Come Rack! Come Rope!

Come Rack!  Come Rope!  by Robert Hugh Benson, 377 pages

The only son of a proudly recusant Catholic family in the reign of Elizabeth, Robin is devastated when he learns that his father intends to recant and join the state church.  Perhaps even more surprisingly, his beloved Marjorie reveals to him her growing conviction, despite her own wishes to the contrary, that it is the will of God he should become a priest.  Robert Hugh Benson's classic novel follows the pair on their separate journeys of love from this initial sacrifice to the ultimate consummation.

Although the primary characters are fictional, a number of historical personages make appearances in Come Rack!  Come Rope!, including St Edmund Campion and Mary Stuart.  Benson evokes the historical period with a casual ease, conveying its peculiarities without belaboring them.  The novel focuses on the characters and lacks a strong central plot - the primary antagonists barely appear - and, unfortunately, those characters are not strong enough or interesting enough to carry the book.