Cadfael #2

“One Corpse Too Many” is a great and quick read because it has a complex and exciting plot. The introduction of Hugh Beringar and the true beginning of the series are the most important aspects. With this book Ellis Peters began laying the foundation of the rest of the books. We get to know the town of Shrewsbury and the circumstances of the war between Maude and Stephen.

In the video (for the first season), Hugh is play by Sean Pertwee. I think he’s just fantastic! But, then I love anyone who plays MacBeth. (NB – Find his MacBeth if you can, it’s a treat. The language is intact but the knights ride around on motorcycles and the witches look like there on their way to a Goth rave!)

Pertwee is a bit more brooding than the Beringar of the books, but his whip-sharp eyes reminds us that Hugh is a great deal more than the average knight-in-arms.

Overall, the movie did a very good job of condensing the complex book. The producers very smartly had certain scenes acted out instead of treated as post-action exposition. These scenes in the book were simply told to people after the fact. By seeing the action itself, we are able to get more a sense of what is going on, instead of just someone relaying information. I believe this was the first movie shot and it’s a great introduction to the series.

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www.netflix.com provides me with all the DVD’s I can handle.
As for books, my thanks go out to www.amazon.com, Borders (a chai latte, please!) and all the used book sales I can get to.
For anything I can’t find in any of these places, I go to my local library. (Interlibrary Loans are SHINY!)
LIBRARIANS: the GPS locators in a wilderness of information.