tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post3881383820089009170..comments2024-03-27T22:25:42.129-05:00Comments on Reading the Past: Adventures in medieval castle buildingSarah Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-51850540880191843352007-04-22T22:34:00.000-05:002007-04-22T22:34:00.000-05:00Thanks for your perspective, Elizabeth. It did su...Thanks for your perspective, Elizabeth. It did surprise me to have most of the novel seen from Susanna's viewpoint - made me wonder if the person who wrote the jacket blurb hadn't read the novel. It was rather frothy in places, but I think it was what I needed to read at the time!Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-87840438739267519112007-04-21T16:21:00.000-05:002007-04-21T16:21:00.000-05:00Seven out of ten from me on this one. I enjoyed me...Seven out of ten from me on this one.<BR/> I enjoyed meeting the characters who were delightful, and the pages turned easily. However, I felt that the author was never quite sure where the novel was going. Constance is billed as the heroine, but Susannah her daughter in law hijacks the starring role and seems to be given more time on stage. Piers is never more than a faint pastel sketch (even though a delightful one). There's a hotchpotch of romance and medieval mystery but the latter feels as if it's been included as an obligatory nod to the popularity of that particular genre and it's almost like a badly tacked on extension. Superficially the research and the medieval mindset are excellent, although occasional info-dumps rather clumsily woven into the fabric of the narrative made me think that the author had read Sheila Sancha's Castle Story and just regurgitated it into the story. I never got the feeling that these were real Medieval people. Sure they are very good actors with a terrific stage setting, but somehow despite all that they still came over as modern people in fancy dress - good quality fancy dress, but fancy dress all the same. I suppose my end opinion would be that the book is rather like it's cover. A pretty pastel cariacature.Elizabeth Chadwickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911841862257909703noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-46489477261303051282007-04-11T03:57:00.000-05:002007-04-11T03:57:00.000-05:00I will read this novel which sounds interesting,Ro...I will read this novel which sounds interesting,<BR/><BR/>Rosemary <BR/><BR/>Tangled Hearts by Rosemary Morris<BR/>Engspiren Press<BR/><BR/>A romantic novel set in the reign of Queen AnneRosemary Morrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11246565740097088493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-29068144761807905302007-04-08T13:10:00.000-05:002007-04-08T13:10:00.000-05:00Sounds like fun and a nice contrast to Edith Parge...Sounds like fun and a nice contrast to Edith Pargeter's presentation of 'building in the Middle Ages'.Gabriele Campbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17205770868139083575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-80636391397703381972007-04-08T11:08:00.000-05:002007-04-08T11:08:00.000-05:00Sounds like fun! I LOVE Reay Tannahill's books, es...Sounds like fun! I LOVE Reay Tannahill's books, especially The World, The Flesh and the Devil - this one sounds like its antithesis! Will have to look out for it :)Tesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15636189059910920978noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-32519914712902047392007-04-08T09:39:00.000-05:002007-04-08T09:39:00.000-05:00Glad you liked it too. I really liked Hamish, who...Glad you liked it too. I really liked Hamish, who seemed very deliberately the brawny Highlander stereotype with a garrulous tongue and a large extended family. Gervase seemed like the straight man in a household full of comedic actors, and completely unaware of it besides. I agree though, Constance could be irritating.Sarah Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13340312953393474963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-12438249879035221452007-04-08T00:40:00.000-05:002007-04-08T00:40:00.000-05:00Oh, I've just finished this! I enjoyed it, but no...Oh, I've just finished this! I enjoyed it, but not as much as I thought I would. It's light and easy to read and great fun, but somehow the characters didn't grab me, except maybe for Susanna - I didn't like Constance much, and I found Gervase pretty irritating. But overall, definitely worth reading, and I do love the idea of a 'medieval comedy'!Kathryn Warnerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00397714441908100576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19307003.post-70097142028634904142007-04-07T21:44:00.000-05:002007-04-07T21:44:00.000-05:00This is on my wish list!This is on my wish list!Susan Higginbothamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13517907583894026599noreply@blogger.com