Ladies Whose Bright Eyes
Encyclopedia
Ladies Whose Bright Eyes is a novel by Ford Madox Ford
. It was written in 1911 and extensively revised in 1935 and published under Ford's common pseudonym Daniel Chaucer.
Although it has a time travel
theme of a sort, is usually classed as mainstream literature rather than science fiction
. As its author explicitly stated, "(...)The idea of this book was suggested to me by Mark Twain
's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
". It occurred to me to wonder what would really happen to a modern man thrown back to the Middle Ages...".
. His initial dream of constructing "guns and gas bombs" and making himself "mightier than kings" soon comes to naught. Though he had been a mining engineer in the Twentieth Century, he has no idea how to go about constructing such devices under Fourteenth Century conditions, or even where there are tin
deposits. Having later in his career become a publisher does not give him any idea of how to invent printing
from scratch and anticipate Gutenberg. He does not know how to make a gun, or in fact anything that would make him useful in the medieval castle community into which he has fallen.
Instead, Mr. Sorrel finds that a golden cross
which he carries causes him to be mistaken for a Greek miracle-worker - which has many advantages in Medieval society, including enjoying the unlimited hospitality of a castle and having beautiful ladies vying with each other for his love. He also inspires the ladies to take up arms and hold a tournament
in competition with their knightly husbands - and being a fair horseman, makes a credible effort at becoming a knight
himself.
It is the reverse of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
, but the details of daily life are rendered more feelingly, including the quite earthy and mercenary motivations of many of the Medieval characters (for example, the small-minded power struggles taking place in a nunnery, under a very thin veneer of piety). Cathedrals, so stately and calm to us, turn out to have been crowded, garish, noisy, and commercial.
Just as he begins to really enjoy himself as a thoroughly Medieval man, Mr. Sorrel is rather frustratingly thrust back to the 20th Century - a modern man wiser for having been instructed by the people (especially the women) of the past, and having "learned the wisdom of history".
Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals, The English Review and The Transatlantic Review, were instrumental in the development of early 20th-century English literature...
. It was written in 1911 and extensively revised in 1935 and published under Ford's common pseudonym Daniel Chaucer.
Although it has a time travel
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
theme of a sort, is usually classed as mainstream literature rather than science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
. As its author explicitly stated, "(...)The idea of this book was suggested to me by Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Samuel Langhorne Clemens , better known by his pen name Mark Twain, was an American author and humorist...
's "A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled A Yankee in King Arthur's Court...
". It occurred to me to wonder what would really happen to a modern man thrown back to the Middle Ages...".
Plot summary
Unlike Twain's Hank Morgan and some successors, Ford's Mr. Sorrel makes only a very half-hearted attempt to build modern weaponry and machinery in the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
. His initial dream of constructing "guns and gas bombs" and making himself "mightier than kings" soon comes to naught. Though he had been a mining engineer in the Twentieth Century, he has no idea how to go about constructing such devices under Fourteenth Century conditions, or even where there are tin
Tin
Tin is a chemical element with the symbol Sn and atomic number 50. It is a main group metal in group 14 of the periodic table. Tin shows chemical similarity to both neighboring group 14 elements, germanium and lead and has two possible oxidation states, +2 and the slightly more stable +4...
deposits. Having later in his career become a publisher does not give him any idea of how to invent printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
from scratch and anticipate Gutenberg. He does not know how to make a gun, or in fact anything that would make him useful in the medieval castle community into which he has fallen.
Instead, Mr. Sorrel finds that a golden cross
Cross
A cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
which he carries causes him to be mistaken for a Greek miracle-worker - which has many advantages in Medieval society, including enjoying the unlimited hospitality of a castle and having beautiful ladies vying with each other for his love. He also inspires the ladies to take up arms and hold a tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
in competition with their knightly husbands - and being a fair horseman, makes a credible effort at becoming a knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
himself.
It is the reverse of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court is an 1889 novel by American humorist and writer Mark Twain. The book was originally titled A Yankee in King Arthur's Court...
, but the details of daily life are rendered more feelingly, including the quite earthy and mercenary motivations of many of the Medieval characters (for example, the small-minded power struggles taking place in a nunnery, under a very thin veneer of piety). Cathedrals, so stately and calm to us, turn out to have been crowded, garish, noisy, and commercial.
Just as he begins to really enjoy himself as a thoroughly Medieval man, Mr. Sorrel is rather frustratingly thrust back to the 20th Century - a modern man wiser for having been instructed by the people (especially the women) of the past, and having "learned the wisdom of history".
See also
- A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court#Creation of a science fiction subgenre