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24th out of 26 books
—
9 voters
A Free Man of Color (Benjamin January #1)
by
Barbara Hambly (Goodreads Author)
A lush and haunting novel of a city steeped in decadent pleasures...and of a man, proud and defiant, caught in a web of murder and betrayal.
It is 1833. In the midst of Mardi Gras, Benjamin January, a Creole physician and music teacher, is playing piano at the Salle d'Orleans when the evenings festivities are interrupted--by murder.
Ravishing Angelique Crozat, a notorious oc...more
It is 1833. In the midst of Mardi Gras, Benjamin January, a Creole physician and music teacher, is playing piano at the Salle d'Orleans when the evenings festivities are interrupted--by murder.
Ravishing Angelique Crozat, a notorious oc...more
ebook, 432 pages
Published
January 5th 2011
by Bantam
(first published 1997)
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Aug 11, 2008
Matt
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of period peices. And its a decent mystery.
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
mystery
This is one of many books for which I wish there was some greater degree of granularity by which I could rate them. Some comprimise position would be welcome.
I spent the better part of this book thinking that I would give it two stars, and a portion nearer the end it sank nearly to one star in my estimation. But Hambly is a clever writer, and she avoided all the worst flaws a mystery can have and gave something of a satisfying ending, so I have to say that I liked it with some qualifications.
The...more
I spent the better part of this book thinking that I would give it two stars, and a portion nearer the end it sank nearly to one star in my estimation. But Hambly is a clever writer, and she avoided all the worst flaws a mystery can have and gave something of a satisfying ending, so I have to say that I liked it with some qualifications.
The...more
Prior to reading this book, I knew nothing of "free people of colour" in the Southern USA and in particular New Orleans, where many a white slave owner had a coloured mistress set up in her own home that he visited regularly. Of course, children who were born belonged to the "massa"...he had the choice of sending them to his plantation to work or of allowing them to grow up with their mother. Often both mother and children were freed and able to carry on their own businesses and lives. But all o...more
Re-read this one for mystery book club, and glad I did. Barbara Hambly looks at race, gender and class, framed with a mystery plot. Ben January is unlike any other protagonists I've read, a 40 year old free man of color in 1830's New Orleans who has returned to his hometown after his wife's death in Paris. He is trained as a doctor, but makes his living as a piano player. He has a sister who's a courtesan and one who's a voodooiene.
The mystery is complex, with a vast cast of characters. It's so...more
The mystery is complex, with a vast cast of characters. It's so...more
Rating: 3* of five
The first Benjamin January/Javier mystery set in 1833 New Orleans and featuring a black musician/doctor as our POV character/sleuth.
The backstory of this mystery is, in my observation, more interesting than the mystery to be solved. I wasn't able to get into the book on first read, and made it to chapter 3 before shelving it. I re-tried the story, and got all the way through this time. It's a very evocative piece of writing, it's got a lot of characters whose interactions are v...more
The first Benjamin January/Javier mystery set in 1833 New Orleans and featuring a black musician/doctor as our POV character/sleuth.
The backstory of this mystery is, in my observation, more interesting than the mystery to be solved. I wasn't able to get into the book on first read, and made it to chapter 3 before shelving it. I re-tried the story, and got all the way through this time. It's a very evocative piece of writing, it's got a lot of characters whose interactions are v...more
Apr 17, 2008
Leslie Jem
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
book-group-van-bn
This book was a chore to read, which is especially strange since I really liked the main character. The writing, however, was overly descriptive and distracting. The mystery was well-plotted, too. However, it was such a slow read that although I would like to hear the further adventures of Benjamin January, I don't think will pick up another book in this series.
If you want to read a historical novel that has a carefully researched background, this book is the book for you. I will give you a word of warning however: Do not think that because this book is set in the United States and the characters all speak English that you are reading of characters who share a common culture with you. The world of Louisiana in the 1840's is a very different place and its people think far, far differently than do the people who live there today.
If it helps, perhaps your...more
If it helps, perhaps your...more
When beautiful and ruthless octoroon Angelique Crozat is found strangled to death in the midst of an opulent Mardi Gras costume ball, dark-skinned Benjamin January—physician, music teacher, and son of a former slave—soon finds himself the prime suspect in her murder. With his freedom and life at stake, January sets out to find the real killer. His quest will take him from the opulent mansions of rich white planters to the huts of voodoo-worshipping slaves, and through the dark streets of 1833 Ne...more
I first discovered Barbara Hambly in the fantasy section and really enjoy her writing. This is the first in a murder mystery series by Barbara Hambly. The story is about Benjamin January, a free man of color living in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1830's. His wife dies tragically of cholera in Paris where he studied to become a surgeon. He returns to the city of his birth where he struggles to make a living. Since he cannot practice as a surgeon on New Orleans, he returned to his musical talent...more
This is a well written mystery set in New Orleans, LA right when the U.S. has taken over from France. It focuses on Benjamin January, a free man of color. He solves a mystery, but must walk a fine line because of his status. A great start to a great series.
Thanks to my friend Joellen for recommending this book. It is the first in a series introducing Benjamin January ,the title character, and takes place in New Orleans during Mardi Gras in 1833. Benjamin is a free man of color which distinguishes him from the slaves, Americans,Creoles, quadroons, octaroons, all distinct groups with distinct behavior requirements . He is a musician and while playing at a Mardi Gras ball he observes a masked women who as a child was one of his students. She asks him...more
I had a bit of trouble getting into this book, but once I pushed past a few chapters of "who the heck is this?" "what does that word mean?" I ended up finding the book a pretty interesting read. It's definitely situated in a time/place that represents a gap in my historical knowledge, which means I can't say anything about its authenticity, but at the very least it *feels* authentic, which is good enough for me.
I liked the lead character well enough, and the rest of his circle is quite interesti...more
I liked the lead character well enough, and the rest of his circle is quite interesti...more
Dec 27, 2010
Phoenixfalls
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
american,
cities,
class,
female-author,
barbara-hambly,
gender,
historical,
mystery,
race,
mystery-challenge
This is a well-written, evocative book, full of period detail and fully-fleshed, complex characters. It is a historical mystery that succeeds in being both accessible to the modern reader and still hard to untangle. It has moments of humor, pathos, and heart-pounding suspense. It also stares unflinchingly into some very dark places, without letting that darkness overwhelm its story. It is a wonderful book, but not one to be read lightly, particularly if you prefer your reading to be full of swee...more
A Free Man of Color is a very descriptive novel, the sights and sounds of 19th Century New Orleans being described in great detail. This makes for a very rich text, but I found it personally difficult to read at times. As a reader, I am much more interested in the characters and their development than the setting. Barbara Hambly's novel does have some very interesting characters, including the musician and surgeon Benjamin January, a free man of color, who has just returned to New Orleans after...more
A loved the setting of this novel. Hambly has truly brought to life all of the complexities of 1830's New Orleans. The mystery is interesting enough, but I'm always annoyed when it's solved with information that we the audience were never privy too. It's so much more satisfying when I've had all of the evidence in front of me but just need the illumination. Still, I enjoyed it mostly for the wonderful character of Benjamin January, a free man of color who has returned to New Orleans after years...more
This is an outstanding historical novel, and an outstanding mystery story. The writing is as rich as the 1800's New Orleans setting. Benjamin January is a free man of color, back in New Orleans after years in Paris. He's an outstanding musician, and a good surgeon, but called "boy" on the streets, even by people who know his skills. Right or wrong, it's the custom of the county.
Ms. Hambly manages to introduce a dizzying array of characters, all of whom have stories of their own. It makes the bo...more
Ms. Hambly manages to introduce a dizzying array of characters, all of whom have stories of their own. It makes the bo...more
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Sep 20, 2011
Schweighsr
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
This series of novels is an evocative and facinating look into the culture of pre-civil war New Orleans. Make no mistake, these are not an easy read. The characters frequently use quotes in foreign languages that are not translated, and the writing is extremely dense, which can be confusing. The story is great and the character of Benjamin January, free man of color, is one of the best I've ever encountered. His life is so interesting and foreign and at the same time his motivations, dreams and...more
A reread, which is always rewarding with this particular book. I can't speak to the authenticity of the perspective, but I get this rush when I even just contemplate it: a surgeon, a musician...a former slave, and a man marked by the darkness of his skin in 19th-century New Orleans. Although the colored folk have carved a place for themselves in this city, it is still a place where their women are suitable as no more than contracted mistresses to wealthy landowners, and Benjamin must temper his...more
Mar 01, 2012
Matthew
rated it
2 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
history-or-social-studies,
us-history
This is a novel that deals with race politics in 1830’s New Orleans. The main character and narrator is a “free man of color” who studied medicine in France and served with Jackson in War of 1812. The novel is interesting in showing the transition from French to American control (Inhabitants felt that Napoleon had left them to be ruled by “Kaintuck” barbarians.) and how the Black Codes that had existed under the French, while still quite racist, were in many ways better than those that emerged u...more
This is a really good mystery novel that goes by in a flash once you get the hang of the writing style. The main character goes by two different names depending on who is talking to him, either January or Janvier. The name change is used as a good literary device to clue you in on what type of person is talking to him or what part of New Orleans he is in.
I love the setting of this book. 1830s New Orleans has so much going for it in terms of history and culture to work with it's amazing to me mor...more
I love the setting of this book. 1830s New Orleans has so much going for it in terms of history and culture to work with it's amazing to me mor...more
This is a reread...which is, in itself, a statement about how much I love this book, in particular and the series as a whole, that I find it worth spending the time to reread. Recently, the beginning books of the Benjamin January series were converted to ebooks and I wasted no time in getting them for my Nook.
I just finished the most recent book in the series, Shirt on His Back, at the same time I was reading this first volume and it's interesting to see how much the characters are still so con...more
I just finished the most recent book in the series, Shirt on His Back, at the same time I was reading this first volume and it's interesting to see how much the characters are still so con...more
Apr 06, 2010
Jamie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-mystery,
historical-fiction
I really enjoyed this. It's very nice historical fiction and a pretty good mystery as well. Hambly's writing is excellent. The characterizations are rich and achingly realistic. She does tend (so it seems to me, after reading three of her novels) to indulge in outrageous action scenes for her endings.
Benjamin January is the titular free man of color, and at the end I was insufficiently convinced of his need to remain in the hazardous environment of 1833 New Orleans rather than return to Europe,...more
Benjamin January is the titular free man of color, and at the end I was insufficiently convinced of his need to remain in the hazardous environment of 1833 New Orleans rather than return to Europe,...more
4 likes · like · see review
This is a murder mystery set in 1830's New Orleans. You will learn about an entire social system regarding colored mistresses, the french vs the 'new americans', etc. That itself is a whole book's worth of info. If you have problems with the constant social references, you will not enjoy this book. They are a necessary part of the time period in order to understand how people acted. The main chacter is a free black who left America to become a doctor in France, and he is forced to solve the murd...more
This is the first book in a series starring Benjamin January, a free man of color in New Orleans, and is a murder mystery set in 1833 New Orleans depicting all strata of New Orleans "society" and all sorts of plot twists and turns. What I learned most about was the placage system where married white men had octoroon or quadroom mistresses (placees) with their own houses. While an upper-class ball is going on, there is a passageway to the octoroon ball next door with white men going back and fort...more
Sep 18, 2011
Annie Leonard
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction,
mystery
I lost a weekend to this riveting first book in a series about Benjamin January, a free man of color living in 1930s New Orleans -- it was that good! January is both a surgeon and an accomplished musician, who makes his living as a music teacher and player at the numerous dances and parties held throughout the city. He also becomes a detective, accidentally, while working to clear himself of suspicion of murder. Dark and brooding, with an unflinching look at the subtleties of racism, and an unfl...more
“A Free Man of Color” is both a historical novel and a mystery novel. It takes place in New Orleans in 1833. Benjamin January, the main character, is the”free man of color,” but ironically he is not as free as one would hope. He is constrained by rigid rules and if he breaks the rules he will end up in jail and his identifying paperwork destroyed.
Benjamin, a very dark Creole) has been away from New Orleans for 16 years in Paris and has returned after all this time because he lost his wife and be...more
Benjamin, a very dark Creole) has been away from New Orleans for 16 years in Paris and has returned after all this time because he lost his wife and be...more
Unfortunately I didn't get this read in time to take it on my trip to New Orleans, oh well. But I did get it read! The character of Benjamin January was very familiar - I'm pretty sure I've read one of Barbara Hambly's books in the series, Fever Season. This book was full of historical and sometimes colorful ambience of the period, when being a free man of color in New Orleans in 1833 was not easy. I thought the author added the right amount of historical explanation and shading to make the stor...more
Set in the 1830's in New Orleans,Benjamin January has returned home from France after the demise of his spouse. Regrettably he has forgotten how very diverse feelings toward blacks are in the Americas. Hambly describes the general social group structure that had developed from interracial relations with great understanding and detail. I was impressed by her descriptive images of New Orleans and Louisiana within this period. At times I could about sense as if I was walking the streets. The intrig...more
While in New Orleans I was so entranced by the city that I wanted to read a HF set in the French Quarter. I bought this book in a local NOLA indie bookshop and was not disappointed. The scene setting was wonderful and as I walked through the French Quarter I imagined the story and the characters walking the same streets and alleys. The story has a mystery as well which was pretty good. I almost feel like this book deserves a 3.5 rating for the mystery aspect and the writing was a bit tedious at...more
This wasn't my type of mystery or period piece. I'd have to compare it to Lord John and the Private Matter or something along those lines. It is interesting at first, but it was hard to like most of the characters beyond a few but there are lots and lots of characters to keep track of for the sake of trying to solve the mystery as a reader. And then by the end there are just a few too many "oh, that's convenient" bits. I also had trouble with judging how much time passed as the story went. Somet...more
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aka Barbara Hamilton
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone...more
More about Barbara Hambly...
Ranging from fantasy to historical fiction, Barbara Hambly has a masterful way of spinning a story. Her twisty plots involve memorable characters, lavish descriptions, scads of novel words, and interesting devices. Her work spans the Star Wars universe, antebellum New Orleans, and various fantasy worlds, sometimes linked with our own.
"I always wanted to be a writer but everyone...more
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Apr 08, 2010 12:19am