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3.41 AVERAGE
3.41 AVERAGE
I love how kindles can make a chunky, long historical fiction book manageable. yesterday i took the long flight home from spain to san francisco alone, and this book kept me company. it just drew me in right from the start. i loved how descriptive it was, so much detail...you can tell that she really spent a ton of time doing her historical research. i've seen things in museums about the etruscans, studied them a teency bit in college, but they were never really brought to life the way they were in this book. i also loved learning more about earlier rome. rome is usually characterized in later times, i almost forget its austere beginnings. you can really see how it changed later and incorporated a lot of the things that it didn't originally believe in, from other cultures. i would love to have lived in the etruscan world. it sounds beautiful, vibrant and fun. i was a little shocked at how many drugs they used to take, you usually think of that as more of a modern thing, but they were pretty much as bad as we are now. i wasn't bored for hours of reading, even though the main character was a bit annoying and she and her husband slightly stereotype ish. i can't wait to read the sequel...i almost went and bought it today to read but only the fact that i have a ton of other books here waiting already to read stopped me. i'm going back to it as soon as i can, though!!
With a patrician mother and a plebian father, Caecilia has never been fully accepted into either society in ancient Rome. After the death of her parents, Caecilia lives with her uncle who uses her as a seal in a peace treaty with the Etruscans. Caecilia is to be married to Vel Mastarna, a man she has never met from a society as opposite as can be from hers. Where Romans are rigid and strict, the Etruscans are ‘sinful’, offering women the opportunity to practice religion and discuss politics, even in the company of men. Although Caecilia is married to Mastarna and leaves Rome, she vows to stay true to her Roman roots, but the longer she lives with Mastarna and his family, the easier it seems to be to lose her Roman culture. I liked this book, but the title confused me. Both when I purchased it, and when I started reading it, I thought that Caecilia ended up a widow and had to choose between Roman and Etruscan society. This is not a spoiler, because that’s not what happens in the book, so I suppose the main giveaway here is that Vel Mastarna doesn’t die. The wedding shroud within the book holds significance with the Etruscan society because those who are married are buried together underneath their wedding shroud. To me, it seemed like the author/editor could have found a better title for the book. It painted an inaccurate picture of what the book would be like to me, and I think if I went in with a different idea of what it was going to be about, I probably would have had a different experience. That said, the plot was interesting although I found Caecilia to become a bit annoying as a character. There is a great duality to her as a character with her patrician/plebian background which then evolves into a second duality of Roman/Etruscan. I would have loved to see Storrs dive more into ‘two’ Caecilia’s rather than focus on Caecilia whining about the Etruscan’s sin and whether or not she was capable of partaking and if she was capable of enjoying it.
Roman Caecilia is wed to Etruscan nobleman Vel Mastarna is order to reaffirm a treaty. There is quite an age difference along with a cultural difference that make the two start on very shaky feet.
For the most past I liked Caecilia, she doesn't just immediately give up on her Roman culture. She clings to and Vel lets her because that is what is culture is about. They are much more open than the strictness of the world that Caecilia is used to and for awhile, Caecilia is definitely unworthy of his continued patience. Yet she comes from a different world and freedom that she comes to have is something that she never expected. While I appreciated her growth, she does regress relatively easy for something that felt more like it was needed for the plot that would have been natural. The secondary characters at times felt like their had a more fleshed out character than Caecilia did.
There is a lot of focus on religion, both the good and the bad. The book has no problem showing how a blind faith to a religious figure who may not have your best interest at heart can truly harm you. Not everyone is who they say they are.
The end was a little too predictable but it sets up a really interesting conflict to come in the rest of the series.
For the most past I liked Caecilia, she doesn't just immediately give up on her Roman culture. She clings to and Vel lets her because that is what is culture is about. They are much more open than the strictness of the world that Caecilia is used to and for awhile, Caecilia is definitely unworthy of his continued patience. Yet she comes from a different world and freedom that she comes to have is something that she never expected. While I appreciated her growth, she does regress relatively easy for something that felt more like it was needed for the plot that would have been natural. The secondary characters at times felt like their had a more fleshed out character than Caecilia did.
There is a lot of focus on religion, both the good and the bad. The book has no problem showing how a blind faith to a religious figure who may not have your best interest at heart can truly harm you. Not everyone is who they say they are.
The end was a little too predictable but it sets up a really interesting conflict to come in the rest of the series.
Ultimately a story about culture shock, The Wedding Shroud chronicles the political marriage of a young, austere Roman woman to a wealthy older Etruscan. We watch as Caecilia begins to adapt to the more sensual, lavish Etruscan life, while still clinging to her morally black-and-white Roman upbringing. As Caecilia begins to feels love from the Etruscans surrounding her, she begins to see shades of gray between the cultures. The book is well researched and fascinating; the differences between ancient Romans, Etruscans and Greeks were all new to me. I enjoyed the growth of all the characters, which were well drawn and believable. I felt a little let down by the ending, and wonder what happened to all the characters. I read in one of the reviews here that there may be a sequel, which (I hope) would tell me what happens to Caecilia, Tarchon, Mastarna and the other Veientanes. All in all, a terrific read.
Somehow I started reading the prologue when my Kindle decided to jump to the last chapter and I hit the epilogue unknowingly. Having read the ending, I just can't bring myself to read in between at the moment.
DNF. What a boring, sulky, milquetoast main character. I got to the 47% mark, when , and I realized I simply didn't care. At all. Heck, if she'd been struck by lightning and the focus had shifted to anyone else - her husband, her mother-in-law, her maid - I might've kept reading. But she wasn't, so it was time for me to quit instead.
There was no reason for me to stick with it. What romance there was seemed either childish - Drusus? why? he wasn't even hot - or tacked on. The scenery/domestic descriptions that other reviewers claim was beautiful didn't make an impression on me at all because the MC showed no interest in anything but her own misery. And as for her, all she did was mope when she wasn't busy judging others for having a good time. Oh no, they want give her presents or let her dine with them or ask after her opinions? Quelle horreur! The other characters had potential, and would've undoubtedly been far more interesting to read about compared to the pathetic MC, but sadly that's a totally different book.
Spoiler
the prospect of war loomed and the MC's life hung in the balanceThere was no reason for me to stick with it. What romance there was seemed either childish - Drusus? why? he wasn't even hot - or tacked on
Spoiler
(two pages about how she used to do drugs with her new hubby in order to get through the requisite sex but now she totes doesn't need them anymore because she looooves it is not what I call relationship development)
Let me start by saying that historical fiction is about as far from my usual genre as anything could be. But I wanted to read something different and this book was certainly that.
The Wedding Shroud initially drew me in, but then it sort of petered out by the middle. Frankly, I never found anything about Caecilia that I liked. Vel deserved much better than her!
The Wedding Shroud initially drew me in, but then it sort of petered out by the middle. Frankly, I never found anything about Caecilia that I liked. Vel deserved much better than her!
I DNF this book. This was my third attempt at trying to read it over the years, and I finally had to give up and accept I could not do it. I have never DNF a book before; I always push through, but I finally realized I couldn't anymore. I wasn't happy and didn't think it was worth it to spend any more time on this book. So, why didn't I like it?
First, it was so hard to get past the whining of the main character. The plot just wasn't strong enough for me, but it was so promising at the beginning. I couldn't understand or relate to the main character's thoughts and decisions. Why was she so desperate to return to Rome, a place where the only family she has left thoroughly mistreated her? Compared to the standards of the day, her life was grand, with a caring husband and freedoms of the society.
Also, the 'mystery' surrounding the husband's dead first wife was just uninteresting to me. Everyone kept details of her a secret, and it seemed at every turn Caecillia was discovering another 'clue.' I just didn't care because it did not seem relevant to the plot in the slightest.
I get that the cultural shock of the Etruscan society was indeed a complete change from everything the MC knew, but she could (and should) have made the most of it. Thought I will say, I have to agree with her shock and disgust at some of the depravities, including brutal animal slaughter, featured in the book. They were a little much for me to read about, so I could understand a little about her feelings.
Ultimately though, I just didn't like the main character enough to push through. Finally, my last gripe is the constant referral of the main character as "the girl." Actually, a few characters are reduced to "the girl," and it especially annoys me because they're grown women!! At least by the standards of the time period. I don't think I've ever read a third person narrative that refuses to just use the characters' names. "The matron" "The Roman" "The Greek girl" and so on was just so weird and off-putting to me. Maybe I can't explain it as well as I'd like, but just use pronouns or the character's name.
I will say, this book might have promise for some. And I did make it halfway through. The author does a good job at describing the ancient Etruscans, and it's a setting that I haven't read about before. The supporting characters were much better than the MC, and they probably help to keep the book afloat to the end; I just didn't have the patience to find out.
First, it was so hard to get past the whining of the main character. The plot just wasn't strong enough for me, but it was so promising at the beginning. I couldn't understand or relate to the main character's thoughts and decisions. Why was she so desperate to return to Rome, a place where the only family she has left thoroughly mistreated her? Compared to the standards of the day, her life was grand, with a caring husband and freedoms of the society.
Also, the 'mystery' surrounding the husband's dead first wife was just uninteresting to me. Everyone kept details of her a secret, and it seemed at every turn Caecillia was discovering another 'clue.' I just didn't care because it did not seem relevant to the plot in the slightest.
I get that the cultural shock of the Etruscan society was indeed a complete change from everything the MC knew, but she could (and should) have made the most of it. Thought I will say, I have to agree with her shock and disgust at some of the depravities, including brutal animal slaughter, featured in the book. They were a little much for me to read about, so I could understand a little about her feelings.
Ultimately though, I just didn't like the main character enough to push through. Finally, my last gripe is the constant referral of the main character as "the girl." Actually, a few characters are reduced to "the girl," and it especially annoys me because they're grown women!! At least by the standards of the time period. I don't think I've ever read a third person narrative that refuses to just use the characters' names. "The matron" "The Roman" "The Greek girl" and so on was just so weird and off-putting to me. Maybe I can't explain it as well as I'd like, but just use pronouns or the character's name.
I will say, this book might have promise for some. And I did make it halfway through. The author does a good job at describing the ancient Etruscans, and it's a setting that I haven't read about before. The supporting characters were much better than the MC, and they probably help to keep the book afloat to the end; I just didn't have the patience to find out.
I enjoy historical fiction and this was a nice change of pace. Set in ancient Italy it offers interesting perspectives on the differences between the Etruscan and Roman cultures of the time (400BC) and in particular the different roles of women in the societies. I wouldn't call it great literature but it was an enjoyable read and I'm looking forward to reading sequels
I was looking exactly for this kind of Ancient Roman novel: clash of cultures, Etruscans and a slow burn romance.
Caecilia had a great arc of transformation, esprecially coming from such a patriarchal culture as the Roman one. It felt really good, even if I didn't find all her struggles relatable – but that's okay, we're different persons and I like that.
Also, Mastarna ♥️
It can be read as a standalone, but I highly suggest the following two.
Caecilia had a great arc of transformation, esprecially coming from such a patriarchal culture as the Roman one. It felt really good, even if I didn't find all her struggles relatable – but that's okay, we're different persons and I like that.
Also, Mastarna ♥️
It can be read as a standalone, but I highly suggest the following two.