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A review by nathanjhunt
Mudlarking by Lara Maiklem
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
3.5
This was my 4th book finished in 2022.
This book is entertaining, but full of so much unnecessary waffle.
I'm an archaeologist and when reading this, I get hooked being told tales of finding things in the mud, and the items being described to the reader - what they look like; where they come from; what they were used for. I am fascinated, but everything is ruined by the constant fanfaction Maiklem writes. The things she says are such a stretch. I want to know about the items, not about what she thinks happened 400 years ago.
Example:
"I wonder if the gatherer had been busy with a whore and was late for work, the performance begun at 2pm, avoiding the wrath of his drunken employer. The audience blasted him with foul breath from the raw garlic they'd have been chewing on".
It's such distracting drivel and is not needed in this book. It's every other page and really gets me out of it.
It gives a great overview, but lacks historic detail and specifics. It's like reading a stream of consciousness, it zig-zags all over the place and doesn't focus on the one thing she's talking about.
The biggest downside is lack of detailed maps and photos of the items. I can't visualise what is being spoken about. I know that there are a few photos in the middle of the book, but these are not anotated at all. There should be a photo for every item she's talking about. Maiklem doesn't go into great detail, so it's just hard to imagine everything she's writing about.
You can tell Maiklem isn't an experienced author, but I don't regret reading the book.
This book is entertaining, but full of so much unnecessary waffle.
I'm an archaeologist and when reading this, I get hooked being told tales of finding things in the mud, and the items being described to the reader - what they look like; where they come from; what they were used for. I am fascinated, but everything is ruined by the constant fanfaction Maiklem writes. The things she says are such a stretch. I want to know about the items, not about what she thinks happened 400 years ago.
Example:
"I wonder if the gatherer had been busy with a whore and was late for work, the performance begun at 2pm, avoiding the wrath of his drunken employer. The audience blasted him with foul breath from the raw garlic they'd have been chewing on".
It's such distracting drivel and is not needed in this book. It's every other page and really gets me out of it.
It gives a great overview, but lacks historic detail and specifics. It's like reading a stream of consciousness, it zig-zags all over the place and doesn't focus on the one thing she's talking about.
The biggest downside is lack of detailed maps and photos of the items. I can't visualise what is being spoken about. I know that there are a few photos in the middle of the book, but these are not anotated at all. There should be a photo for every item she's talking about. Maiklem doesn't go into great detail, so it's just hard to imagine everything she's writing about.
You can tell Maiklem isn't an experienced author, but I don't regret reading the book.