Reviews

A Burnable Book by Bruce Holsinger

jrmarr's review against another edition

3.0

For me this book started really well, but for some reason seemed to lose some steam, hence the 3 star rating. Having said this, I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested in historical fiction and medieval history, and i will look out for further novels from Holsinger in the future. 3.5 stars from me.

dcm7918's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

mam22nov's review

5.0

This book is a mystery that takes place in the Middle Ages, and the main character is loosely based on a real person who lived during that time. You can read all about the plot elsewhere; what I want to tell you is that I loved this book. A lot of times I'll choose historical fiction and be disappointed because either the plot is lame, the characters seem cliched, or it's too similar to something else I've read. I enjoyed this book because it's about a time period (14th century England) I haven't read too much about, and the characters include historical figures that were likewise only somewhat familiar to me. The plot was complex but interesting, which caused me to actually read carefully for a change, and allowed me to savor the experience a bit; I tend to skim-read books when the plot gets too predictable or boring. That was not a problem here. The author is a historian and a good descriptive writer. As the story moved along, the details of what life was like, how the city of London looked, the way people lived (and their habits) were all a natural part of the story, so it was interesting on several levels at once. This was the exact level of interest and involvement I hope to find when I choose a new book to read.

erboe501's review

3.0

It is 1385, and London is a dangerous place. A book of prophecies foretelling the deaths of English kings threatens King Richard II’s life. John Gower, poet and friend of Geoffrey Chaucer, must use his connections with the bureaucracy and underworld of the city to uncover the conspiracy and save the realm. Bishops, maudlyns, transvestites, and mercenaries all play a role in this intricate novel of historical fiction.

Holsinger, a decorated scholar in medieval literature, performed extensive research for this book. It shows on every page. There are almost too many details, in fact. My main issue with the book is how complex it is, which could actually be a compliment. I had a hard time keeping names straight and found myself bogged down at times by all of the descriptions, but Holsinger masterfully laid out the plot so that little bits fell into place as the narrative progressed. Nothing was so much of a surprise as to feel implausible, nor were any of the revelations too obvious. It was hard to put the book down at the end of a chapter, and I found myself reading late into the night to discover the next link in the mystery.

I got a vivid sense of life in London in medieval times. The focus on maudlyns (prostitutes) and a swerver (cross-dresser) in particular brought color and humor to what might have otherwise been a dry political mystery. Such frank discussions of sexuality are difficult to find in modern books.

A Burnable Book was dense, but worth the read.

mmseitz822's review

3.0

This book was interesting and definitely held my attention since it was almost like a mystery, but ultimately it wasn't really my kind of book. I think a lot of other readers would enjoy this but I'm not a big fan of books set in historical times. Also, there were a lot of characters and I had a hard time keeping them all straight. Overall, I think the book was really well written and would recommend it to others as long as they enjoy a more historical read.

jenniferstringer's review

4.0

3.5 stars maybe. A convincing visit to the 14th century written by a medieval scholar. Geoffrey Chaucer and John Gower work out a riddle that threatens the kingdom. Adventure follows. Grated, more fictional then historical, but the major players are there. Aspects of plot get pretty convoluted which would be my only quibble with it. I’m sure I’d better appreciate it if I knew more about medieval writers and literature, but I enjoyed it well enough.

mehitabels's review

2.0

I know I will not go back to finish this book. As intriguing as it was, it just did not hold my attention.

I recommend it to others interested in the time period. I think I am too spoiled by [a:Hilary Mantel|58851|Hilary Mantel|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1334862633p2/58851.jpg].

tessisreading2's review

3.0

An interesting read and setting, but I found the book flawed in a couple of ways: firstly, there were too many viewpoint characters - which made it difficult to feel fully pulled into the story - and the occasional foreshadowing (particularly from Gower's POV) which, again, pulled me out of the story as a reader. Secondly, the mystery was just too complicated and the missing book too much of a MacGuffin. The setting was a lively, rollicking kind of view of the past, and that part was very realistic, and then on the other hand everyone's running around after a book whose importance I could never quite grasp. There are street hucksters declaiming passages from it on corners, after all, and it might be a forgery, and it might be a forgery written after-the-fact - which everyone seems to know, so why does anyone care where it is? I felt like the lower-class versions of the narrative felt more plausible and immediate than Gower's, because their ignorance would have papered over some of the plausibility gaps. Later on, the complications just keep getting piled on top of one another and while on the one hand I get it - it's very Neal Stephenson - on the other hand, it just gets too chaotic.

balletbookworm's review

4.0

Very good detail work. The beginning is a bit jumbled with the introduction of all the characters but the pace picks up well. Good plot resolution with only one section that felt too much like a recapitulation when combined with the "letter" sections interleaved throughout the book.

carlylottsofbookz's review

2.0

Glad it is finished.

It could have been that this is not the correct book for an audio book, regardless I didn't enjoy it.