Title: The Red Tent
Author: Anita Diamant
Pub Date: 1997
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: The untold story of the Biblical Dinah, daughter of Jacob, sister of Joseph
First off, this book is gorgeously written. Diamant really gets the overall spirit of much of the beauty in the Old Testament. I have to quote from the beginning here, just to give you a taste: "I am so grateful that you have come. I will pour out everything inside me so you may leave this table satisfied and fortified. Blessings on your eyes. Blessings on your children. Blessings on the ground beneath you. My heart is a ladle of sweet water, brimming over. Selah." I did not grow up in any kind of Hebrew tradition, but it seems that Diamant did and you can tell. That is poetry.
Now, a small warning. I really liked this book. Granted, I'm not nearly as overburdened with Biblical history knowledge as I am with early medieval British history, so there is that. I was raised religious (Southern Baptist, church every Sunday and Wednesday, all that business), but I am no fundamentalist and I prefer to see much of the Bible (especially the OT) as more symbolic and poetic than literal. So the stories of Jacob and Joseph are certainly familiar to me, but I'm certainly not tied to them as firm history. If you prefer to take your Bible a bit more traditionally, this may not be for you, as it retells some things in a rather different light and doesn't always make everyone as blameless as they might come off in the original.
So to business. Dinah (Dee-nah, not Die-nah) was the daughter of Jacob and his first wife Leah, and the only girl born to Jacob from any of his wives. She is the storyteller here, and she weaves a beautiful tale of life growing up among her mothers and brothers. Central to her life is the red tent, where the women of the tribe retire during their cycles away from the men of the camp. This is where she learns all the knows of her mothers' stories before she was born, as well as much of the wisdom she knows about the nature of being a woman.
I'm not going to get into the plot here but to say that the story of Dinah is based on the scant mention of her in Genesis, but it is obviously much expanded and embellished. The figures of Leah, Rachel, Bilhah and Zilpah are also enhanced and made much more human, much more actual women and less just feminine names in the masculine-centered original. Her brothers fade into the background more, as Dinah barely sees some of them and many were quite a bit older. She has a fondness for the more gentle Reuben and the beautiful Judah, and her brother Joseph and she are playmates for several years as children. But hers is the world of the women, and the story is a celebration of history and maternal lineage and the mysteries of womanhood. It also creates a vivid picture of life in Canaan and the surrounding areas during this time period. You can smell the spices and feel the dust and the heat. It's all very well-told.
I'm not going to say that a man couldn't enjoy this book, but I think it's definitely more geared toward women. Which is refreshing if you're used to the Bible and all its maleness. You never get much of an idea what the life of women was like from the Old Testament. Diamant has obviously done her research, and it shows. Dinah is an engaging narrator and the story flows quickly enough that it's never a chore to read. If you're familiar with the traditional stories, you'll see the bones of them here and there, fleshed out in some places, differently-explained in others. All in all a good story and a beautiful read.
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Lady Macbeth
Title: Lady Macbeth
Author: Susan Fraser King
Pub Date: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: A reasonably historical viewpoint of the Scottish Queen Gruadh, wife of Macbeth and somewhat unwitting Shakespearean villain
This is a hard review for me to write, because if I'm not careful it keeps getting into treatise territory. I am somewhat of a passionate amateur of early Celtic and Pictish society, early Medieval British history, and I'm also a longtime fan of Shakespeare's Macbeth, so this book created kind of a perfect storm of nerdiness. I'm going to try very hard not to write out a lecture here, but if you're interested in any of the underlying concepts I can certainly suggest a few or ten sources.
Lady Macbeth is basically the story of a series of events that occurred in 11th century Scotland through the eyes of a woman named Gruadh, who later became Lady of Moray and Queen of Scots. It might surprise you to know that many of the characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth were real people, and even though the events as portrayed in the play aren't particularly accurate, it is based on things that happened. Shakespeare wasn't interested in historical accuracy as much as he was into a good story and making whatever political point needed making at the time he was writing and performing the work. So if the only knowledge you have of any of these events is that play, prepare yourself. I personally like the real story much better (although Macbeth is a favorite play of mine) than the invented one, and you might find the same (this is not exactly the real story, to be fair, but it's at least a fair bit closer to it).
Gruadh (GROO-ath) is the daughter of Bode, the ruler of Fife and son of King Kenneth III. She is raised with a deep understanding of her family line and her place in history. She is the last in a line of kings back to the founding of the kingship of Scotland by Kenneth I, a shadowy figure from the 800s who combined Celtic and Pictish royalty, and even further than that back to the fairly mythic Dal Riata, the original Gaelic Irish kingdom of Scotland. This is the stock from which all Scottish royalty descended, and kingship was decided in a rather serpentine fashion between cousins and matrilineal descent in the Celtic and Pictish tradition (let it be said for the record that a lot of this about Kenneth and Picts and such is up for debate based on more modern scholarship, but would most certainly have been the accepted history during the 11th century).
Gruadh is a woman of the Celtic tradition, educated and feisty. She has experienced her share of hardship from a young age, as her ancient bloodline made her an object of desire by many warring factions present around the area. She is kidnapped more than once while still a child, and as a result comes to believe that she must be a fighter as well as a woman in order to lessen the danger to herself and the others who must fight on her behalf. Celtic warrior women were hardly unheard of in the myths and legends of the time--Gruadh herself cites the mythical Scottish fighter Scathach as well as the historical Celtic queen Boudica of England. She demands to be taught in combat and is also schooled in the pagan arts of divination and prophecy, having the gift of two sights (da Shealladh). Basically, Gruadh does not seek to be a compliant wife, but a proud Celtic woman who has the wit and courage to decide for herself in all matters.
I don't want to go into a detailed plot description here, because if you want to read it you should do so. Suffice it to say that all the characters are well-written, and Gruadh is an excellent observer and storyteller. She gives an interesting narrative of what she sees and feels happening around her as well as the people that surround her. The author herself weaves in more than a fair amount of Celtic and Scottish history and culture, but manages to define and clarify concepts without breaking the line of the narrative (not an easy task). You feel as though you are reading the story of a friend who knows more about some of these things than you do, so she explains them for you without being too academic about it. It's very well done, and the story itself flows along rather quickly. Granted, Scottish history of this time period was anything but stagnant, so it's quite easy to travel from one crisis or battle or assassination to the next without it seeming unbelievable in the least. This was a warrior culture surrounded by other warrior cultures, so there was plenty happening at any given time.
If I had to make on complaint about the book, I would say that Fraser King probably romanticizes the Celtic/Gaelic past a bit more than I would think is accurate for the time period. In some of her rants on history and bloodline, Gruadh rather reminds me a bit of myself more than an 11th century Scotswoman. This is not to say that Scots were not (or are not) proud of their ancestry and heritage, because that is certainly not the case. But it seems to me that Gruadh is perhaps a bit more in love with the ancient ways and a fair bit more protective of them in the face of coming change than I think an actual person would have been in that era. Those parts seem a bit too much like a modern person having difficulties in reining in her obvious love of the ancient traditions. Which, as I say, reminds me of me. The more you know about Celtic myth and tradition, the harder it can be to put it in any kind of reasonable context. It is a noble, mystical, amazingly rich tapestry that can make modern viewpoints horribly boring in comparison. If an 11th century person knew what was coming down the pike in the way of squashing the old to make way for the new, they might indeed have fought tooth and nail to preserve what they had. But history is hard to see when you're in the midst of it, and most studies I have seen show that the old and the new dwelt more or less together in harmony without much threat being made to either at that time (Christianity was nice and all, and very useful politically, but if you had the sorts of old gods that the Celts and Saxons had, you were wise to appease them just in case. Jesus might forgive, but Wodin and the sidhe were not particularly given over to fits of mercy).
Overall, I found this to be most enjoyable, and you don't need to have a huge love of Scottish history or even Shakespearean knowledge to like it. The story is well-told and interesting, and the fact that you might actually be learning something is just extra.
Author: Susan Fraser King
Pub Date: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: A reasonably historical viewpoint of the Scottish Queen Gruadh, wife of Macbeth and somewhat unwitting Shakespearean villain
This is a hard review for me to write, because if I'm not careful it keeps getting into treatise territory. I am somewhat of a passionate amateur of early Celtic and Pictish society, early Medieval British history, and I'm also a longtime fan of Shakespeare's Macbeth, so this book created kind of a perfect storm of nerdiness. I'm going to try very hard not to write out a lecture here, but if you're interested in any of the underlying concepts I can certainly suggest a few or ten sources.
Lady Macbeth is basically the story of a series of events that occurred in 11th century Scotland through the eyes of a woman named Gruadh, who later became Lady of Moray and Queen of Scots. It might surprise you to know that many of the characters in Shakespeare's Macbeth were real people, and even though the events as portrayed in the play aren't particularly accurate, it is based on things that happened. Shakespeare wasn't interested in historical accuracy as much as he was into a good story and making whatever political point needed making at the time he was writing and performing the work. So if the only knowledge you have of any of these events is that play, prepare yourself. I personally like the real story much better (although Macbeth is a favorite play of mine) than the invented one, and you might find the same (this is not exactly the real story, to be fair, but it's at least a fair bit closer to it).
Gruadh (GROO-ath) is the daughter of Bode, the ruler of Fife and son of King Kenneth III. She is raised with a deep understanding of her family line and her place in history. She is the last in a line of kings back to the founding of the kingship of Scotland by Kenneth I, a shadowy figure from the 800s who combined Celtic and Pictish royalty, and even further than that back to the fairly mythic Dal Riata, the original Gaelic Irish kingdom of Scotland. This is the stock from which all Scottish royalty descended, and kingship was decided in a rather serpentine fashion between cousins and matrilineal descent in the Celtic and Pictish tradition (let it be said for the record that a lot of this about Kenneth and Picts and such is up for debate based on more modern scholarship, but would most certainly have been the accepted history during the 11th century).
Gruadh is a woman of the Celtic tradition, educated and feisty. She has experienced her share of hardship from a young age, as her ancient bloodline made her an object of desire by many warring factions present around the area. She is kidnapped more than once while still a child, and as a result comes to believe that she must be a fighter as well as a woman in order to lessen the danger to herself and the others who must fight on her behalf. Celtic warrior women were hardly unheard of in the myths and legends of the time--Gruadh herself cites the mythical Scottish fighter Scathach as well as the historical Celtic queen Boudica of England. She demands to be taught in combat and is also schooled in the pagan arts of divination and prophecy, having the gift of two sights (da Shealladh). Basically, Gruadh does not seek to be a compliant wife, but a proud Celtic woman who has the wit and courage to decide for herself in all matters.
I don't want to go into a detailed plot description here, because if you want to read it you should do so. Suffice it to say that all the characters are well-written, and Gruadh is an excellent observer and storyteller. She gives an interesting narrative of what she sees and feels happening around her as well as the people that surround her. The author herself weaves in more than a fair amount of Celtic and Scottish history and culture, but manages to define and clarify concepts without breaking the line of the narrative (not an easy task). You feel as though you are reading the story of a friend who knows more about some of these things than you do, so she explains them for you without being too academic about it. It's very well done, and the story itself flows along rather quickly. Granted, Scottish history of this time period was anything but stagnant, so it's quite easy to travel from one crisis or battle or assassination to the next without it seeming unbelievable in the least. This was a warrior culture surrounded by other warrior cultures, so there was plenty happening at any given time.
If I had to make on complaint about the book, I would say that Fraser King probably romanticizes the Celtic/Gaelic past a bit more than I would think is accurate for the time period. In some of her rants on history and bloodline, Gruadh rather reminds me a bit of myself more than an 11th century Scotswoman. This is not to say that Scots were not (or are not) proud of their ancestry and heritage, because that is certainly not the case. But it seems to me that Gruadh is perhaps a bit more in love with the ancient ways and a fair bit more protective of them in the face of coming change than I think an actual person would have been in that era. Those parts seem a bit too much like a modern person having difficulties in reining in her obvious love of the ancient traditions. Which, as I say, reminds me of me. The more you know about Celtic myth and tradition, the harder it can be to put it in any kind of reasonable context. It is a noble, mystical, amazingly rich tapestry that can make modern viewpoints horribly boring in comparison. If an 11th century person knew what was coming down the pike in the way of squashing the old to make way for the new, they might indeed have fought tooth and nail to preserve what they had. But history is hard to see when you're in the midst of it, and most studies I have seen show that the old and the new dwelt more or less together in harmony without much threat being made to either at that time (Christianity was nice and all, and very useful politically, but if you had the sorts of old gods that the Celts and Saxons had, you were wise to appease them just in case. Jesus might forgive, but Wodin and the sidhe were not particularly given over to fits of mercy).
Overall, I found this to be most enjoyable, and you don't need to have a huge love of Scottish history or even Shakespearean knowledge to like it. The story is well-told and interesting, and the fact that you might actually be learning something is just extra.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
The Unknown Shore
Title: The Unknown Shore
Author: Patrick O'Brian
Pub Date: 1959
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: A good read for people who are already determined fans of O'Brian, but a bit long-winded otherwise
*Note: This review contains spoilers of the narrative, if you care about that sort of thing.
First, an admission. I have read all 21 of the books encompassing the adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. I adore them. Jack is one of my favorite men in literature, and though we had our contretemps at times, and there were moments we stopped speaking (er, I threw down the book in anger), I have always loved him completely. Those books are some of the best-written, most wholly-engrossing works I have ever had the pleasure to experience, and Jack and Stephen are two of the best characters I have ever encountered.
It was in that spirit that I came to this book, which is a prequel of sorts to the main event. The roots of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are most obviously present in the characters of Jack Byron and Tobias Barrow, and for that alone it's entertaining for someone who has already met them as adults. There is also some naval language which, if you're already a confirmed O'Brian nerd, isn't the least bit difficult to comprehend.
However, for a general audience or an O'Brien beginner, this is not really the best place to start, in my opinion. Oh, it starts well enough, and bits aboard the boats are always O'Brian's strongest suit. You get the feeling that the closed environment of a ship is his favorite milieu. But [spoiler alert] after the ship wrecks somewhere in the vicinity of the bottom of South America, things start to get a bit draggy at times. For O'Brian fans, it's sort of like Desolation Island only much grimmer and much, much longer. And you don't quite know your companions as well.
I would recommend this book for an O'Brian junkie, if for no other reason than to see the prototypes of Jack and Stephen. But if you're thinking about getting into the stories for the first time, go ahead and start with Master and Commander. Jack and Toby just aren't nearly as fully-fleshed (which, how could they be in one book as opposed to 21?) and aren't quite as magnetic as their immediate descendants.
Author: Patrick O'Brian
Pub Date: 1959
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: A good read for people who are already determined fans of O'Brian, but a bit long-winded otherwise
*Note: This review contains spoilers of the narrative, if you care about that sort of thing.
First, an admission. I have read all 21 of the books encompassing the adventures of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin. I adore them. Jack is one of my favorite men in literature, and though we had our contretemps at times, and there were moments we stopped speaking (er, I threw down the book in anger), I have always loved him completely. Those books are some of the best-written, most wholly-engrossing works I have ever had the pleasure to experience, and Jack and Stephen are two of the best characters I have ever encountered.
It was in that spirit that I came to this book, which is a prequel of sorts to the main event. The roots of Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin are most obviously present in the characters of Jack Byron and Tobias Barrow, and for that alone it's entertaining for someone who has already met them as adults. There is also some naval language which, if you're already a confirmed O'Brian nerd, isn't the least bit difficult to comprehend.
However, for a general audience or an O'Brien beginner, this is not really the best place to start, in my opinion. Oh, it starts well enough, and bits aboard the boats are always O'Brian's strongest suit. You get the feeling that the closed environment of a ship is his favorite milieu. But [spoiler alert] after the ship wrecks somewhere in the vicinity of the bottom of South America, things start to get a bit draggy at times. For O'Brian fans, it's sort of like Desolation Island only much grimmer and much, much longer. And you don't quite know your companions as well.
I would recommend this book for an O'Brian junkie, if for no other reason than to see the prototypes of Jack and Stephen. But if you're thinking about getting into the stories for the first time, go ahead and start with Master and Commander. Jack and Toby just aren't nearly as fully-fleshed (which, how could they be in one book as opposed to 21?) and aren't quite as magnetic as their immediate descendants.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Slacker
I've been slacking a bit lately. I should have posted a third review by now, but I'm not yet through a third book. I joined a gym with the hopes of reading my Kindle while on the recumbent bike, but instead I've just been catching up on Welcome to Night Vale podcasts. I wouldn't say I've been lazy, but I definitely haven't been reading like I expected to. How to Create the Perfect Wife has lost my attention, but I haven't declared it a failure yet. I'm 40% through it, according to the Kindle. I'm thinking about trying out Jonathan Strange again. I need something that's going to keep me interested enough to read it at the gym or wherever I have time, and I haven't quite found that yet. Or something so short I can get through it in a sitting or two. My mom has recommended The Goldfinch, which, being a bestseller, is difficult to get hold of. *sigh* The search continues, I suppose. Hopefully I'll finish something at some point.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
In the Works...
So I currently have a couple of books on the burners, some under more heat than others. I was trying not to read more than one book at a time for this, but sometimes that's just a bit more (less?) than I can manage.
Here's the list, along with a few short thoughts where possible:
The Unknown Shore, Patrick O'Brian. This one will get finished, and probably quickly. I love, love, LOVE O'Brian's Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin series, and this is essentially the same characters but younger and with slightly different names. It's been a few years since I've hung out with Jack and Stephen, so it's nice to see them again.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke. I rented this from the library on my Kindle, because the physical book is just too ridiculous to try and lug around. If it's going to get read, it will be electronically, but I've tried several times and failed in the past. The size is just so daunting. Maybe I can be fooled by the digital edition?
How to Create the Perfect Wife, Wendy Moore. Also a Kindle edition, I found this while perusing the History section on my library's Overdrive service. It seems interesting and also slightly hilarious. It's apparently the story of a gentleman who believed he could in essence create the perfect wife, starting with a child. Sounds creepy, but hey, it was the times I guess? We'll see.
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, David Eagleman. Kindle edition. This is a re-read, but it's been quite a while and I don't recall that I finished it last time. I do remember I liked it, though.
There are some books I just read when I have a second, usually old favorites or something relatively easy. Ghost stories are a perennial favorite, and M.R. James is probably at the top of the list. I doubt these will get reviewed or anything, because I usually hit them in fits and starts and skip around to whatever I feel like reading at the moment.
Not for review purposes:
Curious Warnings: The Great Ghost Stories of M.R. James (Kindle)
Great Ghost Stories (Free Kindle)
Here's the list, along with a few short thoughts where possible:
The Unknown Shore, Patrick O'Brian. This one will get finished, and probably quickly. I love, love, LOVE O'Brian's Jack Aubrey/Stephen Maturin series, and this is essentially the same characters but younger and with slightly different names. It's been a few years since I've hung out with Jack and Stephen, so it's nice to see them again.
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, Susanna Clarke. I rented this from the library on my Kindle, because the physical book is just too ridiculous to try and lug around. If it's going to get read, it will be electronically, but I've tried several times and failed in the past. The size is just so daunting. Maybe I can be fooled by the digital edition?
How to Create the Perfect Wife, Wendy Moore. Also a Kindle edition, I found this while perusing the History section on my library's Overdrive service. It seems interesting and also slightly hilarious. It's apparently the story of a gentleman who believed he could in essence create the perfect wife, starting with a child. Sounds creepy, but hey, it was the times I guess? We'll see.
Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives, David Eagleman. Kindle edition. This is a re-read, but it's been quite a while and I don't recall that I finished it last time. I do remember I liked it, though.
There are some books I just read when I have a second, usually old favorites or something relatively easy. Ghost stories are a perennial favorite, and M.R. James is probably at the top of the list. I doubt these will get reviewed or anything, because I usually hit them in fits and starts and skip around to whatever I feel like reading at the moment.
Not for review purposes:
Curious Warnings: The Great Ghost Stories of M.R. James (Kindle)
Great Ghost Stories (Free Kindle)
Monday, January 6, 2014
Evolving in Monkey Town
Title: Evolving in Monkey Town: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask the Questions
Author: Rachel Held Evans
Pub Date: 2010
Genre: Memoir/Religion
Nutshell: An interesting tale of one woman's path from fundamentalist to doubter to somewhere in between
Evolving in Monkey Town is Rachel Held Evans' story of what it was like to grow up unquestionably Christian, only to move into doubt and finally something close to acceptance as an adult. I was drawn to the book because her life has some similarities to mine, and I was curious to see what she had come away with. The short answer is that we agree more often than we don't, although there are still places where we diverge.
Evans spent most of her adolescence in Dayton, Tennessee, where the Scopes Monkey Trial occurred in 1925 (hence the city's nickname in the title). The town has long been seen as a bastion for holdout Christian conservatives, including a short-lived county-wide ban on homosexuality that passed (and was almost immediately repealed) in 2004. Her reference to evolution is not of the scientific kind, but of the evolution she believes Christian faith must undergo in order to remain relevant and even survive.
To spoil the ending, Evans eventually does reconcile her faith (mostly), while still reserving the right to ask questions. She feels that the church has lost its way somewhat, teaching children not to question, never to doubt, and to frame arguments as "us" and "them". She sees unbending fundamentalism as dangerous, a collection of false rules that drive a lot more people away from the church than any sacrifice demanded of them. The idea that "you can't be a Christian and be (insert perceived dichotomy here)" is damaging. She believes that a faith without questions would result in the continued ownership of slaves and the belief in a geocentric system.
In short, Evans is a modern kind of Christian, and one who isn't afraid to admit she doesn't know the answers. Hers is not the simple unquestioning faith, and I respect that more as I get older. I recognize quite a bit of my own story in hers, including our youth spent in church, our crises of faith while attending Christian colleges, and our eventual peacemaking with our religion. I'm maybe a bit more radical than the Evans that wrote this book, but if you follow her blog (www.RachelHeldEvans.com) you might see we're becoming more similar.
Overall, if you're interested in modern Christianity or if you too have questions and issues about what it actually means to be a person of faith, I'd recommend this. It was quick and easily read. Evans is a clear writer and defines her struggles well. She paints a good picture of the modern church versus what Jesus might demand, and the multiple ways in which those two things diverge.
Author: Rachel Held Evans
Pub Date: 2010
Genre: Memoir/Religion
Nutshell: An interesting tale of one woman's path from fundamentalist to doubter to somewhere in between
Evolving in Monkey Town is Rachel Held Evans' story of what it was like to grow up unquestionably Christian, only to move into doubt and finally something close to acceptance as an adult. I was drawn to the book because her life has some similarities to mine, and I was curious to see what she had come away with. The short answer is that we agree more often than we don't, although there are still places where we diverge.
Evans spent most of her adolescence in Dayton, Tennessee, where the Scopes Monkey Trial occurred in 1925 (hence the city's nickname in the title). The town has long been seen as a bastion for holdout Christian conservatives, including a short-lived county-wide ban on homosexuality that passed (and was almost immediately repealed) in 2004. Her reference to evolution is not of the scientific kind, but of the evolution she believes Christian faith must undergo in order to remain relevant and even survive.
To spoil the ending, Evans eventually does reconcile her faith (mostly), while still reserving the right to ask questions. She feels that the church has lost its way somewhat, teaching children not to question, never to doubt, and to frame arguments as "us" and "them". She sees unbending fundamentalism as dangerous, a collection of false rules that drive a lot more people away from the church than any sacrifice demanded of them. The idea that "you can't be a Christian and be (insert perceived dichotomy here)" is damaging. She believes that a faith without questions would result in the continued ownership of slaves and the belief in a geocentric system.
In short, Evans is a modern kind of Christian, and one who isn't afraid to admit she doesn't know the answers. Hers is not the simple unquestioning faith, and I respect that more as I get older. I recognize quite a bit of my own story in hers, including our youth spent in church, our crises of faith while attending Christian colleges, and our eventual peacemaking with our religion. I'm maybe a bit more radical than the Evans that wrote this book, but if you follow her blog (www.RachelHeldEvans.com) you might see we're becoming more similar.
Overall, if you're interested in modern Christianity or if you too have questions and issues about what it actually means to be a person of faith, I'd recommend this. It was quick and easily read. Evans is a clear writer and defines her struggles well. She paints a good picture of the modern church versus what Jesus might demand, and the multiple ways in which those two things diverge.
Failure One
Title: The Accursed
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Pub Date: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
I tried over several sittings, but I just couldn't get into this one. I don't know that much about Woodrow Wilson -- I basically liked him because he seemed like a bookish sort of guy and he was president during my favorite (if one can use that term) war. But I find him exceedingly irritating in this work. Combine that with the fact that the book does not seem to be getting off the ground at all, and I really don't feel like committing to the 667 pages. I may return to it at some point in the future, but for now I've got too many other things I'm looking forward to.
Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Pub Date: 2013
Genre: Historical Fiction
I tried over several sittings, but I just couldn't get into this one. I don't know that much about Woodrow Wilson -- I basically liked him because he seemed like a bookish sort of guy and he was president during my favorite (if one can use that term) war. But I find him exceedingly irritating in this work. Combine that with the fact that the book does not seem to be getting off the ground at all, and I really don't feel like committing to the 667 pages. I may return to it at some point in the future, but for now I've got too many other things I'm looking forward to.
Bring Up the Bodies
Title: Bring Up the Bodies
Author: Hilary Mantel
Pub Date: 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: This was not the easiest book to read, due to the density of the research. However, if you're a fan of the time period or subject matter, it's worth the effort.
**This review does technically contain 478-year-old spoilers. But I get the feeling that if you're unaware of the events surrounding this book, you're probably not going to be much interested in the book itself anyway.**
Bring Up the Bodies is the second in Hilary Mantel's trilogy (Wolf Hall, this book, and the upcoming The Mirror and the Light) about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the one time Secretary of State to Henry VIII. In this novel, he is at the height of his influence. At the beginning, he has engineered the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn. By the end, he has presided over their divorce and Anne's execution.
The events follow the historical record pretty closely, with the only fiction being the private thoughts of the players involved. It is told from Cromwell's point of view, what he sees and feels, what he guesses about the thoughts and feelings of others. There is no particular bias one way or the other about the events or the people. Anne is not seen as a blameless martyr, but neither is she a wanton slut. She is the victim of Henry's inability to sire a son, her own sharp tongue, the upward mobility of her family, and a hundred other small things that require her removal. Henry is somewhat petulant, as you might expect of a man raised as royalty, but certainly commanding of respect.
It is Cromwell who is the main focus here -- a good choice, as he was in many cases in the best position to narrate (and in many cases create) the events at court. He is an ambivalent character, completely at home with his moral ambiguity, his tendency to rationalize whatever necessary in order to do Henry's will and further his own cause. He does not seem overly conflicted by the choices he makes and the events he sets into motion. He is a perfect self-made Renaissance man, one who embodies all the good and bad of his time. One admires him for his astuteness even as you are made uncomfortable by the easiness with which he makes decisions.
The overall tone of the book is slightly gossipy, which is perfectly in keeping with the period. Court life was rife with gossip and innuendo, and the idea that nobody -- not Cromwell, not Henry, not anyone -- can be perfectly sure of what's happening is certainly true to the era.
Mantel's research into her time period is extensive and obvious. This novel is an excellent picture of the English court of the era, rife with small details. The story combined with these historical flourishes bring the time to life in a way many straight histories fail to do, by keeping the reader interested enough in the narrative to continue through the more minute elements. Her style is easy to read -- certainly not overly formal or stilted, but not completely out of sync with the subject at hand either. There is no slang or modern slips that take the reader out of the narrative.
I'd recommend this book to someone who has the time and patience to sit down and pay attention to it. It's not a light read for anyone unfamiliar with the period, and even for a history nerd like me it wasn't particularly easy fare. It was definitely enjoyable, and I will probably read the other books in the series at some point (this one was available at the library).
Author: Hilary Mantel
Pub Date: 2012
Genre: Historical Fiction
Nutshell: This was not the easiest book to read, due to the density of the research. However, if you're a fan of the time period or subject matter, it's worth the effort.
**This review does technically contain 478-year-old spoilers. But I get the feeling that if you're unaware of the events surrounding this book, you're probably not going to be much interested in the book itself anyway.**
Bring Up the Bodies is the second in Hilary Mantel's trilogy (Wolf Hall, this book, and the upcoming The Mirror and the Light) about the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the one time Secretary of State to Henry VIII. In this novel, he is at the height of his influence. At the beginning, he has engineered the marriage of Henry and Anne Boleyn. By the end, he has presided over their divorce and Anne's execution.
The events follow the historical record pretty closely, with the only fiction being the private thoughts of the players involved. It is told from Cromwell's point of view, what he sees and feels, what he guesses about the thoughts and feelings of others. There is no particular bias one way or the other about the events or the people. Anne is not seen as a blameless martyr, but neither is she a wanton slut. She is the victim of Henry's inability to sire a son, her own sharp tongue, the upward mobility of her family, and a hundred other small things that require her removal. Henry is somewhat petulant, as you might expect of a man raised as royalty, but certainly commanding of respect.
It is Cromwell who is the main focus here -- a good choice, as he was in many cases in the best position to narrate (and in many cases create) the events at court. He is an ambivalent character, completely at home with his moral ambiguity, his tendency to rationalize whatever necessary in order to do Henry's will and further his own cause. He does not seem overly conflicted by the choices he makes and the events he sets into motion. He is a perfect self-made Renaissance man, one who embodies all the good and bad of his time. One admires him for his astuteness even as you are made uncomfortable by the easiness with which he makes decisions.
The overall tone of the book is slightly gossipy, which is perfectly in keeping with the period. Court life was rife with gossip and innuendo, and the idea that nobody -- not Cromwell, not Henry, not anyone -- can be perfectly sure of what's happening is certainly true to the era.
Mantel's research into her time period is extensive and obvious. This novel is an excellent picture of the English court of the era, rife with small details. The story combined with these historical flourishes bring the time to life in a way many straight histories fail to do, by keeping the reader interested enough in the narrative to continue through the more minute elements. Her style is easy to read -- certainly not overly formal or stilted, but not completely out of sync with the subject at hand either. There is no slang or modern slips that take the reader out of the narrative.
I'd recommend this book to someone who has the time and patience to sit down and pay attention to it. It's not a light read for anyone unfamiliar with the period, and even for a history nerd like me it wasn't particularly easy fare. It was definitely enjoyable, and I will probably read the other books in the series at some point (this one was available at the library).
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