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cleheny 's review for:
A Morbid Taste for Bones
by Ellis Peters
This is actually closer to 2.5 stars for me, but it is probably my least favorite Cadfael mystery.
This first book in the series definitely establishes Cadfael and other characters--Prior Robert and Brother Jerome, in particular--in indelible fashion. Peters' initial characterization is also impressive because Cadfael, Robert, and Jerome do not significantly alter throughout the series. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. On the side of advantages, Peters' well-thought out character constructions don't paint her into a corner and require her, at some later point, to commit character assassination in order to make a story work. Although Jerome doesn't have much of a personality beyond sanctimonious toady, Robert is given slightly more dimension (albeit not much). This left Peters some room in later books to play, somewhat slightly, with these characters (The Holy Thief, in particular). On the other hand, after 20 novels set over a 10-year period, it would have been nice to have shown Robert and Jerome as having some character development.
Peters also writes with assurance and a strong sense of place. She clearly has an affinity and affection for Wales, and she is able to create a colorful portrait of an early medieval Welsh village (even if the inhabitants are mostly two-dimensional). Even small bits of characterization (like Peredur's mother, who only shows up for one scene) are vivid and make an impression.
Peters also firmly establishes the tropes that show up in almost all of her future mysteries: (1) a pair of young lovers, one of whom (usually the male) is incorrectly believed to be the killer for most of the story; (2) Cadfael making snap--but always correct--judgments that the young romantic hero would never commit whatever crime is featured, thus making him the confidante of the good people in the story; and (3) Cadfael has a deadline by which the mystery must be solved.
There are things to like about Cadfael, but the aspect of him that irritates me the most (but which I know accounts for his enduring popularity), is the fact that he's resolutely a 20th Century man in 11th C England. He's incredibly tolerant of religious, national, and cultural differences, and entirely free of any superstitions of his time. He's also got an amazingly modern attitude towards religious belief. I can understand him having a more cosmopolitan view of life and religion than brethren who never left the cloister or their small corner of England, but Cadfael's characterization lies well beyond "straining credulity."
And that's why this may be my least favorite Cadfael mystery. The climax is predicated on the fact that Cadfael is completely anachronistic in his attitudes and beliefs.
This first book in the series definitely establishes Cadfael and other characters--Prior Robert and Brother Jerome, in particular--in indelible fashion. Peters' initial characterization is also impressive because Cadfael, Robert, and Jerome do not significantly alter throughout the series. There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach. On the side of advantages, Peters' well-thought out character constructions don't paint her into a corner and require her, at some later point, to commit character assassination in order to make a story work. Although Jerome doesn't have much of a personality beyond sanctimonious toady, Robert is given slightly more dimension (albeit not much). This left Peters some room in later books to play, somewhat slightly, with these characters (The Holy Thief, in particular). On the other hand, after 20 novels set over a 10-year period, it would have been nice to have shown Robert and Jerome as having some character development.
Peters also writes with assurance and a strong sense of place. She clearly has an affinity and affection for Wales, and she is able to create a colorful portrait of an early medieval Welsh village (even if the inhabitants are mostly two-dimensional). Even small bits of characterization (like Peredur's mother, who only shows up for one scene) are vivid and make an impression.
Peters also firmly establishes the tropes that show up in almost all of her future mysteries: (1) a pair of young lovers, one of whom (usually the male) is incorrectly believed to be the killer for most of the story; (2) Cadfael making snap--but always correct--judgments that the young romantic hero would never commit whatever crime is featured, thus making him the confidante of the good people in the story; and (3) Cadfael has a deadline by which the mystery must be solved.
There are things to like about Cadfael, but the aspect of him that irritates me the most (but which I know accounts for his enduring popularity), is the fact that he's resolutely a 20th Century man in 11th C England. He's incredibly tolerant of religious, national, and cultural differences, and entirely free of any superstitions of his time. He's also got an amazingly modern attitude towards religious belief. I can understand him having a more cosmopolitan view of life and religion than brethren who never left the cloister or their small corner of England, but Cadfael's characterization lies well beyond "straining credulity."
And that's why this may be my least favorite Cadfael mystery. The climax is predicated on the fact that Cadfael is completely anachronistic in his attitudes and beliefs.