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sinceremercy's reviews
45 reviews
The Twelve Caesars by Suetonius
3.0
As a work of history, by no means to be accepted without question on any count. Nevertheless, exceptionally entertaining, with quite a bit more personal detail (read: hot gossip) on the early Roman emperors than you're liable to find anywhere else.
Etruscan Myth, Sacred History, and Legend by Nancy Thomson de Grummond
5.0
An exceptional starting point for knowledge of Etruscan myths. The work is accessible for a general audience, but remains in dialogue with (at times directly responding to or disagreeing with) previous scholarship, so has important things to say even to the specialist. The illustrations are wonderful and provide all the context needed for the text; the book also comes with a CD containing a digital archive with still more illustrations.
With thorough research and annotation, de Grummond points the reader directly to the other works she is discussing or responding to. A new scholar reading the book will know, by the end, exactly which texts they should read next for more information, according to what interests them most, and will have a general understanding of the historiography surrounding Etruscan myth as well.
And of course the subject matter, and the text itself, is very interesting :)
With thorough research and annotation, de Grummond points the reader directly to the other works she is discussing or responding to. A new scholar reading the book will know, by the end, exactly which texts they should read next for more information, according to what interests them most, and will have a general understanding of the historiography surrounding Etruscan myth as well.
And of course the subject matter, and the text itself, is very interesting :)
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
2.0
First, what is done well: The prose is excellent. The slow build up and the pacing of the story in general really worked for me even through the conclusion. The author writes a great mystery novel, and the most interesting parts of this book were where it played most directly into that.
What I didn't like about it: The author makes one of the main characters' race a pretty large and significant element in the story, but I really don't feel that the depiction of it was handled very well. I was also made pretty uncomfortable by the author's depiction of travellers in a minor but reoccurring story element.
Most of all I was disappointed in the way the romance with Rita ended up. I actually quite liked the initial build up of the relationship with her and Daunt and thought it was quite sweet. Rita's fear of pregnancy seemed legitimate and justified characterisation to me, but I feel that it was used as kind of a contrived plot element to prevent her and Daunt from having a romantic resolution too early. Multiple methods of contraception existed and were well known of during this period, even if they weren't perfect. And ultimately there are obviously other ways they could be together without risking pregnancy.
I really wouldn't mind if Rita decided to be celibate forever because the fear of pregnancy was too big of a risk, but I didn't really appreciate the way it was framed as either she and Daunt had to forget each other and could never be together, or they'd admit their feelings, """let nature take its course""" and she would end up getting pregnant.
Especially disappointed in the way it was resolved in the end, with them just going straight up for the latter option with very little indication as to why Rita should suddenly change her mind about pregnancy. She's adamant about not being with him because of it, but then the first time they get together they don't take any precautions and at the end of it both seem pretty content with the possibility of her getting pregnant, which she of course does immediately. Confused also since they introduce the orphanage in the close of the story and it would make sense for Rita to go adopt a kid (since she never had a problem with motherhood, just pregnancy). It's just disappointing for me to have a character clearly established as NOT wanting pregnancy for very legitimate reasons then just changing her mind in a way that makes it feel like it was just a plot device to ramp up the romantic tension.
But again, the mystery was good and the novel held my interest even when I was annoyed with it.
What I didn't like about it: The author makes one of the main characters' race a pretty large and significant element in the story, but I really don't feel that the depiction of it was handled very well. I was also made pretty uncomfortable by the author's depiction of travellers in a minor but reoccurring story element.
Most of all I was disappointed in the way the romance with Rita ended up. I actually quite liked the initial build up of the relationship with her and Daunt and thought it was quite sweet. Rita's fear of pregnancy seemed legitimate and justified characterisation to me, but I feel that it was used as kind of a contrived plot element to prevent her and Daunt from having a romantic resolution too early. Multiple methods of contraception existed and were well known of during this period, even if they weren't perfect. And ultimately there are obviously other ways they could be together without risking pregnancy.
I really wouldn't mind if Rita decided to be celibate forever because the fear of pregnancy was too big of a risk, but I didn't really appreciate the way it was framed as either she and Daunt had to forget each other and could never be together, or they'd admit their feelings, """let nature take its course""" and she would end up getting pregnant.
Especially disappointed in the way it was resolved in the end, with them just going straight up for the latter option with very little indication as to why Rita should suddenly change her mind about pregnancy. She's adamant about not being with him because of it, but then the first time they get together they don't take any precautions and at the end of it both seem pretty content with the possibility of her getting pregnant, which she of course does immediately. Confused also since they introduce the orphanage in the close of the story and it would make sense for Rita to go adopt a kid (since she never had a problem with motherhood, just pregnancy). It's just disappointing for me to have a character clearly established as NOT wanting pregnancy for very legitimate reasons then just changing her mind in a way that makes it feel like it was just a plot device to ramp up the romantic tension.
But again, the mystery was good and the novel held my interest even when I was annoyed with it.
The Plebeian Experience: A Discontinuous History of Political Freedom by Martin Breaugh
5.0
Really, really excellent. This book is going to stick with me for a long time. Breaugh describes the origin (historically and philosophically) of the "plebeian", the forms of plebeian political organisation, and the nature of plebeian political bonds. In doing so he analyses the French Revolution, the English Jacobins and the creation of the British working class, and the Paris Commune.
Anyone who considers themselves an anarchist-leaning leftist should read this book. Anyone who is interested in the history of revolutionary thought and activity should read this book. Breaugh's analysis of the French Revolution is, in contrast to the bulk of (even leftist) literature which focuses on the Jacobins, truly rooted in the politics of the masses, of the sans-culottes; it's therefore essential for anyone who wishes to understand the Revolution not as the product of "great men" but of the people.
Honestly, can't recommend this book enough, please just go pick it up.
Anyone who considers themselves an anarchist-leaning leftist should read this book. Anyone who is interested in the history of revolutionary thought and activity should read this book. Breaugh's analysis of the French Revolution is, in contrast to the bulk of (even leftist) literature which focuses on the Jacobins, truly rooted in the politics of the masses, of the sans-culottes; it's therefore essential for anyone who wishes to understand the Revolution not as the product of "great men" but of the people.
Honestly, can't recommend this book enough, please just go pick it up.
The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch
1.0
The more I read of this book, the more I disliked it. The very first chapter is the best one in the story, it remains tolerable for some time, but towards the end I was dreading reading it.
For me the most irritating thing was the way the medicine was treated. A great deal of the novel is actually about and features historical medicine; one of the main characters is a physician, another is a healer without official training. This would be great, except that it's handled extremely badly. I lost count of the times someone got hit on the head and knocked unconscious for an extended period of time only to wake up later with no real negative consequences. Seriously, it happens probably a dozen different times. In one egregious example, the title character appears to suffer a serious concussion, has been unconscious for a whole day, and has some memory loss, but not long later she's back to her sharp, quick-thinking self and performing great athletic feats.
The physician, Simon, just so happens to repudiate humoral theory, he's anti-bloodletting and purging (and calls his father a hack for practicing them), and complains about learning Greek medicine because it's so old and outdated. Basically, instead of actually engaging with historical practice and innovation, the author has presented Simon as someone who just so happens to have roughly the same beliefs as a modern person might have about what is and is not proper medical theory. It's boring and irritating.
The novel is anachronistic in many other ways which sucks as a person who is interested in historical fiction for the history part as much as anything else. I wasn't a big fan of the prose but I'm not sure how much of that is the translation and how much is the original. The characters are flat and boring. Moments of high drama are undercut by the main characters suffering no permanent negative consequences ever.
The illustrations (in the ebook) were fun though.
For me the most irritating thing was the way the medicine was treated. A great deal of the novel is actually about and features historical medicine; one of the main characters is a physician, another is a healer without official training. This would be great, except that it's handled extremely badly. I lost count of the times someone got hit on the head and knocked unconscious for an extended period of time only to wake up later with no real negative consequences. Seriously, it happens probably a dozen different times. In one egregious example, the title character appears to suffer a serious concussion, has been unconscious for a whole day, and has some memory loss, but not long later she's back to her sharp, quick-thinking self and performing great athletic feats.
The physician, Simon, just so happens to repudiate humoral theory, he's anti-bloodletting and purging (and calls his father a hack for practicing them), and complains about learning Greek medicine because it's so old and outdated. Basically, instead of actually engaging with historical practice and innovation, the author has presented Simon as someone who just so happens to have roughly the same beliefs as a modern person might have about what is and is not proper medical theory. It's boring and irritating.
The novel is anachronistic in many other ways which sucks as a person who is interested in historical fiction for the history part as much as anything else. I wasn't a big fan of the prose but I'm not sure how much of that is the translation and how much is the original. The characters are flat and boring. Moments of high drama are undercut by the main characters suffering no permanent negative consequences ever.
The illustrations (in the ebook) were fun though.
Barricades: The War of the Streets in Revolutionary Paris, 1830-1848 by Jill Harsin
4.0
Invaluable resource for information about the political struggles during the July Monarchy and up until the June Days of 1848. Informative, well-researched, with interesting details about individual incidents and people as well as broader patterns. I'd recommend this book for someone who is interested in 19th century French and/or revolutionary history, and who already has some basic knowledge about the time period.
The Novel of the Century: The Extraordinary Adventure of Les Misérables by David Bellos
2.0
This is worth reading if you already know a great deal about Les Miserables, so as to judge for yourself the validity of the author's takes ... many of which are incredibly dubious. These range from (mostly minor and somewhat pedantic) factual errors about parts of the text, to frankly strange opinions about the historical time period such as the suggestion that Thenardier could not possibly have a successful business in the United States slave trade because his port of entry is New York, where they had already abolished slavery. Part 4 is definitely the most questionable, where we are subjected to the author's opinions about the politics of Les Miserables including such gems as an implicit comparison of Enjolras to Hitler.
Still, underneath all of that there is some good information about the story of Les Miserables's publication and a few sections that provide genuinely useful insights (such as the chapter about money in Les Mis and the different words used to talk about it), and I don't actually regret reading it. All in all, it's OK, but I have a lot of quibbles with the author on a number of different subjects.
Still, underneath all of that there is some good information about the story of Les Miserables's publication and a few sections that provide genuinely useful insights (such as the chapter about money in Les Mis and the different words used to talk about it), and I don't actually regret reading it. All in all, it's OK, but I have a lot of quibbles with the author on a number of different subjects.
Nightingale Point by Luan Goldie
4.0
The narrative is gripping (I read this in four days and I tend to take books real slow these days), the background of the story is relevant and important to our lives today, and the characters are realistic and interact with each other in natural ways. Actually character-writing in general is really strong here; Luan does a great job of making the characters' voices distinct, which is important when switching so frequently between so many different POV characters. The pacing is well-done, too. Despite frequent "cuts", the narrative rarely feels disjointed; chapters run naturally into each other, and the perspective jumps seem to serve to give us the most 'complete' story rather than to hide information from the reader or to obfuscate.