The Relic Master: A Novel - Softcover

Buckley, Christopher

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1501125761 ISBN 13: 9781501125768

Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2016

Synopsis

Christopher Buckley’s “hilarious, bawdy, and irreverent frolic of a tale” about a sixteenth-century relic hunter and the artist Albrecht Dürer who conspire to fabricate Christ’s burial shroud reads “like Indiana Jones gone medieval” (USA TODAY).

The year is 1517. Dismas is a relic hunter who procures “authentic” religious relics for wealthy and influential clients. His two most important patrons are Frederick the Wise and soon-to-be Cardinal Albrecht of Mainz. While Frederick is drawn to the recent writing of Martin Luther, Albrecht pursues the financial and political benefits of religion and seeks to buy a cardinalship through the selling of indulgences. When Albrecht’s demands for grander relics increase, Dismas and his artist friend Dürer fabricate a shroud to sell to the unsuspecting noble. Unfortunately Dürer’s reckless pride exposes the trickery, so Albrecht puts Dismas and Dürer in the custody of four mercenaries and sends them all to steal Christ’s burial cloth (the Shroud of Chambéry), Europe’s most celebrated artifact. On their journey to Savoy where the Shroud will be displayed, they battle a lustful count and are joined by a beautiful female apothecary. It is only when they reach their destination they realize they are not alone in their intentions to acquire a relic of dubious legitimacy.

“A rollicking good time, Christopher Buckley has transported his signature wit and irreverence from the Beltway to sixteenth-century Europe in The Relic Master” (GQ). This epic quest, “as rascally and convivial as any that Mr. Buckley has written” (The Wall Street Journal), is filled with fascinating details about art, religion, politics, and science; Vatican intrigue; and Buckley’s signature wit “holds the reader till the very last page” (The New York Times Book Review).

About this title

Review

An Amazon Best Book of December 2015: Christopher Buckley is best known for his satirical treatment of contemporary politics, so at first blush The Relic Master seems like a departure. Set in the 1500s, the novel follows the exploits of Dismas the Relic Master, who partners with Albrecht Dürer (yes, the famous painter) to pit two wealthy relic collectors against one another. Greed, ego, and high jinks ensue as this smart, funny, fast-paced novel shows us that money and power have always corrupted, and if not always absolutely, at least in ways that will leave onlookers scratching their heads in wonder. Of course Dismas wants to separate his patron from as much money as possible; by setting the story in a different time and place, Buckley is able to dissect human behavior (and weirdness) where a more contemporary examination might just seem too personal. Plus, The Relic Master is a fun adventure novel set during a very interesting time in religious history. You’ll think, you’ll laugh, you may even wince at times—and you’ll be entertained. -- Chris Schluep

About the Author

Christopher Buckley is a novelist, essayist, humorist, critic, magazine editor, and memoirist. His books include Thank You for Smoking, The Judge Hunter, Make Russia Great Again, and The Relic Master. He worked as a merchant seaman and White House speechwriter. He has written for many newspapers and magazines and has lectured in over seventy cities around the world. He was awarded the Thurber Prize for American Humor and the Washington Irving Medal for Literary Excellence.

About this edition

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1501125761
• ISBN 13: 9781501125768
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 400