AK Blakemore's "Doom Painting" Captures Peasants' Revolt

AK Blakemore's third novel, "Doom Painting," provides a comprehensive narrative of the Peasants' Revolt of 1381, a significant medieval uprising in England. The novel chronicles the 16 days of this rebellion, which saw commoners from various social strata—including peasants, merchants, servants, smugglers, and even some local lords and officials—rise up against the imposition of a poll tax. The rebels engaged in widespread destruction, burning records of debts, executing their oppressors, and devastating their homes across southern England. Blakemore employs an extensive array of viewpoints to tell this story, encompassing figures such as the young King Richard II, several of his courtiers, and numerous individuals from the rebellious Commons. The narrative even extends to non-human perspectives, including a porpoise and a runaway horse, contributing to the novel's expansive scope. The title, "Doom Painting," alludes to the medieval church murals depicting the Last Judgment, suggesting the novel frames the revolt as an inevitable and significant reckoning.

"Doom Painting" is characterized as a "doorstopper" due to its considerable length, a characteristic often associated with novels of such ambitious scope. A prominent feature of the book, as noted by reviewers, is its "dazzlingly rich" and "lexical glamour." Blakemore's prose is described as employing a wide vocabulary in a "startling, aestheticised, puckish way" that serves to both expand the reader's understanding of language and the world depicted. This stylistic choice can lead to moments of "joyously silly" imagery, such as describing slugs that "blurb their elementary forms from out of the undergrowth to begin a dank and toothless festa" or referencing "lunar-brilliantined mud." However, the novel also balances this linguistic playfulness with "gravity and passion," particularly in its intimate portrayals of the commoners' lives. Blakemore vividly imagines their daily routines and motivations, such as their rising "to fry eggs in butter and pork fat; they rise, to whet knives on scarred stone; they rise, to braid the manes of their draught horses; they rise, to count arrows; they rise, setting aside their glitchy dreams of hairy stars and blue-skinned devils; they rise, fearful and powerful, into the bright day." The inclusion of the anachronistic term "glitchy" in this context highlights Blakemore's distinctive and often playful approach to language and historical representation.

The novel's ambitious scope and detailed portrayal of the Peasants' Revolt have garnered critical attention. The Peasants' Revolt itself was a pivotal moment in English history, driven by economic grievances and social discontent. The poll tax, a flat tax levied on every individual regardless of income, was particularly unpopular and served as the immediate catalyst for the widespread unrest. The rebels' actions, including the destruction of manorial records, aimed to erase feudal obligations and assert a new social order. Blakemore's decision to include a wide range of perspectives, from the royal court to the common people, and even to animals, aims to provide a multifaceted understanding of the events and the complex social dynamics at play. The novel's rich prose and imaginative storytelling are central to its critical reception, offering readers an immersive experience of this turbulent period in English history.