CDs withdrawn library audio book plays well pickup in Grafton/Newmarket/Manurewa Auckland City or will courier for the cheapest rate From Amazon John the Pupil David Flusfeder

“A superbly written and intellectually stimulating novel.”—The Independent (London)

Since he was a young boy, John has studied at the Franciscan monastery outside Oxford, under the tutelage of friar and magus Roger Bacon, an inventor, scientist, and polymath. In 1267 Bacon arranges for his young pupil to embark on a journey of penitence to Italy. But the pilgrimage is a guise to deliver scientific instruments and Bacon’s great opus to His Holiness, Pope Clement IV. Two companions will accompany John, both Franciscan novices: the handsome, sweet-tempered Brother Andrew; and the brutish Brother Bernard.

John the Pupil is a road movie, recounting the journey taken from Oxford to Viterbo by John and his two companions. Modeling themselves after Saint Francis, the men trek by foot through Europe, preaching the gospel and begging for sustenance. In addition to fighting off ambushes from thieves hungry for the thing of power they are carrying, the holy trio is tried and tempted by all sorts of sins: ambition, pride, lust—and by the sheer hell and heaven of medieval life.

“Astonishing.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Strikingly original . . . a hugely enjoyable read.”—The Times (London)

“Intriguing…a skillful, sensitive exploration… reminiscent of the classic Nabokovian unreliable narrator.” — Rain Taxi Review of Books

“There is never a dull moment on this trip…The vicissitudes of John’s journey are a delight to follow…The result is a vividly atmospheric sense of period and, in the character of John, a richly comical and engaging hero…Learned, funny and strikingly original, this is a hugely enjoyable read.” — The Times (London)

“It is certainly a lively tale and will appeal to anyone who is a fan of Umberto Eco’s THE NAME OF THE ROSE.” — Financial Times (London)