Major Themes
In this novel, Brian Killick takes the reader on a journey into the secret inner politics of the herald's college. This is a world that few people have entered, and Killick's interpretation creates some very interesting personalities. The book is well written, though seen as a trifle contrived. In style, The Heralds has a narrative that is not quite sequential and is similar to Heller's Catch-22. This chronological befuddlement, combined with the convention of calling heralds only by their title can be confusing, but also adds to the humor. Killick also makes clear that the apolitical College of Arms has been around for a very long time and is slow to change. The following excerpt comes from chapter nine, in which the heralds resist the installation of a telephone until the very last moment. Even when a telephone is finally brought to the College, the officers of arms refuse to plug it in.
- -"I give you notice," wrote an officer, "that I am going to try and telephone you at eleven o'clock tomorrow morning. If there is no corresponding telephone at your end, that will not be my fault. My patience is exhausted."
- -"Telephone and be damned!" bellowed Clarenceux.
Read more about this topic: The Heralds
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