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Oddsfish!
Interwoven with the accurately portrayed events and places of the time are fictitious characters, including the narrator, Mr. Roger Mallock and his cousin and lady-love Dolly. Sent by Pope Innocent XI to Charles' court as a diplomatic representative of the Vatican, Mallock becomes a trusted confidant of the King and acts upon Charles's deathbed wish to give his confession to, and receive absolution from, a Catholic priest.
380 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2005
20 people are currently reading
110 people want to read
About the author
Robert Hugh Benson
346 books190 followersMrsgr. Robert Hugh Benson AFSC KC*SG KGCHS was an English Catholic priest and writer. First an Anglican pastor, he was received into the Catholic Church in 1903 and ordained therein the next year. He was also a prolific writer of fiction, writing the notable dystopian novel Lord of the World, as well as Come Rack! Come Rope!.
His output encompassed historical, horror and science fiction, contemporary fiction, children's stories, plays, apologetics, devotional works and articles. He continued his writing career at the same time as he progressed through the hierarchy to become a Chamberlain to Pope Pius X in 1911, and gain the title of Monsignor before his death a few years later.
His output encompassed historical, horror and science fiction, contemporary fiction, children's stories, plays, apologetics, devotional works and articles. He continued his writing career at the same time as he progressed through the hierarchy to become a Chamberlain to Pope Pius X in 1911, and gain the title of Monsignor before his death a few years later.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 8, 2026
ENGLISH: This is Benson's historical novel about the end of the reign of Charles II of England. I found it inferior to his other historical novels. I don't find reasonable the idea of the Pope's sending a 21-old young man to act as a secret agent for him and for the King. And in the third part of the novel, the involvement of the protagonist in a historical conspiration and the methods used by the conspirators are too convoluted to be credible.
The main fictional characters are Roger, the protagonist; Tom, his older cousin; and Dolly, Tom's 15-year old daughter (at the beginning of the novel), whom her father wishes (at first) to marry Roger. I don't understand why Roger sees courting her as setting both father and suitor against the intended fiancee.
Overall, the historical part of the novel gives a very good idea of the reign of Charles II. The scene of the king's conversion is moving and faithful to what is known to have happened. But I can't empathize with the fictional part and the love story.
ESPAÑOL: Novela histórica de Benson sobre el final del reinado de Carlos II de Inglaterra. Me pareció inferior a sus otras novelas históricas. No veo razonable que el Papa envíe a un joven de 21 años para actuar como agente secreto en su nombre y en el del rey. Y en la tercera parte de la novela, cómo se involucra el protagonista en una conspiración histórica, y los métodos empleados por los conspiradores son demasiado enrevesados para resultar creíbles.
Los principales personajes ficticios son Roger, un joven de 21 años; Tom, su primo más viejo; y Dolly, la hija de Tom de 15 años (al principio de la novela), que su padre desea se case con Roger. No entiendo por qué Roger considera que cortejarla enfrenta al padre y al pretendiente con la joven.
La parte histórica de la novela da una idea muy buena del reinado de Carlos II. La escena de la conversión del rey es conmovedora y fiel a lo que se sabe que ocurrió. Lo que no acaba de convencerme es la parte ficticia y la relación amorosa entre los dos jóvenes.
The main fictional characters are Roger, the protagonist; Tom, his older cousin; and Dolly, Tom's 15-year old daughter (at the beginning of the novel), whom her father wishes (at first) to marry Roger. I don't understand why Roger sees courting her as setting both father and suitor against the intended fiancee.
Overall, the historical part of the novel gives a very good idea of the reign of Charles II. The scene of the king's conversion is moving and faithful to what is known to have happened. But I can't empathize with the fictional part and the love story.
ESPAÑOL: Novela histórica de Benson sobre el final del reinado de Carlos II de Inglaterra. Me pareció inferior a sus otras novelas históricas. No veo razonable que el Papa envíe a un joven de 21 años para actuar como agente secreto en su nombre y en el del rey. Y en la tercera parte de la novela, cómo se involucra el protagonista en una conspiración histórica, y los métodos empleados por los conspiradores son demasiado enrevesados para resultar creíbles.
Los principales personajes ficticios son Roger, un joven de 21 años; Tom, su primo más viejo; y Dolly, la hija de Tom de 15 años (al principio de la novela), que su padre desea se case con Roger. No entiendo por qué Roger considera que cortejarla enfrenta al padre y al pretendiente con la joven.
La parte histórica de la novela da una idea muy buena del reinado de Carlos II. La escena de la conversión del rey es conmovedora y fiel a lo que se sabe que ocurrió. Lo que no acaba de convencerme es la parte ficticia y la relación amorosa entre los dos jóvenes.
October 13, 2016
For the first half of the book, I thought that Robert Hugh Benson was not making a good end of his historical novels; by the end I was exerting all the strength I could spare from reading to keep my crying unnoticeable to the others in the room. I do not often cry while reading. It takes very skillful, very true writing to bring me to tears. Therefore I give this story five stars. Read it. I can't say much without giving away the ending, but let's just say that it gives one a lot to think about! I reverse my first impression and declare that Robert Hugh Benson is solid gold to the very end.
August 2, 2010
This only appealed to me while in the depths of boredom of summer. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. My entire family was adequately impressed with Robert Hugh Benson, the son of the Archbishop of Canterbury who was also an Anglican priest before he converted to Catholicism. If you can find it, read it! You wont be disapointed.
January 25, 2026
Benson’s writing always manages to keep me reading to see what happens, even though I didn’t like this book as much as the King’s Achievement, partly because at times the writing was repetitive. The spying and the plot were very interesting. The love story between Roger and Dolly seemed a bit strange and artificially done.
March 9, 2026
Ladies and gentlemen, my reviews are piling up, and time is scarce, especially during Lent when we observe digital fasts. This review is late; it should have been written several weeks ago. Being so behind on the Goodreads challenge, my recent activities with the Spanish Catholic Tolkien Association, and rereading several books— Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Anne Brontë 's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall —are depriving me of time to write more reviews and read more books. Another factor is that the books people are reading this year are of lower quality, which has slowed my progress on my reviews and critiques. Good books tend to be quicker reads, or at least seem shorter. But this year I'm finding it difficult because they aren't as entertaining as other years. I'm thinking of 2018, or 2022, when I read wonderful books, nor like 2025, when I hit the mark with my first reads, and there was also a major writer like Juan Manuel de Prada. However, if there's one book that stands out from this year's mediocrity and has the makings of a masterpiece, it's Oddsfish!. Despite not being as widely publicized or well-known among Robert Hugh Benson readers, it's one of my favorites by this author. Perhaps it's not as iconic as Lord of the World nor as famous as Come Rack! Come Rope!, but of Benson's historical novels, with the sole exception of By What Authority? By Robert Hugh Benson This is my favorite historical book by the author, surpassing The King's Achievement and The Queen's Tragedy (1907). By: Robert Hugh Benson: Historical fiction It's true that the latter deserves another look. I only need to compare it with The History of Richard Raynal, Solitary, the latter being set during the Wars of the Roses. But so far, if we count historical novels, Oddsfish would be in second place. I suppose the Goodreads user is wondering, "Why, Fonch, do you have such a preference for Oddsfish?"
Very good, and the answer is due to the topic it addresses. I am a historian, and paradoxically, although the great century of Spain is the 16th century, or rather the end of the 15th, I have always been more fascinated by the Habsburgs, or the lesser Habsburgs, than by Charles V or Philip II. However, there was a wonderful novel called The Last Crusader: A Novel about Don Juan of Austria by Louis de Wohl , and along very similar lines is Jeromin: estudios históricos sobre el siglo XVI, por el P. Luis Coloma. 1907 Leather Bound Luis Coloma (which tells what the Central European writer tells us and continues where he leaves off) and, also interesting is The natural lord: the fortunate life of Juan de Austria: from bastard to Highness by László Passuth because it is seen from different points of view, especially from the point of view of the traitor and author of Relaciones de Antonio Perez secretario de estado, que fue del rey de... 1624 Leather Bound by Antonio Pérez (our Benedict Arnold). A character so despicable that even in the play Love's Labour's LostWilliam Shakespeare he is mocked. Indirectly, a plot to assassinate former secretary Antonio Pérez inspired the plays *The Jew of Malta* by Christopher Marlowe and *The Merchant of Venice* by William Shakespeare. An alleged plot by the convert Lopes fueled a wave of anti-Semitism that swept through England in the Elizabethan 1590s.
But being such a fascinating era, I have always been more fascinated by the 17th century, perhaps because, like Mario Vargas Llosa I wondered how things went wrong (he used a more vulgar expression, but it cannot be repeated here as I do not want to scandalize young children or minors), and I wondered when the decline began, not just of Catholicism but of Christendom. The answer could be with the despicable, immoral, and unacceptable Peace of Westphalia. The true Diktat, even more so than that of the Great European War, but a different conclusion has been reached. Partly despite the reservations Sandra Miesel , who advised me to read other writers such as Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 by Carlos M.N. Eire , but the key, in my modest and limited understanding, is provided by Europe and the Faith by Hilaire Belloc He goes so far as to say that the key is England; if England had remained faithful to Catholicism, it would have been easy to defeat those fragmented northern territories. But for me, the key year is 1688, when the so-called revolution was consummated, and in this case, it should be called a vile betrayal, or the push of Protestant liberalism. Of the descendants of those who enriched themselves through the expropriation of monasteries carried out by Henry VIII. This is complicated by the fact that England was not yet a major power, despite attempts to convince us otherwise with Queen Elizabeth. England still adhered to the "key state" policy devised by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, which held that the country supported would win, and this was the policy followed. If we analyze the Anglo-Spanish War (1587-1603), we realize that despite the so-called "Invincible Armada," the sack of Cádiz, and the Battle of Kinsale, the majority of victories went to Spain. Imperiofobia y leyenda negra by María Elvira Roca Barea And yet, Spain was engaged on three fronts—the Netherlands, France, and England—and still, most of the victories were Spanish. Only in the counter-armada English Armada, The: The Greatest Naval Disaster in English History of Luis Gorrochategui Santos were the losses of the Invincible Armada surpassed, and all the great pirates were killed except for Howard Effingham. Only the stubbornness of Elizabeth I led her to prolong this absurd and senseless war, which King James I stopped immediately. Being very generous, I would describe this war as a stalemate, with a more positive outcome for Spain. Despite the Gunpowder Plot and the persecution of some Catholics, it can be said that Spain, thanks to Gondomar, controlled King James I. They obtained the head of Walter Raleigh, and there was a Spanish match and a certain rapprochement with Catholicism. However, James I was too cowardly and knew what he would lose if he converted. Therefore, apart from a clear Hispanophilia, he did not go beyond that point, even though the people, increasingly inclined towards Protestantism, demanded intervention against Spain, which was ultimately aborted. Nevertheless, the thwarted marriage of Charles I and the Infanta Maria (I would have consented) torpedoed by (The Count-Duke of Olivares) led to a war from which Spain emerged triumphant, weakening England and the Duke of Buckingham, who also suffered the disaster of the Île de Ré against France; only his assassination prevented further consequences for the minister. Then came the civil war with the execution of Stafford and Laud. The government of Oliver Cromwell with his grand design, although it failed in Cuba, that war was key for Cardinal Mazarin to win the war against Spain, which could have easily gone to the Spanish side. England, apart from the plunder of Blake's American shipments, obtained Jamaica and Dunkirk, which it would later sell. See Cromwell contra el Imperio español by Porfirio Sanz Camañes .
However, after Marston Moor, Nasheby, and Worcester, the Royalist cause seemed doomed. A Benedictine priest named John Huddlestone saved the life of the future Charles II, and James II, disillusioned with Mazarin, fought with the Spanish army, demonstrating his great skill with weapons, which he would later prove by conquering New York from the Dutch in 1664. Although he is best known for the role of the Man in the Iron Mask, what I liked most about The Vicomte de Bragelonne Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas was the first of three parts. The restoration of Charles II, the part about Monk, and the defeat of Lambert's federalists at Monk's hands. It was my first contact with the fascinating Stuart family; the love that G.K. Chesterton felt for Scotland also helped, as did the excellent work of my Anglo-Chilean friend His Last Mistress Andrea Zuvich. Recently my friend My Queen, My Love: A Novel of Henrietta MariaGeneralissima: A Novel of Henrietta Maria: The Henrietta of France Trilogy, Book Two by Elena Maria Vidal has dedicated a trilogy to Henrietta, the wife of Charles I and daughter of Henry IV of Bourbon, who was exiled in France and was so vital to Catholics. Her daughter, the other Henrietta, was also crucial; it is said that she was courted by Louis XIV In the end, she married her brother, the younger Monsieur Philippe of Orléans, who was also homosexual, but was key because he negotiated the Treaty of Dover of 1670, committing to convert to Catholicism in exchange for subsidies and weapons. However, there was opposition from the Whigs: the second Duke of Buckingham, Shaftesbury (who appears in this novel), Lord Russell, and Algernon Sidney. It also didn't help that the king's illegitimate son, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, whom he had with a Welsh woman, Lucy Walter, was used by these unscrupulous figures to prevent the return of Catholicism to England. This was despite the fact that Catholics at the time of Charles II's death were only 1%. The King's reputation as a libertine with numerous mistresses, such as Nell Gwynn, didn't help matters either (thanks to her, women were able to participate in plays, something previously only permitted to men in England. See Richard Eyre's Black Beautyspoke about this character our dearest Graham Greene, regarding this woman, the biography Nell Gwyn: Royal Mistress by John Harold Wilson is recommended. Aside from that, it is very interesting how Benson, in addition to Nell Gwynne, portrays the King's various mistresses in this novel, including Lady Portsmouth and Lady Cleveland, who are very well described and characterized. In our opinion, this novel demonstrates Robert Hugh Benson's greatness as a historical novelist.
(continues)...
Very good, and the answer is due to the topic it addresses. I am a historian, and paradoxically, although the great century of Spain is the 16th century, or rather the end of the 15th, I have always been more fascinated by the Habsburgs, or the lesser Habsburgs, than by Charles V or Philip II. However, there was a wonderful novel called The Last Crusader: A Novel about Don Juan of Austria by Louis de Wohl , and along very similar lines is Jeromin: estudios históricos sobre el siglo XVI, por el P. Luis Coloma. 1907 Leather Bound Luis Coloma (which tells what the Central European writer tells us and continues where he leaves off) and, also interesting is The natural lord: the fortunate life of Juan de Austria: from bastard to Highness by László Passuth because it is seen from different points of view, especially from the point of view of the traitor and author of Relaciones de Antonio Perez secretario de estado, que fue del rey de... 1624 Leather Bound by Antonio Pérez (our Benedict Arnold). A character so despicable that even in the play Love's Labour's LostWilliam Shakespeare he is mocked. Indirectly, a plot to assassinate former secretary Antonio Pérez inspired the plays *The Jew of Malta* by Christopher Marlowe and *The Merchant of Venice* by William Shakespeare. An alleged plot by the convert Lopes fueled a wave of anti-Semitism that swept through England in the Elizabethan 1590s.
But being such a fascinating era, I have always been more fascinated by the 17th century, perhaps because, like Mario Vargas Llosa I wondered how things went wrong (he used a more vulgar expression, but it cannot be repeated here as I do not want to scandalize young children or minors), and I wondered when the decline began, not just of Catholicism but of Christendom. The answer could be with the despicable, immoral, and unacceptable Peace of Westphalia. The true Diktat, even more so than that of the Great European War, but a different conclusion has been reached. Partly despite the reservations Sandra Miesel , who advised me to read other writers such as Reformations: The Early Modern World, 1450-1650 by Carlos M.N. Eire , but the key, in my modest and limited understanding, is provided by Europe and the Faith by Hilaire Belloc He goes so far as to say that the key is England; if England had remained faithful to Catholicism, it would have been easy to defeat those fragmented northern territories. But for me, the key year is 1688, when the so-called revolution was consummated, and in this case, it should be called a vile betrayal, or the push of Protestant liberalism. Of the descendants of those who enriched themselves through the expropriation of monasteries carried out by Henry VIII. This is complicated by the fact that England was not yet a major power, despite attempts to convince us otherwise with Queen Elizabeth. England still adhered to the "key state" policy devised by Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, which held that the country supported would win, and this was the policy followed. If we analyze the Anglo-Spanish War (1587-1603), we realize that despite the so-called "Invincible Armada," the sack of Cádiz, and the Battle of Kinsale, the majority of victories went to Spain. Imperiofobia y leyenda negra by María Elvira Roca Barea And yet, Spain was engaged on three fronts—the Netherlands, France, and England—and still, most of the victories were Spanish. Only in the counter-armada English Armada, The: The Greatest Naval Disaster in English History of Luis Gorrochategui Santos were the losses of the Invincible Armada surpassed, and all the great pirates were killed except for Howard Effingham. Only the stubbornness of Elizabeth I led her to prolong this absurd and senseless war, which King James I stopped immediately. Being very generous, I would describe this war as a stalemate, with a more positive outcome for Spain. Despite the Gunpowder Plot and the persecution of some Catholics, it can be said that Spain, thanks to Gondomar, controlled King James I. They obtained the head of Walter Raleigh, and there was a Spanish match and a certain rapprochement with Catholicism. However, James I was too cowardly and knew what he would lose if he converted. Therefore, apart from a clear Hispanophilia, he did not go beyond that point, even though the people, increasingly inclined towards Protestantism, demanded intervention against Spain, which was ultimately aborted. Nevertheless, the thwarted marriage of Charles I and the Infanta Maria (I would have consented) torpedoed by (The Count-Duke of Olivares) led to a war from which Spain emerged triumphant, weakening England and the Duke of Buckingham, who also suffered the disaster of the Île de Ré against France; only his assassination prevented further consequences for the minister. Then came the civil war with the execution of Stafford and Laud. The government of Oliver Cromwell with his grand design, although it failed in Cuba, that war was key for Cardinal Mazarin to win the war against Spain, which could have easily gone to the Spanish side. England, apart from the plunder of Blake's American shipments, obtained Jamaica and Dunkirk, which it would later sell. See Cromwell contra el Imperio español by Porfirio Sanz Camañes .
However, after Marston Moor, Nasheby, and Worcester, the Royalist cause seemed doomed. A Benedictine priest named John Huddlestone saved the life of the future Charles II, and James II, disillusioned with Mazarin, fought with the Spanish army, demonstrating his great skill with weapons, which he would later prove by conquering New York from the Dutch in 1664. Although he is best known for the role of the Man in the Iron Mask, what I liked most about The Vicomte de Bragelonne Ten Years Later by Alexandre Dumas was the first of three parts. The restoration of Charles II, the part about Monk, and the defeat of Lambert's federalists at Monk's hands. It was my first contact with the fascinating Stuart family; the love that G.K. Chesterton felt for Scotland also helped, as did the excellent work of my Anglo-Chilean friend His Last Mistress Andrea Zuvich. Recently my friend My Queen, My Love: A Novel of Henrietta MariaGeneralissima: A Novel of Henrietta Maria: The Henrietta of France Trilogy, Book Two by Elena Maria Vidal has dedicated a trilogy to Henrietta, the wife of Charles I and daughter of Henry IV of Bourbon, who was exiled in France and was so vital to Catholics. Her daughter, the other Henrietta, was also crucial; it is said that she was courted by Louis XIV In the end, she married her brother, the younger Monsieur Philippe of Orléans, who was also homosexual, but was key because he negotiated the Treaty of Dover of 1670, committing to convert to Catholicism in exchange for subsidies and weapons. However, there was opposition from the Whigs: the second Duke of Buckingham, Shaftesbury (who appears in this novel), Lord Russell, and Algernon Sidney. It also didn't help that the king's illegitimate son, James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, whom he had with a Welsh woman, Lucy Walter, was used by these unscrupulous figures to prevent the return of Catholicism to England. This was despite the fact that Catholics at the time of Charles II's death were only 1%. The King's reputation as a libertine with numerous mistresses, such as Nell Gwynn, didn't help matters either (thanks to her, women were able to participate in plays, something previously only permitted to men in England. See Richard Eyre's Black Beautyspoke about this character our dearest Graham Greene, regarding this woman, the biography Nell Gwyn: Royal Mistress by John Harold Wilson is recommended. Aside from that, it is very interesting how Benson, in addition to Nell Gwynne, portrays the King's various mistresses in this novel, including Lady Portsmouth and Lady Cleveland, who are very well described and characterized. In our opinion, this novel demonstrates Robert Hugh Benson's greatness as a historical novelist.
(continues)...
February 3, 2026
Definitely a rollercoaster. Dense & un-relatable in so many ways, but it really highlights some of the simple joys. I took some of the characters for granted & felt truly sad when the book came to an end. I keep thinking about everyone on the journey. Learned a lot, thought a lot, felt a lot.
January 5, 2026
Al protagonista, Roger Mallock, un novizio benedettino, è affidato l’incarico papale di convertire il Sovrano, riportando il Regno d’Inghilterra nelle braccia della Chiesa. È ancora una volta la calunnia – nella fattispecie attraverso l’invenzione di una congiura papista contro il Re – a impedire il naturale scorrere degli eventi attraverso lo scatenamento di una violenta persecuzione nei confronti dei cattolici.
Come in altre opere dedicate al periodo dello scisma anglicano, Benson riesce a farci vivere il clima di terrore in cui i cattolici britannici erano costretti a vivere.
Come in altre opere dedicate al periodo dello scisma anglicano, Benson riesce a farci vivere il clima di terrore in cui i cattolici britannici erano costretti a vivere.
October 11, 2016
The story cannot quite bear the weight of all the research, and staggers under masses of information and a cast of thousands of name-dropped historical figures. If the title character had been more glancingly associated with the intrigues of the later years of Charles II's reign, and had more of an arc of his own, it would have been much more satisfactory, methinks.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews