Requiem at Rogano (1979) by Stephen Knight
Readers unfamiliar with Requiem at Rogano may wish to read my notes only after reading the novel.
Rogano is an ambitious novel, nicely complicated and executed with real competence. Knight was under thirty when the book was published, and it exemplifies his passion for (deliberately) hidden knowledge with scandalous potential.
Perhaps only a young man with the 1976 nonfiction study Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution already to his credit would undertake Rogano's ambitious Edwardian setting. Likewise, managing several dozen characters contemporary to 1902, as well as paired characters from circa 1454 Rogano itself.
And only an author who proclaimed a solution to the Whitechapel murders could have no qualms about bringing Nostradamus into his pioneer work of fiction.
The final veil-rending revelation of Requiem at Rogano may not shock, given the architecture of Knight's plot. But the final sentence, pregnant with prolepsis, has a sublime weight.
My notes:
Plot:
* The story begins in 1902 with a retired Scotland Yard detective, Brough, who is asked by his nephew, Nicholas, to collaborate on a history of murder.
* Nicholas has been researching a series of unsolved murders that took place in the 15th century in the Italian town of Rogano.
* Their research leads them to discover that they are both reincarnations of people involved in the original murders.
* As they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover a web of conspiracies and hidden truths.
* The story also involves a series of murders in 1902 London, which are eerily similar to the Rogano murders.
* The climax of the story takes place in the dungeons of the old cathedral in Rogano, where the final confrontation between the protagonists and the antagonist occurs.
Characters:
* Brough: A retired Scotland Yard detective.
* Nicholas: Brough's nephew, a young historian.
* Galen: A mysterious figure who is later revealed to be a reincarnation of one of the people involved in the Rogano murders.
* Peterson: A convicted killer who is out to get Brough.
* Augustus Carew: An old man who provides Nicholas with valuable information about the Rogano murders.
* Tommaso: The caretaker of the house where the Aquilina brothers lived.
* Mother Sebastiano: The mother abbess of the abbey where Sister Ruffo lived.
Settings:
* 1902 London: The story begins in London, where Brough and Nicholas live.
* Rogano: The story shifts to Rogano, the Italian town where the original murders took place.
* Santine Hill: The hill above Rogano, where the cave is located.
* Abbey of Alba d'Amprizio: The abbey where Sister Ruffo lived.
Theme/Thesis:
The main theme of the story is the search for truth and the consequences of uncovering hidden truths. The story also explores the themes of reincarnation, guilt, and redemption.
Style:
The story is written in a classic style, with rich descriptions and complex characters. The author uses a lot of symbolism and imagery, and the story is full of twists and turns. The story is also notable for its use of humor, which often lightens the mood of the story.
Chapter Summaries:
* Chapter 1: Brough, a retired Scotland Yard detective, is restless in his retirement and yearns to be back on the job, especially with the recent news of a strangler terrorizing London. He receives a letter from his nephew, Nicholas, proposing they collaborate on a history of murder.
* Chapter 2: Brough meets Nicholas at a pub, where Nicholas reveals that he has stumbled upon a series of mysterious murders that took place in the Italian town of Rogano centuries ago.
* Chapter 3: Nicholas recounts the details of the Rogano murders, which took place in 1454. The murders remain unsolved, and the town is in a state of panic.
* Chapter 4: Nicholas continues his story, describing the victims and the mysterious circumstances surrounding their deaths. The community turns to the Church for guidance, and an inquisitor arrives to investigate the murders.
* Chapter 5: The Inquisition accuses and executes two brothers, Antonio and Giuseppe Aquilina, for the murders, but their guilt remains uncertain.
* Chapter 6: Brough agrees to collaborate with Nicholas on the project, and they begin their investigation.
* Chapter 7: Brough visits Scotland Yard and learns about the "Deptford Strangler," a serial killer who is terrorizing London. The strangler's victims are all strangled, and there seems to be no motive for the killings.
* Chapter 8: Brough discovers a poem written by Nicholas, which reveals his nephew's love for a woman.
* Chapter 9: Brough becomes involved in the investigation of the Deptford Strangler, working as an unofficial consultant to Scotland Yard.
* Chapter 10: Nicholas travels to Germany to research the Rogano murders further.
* Chapter 11: Brough is contacted by a Dr. Orchard, who wants to discuss something with him in private.
* Chapter 12: Brough meets with Dr. Orchard, who tells him about Nicholas' disturbing dreams.
* Chapter 13: Brough learns that Nicholas has not gone to Germany but is instead staying in London.
* Chapter 14: Nicholas reveals that he has been having nightmares in which he is strangling people. He fears that he may be the Deptford Strangler.
* Chapter 15: Nicholas meets with Augustus Carew, who tells him about a document that records the Rogano murders.
* Chapter 16: Carew reveals that he is a descendant of the man who built his house and that he has discovered a hidden manuscript containing prophecies.
* Chapter 17: Carew tells Nicholas that he is the reincarnation of one of the Aquilina brothers and that the manuscript predicts that the Rogano Strangler will kill again in London.
* Chapter 18: Nicholas learns that Carew has been murdered, and he fears that he is the killer.
* Chapter 19: Brough confronts Nicholas, who admits that he has been having blackouts and may be the Deptford Strangler.
* Chapter 20: Brough and Nicholas visit the widow of one of the strangler's victims, who tells them about her husband's research.
* Chapter 21: Nicholas sees a man with odd eyes, whom he recognizes as the man from his nightmares.
* Chapter 22: The man with odd eyes introduces himself as Rudolf van Galen and claims to be the reincarnation of the other Aquilina brother.
* Chapter 23: Galen explains that he is a member of a secret society that studies the soul and that he has been sent to help Nicholas understand his past life.
* Chapter 24: Galen reveals that he has been reborn several times and that he is able to regress into his past lives.
* Chapter 25: Brough reveals that he believes Henry Antrobus, the strangler's first victim, was the reincarnation of Lorenzo di Corsa, the Duke of Rogano.
* Chapter 26: Galen suggests that all of the Deptford Strangler's victims are reincarnations of the Rogano victims.
* Chapter 27: Brough, Nicholas, and Galen examine the Nostradamus manuscripts and find a prophecy that accurately predicts the Dreyfus affair.
* Chapter 28: They find another prophecy that warns of the "son of Peter" and the "great untruth of Eusebius."
* Chapter 29: Brough visits the mother of Henry Antrobus, who gives him a clue that connects her son to the British Museum.
* Chapter 30: Brough, Nicholas, and Galen find a note in Nicholas' room that matches the clue from Mrs. Antrobus.
* Chapter 31: They encounter Nathaniel Potts, a man who claims to know Nicholas from a "gentlemen's club."
* Chapter 32: Potts's companion, Flo, confirms that Nicholas has been to the club before, but Nicholas has no memory of it.
* Chapter 33: Brough's investigation leads him to believe that four of the Deptford Strangler's victims were all researching the past.
* Chapter 34: Nicholas collapses from exhaustion, and Brough takes him back to Jermyn Street.
* Chapter 35: Brough, Nicholas, and Galen travel to Rogano.
* Chapter 36: They arrive in Rogano and find the town much as it was in the 15th century.
* Chapter 37: They meet a mysterious Englishman named Hutchinson.
* Chapter 38: Nicholas and Galen experience vivid dreams of their past lives in Rogano.
* Chapter 39: They visit the house where the Aquilina brothers lived and meet the caretaker, Tommaso.
* Chapter 40: Brough, Nicholas, and Galen break into the house and find their way to the attic.
* Chapter 41: Nicholas and Galen regress into their past lives and witness a conversation between Antonio and Giuseppe.
* Chapter 42: Brough discovers that Tommaso is the brother of the mother abbess.
* Chapter 43: They visit the ruins of the cathedral and find the entrance to the dungeons.
* Chapter 44: They find the cave on Santine Hill and discover a printing press.
* Chapter 45: Galen finds a note from Brough that says he is not the killer.
* Chapter 46: They are attacked by Hutchinson, who throws a fire bomb into their room.
* Chapter 47: Galen chases after Hutchinson, but he escapes.
* Chapter 48: Brough is injured in a fall and taken to the infirmary.
* Chapter 49: Nicholas and Galen are locked in their room by Hutchinson.
* Chapter 50: They find the body of Hutchinson, who has been murdered.
* Chapter 51: Brough reveals that he believes the printing press was used to print documents that undermine the divinity of Christ.
* Chapter 52: He believes that the documents were written by Peter and that they were hidden in the abbey.
* Chapter 53: They find the documents hidden behind the altar in the abbey.
* Chapter 54: The documents reveal that Jesus was not divine and that Christianity is a myth.
* Chapter 55: Brough reveals that he is the reincarnation of the Grand Inquisitor and that he is the Deptford Strangler.
* Chapter 56: He leaves Rogano and travels to India.
* Chapter 57: Nicholas and Galen discover that Peterson is dead and that Brough has left them a letter.
* Chapter 58: Brough reveals that he is the reincarnation of the Grand Inquisitor and that he is the Deptford Strangler.
* Chapter 59: He leaves Rogano and travels to India.
* Chapter 60: Nicholas and Galen are left to ponder the mysteries of the universe.
“Strenuous efforts were made to identify the brother who had made the sinister trips into the hills. Under the supervision of the Grand Inquisitor, officers of the Inquisition mercilessly tortured both in the hope of wringing a confession from one. When this failed, and amid great rejoicing in the streets of Rogano, the Inquisition burned them both at the stake. In sentencing the brothers for the crimes only one of them had committed, the Grand Inquisitor disclosed that his officers had discovered a cave near the top of the Santine Hill in which was found all the devilish paraphernalia of the Gormini….”
Jay
28 December 2024
