Scala Radio Book Club: Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris
From the bestselling author of Munich and V2
Last updated 15th Sep 2022
On Thursday 8th September, Mark Forrest chatted to the author Robert Harris in the Scala Radio Book Club, on his brand-new thrilling novel Act of Oblivion.
From the bestselling author of Munich and V2, Robert Harris’ new novel is an epic journey across the continents and tells the story of the greatest manhunt of the seventeenth century.
1660, General Edward Whalley and Colonel William Goffe, father- and son-in-law, cross the Atlantic. They are on the run and wanted for the murder of Charles I. Under the provisions of the Act of Oblivion, they have been found guilty in absentia of high treason.
In London, Richard Nayler, secretary of the regicide committee of the Privy Council, is tasked with tracking down the fugitives. He'll stop at nothing until the two men are brought to justice. A reward of £100 hangs over their heads - for their capture, dead or alive.
Mark asked, ‘When you were doing this research and looking at the way in which the Civil War had torn the country apart, how much did you draw parallels with today and the divisiveness we see around us?’
‘In addition to the chase, which is set out to entertain readers, there's something about the Civil War, and something about its long reach into today,’ said Robert. ‘I think it is worth writing about, because there's been an enormous focus on the Tudors, but, the Civil War was equally as big, if not a bigger event in our time. There are parallels with today and you can see the two sides still poking out today in politics. So, none of these things is ever put to bed.’
Mark was interested to know whether writing this book made Robert think about whether he’s a puritan or royalist.
‘I've always assumed that I would have supported the parliamentary side,’ said Robert. ‘I would have been a moderate parliamentarian, I think, and that's my curse politically, actually! Of course, in a revolutionary time, you're squashed. It's a complicated thing dealing with civil war. It's not just Parliament versus the king. It's Parliament versus the army, and the army was dominated by Puritan extremists. I am not a Puritan. That much I'm quite certain of. But this is a book about extremes. Most of my novels actually are about the perils of certainty and extremism, and they are a kind of plead for the man or woman who's standing in the middle.’
Robert Harris’ novels have been adapted into numerous films. His 2007 novel The Ghost was adapted into a movie in 2010, starring Ewan McGregor, Pierce Brosnan and Kim Cattrall. In addition, his novel Munich (2017), was adapted into the film Munich – The Edge of War, a Netflix release starring Jeremy Irons.
Mark wanted to know, ‘How enjoyable is that process of seeing your finished product, turned and developed into a new, different art form?
‘Oh, it's very enjoyable! Some of the films have not been terribly good, but some have been quite brilliant. I feel very humbled to see actors, writers, directors and composers, inspired and taking something that I've done into a different level. I think the joy of writing novels is that they're translated, they cross borders. They're going to go across the world and become films or television series. That's great.’
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