I just finished Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin. A mystery set in Cambridge in 1171, wherein a woman doctor has been summoned to solve the disappearances and subsequent murder of several children. I would say I've never read a book so able to make that period come alive for me. And the author has a great ability to describe very real and realized characters. That being said, there is quite a bit of 21st century sensibility in here. I'm not sure the characters would be thinking along some of the lines that the author sets for them.
Someone gave me In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant, set in Venice in 1527. So that is awaiting me, as is
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer, by Patrick Suskind, set in 18th century Paris. This was made into a movie recently, and I see it was published some time ago, but it is new to me. I've read a few pages, and I know I won't be able to put it down once I really start.
I'm still reading Will in the World by Stephen Greenblatt; there is quite a bit of detail to take in here.
Finally I have Lost City Radio, by Daniel Alarcon, to start, which is set in a nameless South American country after a civil war and about which I've hear good things.
Reading things as I do for a living, it's getting harder to sit down to read for pleasure!
What are you reading?
4 comments:
Love the sound of the first book, we read a lot of Susanna Gregory' s Matthew Barthomew series here. Also set in Cambridge in the middle ages, usually a high body count!
Have also recently discovered another medieval mystery writer, Bernard Knight and his Crowner series, set in Exeter.
Do not laugh, but I have to say, that I am reading "Les trois mousquetaires" just now :) (Alexandre Dumas )
I found them from a second-hand bookshop and bought them for children, but I started to read them myself again. When I was a child, we had in our bookshell "The Count of Monte Cristo". It was so exciting, but we had also Victor Hugo`s (1869), "The Man Who Laughs"
I tried to read it, when I was ten years old, but I had to leave it to wait, but I remember,how difficult it was to me to quit something, it was so big shame :)
Today everything is covered by snow again! And our old friend hare has eaten all crocuses. Now I am waiting daffodils, this hare does not eat big daffodils, but it eats small ones. So, we have plenty of actions here and I am in the town also today !
Happy day to you!
I've read Perfume and really enjoyed it and something but the title escapes me by Sarah Dunant.
At the moment I'm rereading Harry Potter because I had to spend time waiting and it was the first thing to hand. having said that I'm still enjoying it.
Angela
Oh, a Venice book......yes, I have read it. It is quite good :-)
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