Author: Oliver Potzsch
Published: 2010
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.5
Summary
A historical thriller set in Germany in 1660. When a dying boy is pulled from the river with a mark crudely tattooed on his shoulder, hangman Jakob Kuisl is called upon to investigate whether witchcraft is at play in his small Bavarian town. Whispers and dark memories of witch trials and the women burned at the stake just seventy years earlier still haunt the streets of Schongau. When more children disappear and an orphan boy is found dead—marked by the same tattoo—the mounting hysteria threatens to erupt into chaos.
Before the unrest forces him to torture and execute the very woman who aided in the birth of his children, Jakob must unravel the truth. With the help of his clever daughter, Magdelena, and Simon, the university-educated son of the town’s physician, Jakob discovers that a devil is indeed loose in Schongau. But it may be too late to prevent bloodshed.
Review
Although I usually love historical fiction, I struggled a bit getting into this one. The plot was interesting but not compelling. The names from Bavaria in the 1600s were hard to remember. The hangman was a fascinating and oddly sympathetic character. But the crudeness and vulgarity was repelling.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Published: 2006
Genre: Gothic Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.
As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story.
Review
This mildly creepy tale is well-written and fascinating. The author carefully unfolds the story in a way that is unpredictable and compelling. The characters are unique and well defined. A true Gothic tale.
Published: 2006
Genre: Gothic Fiction
Rating: 4
Summary
Biographer Margaret Lea returns one night to her apartment above her father’s antiquarian bookshop. On her steps she finds a letter. It is a hand-written request from one of Britain’s most prolific and well-loved novelists. Vida Winter, gravely ill, wants to recount her life story before it is too late, and she wants Margaret to be the one to capture her history. The request takes Margaret by surprise — she doesn’t know the author, nor has she read any of Miss Winter’s dozens of novels.
As Vida Winter unfolds her story, she shares with Margaret the dark family secrets that she has long kept hidden as she remembers her days at Angelfield, the now burnt-out estate that was her childhood home. Margaret carefully records Miss Winter’s account and finds herself more and more deeply immersed in the strange and troubling story.
Review
This mildly creepy tale is well-written and fascinating. The author carefully unfolds the story in a way that is unpredictable and compelling. The characters are unique and well defined. A true Gothic tale.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)