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A review by christinecc
Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Overall 4 stars for the historical research and engrossing setup, but personally 3 stars for a bit of a paint-by-numbers tale of women getting accused of witchcraft by Puritans in 17th century New England.
The book opens with an intriguing peek at what's to come, namely: our protagonist Mary Deerfield, daughter of an upstanding English merchant family, petitions for divorce from her husband, town miller Thomas Deerfield. We soon find out why, although we wonder how quickly things will escalate (very quickly, as it turns out). In short, Thomas is cruel and violent, and he and Mary have nothing resembling affection for each other. With no direct witnesses to Thomas's shocking abuse, Mary faces an uphill battle in court.
My favorite aspect of Chris BohJalian's "Hour of the Witch" was its portrait of 1662 Puritan New England and the Puritan outlook on justice, marriage, and morality. I loved how people used cunning and just the right mean word to avoid telling the truth, or imply what they mean, or sow seeds of doubt in others. The playacting, the careful choice of how to behave and how to make it seem authentic and morally unimpeachable... it's all fascinating and the perfect setup for a court battle where your peers really are your judges (or magistrates). Bohjalian did a fantastic job depicting this time period and culture that are so specific to 17th century New England. (By comparison, over in France, Louis XIV was in the first few years of his adult reign, and that feels like something from a whole other planet).
What didn't work for me much were the plot and characters (which just goes to show how much work the historical setting does to keep the reader hooked). We spend a lot of time with Mary in her head, but we don't know much about her except that she isn't happy in her marriage, she didn't think Thomas was a great match for her in the first place, and she's fairly compassionate as a person (except when she tries to manage public expectations). She'll befriend a woman suspected of being a witch, but not much, and she's open to herbal medicine and likes to read books. She's not superstitious but is devout. I suppose what feels a bit hollow is that she doesn't seem to have many flaws. and those she does display mostly serve the plot. I was a bit surprised at how optimistic and cavalier she felt about a divorce, considering divorce was theoretically possibly but rarely granted for domestic abuse (or "cruelty").
The same goes for the other characters: the maidservant who pines for Thomas, Mary's daughter-in-law with the handsome husband, Mary's best friend who is barely in the book but comes in handy later, even a potential love interest who shows intense interest in Mary but we never get to see why (and good grief, does that lead to trouble...), none of these characters feel particularly well-rounded or lived-in. It's a shame because the slower parts of the story might have been used to better effect with more character details.
As for the plot, I know (I know) the title of the book is a bit of a giveaway, but I was really hoping the plot wouldn't center on a witchcraft accusation, because we know that never ends well, and we know courts hearing this kind of issue are never reasonable. It's a story with a known destination, and none of the side mysteries are strong enough (or obscure enough) to make up for the underwhelming tension.
All in all, the book makes for a great historical thriller, even if you see the end coming, because there ARE some surprises along the way, and like I said, Bohjalian does a uncanny job of putting us in an unnerving time and place, where everyone is waiting for the next scapegoat to use as a sign of their own piety and status. Not a great place to be a woman, a Quaker, or really anyone subject to intense public scrutiny. One hint of difference and the crowd smells blood.
Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for this honest review.
The book opens with an intriguing peek at what's to come, namely: our protagonist Mary Deerfield, daughter of an upstanding English merchant family, petitions for divorce from her husband, town miller Thomas Deerfield. We soon find out why, although we wonder how quickly things will escalate (very quickly, as it turns out). In short, Thomas is cruel and violent, and he and Mary have nothing resembling affection for each other. With no direct witnesses to Thomas's shocking abuse, Mary faces an uphill battle in court.
My favorite aspect of Chris BohJalian's "Hour of the Witch" was its portrait of 1662 Puritan New England and the Puritan outlook on justice, marriage, and morality. I loved how people used cunning and just the right mean word to avoid telling the truth, or imply what they mean, or sow seeds of doubt in others. The playacting, the careful choice of how to behave and how to make it seem authentic and morally unimpeachable... it's all fascinating and the perfect setup for a court battle where your peers really are your judges (or magistrates). Bohjalian did a fantastic job depicting this time period and culture that are so specific to 17th century New England. (By comparison, over in France, Louis XIV was in the first few years of his adult reign, and that feels like something from a whole other planet).
What didn't work for me much were the plot and characters (which just goes to show how much work the historical setting does to keep the reader hooked). We spend a lot of time with Mary in her head, but we don't know much about her except that she isn't happy in her marriage, she didn't think Thomas was a great match for her in the first place, and she's fairly compassionate as a person (except when she tries to manage public expectations). She'll befriend a woman suspected of being a witch, but not much, and she's open to herbal medicine and likes to read books. She's not superstitious but is devout. I suppose what feels a bit hollow is that she doesn't seem to have many flaws. and those she does display mostly serve the plot. I was a bit surprised at how optimistic and cavalier she felt about a divorce, considering divorce was theoretically possibly but rarely granted for domestic abuse (or "cruelty").
The same goes for the other characters: the maidservant who pines for Thomas, Mary's daughter-in-law with the handsome husband, Mary's best friend who is barely in the book but comes in handy later, even a potential love interest who shows intense interest in Mary but we never get to see why (and good grief, does that lead to trouble...), none of these characters feel particularly well-rounded or lived-in. It's a shame because the slower parts of the story might have been used to better effect with more character details.
As for the plot, I know (I know) the title of the book is a bit of a giveaway, but I was really hoping the plot wouldn't center on a witchcraft accusation, because we know that never ends well, and we know courts hearing this kind of issue are never reasonable. It's a story with a known destination, and none of the side mysteries are strong enough (or obscure enough) to make up for the underwhelming tension.
All in all, the book makes for a great historical thriller, even if you see the end coming, because there ARE some surprises along the way, and like I said, Bohjalian does a uncanny job of putting us in an unnerving time and place, where everyone is waiting for the next scapegoat to use as a sign of their own piety and status. Not a great place to be a woman, a Quaker, or really anyone subject to intense public scrutiny. One hint of difference and the crowd smells blood.
Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for sending me a free eARC in exchange for this honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Rape, and Domestic abuse