the land. Eosaidhs loyalties are torn in many directions and the love that he and Vivian share is tested to the limit.

Reading The Apple and the Thorn was a delightful experience for me. As I neared the end, I read ever more slowly, wanting to postpone for as long as possible the moment of our separation. I knew how it would end, but the tears are still on my cheeks as I write.

Pat Mead
Touchstone
The Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids - Bill Melnyk