Recent reading
Oct. 19th, 2021 02:39 pmThe Jacobites' Apprentice by David Ebsworth (2012)
Did not finish, abandoned after 140 pages (of 640). I thought this book sounded interesting because it's set in England during the '45, more specifically in Manchester which had an important role. Also it has a (sort of) enemies-to-lovers f/f relationship. But alas, I didn't enjoy it! The book gave me a vague sense that everything is sordid and tawdry, and I didn't feel that the book was generous and sympathetic to its characters, which made me lose interest in them. I can't even put my finger on why I felt this way! It was just something about the tone of the writing (and the writing itself didn't flow particularly well for me, though here also I can't put my finger on why). There's also some emphasis in the setting on things being dirty and bodily functions. No doubt things were often dirty, and that can make for good description, but really I don't need reminding that people farted in the past. *rolls eyes*
The historical Hanoverian spy Dudley Bradstreet has an important role as antagonist, and besides spying, he also murders, tortures, blackmails, and manipulates in ways that almost elevate him into some sort of super-villain. From the reading I've done, I am skeptical that the prime minister would use personal spies to murder random members of the English upper classes for being Jacobites--and in 1744, before there was even a war, too?
The Rider on the White Horse by Rosemary Sutcliff (1964)
Sutcliff was balm to my soul after the previous book. She has such a talent for details of setting and description, and her prose flows so well, and there's such a warmth in her attitude towards her characters. This one was set during the English Civil War, and the main characters are Anne and Thomas Fairfax. The latter is a military leader of the Parliamentarians, and Anne follows him on campaign. Theirs is an arranged marriage, and she is in love with him, whereas he is very kind to her, but often reserved. It's an interesting dynamic, and while it doesn't get resolved in any clear fashion, I was nevertheless satisfied at the end with the complicated ways in which the war changed their relationship. (To![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
regshoe: this book is set mostly in Yorkshire. : ) You might enjoy it!)
Did not finish, abandoned after 140 pages (of 640). I thought this book sounded interesting because it's set in England during the '45, more specifically in Manchester which had an important role. Also it has a (sort of) enemies-to-lovers f/f relationship. But alas, I didn't enjoy it! The book gave me a vague sense that everything is sordid and tawdry, and I didn't feel that the book was generous and sympathetic to its characters, which made me lose interest in them. I can't even put my finger on why I felt this way! It was just something about the tone of the writing (and the writing itself didn't flow particularly well for me, though here also I can't put my finger on why). There's also some emphasis in the setting on things being dirty and bodily functions. No doubt things were often dirty, and that can make for good description, but really I don't need reminding that people farted in the past. *rolls eyes*
The historical Hanoverian spy Dudley Bradstreet has an important role as antagonist, and besides spying, he also murders, tortures, blackmails, and manipulates in ways that almost elevate him into some sort of super-villain. From the reading I've done, I am skeptical that the prime minister would use personal spies to murder random members of the English upper classes for being Jacobites--and in 1744, before there was even a war, too?
The Rider on the White Horse by Rosemary Sutcliff (1964)
Sutcliff was balm to my soul after the previous book. She has such a talent for details of setting and description, and her prose flows so well, and there's such a warmth in her attitude towards her characters. This one was set during the English Civil War, and the main characters are Anne and Thomas Fairfax. The latter is a military leader of the Parliamentarians, and Anne follows him on campaign. Theirs is an arranged marriage, and she is in love with him, whereas he is very kind to her, but often reserved. It's an interesting dynamic, and while it doesn't get resolved in any clear fashion, I was nevertheless satisfied at the end with the complicated ways in which the war changed their relationship. (To
regshoe: this book is set mostly in Yorkshire. : ) You might enjoy it!)
