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laurenreadsoccasionally 's review for:
The Black Death: A Personal History
by John Hatcher
The concept of this book - a docudrama presenting the impact of the black death on a small town - was very unique and unfortunately I think there's a reason for that. The book tried to be both factual and personal but ultimately ended up being not enough of either. The narrative, due to being based largely on court records, felt distant and impersonal, and the factual elements were repetitive so I came away feeling like I hadn't learned nearly enough for how many pages I read. There were definitely interesting elements in the role of religion and how news spread, however, I think some of my appreciation came from my own comparisons with covid-19 rather than the book itself. I'm giving it two stars because I do feel like I got something out of it, just not enough to warrant anything higher.