Monthly Group Reads: JUNE 2012 (Group Read 2): Inquisition by Alfredo Colitto

[Simona]

Then you should keep me company in trying a book by Mrs. Japp! They're quite good, really.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Tasha wrote: "My first languages were Russian and Ukrainian but i have since stopped speaking them, sadly. Although I can generally understand the languages still, thankfully. I had French in high school and adv..."

I'd love to speak Russian. I think it would look good on me. :-)

I have enough German I believe to get me around Germany okay. I can't remember for the life of me how to write it, but I can speak some.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Guess what people! I have started Inquisition.

Let me preface my comments by saying this.
Last night I zipped through 70 pages. (sometimes publishers double line spacings can make a person look like quite the speed reader).
It was a dark windy night and rainy. I had my bedside lamp on and a scented candle. This created in my bedroom a fantastic ambiance for the start of this book and I really felt I was there.

The book so far. It definitely has my attention. I look forward to more reading tonight.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It is still a little overcast here, but it was clear enough this morning for me to drink my coffee in the backyard on a blanket at breakfast time. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

.....and yes, that is where I was checking all the A&M threads from this morning. Via my Android Tablet. :)

[Tasha]

Great pic! Sounds like a great way to spend your morning. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It was. :) It was a little brisk..being first day of Winter today. But because it was early enough, the gusty winds we have been having these last couple days had died down and it was quite pleasant. :)
Wish you could have joined me!

[Tasha]

I would have loved to!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

:D

[Tasha]

One day we will. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

:-) Can't wait.

[Tasha]

Me either :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Didn't get much reading done yesterday. Only about 10 pages. Had to go somewhere last night. Was disappointed I didn't get much done.
Tonight. I'll have an early night with the book tonight. :-)

[Bobby]

Terri wrote: "It is still a little overcast here, but it was clear enough this morning for me to drink my coffee in the backyard on a blanket at breakfast time. :)
"

Hah....I love the pix!! I'll try and set one up for you as well!!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

It was you who inspired the uploading of the book photo for our April Group Read. I've decided to do it for every group read now. :-)
It certainly is fun to see the book sitting there all the way on the other side of the world.
I am already planning a photo shoot for when I start the other group read. The Emperor's Spy.
I am wondering if I should take it to a cafe. Or maybe up the mountain behind our house...I guess I won't know until my inspiration hits. :D

Everyone. Feel free to take a picture of your book! In your house. Backyard. Coffee shop..etc etc.. If you don't want to add it to your GR profile photos, you are welcome to upload to the groups photos.

[Simona]

Ehm... just "how" do you upload to the group photos? You know, me being the computer wizard and all...

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

You go to the photos. Listed in the right hand corner over there >>>>
where it says, group home, bookshelf etc...
Once in photos, on the right hand side it says 'add more photos' or wording of that kind. Click on that.

Then click on browse or whatever the wording is.
It will go to your computer files where you can select something from your computer.
Click Upload. And there you have it. :-)

The only problem you can get is size. You may have to downsize the pixels of your photo if it is too big. I had to half the standard pixels to make my photo the size it is in this thread.

But don't worry about size for now. Work out the upload first. :-) If it is wrong size, I can help you with resize instructions.

[Simona]

Thanks, resizing isn't a problem! Now I'll go around my home with books and camera in search of inspiration..

[Simona]

..in the meanwhile, I've almost finished Cuore di Ferro. It's not, definitely, one of my favorite books. I'm not going to add any spoiler, but I don't like the atmosphere of the book, so dark and gloomy. I'm looking forward to hear your impressions, but we'll talk more freely when everybody has finished the book. Personally, I'm sorry that my library couldn't provide Manda Scott's book, :(

[Bobby]

I'm almost finished with so I can get on with . Leaving for Costa Rica next Saturday for 5 days and then on to the Yucatan in Mexico on a medical mission to the Mayan area. Don't know how much reading I'll get to do while there.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Simona wrote: "Thanks, resizing isn't a problem! Now I'll go around my home with books and camera in search of inspiration.."

Can't wait to see the shot! :D

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Simona wrote: "..in the meanwhile, I've almost finished Cuore di Ferro. It's not, definitely, one of my favorite books. I'm not going to add any spoiler, but I don't like the atmosphere of the book, so dark and g..."

Different tastes hey. :) It is the dark gloominess that I like about the book. I love that feel. That's the same feel I get from the C.J. Sansom books. Great books for cold windy nights. :)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Bobby wrote: "Leaving for Costa Rica next Saturday for 5 days and then on to the Yucatan in Mexico on a medical mission..."

What a swell way to spend some time. Helping out on a medical mission in poor areas. Well done.

[Tasha]

What a swell way to spend some time. Helping out on a medical mission in poor areas. Well done.

I agree!

[Bobby]

On chapter 6 and mostly enjoying the tale...except for all the names of places and churches. Could have used a map, I guess. Anyway, so far so good. Especially liked the use of a dandelion's root needing to be pulled as well as the flower in order to kill the plant....same goes for getting rid of the Templars, I assume.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Yes, I can see that dandelion analogy too, Bobby. :-)

I am halfway through and I am enjoying it. I like the world, the streets, the way the author describes Italy in this era.
You can feel the translation in the writing sometimes. It misses a lot of finesse from time to time that I have no doubt is due to it having to be translated from Italian to English.
I had the same problem as you, Bobby, with all the place names and peoples names. I had to keep trying to recall who was who and where they were because of all the names. I think I have a handle on it now.

So far, a relaxing, laid back read that I am liking.

[Dawn]

You're posting doubles Terri....... :)

[Simona]

Actually the difficulty is from medieval Italian to English, I think. Colitto likes to intersperse words in "volgare" in his writing, and this must be difficult to render.
I had a look on the net to see if I could find a detailed map of Bologna in the Middle Age to help Bobby, but the ones I found didn't have names on.
I'm going to write to the author to explain about our "Book of the Month" group. Maybe, if I can contact him, he'll be able to suggest us a link...who knows?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Oh that would be good. If we can score a link to a map from the author himself. :-)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Dawn wrote: "You're posting doubles Terri....... :)"
Damn. I have been deleting these doubles all day on GR. Frustrating. I thought I'd deleted this double up. It happens usually due to GR, but today it is because I am a distance away from my wi fi and it keeps dropping out.

[Bobby]

Simona wrote: "Actually the difficulty is from medieval Italian to English, I think. Colitto likes to intersperse words in "volgare" in his writing, and this must be difficult to render.
I had a look on the net t..."

Good call Simona!! Be interesting to see how he responds.

[Simona]

So. Mr Colitto has a site, http://alfredo-colitto.com/, where he has a link to his Facebook profile. I'm not on Facebook (nor Twitter, etc etc): but if you are, Bobby, you can write him yourself because he says that he also works as translator.
I'm sorry, I've not been able to find any other way to contact him. :(

[Anne]

Simona wrote: "So. Mr Colitto has a site, http://alfredo-colitto.com/, where he has a link to his Facebook profile. I'm not on Facebook (nor Twitter, etc etc): but if you are, Bobby, you can write him yourself be..."

I'm on Facebook. what do you want me to ask him if I can find him?

[Bobby]

Simona wrote: "So. Mr Colitto has a site, http://alfredo-colitto.com/, where he has a link to his Facebook profile. I'm not on Facebook (nor Twitter, etc etc): but if you are, Bobby, you can write him yourself be..."

I wrote him a message this a.m. inquiring as to the availability of a map. I'll let you know if I hear from him.

[Bobby]

Terri wrote: "It is still a little overcast here, but it was clear enough this morning for me to drink my coffee in the backyard on a blanket at breakfast time. :)
"

The more I look at your picture the more I enjoy it. Tranquility....and a breeze. Only thing missing is a little rain.

[Silver]

So far I am quite enjoying the book. I have always found Alchemy and the Templars to be fascinating subjects, and such is what caught my interest into wanting to read this one.

I am a bit surprised by the overwhelming bad reviews it received. There are points where the prose does feel a bit weak and maybe the writing is not that strong, but that may have to do translation, and even so, it certainly is not the worst I have read.

But I find the characters and the story to be interesting, and I really like the pace of the book and I am intrigued to find out just what is going to happen next.

[Bobby]

Silver wrote: "So far I am quite enjoying the book. I have always found Alchemy and the Templars to be fascinating subjects, and such is what caught my interest into wanting to read this one.

I am a bit surpris..."

Yes, I agree Silver about losing some of the writing strength through translation. In I have heard from those that can read both English and Spanish that quite a bit of the meaning was lost in the translation.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Hi Bobby,
You may be interested to know that a couple days ago (the night our power went out) we got 4 inches of rain. Of course, that is not much fun to sit and read in. :-)
In that photo, we moved our cattle into that front paddock so I now have a herd of quietly grazing cattle to watch in that vista.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

I'm not on FB either Simona, so hopefully Bobby can get a response with a map link. I would really appreciate a map to look at.

Thanks for offering to contact him, Anne. :-)

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Silver,
I don't often read about the Templars because most books on them are centred on their occupation and battles in places such as Jerusalem. I like that this isn't about the Templars, but includes them as part of a whole scene. I like that. And I like that is it giving us insight into the Templars on their home turf, in Italy. I also like the inclusion of the alchemy as well as the medieval medicine.

The hernia removal was interesting, and no doubt would make Bobby squeamish. :-)

I too am befuddled as to why people are rating this book so low. I did wonder at the beginning of this thread, when I put the book up as a group read, whether it would take HF genre readers to appreciate the book as we haven't picked this book up hoping for a medieval Da Vinci Code..
We have picked the book up to read a historical book about Italy during the time of the Templars and the Inquisition, with a historical mystery thrown in.
I think I will be scoring the book 4 stars at this stage. Although I still have a third to go. If it gets bad, then I may drop it to 3, but call it 3.5.

[Silver]

Bobby wrote: "Yes, I agree Silver about losing some of the writing strength through translation. In I have heard from those that can read both English and Spanish that quite a bit of the meaning was lost in the translation. "

Though I will say that even translated in English it is evident that Love in the Time of Cholera is masterfully written, and still quite beautiful and lyrical to read. So I will venture that Colitto may not be quite the caliber of writer that Marquez is.

[Silver]

Terri wrote: "Silver,
I don't often read about the Templars because most books on them are centred on their occupation and battles in places such as Jerusalem. I like that this isn't about the Templars, but incl..."

Just curious, you are not a big fan of reading about battles? Or don't care for books set in Jerusalem?

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

No to both. Most of the HF I read are battle books, and I have no prob with a Jerusalem setting.
My problem with the Templar style I spoke of is that they have been done to death. The majority of Templar books are set in the same scene. I have read enough of them and i find them all starting to sound the same. Their campaigns and presence in the Middle East was only one part of the Templar history and yet it is the history that is mostly written about.
I would still read a templar or Crusade book set in the Middle East, but I don't seek them out.

[Silver]

Terri wrote: "No to both. Most of the HF I read are battle books, and I have no prob with a Jerusalem setting.
My problem with the Templar style I spoke of is that they have been done to death. The majority of ..."

Ahh ok I understand now. I myself have not read many historical fiction books about Templars, many of the books I have read about them are more dealing in modern types which revolve around Templar related mysterious and conspiracies and I have read a bit of non-fiction about Templars.

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

The Da Vinci code type of Templar story. I have read a couple of them, but I must admit, I prefer the straight medieval reads, sans the modern. :-)

[Tasha]

I know this will sound like a really strange question, but does anyone who is reading this book notice a peculiar smell coming from the book? I ordered a brand new copy from a seller on amazon and when it arrived, it smelled really, really bad. To make a long story short, I threw it away convinced it was a problem from the seller's side and ordered a second copy from a completely different seller. The book arrived today and it too has a similar smell however, as this book is used, the smell is more faint and more bearable. So now, I'm curious why these books smell and think maybe it's the ink or paper this publisher uses. And I'm also curious if anyone else is having the same experience?!

I sprayed this second copy with some essential oils and it is now readable. Weird...

[Silver]

Tasha wrote: "I know this will sound like a really strange question, but does anyone who is reading this book notice a peculiar smell coming from the book? I ordered a brand new copy from a seller on amazon and ..."

That is so funny, I have noticed the same things. I ordered a used copy from Barnes and Noble, so I just assumed that it just had used book smell. It is a faintly smoky type smell on mine, not too intrusive. And I thought kind of ironic, a book about the Inquisition with a slight smokey aroma to it.

Maybe there was alchemy in the making of the book.

[Tasha]

That's so interesting Silver. I feel bad now that I threw away a perfectly good book!

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Silver wrote: "Maybe there was alchemy in the making of the book ..."

Some Sulphur perhaps?:)
Tasha did say when she got it that it smelled like faeces....

[Terri, Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Darn it. I know mine smells like nothing..but now I have to check..I'll be back..