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bhav's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 Stars
I didn't hate this book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I could love historical fiction but delving right in with this book wasn't enjoyable. The story felt like it was geared towards people interested in acting and is about a troupe of actors going around performing "The Morality Play". If that sounds like something you'd like, you might love this book, but I didn't.
(I read this book as part of a reading challenge)
I didn't hate this book, it just wasn't my cup of tea. Maybe I could love historical fiction but delving right in with this book wasn't enjoyable. The story felt like it was geared towards people interested in acting and is about a troupe of actors going around performing "The Morality Play". If that sounds like something you'd like, you might love this book, but I didn't.
(I read this book as part of a reading challenge)
tallonrk1's review against another edition
3.0
Morality Play is a short murder-mystery novel set in Medieval Europe. The basic premise is a band of players decide to investigate a murder in a town and put on a show/play depicting the "true events" of the murder, which angers the townspeople and its Lord. I liked the characters and setting of the book, and the story was enjoyable/suspenseful enough. 78 / C+
ksargent's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
laura_trap's review against another edition
4.0
Really entertaining and thought provoking. Nicholas makes for a great narrator, adds a touch of the dramatic to his voice and tone which made for a very quick yet fascinating read. It throws around ideas of religion, morality, creativity and justice. I definitely look forward to reading more by Barry for certain. The book has a wonderful sense of atmosphere, not just the geography but also the historically. Very well done.
raychel's review against another edition
3.0
i read this for book club. when i first picked it up, i was pretty sure i wasn't going to read it. but given my fondness of murder mysteries and suspense novels, i thought i'd at least give it a chance. i was very pleasantly surprised that i liked it! had all the mystery that i like and some drama. i especially liked that there was a murder and a resolution all within 200 pages. it seems like a lot of the mystery/suspense novels out there these days are super super long and sometimes i just want them to get to the point! glad i read it after all!
debyc's review against another edition
1.0
Not terrible, but not amazing either. The author writes very poetically at parts, which makes some of the book a really beautiful read. At other parts though, the story is just too boring. Not only that, but it seems that almost every chapter the author does this dumb foreshadowing of, "If I had known then what I know now..."- it gets old very quickly.
I was surprised that this book got so many 5 star reviews. I guess I was just expecting too much from it.
I was surprised that this book got so many 5 star reviews. I guess I was just expecting too much from it.
gobblebook's review against another edition
4.0
The historical setting was good, and the characters were believable. The narrator's voice, somewhat naive and simplistic, reminded me of the narrator of Eco's The Name of the Rose. One of the major themes is that we are all actors, whether we are in a play or not, and all find ourselves with roles to play - it brings into question how much control we really have over our own actions. A good, quick read.