historical fiction Archives - Page 5 of 5

Yzabel / June 20, 2014

Review: The Bone Church

The Bone Church: A Novel by Victoria Dougherty

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

In the surreal and paranoid underworld of wartime Prague, fugitive lovers Felix Andel and Magdalena Ruza make some dubious alliances – with a mysterious Roman Catholic cardinal, a reckless sculptor intent on making a big political statement, and a gypsy with a risky sex life. As one by one their chances for fleeing the country collapse, the two join a plot to assassinate Hitler’s nefarious Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Josef Goebbels.

But the assassination attempt goes wildly wrong, propelling the lovers in separate directions.
Felix’s destiny is sealed at the Bone Church, a mystical pilgrimage site on the outskirts of Prague, while Magdalena is thrust even deeper into the bowels of a city that betrayed her and a homeland soon to be swallowed by the Soviets. As they emerge from the shadowy fog of World War II, and stagger into the foul haze of the Cold War, Felix and Magdalena must confront the past, and a dangerous, uncertain future.

Review:

(I got a copy through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

I wanted a change of pace with this book; I seldom read Cold War era fiction, which is definitely something I should remedy to. In a way, I got that, and something else, too.

The novel weaves two timelines, 1943-44 and 1956, that end up meeting each other, bringing loose threads together. The author always provided time and location, so keeping track of what happened when wasn’t too hard. I found the beginning of the story a little confusing, and still don’t know if it was because of the writing style, the changing timelines, or if it was just me; after a short while, things fell into place, and it was all right.

As for the historical context, I must admit I know next to nothing to Prague’s history, and I probably missed a few subtleties here when it came to the Infant of Prague and its importance in the plot. On the other hand, I had no problems piecing out those details, and I think the author provided enough information for me to enjoy it without having to stop reading, go learn a few things, and come back later.

Some scenes bordered on the “too much” at times; readers who don’t like that may be put off by those. For instance, Felix and Srut stealing a fire lorry to escape the Germans, then making their exit skating on the Vltava river. I quirked an eyebrow, while grinning at the same time. Part of me was “what the heck?”, and the other part went “nice one, guys!” It was a strange, somewhat elating feeling.

The atmosphere was permeated with a heavy sense of foreboding, with distrust, danger, suspicion, featuring potential traitors, unsuspected allies, and half-hatched plans thwarted at the last moment, always forcing the characters to get back on their feet, to react to the unexpected. However careful their plans, it was obvious they wouldn’t be able to go through them seamlessly, and this added to the paranoia and tension. Sometimes, too, surrealistic descriptions gave an extra edge to the action, especially when Felix was concerned: you never know at first if the people he sees are friends or enemies, real or only in his mind. It reinforced the feeling of something not right going on.

My main gripes with this story:

1) Some of the plot twists rested on characters that are seldom seen or, worse, appear once only. For instance, the nun, or the bishop, who’re mentioned once: when they do their particular deed. Such things don’t sit well with me in general. Here, they made the twists feel contrived, and I think the latter would’ve had more of an impact on me if said characters had been introduced beforehand, even in a couple of scenes only (like Andrea). As a result, those threads confused me, and threw me out of the story a few times.

2) Magdalena’s involvement, compared to Felix’s, felt like a secondary role. I would’ve enjoyed seeing more of her, more of the path she had to walk alone. She seemed to stand in the background, more spectator than actor, and this made her character less “real” in my eyes.

An interesting story all in all, but not exactly an easy read, and one that might have benefitted from a little more development when it came to some of the secondary characters.

Yzabel / September 30, 2013

Review: Quin’s Shanghai Circus

Quin’s Shanghai Circus by Edward Whittemore

My rating: [rating=4]

Summary:

Quin, born in China and raised in the Bronx, is orphaned in the closing days of the Second World War when his parents go missing and are presumed dead in Shanghai. Years later, in a Bronx bar, Quin encounters a stranger who hints that he can uncover the secrets of his past by accompanying Big Gobi, an adult orphan too simpleminded to travel alone, on a journey to meet his guardian in Tokyo. Quin arrives in Japan determined to uncover the truth about his parents’ past, but his search soon raises more questions than answers. What are the connections between a Russian anarchist, a one-eyed baron who is head of the Japanese secret service known as the Kempeitai, and the atrocities committed during the rape of Nanking? And what does any of it have to do with Quin’s parents?

Part espionage novel and part surreal fantasy, Quin’s Shanghai Circus, the first novel by Edward Whittemore, is a remarkable and audacious literary feat. Alive with a fascinating cast of characters and equally enthralling turns of events, former CIA officer Whittemore offers readers a mesmerizing glimpse at a secret history of the twentieth century.

Review:

(I got an ebook copy from the publisher through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

This book was a pretty weird one, in that I couldn’t honestly tell at first whether I was liking it or not, nor where it was going. At the same time, those very impressions (or lackthereof) may be what contributed to my appreciating it in the end, as paradoxical as it sounds. Reading it, seeing the story unfold, was like working on a jigsaw puzzle whose final picture I didn’t know, yet wanted to see no matter what. I always found myself coming back to my tablet to get to the next chapter.

It’s probably not a novel for just everyone. Some of the themes it deals with expose all the crass of human nature, through conflict between Japan and China and severe misdeeds from some characters(rape, murder, mutilation…), and such scenes are often depicted in a graphic enough way to be considered as disgusting. I admit those weren’t my favourite parts.

On the other hand, what I found fascinating were the relationships fitting within each other. This is basically what the novel is about: relationships above everything else, how they got shaped through events, what led to certain people to work together or become friends or lovers… The characters often had features that made them unforgettable, even bigger than life—something that may not have been convincing in another story, but felt somehow oddly logical and normal here.

“Quin’s Shanghai Circus” is definitely a strange book, sometimes disturbing, sometimes shedding light, on the contrary, on what’s still good in humans. “Read at your own risk”, I’d say.

Yzabel / August 3, 2013

Review: King Arthur

King Arthur by Daniel Mersey

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

Despite his enduring popularity, King Arthur remains the most enigmatic of Britain’s legendary heroes. In this new book, author Dan Mersey retells the great stories of Arthur, while exploring the different facets of Arthurian myth, from the numerous, conflicting theories of his historical origin, through the tales of Welsh folklore and Medieval romance, and concluding with an examination of his various portrayals in the modern media. Presented with both classic and newly commissioned artwork, this book is an easy-to-read, yet highly detailed introduction to the complex body of myth and legend that surrounds Britain’s greatest hero.

Review:

(I received this book from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.)

One thing I can’t deny “King Arthur” is how well-presented and beautiful the book is. Even though I only had the PDF version, I could see that the paper version must be quite nice to have in one’s hands.

The book offers a summary of the traditional, literary Arthurian corpus, then focuses more on what mught have been actual historical sources. In itself, it’s pretty short, but said corpus is so wide anyway that I think we have to take this book as an introduction and an invitation to check out facts and fiction by ourselves.

If anything, though, I found the first part to be somewhat paradoxical: it would be a good introduction for newcomers to the Arthurian legends, yet at the same time, the author glosses over those a little too fast for a real newcomer to get everything in.

Yzabel / December 17, 2012

Review: The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

My rating: [rating=3]

Summary:

As a new age dawns in England’s twelfth century, the building of a mighty Gothic cathedral sets the stage for a story of intrigue and power, revenge and betrayal. It is in this rich tapestry, where kings and queens are corrupt – and one majestic creation will bond them forever.

Review:

I liked this book enough to want to read on and know what would happen next: even though some of it was predictable, it was kind of a given that reversals of fortunes and new developments would be part of it, and that was something I wanted to read at the moment, so it was alright with me. (Perhaps I wouldn’t have enjoyed it in other circumstances, though.)

The architectural descriptions were accurate enough; I didn’t know that much about cathedrals in that regard, and so I managed to learn a few things in the process. Also, there was a scene that happened in the town I currently live in, and I’ve always had a soft spot for cameos, not to mention that this one was unexpected (at least until the last third of the book).

I’m not giving it more than 3 stars, though, because mostly the characters weren’t that exceptional. I wanted to know more about what would happen to them, sure, and I partly felt connected to them, but nothing more. The ‘good guys’ sometimes did things that weren’t so good (for instance, what Jack did in the first Kingsbridge church), and this helped in making them appear a little less unidimensional. ‘A little less’ being the keyword here. The ‘bad guys’ were really bad, perhaps a little too much—in spite of Philip’s claims, Waleran struck me as greedy for power, period, not as a ‘genuine man of God’ who only took his duties so much to heart that any means to an end would do.

The other reason is the book’s length. I would’ve knocked a good 200 pages off it without blinking. After the first 600 pages or so, I started growing a little impatient, and wanted the twists and turns to stop and the plotlines to be resolved at last. (Good point, though, in that they all are; some readers may find fault in how conveniently everything gets tied together, but on the other hand, there’s nothing left hanging, and this can be a positive aspect too.)