Anna of Byzantium (novel)
 First edition cover | |
| Author | Tracy Barrett |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical |
| Publisher | Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers |
Publication date | June 1999 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 209 p. (hardback edition) & 209 p. (paperback edition) |
| ISBN | 0-385-32626-2 (hardback edition) & ISBN 0-440-41536-5 (paperback edition) |
| OCLC | 40218766 |
| LC Class | PZ7.B275355 An 1999 |
Anna of Byzantium is a historical novel by Tracy Barrett originally published in 1998.
Plot introduction
The novel places Anna Comnena in the convent where she was exiled by her brother, Byzantine emperor John II Comnenus after her failed attempt to poison him with stolen cough medicine. The story is told from Anna's point of view- looking back on previous events. Anna tells about her childhood, her family, and how her brother became the heir to the Byzantine throne. The book vividly describes the setting of the story and all the characters in it.
Detailed Plot Summary
In the novel, the manuscript of the Alexiad, which Anna had worked upon in the library at Constantinople, is brought to her to continue at the convent, though in history, she did not start writing until she arrived at the convent. Anna describes her old life as a princess in the royal palace and how she ended up in the convent.
Anna wakes up to a dark winter sky. She dresses in a rough robe and opens her bedroom door to a long, dim hallway. As she passes through, she describes the floor to be cold under her bare feet until she reaches the refectory door, where the other sisters are. Anna sits down and eats a breakfast of porridge and milk. Anna stares at the food, and her mind is suddenly flooded with the picture of her banquet her father gave on her betrothal, while a sister drones on with a passage of the Bible. Anna remembers how she sat atop a high purple cushion in the great dining-hall of the palace. She describes, "...bronze dishes gleaming in the bright torchlight; servers in multi-colored uniforms pouring great spouts of red wine into tall goblets; the rich smells of spices and roasted meats filled the room; the guests talked and laughed, teasing me and my betrothed, as was the custom; the dogs barked and fought over bones; my mother led the company in singing bridal songs that made me blush, child that I was"(Barrett 2). Unbeknownst to Anna while imagining this, The wooden spoon she held was clenched so tightly it splintered. This brings her back to the refectory, with the sister reading the Bible passage silenced. The only one who faced Anna was the mother superior. She asks Anna if she is troubled, with Anna replying with "Nothing, Mother"(Barrett 2). The Mother then asks if something has been troubling her. Anna thinks about how to answer. She thinks of how the nuns sit in the copying-room, copying manuscripts in their careful handwriting. She then asks Mother if she could sit in the room with the other sisters for a few hours a day, as she didn't have the same duties that kept the other sisters as occupied. Mother agrees, but says she must ask the emperor for permission. Anger bubbles in Anna as she remembers who the emperor is, her little brother, John II Comnenus. She knows it is his fault that she wasn't sitting in the throne of Byzantium, how he banished her to the convent and waste her days away. Later in the book, Anna begins to tell the story of her life. As a young girl, she loved learning, and was the "prized pupil of the imperial tutor and librarian, the eunuch Simon, a small man with no hair and a round belly." (Barrett 7).
Overall Summary: Anna is a princess of the Byzantine empire, daughter of Alexius Commenus, emperor during the first crusade. Although the story takes place during that time, minimal information is actually given about it. Anyway, Anna, being the first born child of Alexius and the empress, Irene, she is originally chosen to be the empress when Alexius dies. However, a baby named John Porphygenitus is born. Even after John is born, Anna is still considered the heir to the thrown. However, Anna has a power-hungry grandmother who tries to use John as a puppet to the throne. The story is about Anna trying to take control of the heir of the throne.