Historical Fiction: Crispin: The Cross of Lead

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Evaluation of the book:

Unfortunately, although I know Crispin: The Cross of Lead has won the Newbery Medal and that Avi is a well-loved author, I found the language in this book to be particularly and painfully awkward. For example: “When his light finally retreated did I pick myself up and flee” (p. 9). I think Avi is trying to imitate how one might have talked in medieval times, but it misses the mark and makes the story difficult to get into a follow.

In addition, the book is narrated by Crispin in the first person who turns out to be a rather unreliable narrator. For example, he sees things he claims to have “never beheld before” and yet he knows they’re “Moscovy furs; Toledo daggers; Flemish hats; Italian gloves” (p. 166). It’s hard to believe a narrator who says he knows nothing and then goes on to say exactly what each item is.

Finally, the rapid growth of Crispin’s character over the course of the rather short book is hard to keep up with. I agree wholeheartedly with Crispin’s friend, the Bear when he says: “‘Crispin . . . for one so unwilling to see the world when first we met, perhaps you notice too much now’” (p. 195). In the first few pages we learn that Crispin has no name and is shunned by those around him; two hundred short pages later, with not much action in the middle, Crispin has embraced his name, is the son of a Lord, and saves the day by facing the man who made him cower in fear in the beginning. Normally, I love some good character growth, but in this book it seems to happen a little too fast.

Response:

How did you learn, and how much were your views and opinions challenged or changed by this text, if at all?
This is a historical fiction novel, and I definitely felt it did a good job describing the horrors and injustice present in the medieval feudal system. Despite the other faults in character and language, the historical part was fascinating to me.

Critique?

My critique is fairly obvious from the evaluation of the text. I found the writing a little awkward, the narrator unreliable, and the characters a little unbelievable. While I did eventually get very invested in Crispin’s story, this book was, overall, not my favorite of the semester.

How well did you enjoy the text (or not) as entertainment or as a work of art?

Like I said above, I did eventually get into Crispin’s story and I wanted to see how it would end. I learned a bit about England’s feudal system and felt my heartstrings tugged by Bear’s love for little Crispin. I did enjoy the text, even if I didn’t love it.

Conclusion:

Despite its little flaws, I would still recommend this book to young historically minded readers because it does a good job talking about medieval England without being overly textbook-ish. A lover of medieval history and folklore will enjoy the text.... I could easily imagine Robin Hood living in the forests that Crispin runs through.

APA Style Reference:

Avi. (2002). Crispin: The cross of lead. New York, NY: Scholastic.