First of all.... confession time. When I state here that I have "only" 69 books to read I actually meant 69 books that are here in my house at the moment. I have to admit that I have some more in storage at my mum's that I have not read. To be honest, I have no idea any more how many I have there, tucked away securely in boxes, unread, alone in the dark... poor things. The thing is also that I am not even sure I remember which ones I have and have not read. I am thinking I might be able to tell from the spines. As I used to be a spine cracker (now happily living my life as a non spine cracker) I am kind of working on the assumption that any book stowed away at my mum's that does not have a cracked spine is one that I have not read. Not sure what that ups the count to.... not sure I want to know. I am going to work with the ones I have here now and that's the 69 unread ones adorning my shelves at this moment (denial is a wonderful thing). It's a good thing that I have my music to get me through reading all these treasures... The Band was helping me out a lot in reading this one.
## SPOILER ALERT ##
Victorian Ghost Stories - Various authors
For this one I managed to get back to my favourite genre: Ghost Stories!!
Every now and again just read something that "scares" you... or in my case read a lot of stuff that "scares" you.
This collection of stories was a good one. Written between 1838 and 1900 there is a good variety in themes, there are animal and human spooks and even vampires get a look in. Some stories are by the same author, one of German origin, and even that famous author Anonymous gets a look in.
Hugues the Wer-Wolf - Sutherland Menzies
Strange tale that at first seems to be about a family that is shunned by the community and then turns out to be about the son who manages to survive hardship and yet finds love. found the way it was written a bit stilted and haltingly at times and I struggled with it in the beginning. The story seems to meander one way and then another and the change from one storyline to the next is not smooth or sometimes even logical. But I guess in the end every character gets what they deserve.
The Dream - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
I had read some of his ghost stories before and was happy to see him included in this collection.
This one is about a dying man who wishes to makes amends for the life he has lived after he gets a taste of what could be in store for him when he passes on. He has a good go at changing his life around and seems to be on the path to righteousness, however, this being a ghost story there is no escaping his destiny. Lovely gloomy and dark atmosphere, story told by someone who helps out they guy and observes from a distance and is as confounded as everyone else when the end comes along with a bit of a thud.
A chapter in the history of a Tyrone family - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
this one takes the shape of a story being told to the author. A lady tells her tale. It starts out with a story about her family and the tragic loss of a beloved sister. Strangeness happens (involving ghostly carriages) and then, all of a sudden the story veers off on a completely different direction, the sister is forgotten and the real story starts. How the lady marries the magnificent Lord Glenfallen and finds herself taken off to a big old house, a castle even (well, it wouldn't be a nice two up two down in Bloomsbury would it, not back in 1839) where she has to contend not only with a morose husband but a mad Dutch woman as well. It all gets gorgeously weird with the Dutch woman going on trial for attempting to kill our lady narrator, accusations of bigamy and madness. In the end madness is what ends it all.
Excellent story once you get over the slight change of emphasis on the first part of the story to the second more extensive part. It's almost as if Le Fanu started to write the story and then thought of an even more wonderful adventure his character could have but forgot to leave out the first part when he took the manuscript to the printers'. Still, a great entertaining story and the weirdness is worth it.
The Dead Sexton - J. Sheridan Le Fanu
A third treat from Le Fanu! There's a dead body in the second paragraph and for a minute you are not sure why Le Fanu would start the story that way but then it turns out to be not as much about the dead guy as it is about a guest who wanders by the Inn where the corpse is laid out. As an experienced reader of ghost stories you know that nobody just "wanders by" in stories like this so your suspicions are aroused buy the stranger who seems to be just a little too interested in the corpse (and rightly so!).
Good build up to the end and a lovely flurry of distracting guests to keep you from guessing what is actually going to happen in the end.
The Italian's Story - Mrs Crowe
An Italian Count trying to make his fortune in the world comes across a family whose past is linked with his... coincidence.... I think not. One young man is cheated out of a small fortune and his Italian ghost helps pay back the debt. I found myself almost screaming "come one don't you get it by now, I got it about 5 pages ago" at the end of the story so... a little predictable but okay.
Round the Fire - Mrs Crowe
Three for the price of one!
First a quick story about travellers being set upon by a ghost and then one even shorter one about a ghost without eyes. Then on to he main course: a man, a castle, a dark windy night, rooms where no other person will stay, a resident ghost... you fill in the blanks.
The Mysterious Stranger - Translated from the German
Nice story about a family travelling to a remote castle to inspect their territories. There is the girl scorning a young man's attentions and an eerie encounter with some wolves and a mysterious stranger. As he gets invited into their home you are almost screaming at them "No - don't do it, it will come to nothing" but do they listen??? You know the guy is up to no good but the rest of them seem blissfully ignorant of this fact. In the end a beat up but clever knight with a trick or two up his sleeve comes to the rescue and all is well.
Great build up of plot, nice characterisation of the main players and great reading flow and pace.
The Ghost Detective - Mark Lemon
A main character who when asked if he believes in ghost answers: Yes -No.. always a good start. The story follows the adventures of James Loxley who gets accused of embezzlement. We know he is one of the good guys but who is the bad guy. Well its' not who you think! Note to self: never trust servants that worry too much about my well being.
The Shadow of a Shade - Tom Hood
The story of how a man develops a shadow on his shadow.
What can I say without giving it away.. not a lot. Strangely enough there is a love and a trip to the icy colds involved in this one. Envy is the bad guy.
The Dead Man of Varley Grange - Anonymous
Why going to a haunted house with a few friends and mocking a ghost is never a good idea.
A nice guy gets ghosted and has to pay the price... shame, he seemed like such a nice, decent guy.
Nicely done, flows well and has the right amount of ghost in it. Anonymous should write more of these.
The Ghost in the Bank of England - Anonymous
Another good one from Anonymous.
This time the story starts off innocently enough with a doctor trying to make his way in the world. He manages to do this by taking care of some weird guy afraid of dying. Part of you thinks that this is the main story but no it's just the beginning! His reward is a bank note (cheque) which he duly cashes in for cash and the Bank of England. If it were not for the fact that on the way down he is accompanied by a man telling him a story of someone who used to work there you would think all would be well. Alas for our friend all is not well - he gets accused of fraud and looks about to be deported. However, he manages to prove his case and is able to get his life back on track.
The Picture on the Wall - Katharine Tynan
Man loves woman, woman is not wanting to commit for some reason. Woman invites man to her ancestral home to meet her family. Man gets cold reception from family. Man stays in room with painting with piercing eyes. Man is haunted at night by ghost, man survives, woman sends him packing. Not great - seems to end when it should just be getting started. Also no idea why we get the background of the whole romance as it seems to push any trace of ghost story right to the background. The whole thing feels a little contrived and more a collection of loose plot elements than a nicely told story meandering from A to B. Only the last few pages mention anything remotely ghostly and the dismissal of our male suitor is just ludicrously silly and seems just a little aside in an attempt to round up the story. Feels like there should have been a second part to it, something is missing?!
The Story of Medhans Lea - E. and H. Heron
Short and sweet - friends meet for a spot of billiards in an old house under refurbishment. Weird stuff happens (smells, crying, rustling bushes and ghostly, dark appearances) but it is all explained nicely in the end. None of them bothered to look up the history of the house before they went there but afterwards one of them seems to have developed a keen interest in it. Too late now mate.
The Tomb of Sarah - F.G. Loring
If ever there was a reason to say "I told you so" in a ghost story this one delivers.
So, here we are, restoring a church and relocating a tomb which clearly says on it, and I quote:... "for the sake of the dead and the welfare of the living, let this sepulchre remain untouched and its occupant undisturbed till the coming of Christ"... So what shall we do with this tomb then? Yep, you got it... move it 10 feet... ::sigh:: Well you asked for it!
Well written story, some goriness, some howling.... oh, and a few really stupid men. I am almost inclined to say: "Unfortunately they all make it to the end of the book alive and well."... not that they deserve it for being so stupid! What were they thinking?!
Title: Victorian Ghost Stories
Author: various
Senate
335 pages
ISBN 1-85958-133-1
Books bought: 0
Books to be read: 68
The Book Count might change as I am going to a book Fair in London on Sunday. I will try to be good, but I am not making any promises. Not sure what I am going to read next.... have to wait and see.
Friday, 12 February 2010
Sunday, 7 February 2010
The girl's got a point
When I met one of my best friends for lunch today we got to chatting about my new blog. One thing that came up was how much of the story lines I was actually giving away in my reviews and if might not be a good thing to point out that if you read my blog some of the story line and content of the book will be revealed. Now, as a person who purposely avoids reading the introductions of books for exactly that reason I figured she had a point (I am blessed with clever friends!!). So I will go back and put spoiler alerts in for the reviews.
I am conscious that I have given away some content and story line development in my reviews but I do try not to reveal everything. So, all in all I think I have done okay so far, but I would not want someone to come here looking for information about one of the books I have reviewed, only then to come across my review telling them what they do not want to know at that point in time and leave this blog disappointed. However, in order to review a book I will draw attention to what I think are relevant or interesting elements of a book and discuss them. The only thing that will change is that I will announce in each review that there could be possible spoilers.
PS: lunch was great B!!
I am conscious that I have given away some content and story line development in my reviews but I do try not to reveal everything. So, all in all I think I have done okay so far, but I would not want someone to come here looking for information about one of the books I have reviewed, only then to come across my review telling them what they do not want to know at that point in time and leave this blog disappointed. However, in order to review a book I will draw attention to what I think are relevant or interesting elements of a book and discuss them. The only thing that will change is that I will announce in each review that there could be possible spoilers.
PS: lunch was great B!!
Tuesday, 2 February 2010
Dean does it again
It seems I am on a bit of a reading binge.. not sure how long it will last so I intend to take full advantage of it. Finished a book again today!! It was a Dean Koontz one this time.
I first discovered him when a friend gave me one of his books to read. Since then I have been merrily reading away at his huge catalogue of books. I find his style very easy, I can read his books really quickly and not feel that I have missed any essential parts, turns of phrase or underlying hints when I do so. That is one thing I really noticed about DeanK, he writes quickly. some authors (for example Raymond Chandler) write leisurely, relaxed, safe in the knowledge that you will get to the end of the book eventually. With DeanK it is all go from the start. I wonder if his brain works that quickly and that shows in his style or is it simply that he has found a way to put that speed across on paper in the way that he structures his stories and it is just a trick he has learnt? He does tend to arch his chapters in a way that makes you want to read on and on. At the end of a chapter he will leave you mid conversation or revelation almost forcing you to read on. His characters are recognisable, easy to relate to and the story usually moves at a fast pace. Another good thing is that usually something weird happens somewhere along the line - be it to someone or something is brought into the story that make you go "what???" (creepy misty rain, scary mind control, dogs that can spell, people with hidden powers etc etc).
Now more about the one I read this time.
## SPOILER ALERT##
Your Heart belongs to Me - Dean Koontz
After I resisted the urge to read the blurb on the back (sometimes these things tel me more than I really want to know) I dove right in. Basically the story is about a young man called Ryan Perry who gets a heart disease and then gets a new heart. Seems simple enough.. well yes and no. The story is about how he deals with the diagnosis and how he feels that something is amiss, something is working against him in the background and he even becomes paranoid that he has been poisoned but he decides to overcome these feelings by taking charge and getting himself back on track. He makes choices that seem perfectly reasonable and when he does take control you do not really think anything of it although the woman he loves does (should have been a clue right?!). All the time he seems to be busy uncovering this plot outside himself when it is really all about him and about how he deals with people and impacts on others, how he does not question what good things happen to him and this new heart that he is given. Turns out the heart he is given in his transplant really "belongs" to someone else and the whole thing was not really above board. In a way the explanation seems a bit far fetched to me. He seems to have invented a backstory to his narrative that is in a way just "added in" at the end. In the last 40 pages it all comes out. It's almost as if DeanK came to a point of "right the guy is happy and healthy. Now why does it still all go wrong for him?" enter stage right the innocent religious girls, give her a super assassin avenging sister, add some medical organ harvesting and let's get some bullets flying. However, in the end when Ryan has finally learnt the life lessons he needs to learn, has got the humility and patience to let life be what it is, you are happy for him and you can tell that he is balanced and he will be okay. Even if he does not get the girl.
Title: Your Heart belongs to Me
Author: Dean Koontz
Harper
406 pages
ISBN nr 978-0-00-726758-3
Books bought: 0
Books to be read: 69
Next one to be read Victorian Ghost Stories
I first discovered him when a friend gave me one of his books to read. Since then I have been merrily reading away at his huge catalogue of books. I find his style very easy, I can read his books really quickly and not feel that I have missed any essential parts, turns of phrase or underlying hints when I do so. That is one thing I really noticed about DeanK, he writes quickly. some authors (for example Raymond Chandler) write leisurely, relaxed, safe in the knowledge that you will get to the end of the book eventually. With DeanK it is all go from the start. I wonder if his brain works that quickly and that shows in his style or is it simply that he has found a way to put that speed across on paper in the way that he structures his stories and it is just a trick he has learnt? He does tend to arch his chapters in a way that makes you want to read on and on. At the end of a chapter he will leave you mid conversation or revelation almost forcing you to read on. His characters are recognisable, easy to relate to and the story usually moves at a fast pace. Another good thing is that usually something weird happens somewhere along the line - be it to someone or something is brought into the story that make you go "what???" (creepy misty rain, scary mind control, dogs that can spell, people with hidden powers etc etc).
Now more about the one I read this time.
## SPOILER ALERT##
Your Heart belongs to Me - Dean Koontz
After I resisted the urge to read the blurb on the back (sometimes these things tel me more than I really want to know) I dove right in. Basically the story is about a young man called Ryan Perry who gets a heart disease and then gets a new heart. Seems simple enough.. well yes and no. The story is about how he deals with the diagnosis and how he feels that something is amiss, something is working against him in the background and he even becomes paranoid that he has been poisoned but he decides to overcome these feelings by taking charge and getting himself back on track. He makes choices that seem perfectly reasonable and when he does take control you do not really think anything of it although the woman he loves does (should have been a clue right?!). All the time he seems to be busy uncovering this plot outside himself when it is really all about him and about how he deals with people and impacts on others, how he does not question what good things happen to him and this new heart that he is given. Turns out the heart he is given in his transplant really "belongs" to someone else and the whole thing was not really above board. In a way the explanation seems a bit far fetched to me. He seems to have invented a backstory to his narrative that is in a way just "added in" at the end. In the last 40 pages it all comes out. It's almost as if DeanK came to a point of "right the guy is happy and healthy. Now why does it still all go wrong for him?" enter stage right the innocent religious girls, give her a super assassin avenging sister, add some medical organ harvesting and let's get some bullets flying. However, in the end when Ryan has finally learnt the life lessons he needs to learn, has got the humility and patience to let life be what it is, you are happy for him and you can tell that he is balanced and he will be okay. Even if he does not get the girl.
Title: Your Heart belongs to Me
Author: Dean Koontz
Harper
406 pages
ISBN nr 978-0-00-726758-3
Books bought: 0
Books to be read: 69
Next one to be read Victorian Ghost Stories
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Another one bites the dust
Queen stated it very eloquently and melodically... "another one bites the dust". The same goes for one of my books!! Finished another one.. seem to be doing pretty good on the reading front these past few weeks. Perhaps making for not reading so much over Xmas and New Year?
Anyway.. this is the one I finished.
##SPOILER ALERT##
Tales of the Supernatural - Various Authors
According to the the book itself "Stories of the strange and the mysterious to grip and chill you..". Well, yeah it delivers that alright. This books is a collection of some of the greatest of them all and I will list the individual stories below.
The Plattner Story - HG Wells
a teacher disappears from a classroom into a sort of Netherworld of strange blobs that seem to gather round the dying. Eerie vision of a possible after life.
The Yellow Cat - Michael Joseph
a man unlucky in gambling befriends a cat, finds it to be a lucky charm, gets on top again and then kills the cat hereby ending his run of exceptional luck. Oh, yea and a dead guy slips him some money that starts him off on his lucky streak (face it dude, it was never going to end well was it?). In the end the cat has the last laugh!
Escort - Daphne Du Maurier
William Blunt is an experienced sailor who gets an escort from a ship that magically disappears at the light of day. Slightly predictable and just as it gets good it becomes day and all is well. Also not sure what the captain being ill has to do with any of it... apart from being a story telling device of leaving our William in charge of the ship.
The Specter Bridegroom - Washington Irving
sweet story about mistaken identity and how the fear of ghosts can help you get the girl you love.
Keeping his Promise - Algernon Blackwood
Should get a prize just for having and eerie name!
Nice story about how a forgotten pact with a childhood friend can come back to haunt you. His description of the visiting friend is excellent and apt for one demised.
The Corner Shop - Lady Cynthia Asquith
making amends the hard way - from beyond the grave. Moral story about honesty and doing right by people.
The Brighton Monster - Gerald Kersh
weirdness at the seaside. In 1745 a tattooed man is caught by some local fishermen who think he is a monster. He is kept as a prisoner and studied by the local mr Smartypants. In a nice twist the stranger turns out to be time warped from Hiroshima 1945.
The Body Snatcher - Robert Louis Stevenson
Resurrectionists get their come-uppance in a great way! A chance meeting leads to the unveiling of a local dignitary's sordid past, doing things in a graveyard that are done best in the dark. the corpse deservedly gets the last laugh in this one.
Casting the Runes - MR James
Last but certainly not least, one from the master himself!! The guy who got me hooked on ghost stories is on fine form here. The tale of a petty and vindictive man who sets out to destroy anyone who says a word against him. Gets hoodwinked by his own trick in the end. Brilliantly set up and lovely characters, well defined even in so short a story.
All in all a great little selection with some great stories!!
Highly recommended to introduce you to the work of some of the greats.
Title: Tales of the Supernatural
Author: Various
Panther Books
124 pages
No ISBN (published in 1962)
Anyway.. this is the one I finished.
##SPOILER ALERT##
Tales of the Supernatural - Various Authors
According to the the book itself "Stories of the strange and the mysterious to grip and chill you..". Well, yeah it delivers that alright. This books is a collection of some of the greatest of them all and I will list the individual stories below.
The Plattner Story - HG Wells
a teacher disappears from a classroom into a sort of Netherworld of strange blobs that seem to gather round the dying. Eerie vision of a possible after life.
The Yellow Cat - Michael Joseph
a man unlucky in gambling befriends a cat, finds it to be a lucky charm, gets on top again and then kills the cat hereby ending his run of exceptional luck. Oh, yea and a dead guy slips him some money that starts him off on his lucky streak (face it dude, it was never going to end well was it?). In the end the cat has the last laugh!
Escort - Daphne Du Maurier
William Blunt is an experienced sailor who gets an escort from a ship that magically disappears at the light of day. Slightly predictable and just as it gets good it becomes day and all is well. Also not sure what the captain being ill has to do with any of it... apart from being a story telling device of leaving our William in charge of the ship.
The Specter Bridegroom - Washington Irving
sweet story about mistaken identity and how the fear of ghosts can help you get the girl you love.
Keeping his Promise - Algernon Blackwood
Should get a prize just for having and eerie name!
Nice story about how a forgotten pact with a childhood friend can come back to haunt you. His description of the visiting friend is excellent and apt for one demised.
The Corner Shop - Lady Cynthia Asquith
making amends the hard way - from beyond the grave. Moral story about honesty and doing right by people.
The Brighton Monster - Gerald Kersh
weirdness at the seaside. In 1745 a tattooed man is caught by some local fishermen who think he is a monster. He is kept as a prisoner and studied by the local mr Smartypants. In a nice twist the stranger turns out to be time warped from Hiroshima 1945.
The Body Snatcher - Robert Louis Stevenson
Resurrectionists get their come-uppance in a great way! A chance meeting leads to the unveiling of a local dignitary's sordid past, doing things in a graveyard that are done best in the dark. the corpse deservedly gets the last laugh in this one.
Casting the Runes - MR James
Last but certainly not least, one from the master himself!! The guy who got me hooked on ghost stories is on fine form here. The tale of a petty and vindictive man who sets out to destroy anyone who says a word against him. Gets hoodwinked by his own trick in the end. Brilliantly set up and lovely characters, well defined even in so short a story.
All in all a great little selection with some great stories!!
Highly recommended to introduce you to the work of some of the greats.
Title: Tales of the Supernatural
Author: Various
Panther Books
124 pages
No ISBN (published in 1962)
Top 100
I have a confession to make.... I bought three more books!!
I blame the BBC top 100 list for it. I found the list online and went through it. Turns out I have read only 16 out of the 100 essential read before you die books on the list. Sadly enough 4 of those are the Harry Potter ones (can't believe the Lord of the Rings does not count as 3). But to my credit I have read the top 5!!!! 2 of the books I bought yesterday are on the list so whenever I get round to reading them that will be another 2 off the list. Also....thank god for university reading lists for otherwise I am pretty sure I never would have ploughed my way through the turgid mass of Middlemarch. I have this vivid memory of it being totally boring and tedious. Looking forward to getting started on the rest of the list as well but not sure when that is going to happen with so many other books to read.
Books bought 3
Books to read 70
Reading at the present a Dean Koontz one.
I blame the BBC top 100 list for it. I found the list online and went through it. Turns out I have read only 16 out of the 100 essential read before you die books on the list. Sadly enough 4 of those are the Harry Potter ones (can't believe the Lord of the Rings does not count as 3). But to my credit I have read the top 5!!!! 2 of the books I bought yesterday are on the list so whenever I get round to reading them that will be another 2 off the list. Also....thank god for university reading lists for otherwise I am pretty sure I never would have ploughed my way through the turgid mass of Middlemarch. I have this vivid memory of it being totally boring and tedious. Looking forward to getting started on the rest of the list as well but not sure when that is going to happen with so many other books to read.
Books bought 3
Books to read 70
Reading at the present a Dean Koontz one.
Sunday, 24 January 2010
Finished one..
Well, the New Year got off to a bad start reading wise but I am now back on track! Managed to finish my book today so here it goes.
##SPOILER ALERT##
The Last Witchfinder - James Morrow
I liked it! I always wanted to know more about how this bizarre notion of being able to tell who is a witch and who is not managed to persist for so long and get the backing of both church and King alike. The book gives a good insight into how people were "cried out" as witches and how hey were bound to be found guilty as the "science" behind witch finding was seriously flawed. Even though people did not seem to know how to defeat the "science" some knew that there was no harm in knowing more about healing than you neighbour or investigating why a ball made of stone and one made of feathers would touch the earth at the same time.
The book takes on a journey of discovery and lets us view the fall out from Witch finding via the main character Jennet Stearne. She is a inquisitive young girl who is being taught by her aunt to be inquisitive and base her opinions on observation rather than having them prescribed by society. when her aunt Isobel is accused of being a witch and burned at the stake she vows to gather the evidence that will convince the world that there is no such thing as witchcraft. He efforts are noble and thwarted by adversity. She is forced to go to America, then almost gets killed when her village is raided by Indians with whom she lives fro a number of years. She has a child but unfortunately the girls dies. She's "rescued" from the tribe and enters into a loveless marriage with Tobias Crompton and gets a change to work on her Argumentum Grande against witchcraft. She even has a second child (Rachel), eventually meets the love of her life (Ben Franklin). They "swive" intensely and she then has another son (William) whilst marooned on an island on the way back from England (don't ask... it's too complicated). They get themselves rescued by pirates en settle down back in America. You'd think that was enough for anyone to cope with but her fate seems sealed when she concocts a plan to ensure she gets a chance to put her "proof" against witchcraft into practice. She gets herself arrested on witchcraft and... surprise surprise, her brother and his crazy wife ensure that she is found guilty of witchcraft. She does manage to escape the gallows with the help her "Bonny Ben" and his cronies and after another short stay with the Indians returns to live out her days in relative quiet. Oh well, unless you count her long lost brother turning up one day and burning himself in front of her and all the scientific experiments she does as upheaval.
I'll admit it's a lot to fit into a book but it sort of works.
The part the I really like is the structure Morrow has created for his story. He gets a book to tell us the story of Jennet and not just any old book. This book in question is the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton. You can tell it loves, maybe even adores Jennet and it tells us her story. Every now and again it intervenes in the story and teaches us that one books flows from another and ideas blend and develop through time. People's ideas, voices and thoughts are what makes books comes alive and this natural process has been going on for ages. Also it wants us to fight ignorence with knowledge and I like that idea...... a lot!!!! It's a nice touch to imbue a book with feelings for a person and use it as story telling device... clever!
So was it all good??? Well no, I have no idea why Jennet was made to have children. Two of them are introduced and both seem equally superfluous. They serve no particular purpose in propelling the storyline or giving us an insight into Jennet's emotional life or development. Also, had the book ended with her going back to the Indian tribe and staying there until she dies that would have been fine with me. Why did she need to go back to "civilisation"? It's nature that she seeks to understand and harness to her purpose, why then does she not stay in an environment that is closer to nature than the life she returns to. Her life with the indians gives her "tranquility" yet she opt to leave it. Also the way her borther is dealt with does not sit right with me. He was the one that got her convicted and the scourge of those accused of witchcaft, to some extent he was the scourge of Jennet's life as it is his beliefs she fights tirelessly against. All he is accorded at the end is the discovery his wife is faking demonic attacks, is a vindinctive woman and the realisation that perhaps everything he stands for is a lie. Oh, and then he bashes his goodwife's brains out, goes over the edge and then turns up on Jennet's lawn one day and burns himself to death in front of her eyes... well... okay. Guess that's that then?!
Title: The Last Witchfinder
Author: James Morrow
Phoenix
541 pages
ISBN nr 978-0-7538-2153-4
State of play
Books to be read: 67
Books bought: 2
##SPOILER ALERT##
The Last Witchfinder - James Morrow
I liked it! I always wanted to know more about how this bizarre notion of being able to tell who is a witch and who is not managed to persist for so long and get the backing of both church and King alike. The book gives a good insight into how people were "cried out" as witches and how hey were bound to be found guilty as the "science" behind witch finding was seriously flawed. Even though people did not seem to know how to defeat the "science" some knew that there was no harm in knowing more about healing than you neighbour or investigating why a ball made of stone and one made of feathers would touch the earth at the same time.
The book takes on a journey of discovery and lets us view the fall out from Witch finding via the main character Jennet Stearne. She is a inquisitive young girl who is being taught by her aunt to be inquisitive and base her opinions on observation rather than having them prescribed by society. when her aunt Isobel is accused of being a witch and burned at the stake she vows to gather the evidence that will convince the world that there is no such thing as witchcraft. He efforts are noble and thwarted by adversity. She is forced to go to America, then almost gets killed when her village is raided by Indians with whom she lives fro a number of years. She has a child but unfortunately the girls dies. She's "rescued" from the tribe and enters into a loveless marriage with Tobias Crompton and gets a change to work on her Argumentum Grande against witchcraft. She even has a second child (Rachel), eventually meets the love of her life (Ben Franklin). They "swive" intensely and she then has another son (William) whilst marooned on an island on the way back from England (don't ask... it's too complicated). They get themselves rescued by pirates en settle down back in America. You'd think that was enough for anyone to cope with but her fate seems sealed when she concocts a plan to ensure she gets a chance to put her "proof" against witchcraft into practice. She gets herself arrested on witchcraft and... surprise surprise, her brother and his crazy wife ensure that she is found guilty of witchcraft. She does manage to escape the gallows with the help her "Bonny Ben" and his cronies and after another short stay with the Indians returns to live out her days in relative quiet. Oh well, unless you count her long lost brother turning up one day and burning himself in front of her and all the scientific experiments she does as upheaval.
I'll admit it's a lot to fit into a book but it sort of works.
The part the I really like is the structure Morrow has created for his story. He gets a book to tell us the story of Jennet and not just any old book. This book in question is the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton. You can tell it loves, maybe even adores Jennet and it tells us her story. Every now and again it intervenes in the story and teaches us that one books flows from another and ideas blend and develop through time. People's ideas, voices and thoughts are what makes books comes alive and this natural process has been going on for ages. Also it wants us to fight ignorence with knowledge and I like that idea...... a lot!!!! It's a nice touch to imbue a book with feelings for a person and use it as story telling device... clever!
So was it all good??? Well no, I have no idea why Jennet was made to have children. Two of them are introduced and both seem equally superfluous. They serve no particular purpose in propelling the storyline or giving us an insight into Jennet's emotional life or development. Also, had the book ended with her going back to the Indian tribe and staying there until she dies that would have been fine with me. Why did she need to go back to "civilisation"? It's nature that she seeks to understand and harness to her purpose, why then does she not stay in an environment that is closer to nature than the life she returns to. Her life with the indians gives her "tranquility" yet she opt to leave it. Also the way her borther is dealt with does not sit right with me. He was the one that got her convicted and the scourge of those accused of witchcaft, to some extent he was the scourge of Jennet's life as it is his beliefs she fights tirelessly against. All he is accorded at the end is the discovery his wife is faking demonic attacks, is a vindinctive woman and the realisation that perhaps everything he stands for is a lie. Oh, and then he bashes his goodwife's brains out, goes over the edge and then turns up on Jennet's lawn one day and burns himself to death in front of her eyes... well... okay. Guess that's that then?!
Title: The Last Witchfinder
Author: James Morrow
Phoenix
541 pages
ISBN nr 978-0-7538-2153-4
State of play
Books to be read: 67
Books bought: 2
Saturday, 9 January 2010
The New Year
I'm back from my holidays and have managed to obtain another 3 books in the weeks I was away. None of them ghosty but some good ones none the less. This brings the total book count to 69.
Unfortunately I did not get much time to read on my holidays but I have made a bit of a start on The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow. The start was good as it was from the point of view of a book telling the story of how it came into existence... novel idea!
Unfortunately I did not get much time to read on my holidays but I have made a bit of a start on The Last Witchfinder by James Morrow. The start was good as it was from the point of view of a book telling the story of how it came into existence... novel idea!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)