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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Unlike any book I've ever read. It's a mystery that's "solved" through conversation. I didn't like it though.
a compelling mystery and history lesson, charmingly written.
I'm certain I've read this before, must have been before I started my GR account. I'm sure I had a different understanding of the history and politics this time around.
I'm certain I've read this before, must have been before I started my GR account. I'm sure I had a different understanding of the history and politics this time around.
adventurous
funny
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
An interesting and informative novel that manages to be fairly fast-paced despite the density of information provided. It did take quite a while for the book to actually get going and you can also tell that it’s written as part of a series although it works as a standalone. All in all it was an entertaining peek into 15th century British history and I’d definitely recommend it.
I really liked this when I first read it as an eighth-grader, and as an adult I question the judgment of my younger self. Did I not notice how snobbish and arrogant the main character, Grant, is? Did his blatant classism and sexism not bother me? (What about his hypocrisy—did I not notice or not care?) Was I less concerned with fact-checking the narrative then, perhaps because the internet didn’t exist and it was much harder to do so?
I don’t remember enough about my take on the book at the time to answer these questions. Suffice to say that this time, I didn’t like it. I enjoyed the idea behind the book, I just… hated the primary character. And I can argue with a lot of the historical matter Tey brings into the story. But it still gets two stars because I did learn some things about Richard III, and it did keep me reading til the end!
Would I recommend it to anyone else? Probably not. Exceptions would be history lovers (but not history nerds) who aren’t bothered by the snobby kind of British detective. So that’s like… 3 people?
I don’t remember enough about my take on the book at the time to answer these questions. Suffice to say that this time, I didn’t like it. I enjoyed the idea behind the book, I just… hated the primary character. And I can argue with a lot of the historical matter Tey brings into the story. But it still gets two stars because I did learn some things about Richard III, and it did keep me reading til the end!
Would I recommend it to anyone else? Probably not. Exceptions would be history lovers (but not history nerds) who aren’t bothered by the snobby kind of British detective. So that’s like… 3 people?
Most people probably learned about Richard III the way I did--through reading the play by Shakespeare in high school and during an English history class in college. And most people probably have, as I did, a very negative opinion of the evil, hunchbacked Richard who lost his crown and his life during the War of the Roses--especially since he was responsible for the deaths of his nephews, the two princes in the Tower of London. Four hundred years later, Inspector Alan Grant is in a London hospital recovering from a compressed spine and a broken leg and he is bored beyond belief. To ease his boredom he begins to look into the life of Richard III, with the help of a young American who is a researcher at the British Museum, and finds to his surprise that the story of Richard III is now at all the story that has come down in history. Using original historical sources, Grant begins to piece together the true story of Richard's life and short reign as king and believes that he has found one of the biggest cover-ups in the history of England. A wonderful book.
mysterious
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I liked the writing style a lot, but I just. did. not. care. about the subject matter, the ins and outs of British royalty from centuries ago.
I enjoyed this book. I wouldn’t say I loved it, but it was interesting and a quick read.
I bought this book in 2015, but completely forgot I had it, till a friend recommended it recently, and I found it waiting patiently on my Kindle. Once, I started reading, however, I was hooked.
Inspector Grant is laid up in hospital, and has memorised the map of cracks on the ceiling. He can't bring himself to read any of the books his friends gifted, so a friend presents him with "faces". Portraits of people long dead which speak of secrets unknown. He is drawn to the portrait of Richard III, infamous in Britain as a heinous villain, but who's face is that of a person who is sensitive, even noble.
Different people who see the portrait react differently to the face, but without knowing who he is, none of them thinks him capable of killing his nephews in cold blood to secure his kingship. Grant then takes on the challenge of discovering the "real" Richard III. The book is fascinating. Though it is constructed as a procedural, it is actually historical research. The investigations throw up how the telling of history is distorted to suit the needs of the current dispensation, and of how the oversimplification required when you try to cram centuries of history into the brains of school students leads to overt mis representations.
I loved the book, and can't wait to dig into the rest of Josephine Tey's books. Isn't it a delight when you discover a book you love, and learn that the author has written several others.
Inspector Grant is laid up in hospital, and has memorised the map of cracks on the ceiling. He can't bring himself to read any of the books his friends gifted, so a friend presents him with "faces". Portraits of people long dead which speak of secrets unknown. He is drawn to the portrait of Richard III, infamous in Britain as a heinous villain, but who's face is that of a person who is sensitive, even noble.
Different people who see the portrait react differently to the face, but without knowing who he is, none of them thinks him capable of killing his nephews in cold blood to secure his kingship. Grant then takes on the challenge of discovering the "real" Richard III. The book is fascinating. Though it is constructed as a procedural, it is actually historical research. The investigations throw up how the telling of history is distorted to suit the needs of the current dispensation, and of how the oversimplification required when you try to cram centuries of history into the brains of school students leads to overt mis representations.
I loved the book, and can't wait to dig into the rest of Josephine Tey's books. Isn't it a delight when you discover a book you love, and learn that the author has written several others.