The Waste Land

The Waste Land chronicles the adventures of Hugh de Verdon, a monk turned knight, during the extraordinary historical events of the First Crusade. When Hugh's father and brothers perish in a hunt run amok, his mother enters him into the great Benedictine monastery of Cluny. Hugh had dreamed of becoming a hunter and knight like his father, but despite his original reluctance, he works diligently, learning Latin, Greek and Scripture. He quickly gains the respect of the monks and abbot, who begin to entrust him with increasingly important duties. However, he has a serious fall from grace within the monastery when he is caught secretly reading the works of Ovid, as the monks (aptly) fear that the material will exacerbate his spiritual doubts. When he accompanies the abbot on a trip to meet with Pope Urban II, Hugh encounters a long-lost cousin, Lord Godfrey who is off to lead troops into the First Crusade. Hugh persuades the abbot and Godfrey to allow him to serve as...