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A review by tamzy6
The Courier's Tale by Peter Walker
1.0
Disappointing. Started the book with high hopes because the review on the cover said "If you liked Wolf Hall, you'll like The Courier's Tale". I've read Wolf Hall, and I really liked it, which features Mantel's artfully written poetry-like prose. To compare this book with that, it's so laughable, it's hilarious. So many things to say, but where to start?
1) The book assumes the reader's familiarity with the Tudors and Plantagenets
I, for one, am quite familiar, having read a number of books and done research on the period. And I'm already thrown off guard by random secondary characters, without understanding much of their background. Throckmorton, the protagonist, meets all the new, secondary characters with a lack of empathy. There's no excitement... the characters are just introduced.
And if I had difficulty initiating myself with the characters, I can't imagine a reader new to the history.
2) Modern tone of voice
Comparing between books is a double-edged sword, while you may attract similar audiences, and securing a fan base, you will also risk disappointing those that are already fans of the book you're comparing it to. This is no different. The writing in Wolf Hall, as I've mentioned, is vastly different, because Mantel's narration relies heavily on conversations, and sometimes it reads like a play. Mantel's characters are witty, sharp and spare no mercy in their banter. In Courier's Tale, you have modern speech, which is fine, but it's not anything out of the ordinary.
3) “Documentary” style
Walker said in the afterword that this book reads almost like a documentary. One point I couldn't agree more. The years fly by page after page. Henry VIII dies with little fanfare, there was very little mention of Edward VI, before Mary I ascended the throne after he died. Despite the accelerated pace, with characters growing up and dying in a matter of pages, Throckmorton seems trapped in adolescence and curiously maintains his naiveté of the world and women. Hardly charming as a protagonist, really.
1) The book assumes the reader's familiarity with the Tudors and Plantagenets
I, for one, am quite familiar, having read a number of books and done research on the period. And I'm already thrown off guard by random secondary characters, without understanding much of their background. Throckmorton, the protagonist, meets all the new, secondary characters with a lack of empathy. There's no excitement... the characters are just introduced.
And if I had difficulty initiating myself with the characters, I can't imagine a reader new to the history.
2) Modern tone of voice
Comparing between books is a double-edged sword, while you may attract similar audiences, and securing a fan base, you will also risk disappointing those that are already fans of the book you're comparing it to. This is no different. The writing in Wolf Hall, as I've mentioned, is vastly different, because Mantel's narration relies heavily on conversations, and sometimes it reads like a play. Mantel's characters are witty, sharp and spare no mercy in their banter. In Courier's Tale, you have modern speech, which is fine, but it's not anything out of the ordinary.
3) “Documentary” style
Walker said in the afterword that this book reads almost like a documentary. One point I couldn't agree more. The years fly by page after page. Henry VIII dies with little fanfare, there was very little mention of Edward VI, before Mary I ascended the throne after he died. Despite the accelerated pace, with characters growing up and dying in a matter of pages, Throckmorton seems trapped in adolescence and curiously maintains his naiveté of the world and women. Hardly charming as a protagonist, really.