The Reviews Thread
Talk Mistress of the Art of Death ~ Early Summer 2009 Reading Group
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1richardderus
Sorry, Vintage_Books, if this treads on toes...but I wanted to give everyone a place to post their summings-up of the book. Of course, that is optional, but I for one need to get my opinions off my chest before I BUST!!
2richardderus
The Highly Rated Book Group sponsored reading, with the game-though-gravid Vintage_Books leading us through some very trenchant questions about our impressions of both the book and the world it's set in, was a lot more fun to read in a group of like-minded people, ones who read on multiple levels like our brethren and sistern here on this site.
Adelia Vesuvia, our sleuth, is a forensic physician in a time when I didn't know such existed. The twelfth century is a time period I find extremely fascinating. I've read a fair bit about this time, focusing on English and French history and the Crusades (those horrific events!); Catholic Church history at this time, when the schism from Eastern Orthodoxy was new and the invention of religious primacy in matters of the state was being consolidated, is also an interest of mine.
This book's evocation of that time is appealing to me precisely because it's relatively new to my somewhat jaded sensibilities. Salerno as the primary focus of Western medicine is a well-trodden path; the fact that Salernitan physicians could be women is not well-trodden, and the simple IDEA of forensics in this time...! Irresistable pulls for me, the historian-who-hated-school.
So I was disposed from the giddy-up to like the book. The author's execution was the primary unknown quantity for me. I am thrilled and delighted with the execution because the characters, while displaying anachronistic ideas and ideals, are quite believably constructed and supplied with plausible motivations for their divergent social attitudes. I can willingly suspend my disbelief at every turn where the story requires me to do so. That's very high praise from me!
Characterization, in a series mystery, is make-or-break. Do I, the reader, like this group of people enough to continue inviting them out to dinner? (The price of a hardcover book being equivalent to the price of an entree at a tablecloth restaurant; the trade paper to an entree at Applebee's or TGIFriday's; the rack-size to a value meal at the local McDonald's; which restaurant am I willing to take these characters to?) The answer, while unique to each individual, is the source of the publisher's and author's income. It behooves all parties to the preparation and publication of a mystery to consider this. The good people at Putnam, now a tentacle of the Penguin empire, have done a very very good job of making this assessment and bringing a solid, interesting cast of regulars to my table at Le Cirque.
Sir Rowley, Adelia Vesuvia's English suitor, is a fine example. He's three dimensional in his pursuit of her, not simply presented as out to get some one thing; I think of some of the characters in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries as contrasts to this quality of characterization. We're given to understand that Sir Rowley has goals and ambitions that Adelia Vesuvia can both forward and threaten in equal measure. His ultimate place in her life, and her in his, isn't a foregone conclusion. Both characters are presented as struggling with what the other means to them on multiple planes. That's just plain good storytelling. It will keep me buying hardcovers as long as Franklin keeps doing it.
The minor characters, eg Gyltha the housekeeper and Mansur the Moor, are deftly drawn as well. They don't, in contrast to many series mysteries, come across as convenient mouth-pieces for the author's needed plot developments. (*cough*PhryneFisher'sDot*cough*)
Finally, the integration of real political developments like Henry II's move to take control of the Church's legal framework in his empire, is seamless enough to take a moment to recall as factual instead of created. It's necessary to move this plot forward. But it's also the historical reality. Well done, madam! Seldom achieved in fiction, still less the less-respected "genre" fiction that mysteries are published as.
This is a four-and-a-half star recommended book. Sally forth and procure it from yon bookery.
Adelia Vesuvia, our sleuth, is a forensic physician in a time when I didn't know such existed. The twelfth century is a time period I find extremely fascinating. I've read a fair bit about this time, focusing on English and French history and the Crusades (those horrific events!); Catholic Church history at this time, when the schism from Eastern Orthodoxy was new and the invention of religious primacy in matters of the state was being consolidated, is also an interest of mine.
This book's evocation of that time is appealing to me precisely because it's relatively new to my somewhat jaded sensibilities. Salerno as the primary focus of Western medicine is a well-trodden path; the fact that Salernitan physicians could be women is not well-trodden, and the simple IDEA of forensics in this time...! Irresistable pulls for me, the historian-who-hated-school.
So I was disposed from the giddy-up to like the book. The author's execution was the primary unknown quantity for me. I am thrilled and delighted with the execution because the characters, while displaying anachronistic ideas and ideals, are quite believably constructed and supplied with plausible motivations for their divergent social attitudes. I can willingly suspend my disbelief at every turn where the story requires me to do so. That's very high praise from me!
Characterization, in a series mystery, is make-or-break. Do I, the reader, like this group of people enough to continue inviting them out to dinner? (The price of a hardcover book being equivalent to the price of an entree at a tablecloth restaurant; the trade paper to an entree at Applebee's or TGIFriday's; the rack-size to a value meal at the local McDonald's; which restaurant am I willing to take these characters to?) The answer, while unique to each individual, is the source of the publisher's and author's income. It behooves all parties to the preparation and publication of a mystery to consider this. The good people at Putnam, now a tentacle of the Penguin empire, have done a very very good job of making this assessment and bringing a solid, interesting cast of regulars to my table at Le Cirque.
Sir Rowley, Adelia Vesuvia's English suitor, is a fine example. He's three dimensional in his pursuit of her, not simply presented as out to get some one thing; I think of some of the characters in Ellis Peters' Brother Cadfael mysteries as contrasts to this quality of characterization. We're given to understand that Sir Rowley has goals and ambitions that Adelia Vesuvia can both forward and threaten in equal measure. His ultimate place in her life, and her in his, isn't a foregone conclusion. Both characters are presented as struggling with what the other means to them on multiple planes. That's just plain good storytelling. It will keep me buying hardcovers as long as Franklin keeps doing it.
The minor characters, eg Gyltha the housekeeper and Mansur the Moor, are deftly drawn as well. They don't, in contrast to many series mysteries, come across as convenient mouth-pieces for the author's needed plot developments. (*cough*PhryneFisher'sDot*cough*)
Finally, the integration of real political developments like Henry II's move to take control of the Church's legal framework in his empire, is seamless enough to take a moment to recall as factual instead of created. It's necessary to move this plot forward. But it's also the historical reality. Well done, madam! Seldom achieved in fiction, still less the less-respected "genre" fiction that mysteries are published as.
This is a four-and-a-half star recommended book. Sally forth and procure it from yon bookery.
3jasmyn9
>2 richardderus: My review is still in the works, but I must say I loved your concept of taking the characters out to dinner and the various types of publications (hard cover vs trade paper etc.)
4richardderus
Makes the value proposition clear, don't it?
5tloeffler
Okay, no way I can write a review as nicely as Richard, but I'll be glad to share my humble opinions about the book.
Yowza.
Really, I think I enjoyed this book as much as any I have ever read. I thought the characters were well-written, none of them totally good or bad, but with varying degrees of both, which made it more challenging to try to figure out whodunit. And speaking of that, it didn't really seem to matter to me whodunit--I was taken along with the story and how Adelia et al managed to work it out. And when Henry II walked into that inquiry and plopped down on the table, I nearly applauded out loud. Like you, Richard, I find the time period fascinating (and I personally think that Henry got a bad rap for that Thomas Becket thing). It's interesting to be reminded too that Jewish persecution isn't just a Nazi/WWII thing. Funny, around the same time I was reading this, I was reading Hana's Suitcase about Jews in WWII, and also reading Radio Priest about Father Charles Coughlin's anti-Semitic radio broadcasts in the US during the 30's, and kept being reminded of Roth's The Plot Against America, along with The Jew Store about American Jews in the 20's. It's kind of neat the way they all rolled together.
Long story short, I would recommend it to anyone. Sorry to slog on--I got carried away.
Yowza.
Really, I think I enjoyed this book as much as any I have ever read. I thought the characters were well-written, none of them totally good or bad, but with varying degrees of both, which made it more challenging to try to figure out whodunit. And speaking of that, it didn't really seem to matter to me whodunit--I was taken along with the story and how Adelia et al managed to work it out. And when Henry II walked into that inquiry and plopped down on the table, I nearly applauded out loud. Like you, Richard, I find the time period fascinating (and I personally think that Henry got a bad rap for that Thomas Becket thing). It's interesting to be reminded too that Jewish persecution isn't just a Nazi/WWII thing. Funny, around the same time I was reading this, I was reading Hana's Suitcase about Jews in WWII, and also reading Radio Priest about Father Charles Coughlin's anti-Semitic radio broadcasts in the US during the 30's, and kept being reminded of Roth's The Plot Against America, along with The Jew Store about American Jews in the 20's. It's kind of neat the way they all rolled together.
Long story short, I would recommend it to anyone. Sorry to slog on--I got carried away.
6richardderus
"Slog on"?! You saw my review...you were a model of succinct-icity, or whatever that word is.
It is worthwhile to remember that anti-Semitism is deeply ingrained in Western European culture. The Cat'lics and their Christ-killer slander are answerable for a lot of deaths.
A Lot.
It is worthwhile to remember that anti-Semitism is deeply ingrained in Western European culture. The Cat'lics and their Christ-killer slander are answerable for a lot of deaths.
A Lot.
7tututhefirst
Like others, there is no way my reviews will match Richard's for in-depth analysis. I gear my review comments to painting a broad picture of what the book is about, why I liked (or disliked) it, and whether or not it's worth wasting time and money on. See the post on Tutu's Two Cents also cross posted on the book itself, and on my 999 thread.
8cyderry
I reviewed the book previously - http://www.librarything.com/topic/63911#messagehead46
There's not much more that I can. I really enjoyed the process of reading with the group and the questions were extremely thought-provoking - 5 Stars to vintage_books!
There's not much more that I can. I really enjoyed the process of reading with the group and the questions were extremely thought-provoking - 5 Stars to vintage_books!
9jhedlund
Yes, Richard does set the bar very high - always a delight to read your reviews! Here is my humble contribution.
This book reads best as a thriller, since the mystery is so compelling and suspenseful that you almost forget about the twelfth century England backdrop. The book did, however, spark my interest in reading more about the reign of Henry II from other authors.
Ariana Franklin's book is somewhat reminiscent of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, with the strong, intelligent female doctor heroine in a time and place where women's opinions were worse than discounted. However, "Mistress" has less emphasis on the romance and a much tighter (mercifully) focus on moving the plot forward, creating a rousing suspense.
I must say that some of the violence and cruelty in the book was difficult to stomach, and during at least one scene I felt it was a bit gratuitous. Nevertheless, the book had me turning the pages, and I definitely want to read the sequel - "A Serpent's Tale." 4 stars
This book reads best as a thriller, since the mystery is so compelling and suspenseful that you almost forget about the twelfth century England backdrop. The book did, however, spark my interest in reading more about the reign of Henry II from other authors.
Ariana Franklin's book is somewhat reminiscent of Diana Gabaldon's "Outlander" series, with the strong, intelligent female doctor heroine in a time and place where women's opinions were worse than discounted. However, "Mistress" has less emphasis on the romance and a much tighter (mercifully) focus on moving the plot forward, creating a rousing suspense.
I must say that some of the violence and cruelty in the book was difficult to stomach, and during at least one scene I felt it was a bit gratuitous. Nevertheless, the book had me turning the pages, and I definitely want to read the sequel - "A Serpent's Tale." 4 stars
11richardderus
Heavens! I had no idea I was setting a bar. All's I was doin' was talkin' loud about a book I loved.
Damned by flush praise, I guess....
Damned by flush praise, I guess....
12jdthloue
my review will show up here eventually. i cleaned house yesterday and now my copy of the book & the notebook with my review notes are missing.....the search is on!!!
13billiejean
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I liked that there was a female doctor -- medical examiner, no less -- during medieval times. I found all the characters really interesting. The story was fast-paced and a fun read. A great choice!
--BJ
--BJ
14jasmyn9
Adelia has been placed in an interesting situation. A female doctor in England trying to hunt down the killed of several children from a small village. The prime suspect, at least according to the villagers, are the Jews. The king has requested Adelia to proved the Jew's innocense and find the real killer.
Mistress of the Art of Death follows Adelia as she tracks the killer and tries to prove the Jews innocent. The book is fast paced and held my interest throughout. It has a little bit of everything, from mystery, historical fiction, action, and a bit of romance. A variety of characters that evolve and change as the story progesses keep you guessing as to the identity of the killer.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
Mistress of the Art of Death follows Adelia as she tracks the killer and tries to prove the Jews innocent. The book is fast paced and held my interest throughout. It has a little bit of everything, from mystery, historical fiction, action, and a bit of romance. A variety of characters that evolve and change as the story progesses keep you guessing as to the identity of the killer.
I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
15jdthloue
MISTRESS OF THE ART OF DEATH
Ariana Franklin
G P Putnam’s Sons
2007
280 pages
“Name of the Rose” crossed with “Silence of the Lambs”???? Whichever, the premise is as old as Time. Someone is savagely murdering children, and Someone Else has to discover who and, more importantly, why.
In this case, the year is 1157 AD, the city is Cambridge, England during the reign of Henry II,who is held,to this day, responsible for the death and subsequent canonization of Thomas a Becket..Someone is murdering English children and the Jews are being blames..the same Jews who fill the coffers of the realm..the eternally scapegoated Jews....enter Simon of Naples, himself a Jew and well-known “fixer”; his erstwhile sidekick, Adelia Vesuvia Aguilar, a “mistress of the art of death”, and a Physician to boot..which fact, if widely known, could condemn her as a Witch in the society of Cambridge...throw in a Saracen bodyguard and watch them enter the story among a troupe of pilgrims returning from Canterbury with relics, sickness, and a murderer in tow...so the story begins.
and what a story! i was impressed with Ms Franklin’s scholarship regarding the historical aspects of this tale...its Politics and mores. her portrayal of everyday life and death was a joy to read. her characters were actually Characters and not dialogue-spouting cutouts. my only qualm was the intrusion of a Romantic Aspect..which sells books, i know. But Adelia was subject to self-doubt on her best days...once she encountered the Studly Rowly she went all soft and girly and nearly lost her head.....but that’s a minor quibble, given the strength of the rest of the book. i had no problem with the rather savage end of the SICKLY NUN...and the MURDERER got his just desserts as well
I’m not sure i want to read the sequel(s) in the series but i strongly recommend this first foray....4 stars at least
........and that's that.
