Its been fifty years since this book by Poul Anderson first saw print. Five decades and counting yet I only stumbled across it last week during a book trawl in a nearby Oxfam Books.It was the title that grabbed me to begin with, also the almost school library artwork adorning the cover. A midsummer tempest tells a story set in a world where William Shakespeare was a historian, not a playwright, where everything he wrote was a historical fact. Set in 17th century England, to begin with, we follow Prince Rupert as he fights the Puritans, in defense of King Charles. Its a multiverse of sorts, where well known characters in the works of William Shakespeare were historical beings, their life stories the stuff of daily life. The stuff of reality in a way. And such stuff are dreams built upon.Prince Rupert and his followers rail against the joyless Puritans, a plague on those who would sieve all the joys of this world, always sure their way is the right way. So some events ring with the truth of plausibility and history although perhaps not always in that order. For the truth is that in this version of reality the forc es of magic are as potent as the forces of science. The world of Faerie, of Titania and Oberon and their magical legions are as real as any combatants in the war for human minds and souls. Its period stuff, written in an era which is now itself period. And oh boy, how well it is written. It is set out like a stage play, with settings appropriately setting the place, necessary directions in a tale that moves between fictional worlds as much as real world locations. Events differ as then world unfolds at a different pace, with the enlightenment moving at a more influential speed. Its so beautifully written it feels almost musical. I cannot stress how much this wrong footed me as I was swept up in its Shakespearian cadences. The characters are so well formed, some based on real people , some an amalgram of others. Rich and very,very human.Truly a wee treat of a book. Feel fortunate to have come across it.
