Would anybody be into a Brother Cadfael chat thread?

[Jacksmania]

I love the Brother Cadfael books. Have read them god-knows-how-many times. I'm just listening to "Brother Cadfael's Penance" in the car and I really think it's my favourite.

General BC chat, anyone?

[MissMarplesBloomers]

Oh I love them, but haven't read any of them for a while.

I just have a mental image of Derek Jacobi while I read, and I love the fusion of whodunnit & herbal knowhow!

[oin]

I love these, need to read again though. Always fancy having a herb garden and a kitchen full of dried herbs when I am in the middle of a read.
I loved Derek Jacobi in the TV series as well.

[oin]

Who reads the audio books, as in who is the narrator?

[penguinpaperback]

Hi, I have never read a Brother Cadfael book, just checked Wiki to see if Ellis Peters was still alive. I love Agatha Christie, would I like the BC books? And are they easy to get hold of, still in print? I don't have a Kindle. Can they be read in any order? Sorry so many questions but I'm always looking for new mysteries to try and they do sound my cup of tea.
Will pop in for a read of your chats.

[Jacksmania]

On mine the narrator is Patrick Tull, whom I love, and Stephen Thorne for "Brother Cadfael's Penance". I'm lukewarm about Stephen Thorne.

IMO Patrick Tull and George Guidell are the best readers ever. I think PT's died, though, hasn't he?

[Jacksmania]

Penguin, they are definitely still in print and if you like Agatha Christie, I think you'd love these. They are best read in order because of the progression of events, if you can manage it.

[penguinpaperback]

Thanks for the info Jacksmania. Will have a search on Amazon.

[MokuMoku]

I love the Brother Cadfael books. I used to visit the Cadfael Experience in Shrewsbury before it closed down but I admit I haven't read the books in a long time.

[MissMarplesBloomers]

penguin

this might be helpful

[LeBearPolar]

I love the Cadfael stories too. Sometimes I get a bit irritated with the formulaic nature of them - there's always a love story threaded into the mystery - but I love the Cadfael/Hugh bromance. Never really got into the TV programmes though as I thought they cast them very badly!

Used to live in Shrewsbury so I love reading about all the areas I know.

[Jacksmania]

I best love the books with Olivier in... #6, 10 and 20.

Not, of course, because he sounds like a hunk, oh no... purely because finding his son makes Cadfael so happy.

[LeBearPolar]

Olivier is hot.

[Jacksmania]

Oh yes he is :o

[Jacksmania]

Question. Having just listened to "Brother Cadfael's Penance", and having read the "questions about bring British" thread :o, I'm thinking Stephen Thorne doesn't pronounce Cirencester correctly.
Unlike a lot of furriners, I can say Worcester, Leicester and Leominster correctly. I can even pronounce Worcestershire!

So I'm thinking it's not pronounced "Sssiren - cester".
Is it "Ssir - enster"? Or "Sy - renster"?

Or am I about to show my arse and it's actually Ssssiren - cester? :o

[MokuMoku]

I say Siren-sester.

Hugh in the books is so different from the TV program.

[penguinpaperback]

Thanks for the link MissMarplesBloomers, it is really helpful.

[Jacksmania]

There are two actors that do Hugh - the skinny short blond one is ok but the tall, rather hunky redhead isn't Hugh at all!

Also, much as I love Sir Derek, he isn't of medium height and built like a barrel. Or brown haired and brown eyed, with a blunt brown nose.

[LeBearPolar]

I say Siren-sester too.

It was the casting of the tall Hugh that bothered me! But yes, Derek Jacobi wasn't a good fit for Cadfael. He always seemed too crochety!

[Jacksmania]

Well... how does that make sense then? When all the other "cesters" are half-swallowed? It's like hinge and minge, and yet ginger is ginger and minger is... oh, UK English is just weird.


:o

Tall Hugh was nice to look at but wrong as Hugh.

[HenriettaMaria]

I just found this thread after posting on the favourite detectives one.

I love the Cadfael books, I usually turn to them when life is a bit fraught and I need the reassurance that everything turns out OK in the end .


I'm not very keen on the television adaptations. As Jacksmania says, Sir Derek doesn't really look like Cadfael and they changed the plots way too much for my liking.

[pointyfangs]

I love the books, have read all of them multiple times. I think Derek Jacobi was actually well cast - physical appearance is so much less importance than conveying the nature of the character and he did that so well.

There were three actors playing Hugh Beringar in the adaptation and the only one who was any good was the first - Sean Pertwee. The guy who played Olivier in the adaptations was nothing like him at all, and I agree they changed too many bits of the plot so I will always like the books better.

However, the bloke who played brother Jerome was so completely spot on it isn't funny!

[ParkerTheThief]

I love these books but have never watched the TV series.

Olivier is my favourite character but I do love Hugh as well.

[Pooka]

i used to love the books many many years ago. But thought the tv series was absolutely godawful!

Derek Jacobi entirely wrong for cadfael.

Sean Pertwee rubbish as Hugh.

And the worst worst acting ever - particularly the daughter from St Peters Fair.