The Field of the Cloth of Gold Paperback – August 8, 2017

Nice 'twist' at the end, beautifully apropos close. Splendid visuals throughout, kept this reader entertained with characters and goings-on while consistently contemplating numerous historical analogies which Mills' loves to satirize. This might be his easiest work to envision making it to the Big Screen since "Restraint of Beasts."

A good read, though perhaps not up to the quality suggested by other reviews.I found myself annoyed trying to figure out what the characters actually DID while camping out on the large field.It's probably some social satire, but it would be of some interest to determine what it was, exactly, that keep these people "gainfully employed."

I love everything by this author. I'm sure these stories are allegories for something.

I've just read this in hardback and it was like one of those surreal dreams that come along every so often, drawing you back to remember them for several days or even weeks afterwards.I've read some newspaper reviews that say the characters and the setting suggest England at the time of the Roman invasion, and maybe history buffs can see that in it. Although there is a certain civility about the exchanges between the characters, whether well-settled or newcomers, that seems unlikely for that time. But maybe that's not fair, and people then really were like that to their invaders.But for someone like me who is just looking for a good and memorable story without needing to understand the hidden agenda of the writer, there is far more to it than that. There are several aspects that pique the curiosity: for example, although everyone in the story is encamped, whether alone or with others, other than in relation to one cult-like group there is no reference whatsoever to latrines, washing facilities for persons or clothing, or food of any kind, other than milk pudding and biscuits. The latter seem to be designed and wielded almost like tokens, which gives a sense of a board game rather than a book, with such considerations being unimportant because they don't figure in the rules. (Here I should perhaps mention that I love board games.)Neither is the wider society outside the field of the title referred to. The whole action of the story is contained in the small world of the field, which is not as dull as it sounds. There is also just one woman character who figures prominently, with the only other women being some unnamed hand-maidens belonging to the previously referred-to cult-like group.I also noticed something other reviewers haven't mentioned - the number of characters whose names begin with H. Normally a writer tries to avoid even a couple of characters with the same initial, unless confusion is part of the plot. But one by one the H people appear in the narrative, as if part of a private joke. Are the history-buffs right about the setting, and does the H refer to some H-istorical figure such as Harold?Whatever about the origins or intended meanings of the story, I found it magical from start to finish. The contrast between the good manners of the characters (even those considered by other characters to be ill-mannered and arrogant) and the simple housing of various kinds of tents is part of the whole strangeness. There are men with helmets, but the only violence seems to be in the prankish mode. The protagonist seems to be 'a good sort,' keen to help everyone, which gets him into some trouble when his intentions are misinterpreted. Or are they? Perhaps he really isn't such a nice chap after all.As I suggested at the start, now that I've finished it this book continues to intrigue me and to sow its apparently innocent fronds into the river-bed of my imagination. That to me is the sign of a good book, one that I will remember and wonder at for a long time to come.

One of the most boring books I've bothered to finish. Still not sure why I continued.

The title of Mills's eighth novel comes from the name for the 1520 summit between Henry VIII and Francis I, the goal of which was to strengthen Anglo-French bonds. Apparently Mills came across the innocuous field that was the site of that historic two-week event and that became the inspiration for this story. Not surprisingly, it's an allegory of sorts -- written in the deadpan tone that Mills' fans (such as myself) love. I have to admit that I have no idea what it was all about while reading it, although the heavy attention to geographic detail (the parts of the field, the river that bounds it, a trench that gets dug) strongly suggested that it was tied to some real-world equivalent carving up of territory. After the fact, it all makes sense that it's the story of Britain and various invasions. As new groups of people arrive at the field, they represent two waves of Romans, Viking raiders, and eventually a ragged bloke with an obscure message who's clearly meant to invoke the arrival of Christianity.While I love a number of Mills's books, unfortunately this one just felt like a clever conceit with nothing behind it. There's some level of pleasure to be gained from his particularly stylized prose, and there's some minor fun to be had decoding various elements (copper bath = golden calf, geddit?), but there's a "why can't everyone just get along" tone expressed by the narrator that lacks any cutting edge. Overall, a bit of a misfire, even for a Mills fan like me.

I was sure that something exciting was going to happen. After all, this book had rave reviews, so it must be good.Then I was sure that something interesting was going to happen. Nobody could wrote a book where nothing happens!Then I thought that, perhaps, on the next page I might find just something happening.I was mistaken.Spoiler alert. Literally nothing happens in this book, and the ending *still* manages to be anti-climactic.Oh, but it is quite well written.

Not as good as The Restraint of Beasts, but still a tale of deadpan whimsy that keeps you hooked even while nothing of great drama seems to happen. We're back in a weird Magnus Mills world where things are not quite right, but you can't quite put your finger on it. Much is not explained about the lifestyles of the field dwellers. Events here on a small scale could be seen to mirror those of the real world.

This is classic Mills and a very nice allegorical reworking of the early history of England. Anybody interested in the country’s early centuries will be delighted by the author’s cleverness and intrigued by his allusions. Whom, if anybody, do Thomas and Isabella represent? Or Hippo? Answers on a postcard please. It is laugh out loud funny at times.

Mills again stimulates his brand of off-balancing tale telling. Who are the goodies, are there any goodies or baddies for that matter, and more deeply what roles do the individuals have in the plot, what is the ragged visitors place. Thank you Mills, hmmmm!

Rather a shaggy dog story more than anything