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Outcast
Sole survivor of a shipwreck as a baby, Beric is an outsider from the start. The village druid warns that he is cursed by the sea, and when death comes to the tribe, the fingers of blame point in only one direction. Cast out by the warriors, Beric is left alone without friends or family. With no home and little money, he must survive in the harsh Roman world by himself, with death, danger, and enemies always around the corner... This classic novel is now reissued in a smaller mass-market paperback format.
254 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
About the author
Rosemary Sutcliff
109 books653 followersRosemary Sutcliff, CBE (1920-1992) was a British novelist, best known as a writer of highly acclaimed historical fiction. Although primarily a children's author, the quality and depth of her writing also appeals to adults. She once commented that she wrote "for children of all ages, from nine to ninety."
Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...
Born in West Clandon, Surrey, Sutcliff spent her early youth in Malta and other naval bases where her father was stationed as a naval officer. She contracted Still's Disease when she was very young and was confined to a wheelchair for most of her life. Due to her chronic sickness, she spent the majority of her time with her mother, a tireless storyteller, from whom she learned many of the Celtic and Saxon legends that she would later expand into works of historical fiction. Her early schooling being continually interrupted by moving house and her disabling condition, Sutcliff didn't learn to read until she was nine, and left school at fourteen to enter the Bideford Art School, which she attended for three years, graduating from the General Art Course. She then worked as a painter of miniatures.
Rosemary Sutcliff began her career as a writer in 1950 with The Chronicles of Robin Hood. She found her voice when she wrote The Eagle of the Ninth in 1954. In 1959, she won the Carnegie Medal for The Lantern Bearers and was runner-up in 1972 with Tristan and Iseult. In 1974 she was highly commended for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Her The Mark of the Horse Lord won the first Phoenix Award in 1985.
Sutcliff lived for many years in Walberton near Arundel, Sussex. In 1975 she was appointed OBE for services to Children's Literature and promoted to CBE in 1992. She wrote incessantly throughout her life, and was still writing on the morning of her death. She never married.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/rosema...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 99 reviews
November 16, 2023
Once upon a time long before the category of YA - Rosemary Sutcliff and Geoffrey Trease dominated the historical novel market. And for some reason I didn’t warm to them. Now very happily rediscovered, I want to read everything that they’ve ever written!
‘Outcast’ is a beautifully developed and sensitive novel, brimming quiet intelligence and atmosphere. It’s also a wonderful appetite-whetter for learning more about the Roman occupation of Britain during the centuries of early Christianity.
‘Outcast’ is a beautifully developed and sensitive novel, brimming quiet intelligence and atmosphere. It’s also a wonderful appetite-whetter for learning more about the Roman occupation of Britain during the centuries of early Christianity.
September 20, 2023
I really enjoyed this read!
Sutcliff is truly a wonderful story-teller. Her vividly rich and yet raw descriptions of people and places are transportive, providing understanding into the harsh times of the period and what it would be like to make a life for yourself through it all.
I came close to crying. I didn't. But I came really close; and it's very few books that can do that to me. It was just so heart-wrenching ...seeing Beric and Jason and their friendship unfold in such brutal conditions where everyone else has only the strength to look out for themselves. Beautiful. Sniff ....
It's not a fast-paced book by any means but if you love word pictures and deep characters, you'll be pleased!
Cleanliness: A side character is a Druid. People are superstitious, as was common of the time period, but it is not a focus of the books. Mentions alcohol. The word "h*ll" is used twice. Beric is naked after being shipwrecked. The Roman gods are referenced and prayed to a few times. A character thinks of committing suicide but does not.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
Sutcliff is truly a wonderful story-teller. Her vividly rich and yet raw descriptions of people and places are transportive, providing understanding into the harsh times of the period and what it would be like to make a life for yourself through it all.
I came close to crying. I didn't. But I came really close; and it's very few books that can do that to me. It was just so heart-wrenching ...seeing Beric and Jason and their friendship unfold in such brutal conditions where everyone else has only the strength to look out for themselves. Beautiful. Sniff ....
It's not a fast-paced book by any means but if you love word pictures and deep characters, you'll be pleased!
Cleanliness: A side character is a Druid. People are superstitious, as was common of the time period, but it is not a focus of the books. Mentions alcohol. The word "h*ll" is used twice. Beric is naked after being shipwrecked. The Roman gods are referenced and prayed to a few times. A character thinks of committing suicide but does not.
**Like my reviews? Then you should follow me! Because I have hundreds more just like this one. With each review, I provide a Cleanliness Report, mentioning any objectionable content I come across so that parents and/or conscientious readers (like me) can determine beforehand whether they want to read a book or not. Content surprises are super annoying, especially when you’re 100+ pages in, so here’s my attempt to help you avoid that!
So Follow or Friend me here on GoodReads! And be sure to check out my bio page to learn a little about me and the Picture Book/Chapter Book Calendars I sell on Etsy!
November 27, 2022
This is the most I've ever enjoyed a Sutcliff novel, and ironically, I've hardly heard anything about it from my Sutcliff-loving friends. Huh. In any case, this was an entertaining and quietly wholesome adventure story / character study. The plot was a little weak (misfortune after misfortune, etc., etc.), but it somehow held my attention the whole way through.
February 22, 2011
Beric was not born to be drowned. In the wake of a severe storm, he is found by a tribesman washed up on the shore, clasped between his two dead parents. His own child having just recently died, the tribesman takes young Roman Beric back to his wife and he becomes their son. But just as he was not born to be drowned, young Beric was not born to be a tribesman. Though loving and obedient to his foster-parents’ ways, the tribesmen are uneasy with a Roman in their midst, and the day comes when they finally cast him out. So Beric sets out on the long hard road to find just where he belongs.
I haven't read a book by Sutcliff yet that wasn't able to grab me by the throat and choke me up over something beautiful, or tragic, or beautifully tragic. It seems to be her hallmark gesture: a sudden painful stab of joy or sorrow that seems wildly elemental. Though small and, taken as a whole, not exactly the most riveting of plots, Outcast is at its very core a throat-catching tragedy of joy. It is a story that embodies the truth of spring, or the first weak gleam of light after a storm: at the end of Beric's hollow winter, Sutcliff leaves the reader with the first faint trills of the lapwings and the little bloom of crocuses in the hopeful figure of a Roman engineer.
I haven't read a book by Sutcliff yet that wasn't able to grab me by the throat and choke me up over something beautiful, or tragic, or beautifully tragic. It seems to be her hallmark gesture: a sudden painful stab of joy or sorrow that seems wildly elemental. Though small and, taken as a whole, not exactly the most riveting of plots, Outcast is at its very core a throat-catching tragedy of joy. It is a story that embodies the truth of spring, or the first weak gleam of light after a storm: at the end of Beric's hollow winter, Sutcliff leaves the reader with the first faint trills of the lapwings and the little bloom of crocuses in the hopeful figure of a Roman engineer.
January 14, 2012
This didn't pull together the way I expected at all. I expected Lucilla to have a bigger part to play, and for Beric to find out about his real parents somehow, and... just for him to find a neat space just made for him where he would belong. But it's better the way Sutcliff wrote it, of course, with Beric struggling so much and eventually, and with difficulty, finding a place to belong. Not a place that's been waiting for him, but a place he's made for himself.
I found it a difficult read, at first, I think because I have had a lot of trouble with being the one that the rest of the pack turns on. That was a reality of my life for quite a long while, so no wonder it made me uncomfortable to read about Beric. And it is a very sad story, with the way hope is slowly crushed out of Beric... The happiness that he wins comes very late in the story.
Once I did get reading it, though, it was quietly compelling. Not comfortable or comforting -- not like The Eagle of the Ninth is for me -- but good.
I found it a difficult read, at first, I think because I have had a lot of trouble with being the one that the rest of the pack turns on. That was a reality of my life for quite a long while, so no wonder it made me uncomfortable to read about Beric. And it is a very sad story, with the way hope is slowly crushed out of Beric... The happiness that he wins comes very late in the story.
Once I did get reading it, though, it was quietly compelling. Not comfortable or comforting -- not like The Eagle of the Ninth is for me -- but good.
February 4, 2022
Set in England, circa roughly 350 AD at a guess, (more like 2nd century, see comments) when Romans occupied the island and the Britons did what they were told. Includes slavery and brutality and Druid superstitions. Some painful scenes. Deep characterization and pathos for young Beric, age 15, and his friend Justin. I also liked Roman engineer Justinius. Seems historically accurate — including the suffering and injustice. But it ends on a promising note as Beric is an overcomer and he’s not born to drown. Sutcliff writes quite well. Excellent narration by Johanna Ward.
March 28, 2021
Beric's story is sad, replete with rejection and displacement. The high points of the story are when someone (very few people) is truly kind. It is a great way to enter into the world of Roman Britain.
Rosemary Sutcliff writes nourishing and compelling books.
Rosemary Sutcliff writes nourishing and compelling books.
July 8, 2017
You run out of words for Rosemary Sutcliff after a while.
She is the king's feast of the reading world. Her prose is stunning every single time--and I really wish her books were in every literature program and book list around the world. Not only does she combine moving plots and sympathetic characters, she also has a suburb knack of capturing the smallest details without bogging down in them.
Beric's childhood is a really vivid part. From the time he comes to them as an infant, lashed to his parents in the storm to the time when he is cast out and forces his dog to stay behind. I loved his passion before the fire when the clan men are going to bar him from joining the training with the other boys. Sutcliff starts the story with a gentle, constant rhythm that pulls you in and keeps you turning pages.
Justinius is #charactergoals. He made me cry (reading whilst we were riding in the car) and I love him with all the love. He's manly and gentle and kind and stalwart in the face of duty. For him alone, this book is worth reading, but coupled with all the grandness that is Rosemary Sutcliff, he's the crowning gem in a box of gourmet chocolates.
There was a brief point where I didn't think the emotion was drawn out properly, when Beric had to make a final choice and fight a major battle. I thought the choice was made too quickly, and the battle should have been captured in a shorter span of time, but perhaps that was due to a slightly disjointed reading at the end.
But the end, in all its bittersweet glory, felt just right. If you've read Sutcliff, and like her, you'll definitely want to read Outcast. It's a story of wandering, injustice, and a tenacious hold on life that is not to be missed.
She is the king's feast of the reading world. Her prose is stunning every single time--and I really wish her books were in every literature program and book list around the world. Not only does she combine moving plots and sympathetic characters, she also has a suburb knack of capturing the smallest details without bogging down in them.
Beric's childhood is a really vivid part. From the time he comes to them as an infant, lashed to his parents in the storm to the time when he is cast out and forces his dog to stay behind. I loved his passion before the fire when the clan men are going to bar him from joining the training with the other boys. Sutcliff starts the story with a gentle, constant rhythm that pulls you in and keeps you turning pages.
Justinius is #charactergoals. He made me cry (reading whilst we were riding in the car) and I love him with all the love. He's manly and gentle and kind and stalwart in the face of duty. For him alone, this book is worth reading, but coupled with all the grandness that is Rosemary Sutcliff, he's the crowning gem in a box of gourmet chocolates.
There was a brief point where I didn't think the emotion was drawn out properly, when Beric had to make a final choice and fight a major battle. I thought the choice was made too quickly, and the battle should have been captured in a shorter span of time, but perhaps that was due to a slightly disjointed reading at the end.
But the end, in all its bittersweet glory, felt just right. If you've read Sutcliff, and like her, you'll definitely want to read Outcast. It's a story of wandering, injustice, and a tenacious hold on life that is not to be missed.
February 5, 2017
I am so glad my first read of 2017 has been a beloved Rosemary Sutcliff novel. I do love this writer so much - she rarely blows me away with a brilliant plot or heart-stopping sequence of events. Instead she captures my heart in a quiet, throat-catching way, with her beautiful writing and descriptive language and the way she can capture the little emotions of hearth and home and belonging and finding new hope after much pain, betrayal and sorrow. I just love what Sutcliff does with those themes and things!
This novel was really special in that way - it didn't blow me away, and it isn't my favourite Sutcliff - but it was solid and rich and beautiful. I, as I always do, have a soft spot for novels set in Ancient Rome, or Roman Britain, and stories with the Roman legion, or galley slaves and the city of Rome and ships and Legates and centurions and things - it is pretty great! So on that level, I loved "Outcast". In some ways, the plot was a bit predictable, and the writing a bit slow in the second half. However, the writing had some glorious gems of description that caught in my chest, and were just ahh! Beautiful! I loved Sutcliff's way of describing the change of seasons, and Beric was a character I rooted for and loved.
The ending was so beautiful, it won for me the 5 stars at the end, just because of it's genuine raw-ness and heart, despite a slow middle. Basically, go read Sutcliff, friends!
This novel was really special in that way - it didn't blow me away, and it isn't my favourite Sutcliff - but it was solid and rich and beautiful. I, as I always do, have a soft spot for novels set in Ancient Rome, or Roman Britain, and stories with the Roman legion, or galley slaves and the city of Rome and ships and Legates and centurions and things - it is pretty great! So on that level, I loved "Outcast". In some ways, the plot was a bit predictable, and the writing a bit slow in the second half. However, the writing had some glorious gems of description that caught in my chest, and were just ahh! Beautiful! I loved Sutcliff's way of describing the change of seasons, and Beric was a character I rooted for and loved.
The ending was so beautiful, it won for me the 5 stars at the end, just because of it's genuine raw-ness and heart, despite a slow middle. Basically, go read Sutcliff, friends!
July 5, 2024
So so good. I loved Beric’s story.
March 25, 2009
After a fantastic start this was strangely anticlimactic, verging on quite boring by the end. I couldn't understand it. I think the fact that there was a total of 2 female characters in the entire book might've had something to do with it - so boring.
I was a bit confused that Beric didn't seem to care much when he found out he was Titus's son, even though he spent most of the book obsessing about feeling like an 'outcast' in every society because he knew nothing about his real parents. And why didn't he go back to Rome after finding out he was in fact Roman, to find Glaccus and Lucilla's husband conveniently dead so that he could marry her? Would've made a FAR better story.
I did like the fact that it was so well-researched, especially the way most Romans were portrayed as viewing slaves as animals - they referred to things like "meat-fed galley slaves" and "a well-matched team" of blonde-haired litter-bearers. In a lot of historical fiction I think this idea is seen as too repugnant for the modern audience or something because whilst Romans are often shown being cruel to their slaves, they usually understand that they're human and treat them accordingly. Or maybe the current social distate for slavery is so strong that modern authors find it hard to get into the ancient Roman mindset? Who knows.
Anyway in conclusion I would definitely still like to read more by this author.
I was a bit confused that Beric didn't seem to care much when he found out he was Titus's son, even though he spent most of the book obsessing about feeling like an 'outcast' in every society because he knew nothing about his real parents. And why didn't he go back to Rome after finding out he was in fact Roman, to find Glaccus and Lucilla's husband conveniently dead so that he could marry her? Would've made a FAR better story.
I did like the fact that it was so well-researched, especially the way most Romans were portrayed as viewing slaves as animals - they referred to things like "meat-fed galley slaves" and "a well-matched team" of blonde-haired litter-bearers. In a lot of historical fiction I think this idea is seen as too repugnant for the modern audience or something because whilst Romans are often shown being cruel to their slaves, they usually understand that they're human and treat them accordingly. Or maybe the current social distate for slavery is so strong that modern authors find it hard to get into the ancient Roman mindset? Who knows.
Anyway in conclusion I would definitely still like to read more by this author.
November 1, 2016
The quality of this author's writing is astounding. The story is excellently told and the trauma of the main character is perfectly displayed. So, aye, I really enjoyed it and that's that, seeing as I feel myself not to be in the proper review-writing mood at the moment.
July 8, 2020
SINOPSIS
El único sobreviviente de un naufragio, Beric fue criado en una ciudad celta, aunque fue considerado un extranjero desde el principio. Un viejo druida insistió en que llevaba consigo la maldición del mar, y cuando años después la ciudad está devastada por la muerte, la gente del pueblo señala con el dedo acusador a Beric. Desterrado de su tribu, debe sobrevivir solo en el despiadado mundo romano, donde el peligro y la muerte acechan en cada esquina. Este libro es parte de la serie de novelas sobre Britania escritas por la reconocida autora Rosemary Sutcliff.
OPINIÓN
Con esa introducción a la historia agarré el libro con muchas ganas de disfrutarlo. Pero mi resumen es el de una decepción por el poco juego que la autora saca de la historia y de los personajes en general. No se hace aburrido ni infumable, pero la sensación final es: -"¿Esto es todo?"
El único sobreviviente de un naufragio, Beric fue criado en una ciudad celta, aunque fue considerado un extranjero desde el principio. Un viejo druida insistió en que llevaba consigo la maldición del mar, y cuando años después la ciudad está devastada por la muerte, la gente del pueblo señala con el dedo acusador a Beric. Desterrado de su tribu, debe sobrevivir solo en el despiadado mundo romano, donde el peligro y la muerte acechan en cada esquina. Este libro es parte de la serie de novelas sobre Britania escritas por la reconocida autora Rosemary Sutcliff.
OPINIÓN
Con esa introducción a la historia agarré el libro con muchas ganas de disfrutarlo. Pero mi resumen es el de una decepción por el poco juego que la autora saca de la historia y de los personajes en general. No se hace aburrido ni infumable, pero la sensación final es: -"¿Esto es todo?"
October 17, 2020
Poor Beric can't catch a break in this book. Read this one aloud to my boys, too. This Rosemary Sutcliffe book has a more exciting plot than Eagle of the Ninth does, with Beric being tossed from one bad situation to another. My 13 yo commented that there doesn't seem to be a goal to the book, and he's right; it really is just sort of the story of Beric's life. But... exciting things happen to Beric, and the descriptions are really amazing, especially of the galleys and the Marsh. If you like character portraits and beautiful description in your historical fiction, I would recommend this book to anyone, no matter your age.
September 16, 2015
I love historical fiction, but I struggle to find books that feel authentic and are written well enough to satisfy me. I read and adored Patrick O'Brian's brilliant Aubrey and Maturin series over a period of about four years and for me they set the gold standard for historical novels. I've tried a few other popular and well-respected authors recently and have been disappointed by their inability to pull off the hard trick of making modern English dialogue sound historically authentic, or by clunky plotting, or the lack of dramatic action - or all of these. So it was a relief to rediscover the peerless Rosemary Sutcliff, whose career as a children's novelist spanned over forty years. I would suggest that the intensity of immersion in a particular period, the quality of her descriptive writing, and the way she handles plotting and action are superior to most current 'adult' historical novelists. Outcast is a case in point: taut, action-packed, brilliantly written and with a deep understanding of the Celtic and Roman world. What I love most in Sutcliff's writing is the way she relates the physicality of felt experience; few other writers are as good at describing the sound of a log settling in the ashes of an open fire, the glint of the light on the sea as seen from the land, or the feel of rain-sodden clothing in a wild landscape with no shelter. It's this, I think, that makes her novels feel so real, and so much of their time. This book is set in a period where the weather and the landscape played a much more important role in people's lives than today, and Rosemary Sutcliff is able to bring that to life very keenly.
June 12, 2012
A Series of Unfortunate Events, basically: infant Beric washes up on the Cornish shore, and after that anything that is good that happens to him is only so that he can be hurt more when it's torn away from him. But if you're into beautifully written, lovingly detailed whumpage, this is the book for you. The storms are magnificent, the characters are interesting, and poor Beric really gets whumped.
I tend to prefer the BFF-type of Sutcliff book, and obviously (duh theme) there is no BFF here for Beric. All of the connections he forms are shattered, turning him into the titular outcast, save for the bare glance-like-a-touch with Justinius who he doesn't meet again until the last quarter of the book, but which of course foreshadows him finally finding his place.
I did not realize Justinius was quite that much older than Beric and was reading their instant connection as rather slashy, until their relationship was explicitly presented as father-figure/filial-figure, and, oh, well.
I tend to prefer the BFF-type of Sutcliff book, and obviously (duh theme) there is no BFF here for Beric. All of the connections he forms are shattered, turning him into the titular outcast, save for the bare glance-like-a-touch with Justinius who he doesn't meet again until the last quarter of the book, but which of course foreshadows him finally finding his place.
I did not realize Justinius was quite that much older than Beric and was reading their instant connection as rather slashy, until their relationship was explicitly presented as father-figure/filial-figure, and, oh, well.
December 9, 2020
I loved Rosemary Sutcliff’s novels as a kid, and I’m delighted to learn that I love them still. Outcast can still make me cry (really), and the story speaks to the outcast in each of us—never quite fitting in, always wanting to be more, despairing, believing… The Roman baby adopted by British tribesmen is bound to grow up looking different from his friends. And then, as now, the different are bound to be blamed when things go wrong. But this is a tale of overcoming blame and rejection, a novel where touches of coincidence become believable because of the smallness of the world, and an evocative story threaded with promise and hope. I can believe Roman England was truly like this, and I can wonder how far we’ve really moved on. A quick read, suitable for children, and perfect also for adults.
Disclosure: I love it!
Disclosure: I love it!
December 28, 2021
I listened to an audio version of this book but if I could get my hands on a print copy, I would add it to the YA section of our school library. Published in 1955, a piece of well-written historical fiction portraying the life of a slave in the Roman Empire. The narrative provides finely drawn scenes and details of daily life characters both in Rome itself and also in farflung corners of the empire. A coming of age story with themes of betrayal, rejection, survival, grit, forgiveness, and belonging.
May 21, 2020
Even better than I remembered it. The harrowing situation of the slave-galley and Beric's confused desparation afterwards are particularly strong stuff for a children's book.
November 16, 2021
Very good story. I enjoyed it
February 16, 2024
I find that I am struggling to find words to express my feelings about this book, mostly because the ending is leaving me feeling all sorts of things. In the best way.
The journey of Beric's from beginning to end is tragic and heart-wrenching but hopeful and tender at the same time.
Sutcliff is a master storyteller and writer and fills her stories with such vivid imagery and deep-feeling, painting a relatable and beautiful picture of the human experience.
She has definitely become a favourite author from reading The Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles and now this story.
The journey of Beric's from beginning to end is tragic and heart-wrenching but hopeful and tender at the same time.
Sutcliff is a master storyteller and writer and fills her stories with such vivid imagery and deep-feeling, painting a relatable and beautiful picture of the human experience.
She has definitely become a favourite author from reading The Eagle of the Ninth Chronicles and now this story.
November 4, 2019
I suppose I was destined to become a huge Rosemary Sutcliff fan. Not only are most of her novels set in Roman Britain (YESSSSSSS), but she also created one of my earliest and biggest fictional crushes. (After nine years and three readings, I’m still not over him.) She’s one of those authors I’ve come to expect remarkable books from, and Outcast certainly didn’t disappoint.
Here is the summary from the flyleaf:
Rescued as a baby from a shipwrecked Roman galley, Beric is brought up in a British tribe, but is never fully accepted by them. When disaster threatens the tribe, they turn on him and cast him out. A life of hardship and danger follows, as Beric is sold into slavery in Rome and then condemned to life on the rowing-bench of a Roman galley. Will he ever reach the shores of Britain again, and find a true home?
Firstly, I was staggered and shocked by what Beric had to endure. It blows my mind that this teenager found the strength to survive two years as a galley slave – definitely one of the bleakest descriptions of living hell I’ve encountered. The recurring theme of rejection, of never belonging anywhere and being constantly alone, also yanked at my heart.
Bleakness aside, this book was peopled with excellently-drawn characters. Beric quickly won me over and had me cheering him on. The antagonists were so vile I wondered if I would also have flown at them as Beric did. The good guys, by contrast, had endearing, human traits that made them identifiable and easy to love – another thing I really enjoy about Sutcliff’s novels. Her character of Justinius is one of the most memorable and remarkably sketched I’ve encountered in, well, this year.
Another thing I enjoyed was the pace. There’s enough action and suspense to keep you hooked, but it is balanced with space to breathe; to conjure up the landscape in your mind’s eye; to smile as a titbit of information gives more insight into a character’s heart.
Outcast is also filled with beautiful descriptions that portray Beric’s deep love of the British landscape, like this one:
When they came out from the huts, it seemed to Beric that the whole vast emptiness of the Marsh was full of fire, and awe touched him so that he halted in his tracks. He had seen other wild sunsets on the Marsh, but never one like this, never quite this lurid intensity of colour glowing in the breast-high furze and kindling the tawny levels to furnace gold; the whole world burning under a tiger sky of wind-rippled flame; never this fearful glory that was not so much a sunset as a message – a warning – written in fire across the evening. (pp. 229-230)
I love how Sutcliff manages to be poetic in her prose, but never flowery or dense. She counters this with sparse dialogue that still speaks volumes, like this:
“I work on the great sea-wall that we are raising to hold back the tides from the Marsh,” [Beric] said at last.
“So, all these four years?”
“No, since last spring only. I . . . was in other places before then.”
Despite himself, his voice had hardened, and Rhiada said after a moment: “They were not good, those other places?”
“No,” said Beric. “They were not good.” (pp. 226-227)
Or just the delightful turns of phrase they use, for example:
“Flann!” he cried disgustedly. “You were never nearer to a spear between your ribs! What brings you abroad on such a night?” (p. 4)
Outcast is a lovely book, and well worth the read. The bittersweet story leaves a deep impression, as do the wonderful, vibrant characters – all wrapped in a hauntingly beautiful British landscape painted in Sutcliff’s vivid descriptions.
Here is the summary from the flyleaf:
Rescued as a baby from a shipwrecked Roman galley, Beric is brought up in a British tribe, but is never fully accepted by them. When disaster threatens the tribe, they turn on him and cast him out. A life of hardship and danger follows, as Beric is sold into slavery in Rome and then condemned to life on the rowing-bench of a Roman galley. Will he ever reach the shores of Britain again, and find a true home?
Firstly, I was staggered and shocked by what Beric had to endure. It blows my mind that this teenager found the strength to survive two years as a galley slave – definitely one of the bleakest descriptions of living hell I’ve encountered. The recurring theme of rejection, of never belonging anywhere and being constantly alone, also yanked at my heart.
Bleakness aside, this book was peopled with excellently-drawn characters. Beric quickly won me over and had me cheering him on. The antagonists were so vile I wondered if I would also have flown at them as Beric did. The good guys, by contrast, had endearing, human traits that made them identifiable and easy to love – another thing I really enjoy about Sutcliff’s novels. Her character of Justinius is one of the most memorable and remarkably sketched I’ve encountered in, well, this year.
Another thing I enjoyed was the pace. There’s enough action and suspense to keep you hooked, but it is balanced with space to breathe; to conjure up the landscape in your mind’s eye; to smile as a titbit of information gives more insight into a character’s heart.
Outcast is also filled with beautiful descriptions that portray Beric’s deep love of the British landscape, like this one:
When they came out from the huts, it seemed to Beric that the whole vast emptiness of the Marsh was full of fire, and awe touched him so that he halted in his tracks. He had seen other wild sunsets on the Marsh, but never one like this, never quite this lurid intensity of colour glowing in the breast-high furze and kindling the tawny levels to furnace gold; the whole world burning under a tiger sky of wind-rippled flame; never this fearful glory that was not so much a sunset as a message – a warning – written in fire across the evening. (pp. 229-230)
I love how Sutcliff manages to be poetic in her prose, but never flowery or dense. She counters this with sparse dialogue that still speaks volumes, like this:
“I work on the great sea-wall that we are raising to hold back the tides from the Marsh,” [Beric] said at last.
“So, all these four years?”
“No, since last spring only. I . . . was in other places before then.”
Despite himself, his voice had hardened, and Rhiada said after a moment: “They were not good, those other places?”
“No,” said Beric. “They were not good.” (pp. 226-227)
Or just the delightful turns of phrase they use, for example:
“Flann!” he cried disgustedly. “You were never nearer to a spear between your ribs! What brings you abroad on such a night?” (p. 4)
Outcast is a lovely book, and well worth the read. The bittersweet story leaves a deep impression, as do the wonderful, vibrant characters – all wrapped in a hauntingly beautiful British landscape painted in Sutcliff’s vivid descriptions.
October 29, 2015
Beric is the only survivor of a Roman shipwreck. He is brought up amongst a Celtic tribe, but is driven out when he grows up because he does not share the same blood. When sleeping on what seems an accommodating ship, he is kidnapped and sold to slave-traders. Then a man who wants him to fight as a charioteer buys him. One day, he loses his temper and pours wine on his master's head. His master threatens to send him to work in the salt mines - a horrible place where you can go mad and die. Beric decides to escape and he runs away, not knowing where he'll run to.
He is framed as a burglar and sent to work at the oar until he dies. But Beric is stronger than he looks. After two years of labouring at the oar, he is taken for dead and thrown overboard where he swims to shore. He is found and his charge of being a burglar is cleared. He is free to stay with Justinius, a kind, strong man who he found on shore. Justinius looks after him before asking if he would like to stay forever. And relieved Beric agrees, and sets up a new life on the marshy ground next to the sea.
This book is difficult to get into, but once you're into it, it's difficult to put down! It's more grown up than other books I read, so it challenges me a bit and improves my reading. I enjoy reading Rosemary Sutcliff's books.
He is framed as a burglar and sent to work at the oar until he dies. But Beric is stronger than he looks. After two years of labouring at the oar, he is taken for dead and thrown overboard where he swims to shore. He is found and his charge of being a burglar is cleared. He is free to stay with Justinius, a kind, strong man who he found on shore. Justinius looks after him before asking if he would like to stay forever. And relieved Beric agrees, and sets up a new life on the marshy ground next to the sea.
This book is difficult to get into, but once you're into it, it's difficult to put down! It's more grown up than other books I read, so it challenges me a bit and improves my reading. I enjoy reading Rosemary Sutcliff's books.
September 29, 2012
Solid historical about a baby washed ashore from a shipwreck and raised by a British tribe; they eventually exile him, whereupon he goes to Roman-ruled Britain, gets enslaved, and eventually ends up on a slave galley. The depiction of the galley ship is horrific and vivid, and the section after that, which I won't spoil, is quite moving. But I didn't like this as much as I did some of Sutcliff's others. The protagonist was a bit too everyman for my taste.
July 17, 2014
This author. I can't do her justice.
The meaning of a relationship. That's where she excels. In Outcast there isn't even a romantic relationship. But Beric, the main character, has a binding friendship (friendship isn't enough of a word!) with Jason, his oarmate. And she weaves the relationship that they have in about a chapter!
Rosemary Sutcliff is my favorite author, and this is one of the more touching books of hers that I have read. I completely recommend it.
The meaning of a relationship. That's where she excels. In Outcast there isn't even a romantic relationship. But Beric, the main character, has a binding friendship (friendship isn't enough of a word!) with Jason, his oarmate. And she weaves the relationship that they have in about a chapter!
Rosemary Sutcliff is my favorite author, and this is one of the more touching books of hers that I have read. I completely recommend it.
May 7, 2008
Read from 8-9 March 2005. Although not as good as Eagle of the Ninth, it didn't have to be, I was hooked! Rosemary Sutcliff writes great historical fiction. Can't think of a better way to get kids to learn history!
November 6, 2010
Not the best Sutcliff, in my opinion. The storyline wasn't as strong as some of the others, though the commentary on Roman slavery was quite strong.
October 16, 2012
I don't have the words to do this book justice. It is a truly incredible story and I am now a fan for life of Rosemary Sutcliff.
September 18, 2014
I couldn't even finish this. This book is SO boring that after 1/2 a chapter I would fall asleep...like seriously. WIsh me luck on the assignment I have to do on it lol
December 29, 2019
This book was mentioned in my children's literature textbook as a book that provides unexpected insights. The author does a great job of describing things in a way that seems exactly true to life. I was wary of reading this book at first because of the slavery aspect. I have a thing about my characters being abused and mistreated so much. But this didn't turn out to be too terribly bad and it wasn't graphic. (Although I had to peek at the chapter titles to make sure he would end up okay.) Beric is such a wonderful protagonist. He was not super-strong, super-smart, and magnificent at everything. He was a scrapper who kept trying through tough times. He defended the weak and he showed that he had a good heart even when they tried to beat it out of him.
The callous disregard for life in this book is hard to read about. Romans used humans as a resource and it was basically luck that determined if you were the servant or the served. The ruling class didn't care what happened among the poorest people of the world as long as it didn't affect them or their goals. Beric is at the oars of the ship watching the Legate urge the captain of the ship to go faster than he'd like:
Unfortunately, this attitude still is around today.
Humans like to parade around saying how much more evolved and intelligent we are than lowly animals, but so many times in this book, that is not true. The other men of the tribe are described as turning on him because he is different from them.
So the superstitious villagers are like a pack of dogs and when they are in the galley of the ship, the men fight for scraps and are described as baying and howling for food. It goes to show that the slightest lack of necessities can turn rational people into snarling beasts.
I thought the main theme of the book was not to give up on people. Beric is so happy as a child and then people just start giving him reasons to not trust them. Over and over he is screwed over by people who are plain evil or forced by circumstances. But he keeps going and keeps meeting people that are kind and people that he puts his trust in. Beric refuses to be broken. It almost happened after the galley, but he trusts one more time. This is mirrored in the little dog, Canog. She has reasons not to trust men, too, but she puts her faith in Beric.
The callous disregard for life in this book is hard to read about. Romans used humans as a resource and it was basically luck that determined if you were the servant or the served. The ruling class didn't care what happened among the poorest people of the world as long as it didn't affect them or their goals. Beric is at the oars of the ship watching the Legate urge the captain of the ship to go faster than he'd like:
There he stands above us, untouched by our agony! We swing to and fro, to and fro; our hearts burst and we die at the oars, that he and his pretty tribunes may be an hour sooner at their journey's end; and he does not even notice.
Unfortunately, this attitude still is around today.
Humans like to parade around saying how much more evolved and intelligent we are than lowly animals, but so many times in this book, that is not true. The other men of the tribe are described as turning on him because he is different from them.
He had seen the hound pack turn on a strange dog before now, or one that was hurt, or different from themselves in any way.
So the superstitious villagers are like a pack of dogs and when they are in the galley of the ship, the men fight for scraps and are described as baying and howling for food. It goes to show that the slightest lack of necessities can turn rational people into snarling beasts.
I thought the main theme of the book was not to give up on people. Beric is so happy as a child and then people just start giving him reasons to not trust them. Over and over he is screwed over by people who are plain evil or forced by circumstances. But he keeps going and keeps meeting people that are kind and people that he puts his trust in. Beric refuses to be broken. It almost happened after the galley, but he trusts one more time. This is mirrored in the little dog, Canog. She has reasons not to trust men, too, but she puts her faith in Beric.
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