Overview

[Tudor Book Blog]

Week I overview and general thoughts. For specific discussions (for example, a thought or question about a particular character or event) please start a new topic under the Week I folder.

[Christine]

So far I'm enjoying the book. Matthew Shardlake and his way of viewing the world is interesting. I've a few theories about the murder of Singleton and in these types of books I like to guess early, after meeting the characters, as to who is most likely to be the guilty one. As the story unfolds I may change my mind.

[Val]

We have the setting of the scene, introduction of the main characters, those who are going to continue through the series, then those specific to this story and description of the crime. It is a pretty solid start and the history, politics, etc. feels about right without being a parade of facts. It is not perfect, there were one or two things which were a touch anachronistic in the language, I thought, but better than many books set in the distant past (would someone refer to a drinker as 'fond of the bottle' before alcoholic beverages were routinely bottled, for example, or talk about dog's mess).
I have read this before, but I don't think I had started to speculate on who the murderer was at this stage.

[Tudor Book Blog]

I haven't really begun to speculate yet, either. I just don't have enough evidence.

However, I really enjoyed reading Shardlake's back story. I am interested to see more about him as an individual. I think it interesting that the author created him as a hunchback, I'm interested to see how it plays out and contributes to the story.

[Val]

Paula wrote: "I'll also have to reconcile my impressions of Thomas Cromwell via Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies with this characterization. I think this book will offer some interesting perspective."

Cromwell is a powerful figure, but a relatively minor character in this book, so he is not as complex as Hilary Mantel makes him. Like you, I am interesting in comparing the characterisations, but I think Mantel makes him more fascinating.

[Val]

Paula wrote: "I recall hearing only bad things about Cromwell when I lived in England years ago - that's why I read Wolf Hall in the first place."
That is interesting, I have not really heard that, although Thomas Cromwell does get a bit of a pasting in Robert Bolt's play "A Man for All Seasons". Some of the people you were talking to might possibly be confusing Thomas with Oliver.

[Val]

Paula wrote: "I know when I began reading Wolf Hall people kept thinking about Oliver, not Thomas."
Yes, I found the same thing. They both had something to do with damaging churches and persecuting Catholics.

Paula wrote: "How far are in in the book?"
I have read it before, so this time I am reading it at the group pace and trying to ignore the bits I know already.

[Tiffany]

if week 1 is through chapter 6...

I like the author's descriptions of the times and the people living in them - it's nice to read from the perspective of someone who wasn't at the upper tiers of society, as much fiction seems keen to romanticize --similarly, I love that ransom seems to emphasize how gross the city (& times) would have been - the stench, the dumping of piss pots - the stink of infrequent bathing, etc

I agree with the take on Cromwell, post- Wolf Hall and even the series The Tudors. I'm sure anybody with so much power would have been feared - and surely by this point, the issues with the Church would have been very pressing for him

in terms of the mystery itself, I don't think I'm quite far enough in, but the stand-out piece I've seen so far is mention of spare keys: if there is a fourth set, who had access to them?

[Lynsay]

Tiffany wrote: "I love that ransom seems to emphasize how gross the city (& times) would have been - the stench, the dumping of piss pots - the stink of infrequent bathing, etc"

The detail described through smell in the book is really interesting. It's not a tool I've noticed in other historical books on the period and I think it really conveys the reality of the time.

So far I have enjoyed what I've read. With Shardlake, the memory of going to the priest and wanting to join the order was very interesting. It emphasizes the prejudice that he deals with everyday, but also shows why he distrusts the religious houses and it's quite tragic.

And the characterizations so far really do stand out, along with the scenery. Can't wait to read more.

[Val]

His descriptions give this book a richness and depth which make it one of the very few detective stories I have ever decided to keep and read more than once. (We have been talking about keeping all our books or not in another group.) I enjoyed the evocation of Tudor England even more on this second read, because I was not having to concentrate on the plot.
(By the way Paula, you forgot to mention sounds like!) ;-)

[Tiffany]

Lynsay wrote: "With Shardlake, the memory of going to the priest and wanting to join the order was very interesting. It emphasizes the prejudice that he deals with everyday, but also shows why he distrusts the religious houses and it's quite tragic."

I think he does a good job of balancing how cruelly H8/Cromwell/Reform went about enforcing change with the hypocrisy/corruption and political power of the Church at the time.

[Tudor Book Blog]

Paula wrote: "Val wrote: "His descriptions give this book a richness and depth which make it one of the very few detective stories I have ever decided to keep and read more than once. (We have been talking about..."

If you enjoyed his use of descriptions of Tudor England, you should definitely check out Fremantle's 'The Queen's Gambit.' I loved getting lost in its pages of scene setting and descriptions! She made it very easy to imagine one's self in the place and time.