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3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
Some argue that you can hop into the Lord John series anywhere, but after reading Lord John and the Hand of Devils before this one, I would argue for a stricter chronological reading. I think this is the best introduction. The mysteries in the Lord John novels aren't amazing; they're overburdened with a huge number of characters and red herrings, so much so that by the end I'm not totally sure what the solution ended up being. But John Grey is so fascinating that I find I don't care about the plot issues much. Three and a half stars rounded up to four.
This was one of my favorite LJG stories. His character is so complex that I can't help but be drawn to his life. Though I have probably said it before, having a homosexual character placed in a time period where it was hidden for fear of death is quite an undertaking for Gabaldon; somehow, however, she manages to make his character arch entirely believable and captivating in the midst of this.
Grey's sexual preferences are always a point of vast importance in Gabaldon's writings containing him, and I feel like this trait only serves to make his situation more heightened and challenging. I think that the LJG plot could be a great story without the sexual orientation element, but I think that Gabaldon's jump to create a character with a deeply embedded secret that sets him forever on edge is respectable. No doubt she has had to put in far more research time in order to give us an accurate picture of a closeted homosexual soldier in the 18th century.
Now that I've covered my overall thoughts on LJG as a character, I'll discuss "The Private Matter" specifically. Gabaldon has really weaved a story together here. Murder, syphilis, and transvestites? Heavens, that sounds like a strange ride, and indeed it was.
Because of the absence of Lord Melton, Grey's brother, LJG has some extra responsibilities on his shoulders. Not only is he on the case of the murder of a possible spy, but he's also looking into the man to whom his brother's ward, Olvia, is betrothed. In the midst of his inquiries, we soon learn that two seemingly unconnected situations are entangled beyond imagination. I thought Gabaldon did a fantastic job of bringing both of these storylines together in a way that made sense. I always hate when a book adds certain characters or events as merely a plot device to get the story where they want it, but thankfully Gabaldon didn't do that here. Everything flowed naturally and made perfect sense at the end.
I also want to note that Gabaldon's method of introducing characters and giving us backstory is fantastic. I loved learning the origins of Tom Byrd, Percy, and von Namtzen, specifically. I've read most of Gabaldon's non-main Outlander books out of order, so it's always exciting to pick up on references made in other books and short stories.
Grey's sexual preferences are always a point of vast importance in Gabaldon's writings containing him, and I feel like this trait only serves to make his situation more heightened and challenging. I think that the LJG plot could be a great story without the sexual orientation element, but I think that Gabaldon's jump to create a character with a deeply embedded secret that sets him forever on edge is respectable. No doubt she has had to put in far more research time in order to give us an accurate picture of a closeted homosexual soldier in the 18th century.
Now that I've covered my overall thoughts on LJG as a character, I'll discuss "The Private Matter" specifically. Gabaldon has really weaved a story together here. Murder, syphilis, and transvestites? Heavens, that sounds like a strange ride, and indeed it was.
Because of the absence of Lord Melton, Grey's brother, LJG has some extra responsibilities on his shoulders. Not only is he on the case of the murder of a possible spy, but he's also looking into the man to whom his brother's ward, Olvia, is betrothed. In the midst of his inquiries, we soon learn that two seemingly unconnected situations are entangled beyond imagination. I thought Gabaldon did a fantastic job of bringing both of these storylines together in a way that made sense. I always hate when a book adds certain characters or events as merely a plot device to get the story where they want it, but thankfully Gabaldon didn't do that here. Everything flowed naturally and made perfect sense at the end.
I also want to note that Gabaldon's method of introducing characters and giving us backstory is fantastic. I loved learning the origins of Tom Byrd, Percy, and von Namtzen, specifically. I've read most of Gabaldon's non-main Outlander books out of order, so it's always exciting to pick up on references made in other books and short stories.
I would give it a solid 3.5. it is a mystery, which I knew going in. mysteries are not the genre I normally read. it was fun to read about John Grey in more detail. I quite liked him in the Outlander books, but if you do not, this might change your mind about him.
I've never read Outlander, but I've seen the show so when I saw John Grey had a few stories of his own I had to pick this up. I felt sucked in from the first page, really enjoyed the writing style. This was an enjoyable read and I will definitely be reading the rest of his books.
It can only be surmised that I had been possessed before deciding to read this. After the horrific experience reading “Outlander”, I don’t know why I thought this might be better.
Lord John is a very minor character in the original Outlander series who now has his own series of novels and novellas that follow his Sherlockian goings on in 18th century London. Frankly, not my cup of tea. But Lord John is gay and that was enough to pique my interest and force me to read 300 pages of mildly offensive mediocrity. After having been thoroughly disgusted by “Outlander”, I turned to Lord John’s first novella. Gabaldon can write, there’s no doubt about that. Even if her views of heterosexual romance are disconcerting at best, perhaps her gay character might bring some relief.
Boy was I wrong. The novella was fine. An interesting story that was vaguely overshadowed by the author’s insistence to remind the reader that LORD JOHN IS SUPER GAY ALL THE TIME!!, I enjoyed it nonetheless. But the first novel of the series was frankly shocking. Our Lord John is incredibly sexist and classist and racist and just about every -ist you can be. But we’re supposed to be rooting for this guy? We’re supposed to feel bad that his lover died while he disparages Claire for existing.
Top it off with some light pedophilia, and we’ve got the worst protagonist ever!
I like myself an unlikeable protagonist. But only when it’s done well and on purpose. In this case, once again, Gabaldon expects her audience to forgive the slights of her characters on the grounds of historical accuracy. And if this novel were written by Diana Gabaldon, born 1757, I might let it slide. But the fact of the matter is, Gabaldon is a modern writer writing for modern readers. As they say, fiction does not exist in a vacuum and Gabaldon refuses to acknowledge that her writing is offensive and dangerous to readers whose first interaction with a gay lead is very likely John Grey, asshole extreme.
But the writing, as always, is amazing. She is clearly well-researched and that certainly counts for something. I just won’t be subjecting myself to her gross universe again.
Lord John is a very minor character in the original Outlander series who now has his own series of novels and novellas that follow his Sherlockian goings on in 18th century London. Frankly, not my cup of tea. But Lord John is gay and that was enough to pique my interest and force me to read 300 pages of mildly offensive mediocrity. After having been thoroughly disgusted by “Outlander”, I turned to Lord John’s first novella. Gabaldon can write, there’s no doubt about that. Even if her views of heterosexual romance are disconcerting at best, perhaps her gay character might bring some relief.
Boy was I wrong. The novella was fine. An interesting story that was vaguely overshadowed by the author’s insistence to remind the reader that LORD JOHN IS SUPER GAY ALL THE TIME!!, I enjoyed it nonetheless. But the first novel of the series was frankly shocking. Our Lord John is incredibly sexist and classist and racist and just about every -ist you can be. But we’re supposed to be rooting for this guy? We’re supposed to feel bad that his lover died while he disparages Claire for existing.
Top it off with some light pedophilia, and we’ve got the worst protagonist ever!
I like myself an unlikeable protagonist. But only when it’s done well and on purpose. In this case, once again, Gabaldon expects her audience to forgive the slights of her characters on the grounds of historical accuracy. And if this novel were written by Diana Gabaldon, born 1757, I might let it slide. But the fact of the matter is, Gabaldon is a modern writer writing for modern readers. As they say, fiction does not exist in a vacuum and Gabaldon refuses to acknowledge that her writing is offensive and dangerous to readers whose first interaction with a gay lead is very likely John Grey, asshole extreme.
But the writing, as always, is amazing. She is clearly well-researched and that certainly counts for something. I just won’t be subjecting myself to her gross universe again.
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was not a huge fan of the first short story, so I went into this book extremely hesitantly. Luckily I fell in love quickly and am now excited to devour the rest of the series! I always loved John Grey in the show, so I am happy to get to see more of his character in book form.
adventurous
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:
Yes
It was a good book, just not mind-blowing. It had slow parts, but I did enjoy how the author took 2 seemily separate “mysteries” and tied them together.
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No