In a Dark Wood Wandering: A Novel of the Middle Ages

Charles d'Orleans (1394-1465), shy nephew of mad French king Charles VI, is the focus of this narrative, first published in the Netherlands in 1949. ``This massive novel . . . is magisterial in its grasp of princely politics and military maneuvering in the era of the Hundred Years' War between France and England,'' said PW. ``As a fictional narrative of private life and human emotion, however, it lacks the vital spark.'' 50,000 first printing; QPB selection. (May)