For Dreamcatcher Magazine, Autumn 2008

Company of Liars

Karen Maitland

MICHAEL JOSEPH Penguin Books: London, 2008
12.99
ISBN 978-0-718-15322-9
559pp

Karen Maitland's historical thriller, Company of Liars, discusses the boundary between fact and fiction; immersing historical fragments in a contemporary filmic thriller - reminiscent of The Canterbury Tales, through to The Hounds of the Baskervilles and Final Destination.

The novel follows the journey of a group of outcasts through Mediaeval plague ridden Britain. With new members of the collective joining through the journey, each is united in their need for support and to escape the plague; yet each character carries their own secrets and is running from their own pasts, fears and pursuers. These pursuers quickly become characterised as a 'wolf'; as a hunter, a debt collector from the church, through to a mythical symbol of individuals' deepest anxieties.

The characters create distance, both metaphorical and actual. As outcasts, the characters have a chosen, and been forced to be distanced from society. The evolution of their group creates safety, yet one that is still internally fragile. The pace is controlled by a drive for distance, anonymity and safety - as the 'wolf' gains on the company the narrative quickens, ebbing back to a resigned fatefulness as Camelot returns home. The ebb and flow of the narrative (which encircles Camelot), echoes the sense of separation and yet also stalks the main protagonist in a playful manner, hinting at Narigorm's childlike impact on the unfurling events. Whereas Camelot acts as narrator at times, Narigorm's omniscience suggests that she represents fate, and so she dictates the narrative. With suggestive control over the other characters, she questions the roles of fate and choice - in parallel with the overriding theme of the novel - the line between myth and reality.

The Mediaeval charm is ruthless in its detail, yet the resulting pace and tone is sometimes disrupted by the distinctly modern structure. This disruption is successful; it reminds the reader to question beliefs to redefine fact and fiction, opening up the narrative to reflect contemporary and (somewhat regrettably) universal themes. The gulf between belief and what is proven, worries about outsiders and continual flux in culturally specific morality are as relevant now as in the Middle Ages. This acts to immerse the reader further into the plot - our understanding of the novel is fractured between historical accuracy and mythical fiction which develops a tension where fact is questionable and surprising and myth to be expected. Company of Liars eloquently immerses the reader in a world full of myth and superstition and keeps on the edge between belief and cynicism, suspending expectations.

As the novel queries fear and explores myth, it questions if our imaginings are worse than the reality of humanity. Superstition makes belief easier and humanity quantifiable. Company of Liars emphasises the universality of fears (contradicting successfully as it is deeply contextually bound), the novel is relevant and highly readable.