Another Amazon order and books in process

Antonina's List a review by D.T. Max of The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman. I've ordered this one. Darn, whose idea was it, anyway, to make ordering books so easy? My determination to hold off on ordering has gone down the tubes...again.

Still need to review Long Ago in France by M. F. K. Fisher and busy reading The Moonstone by Collins and the The Art of Eating, another Fisher. Actually, as Dark Orpheus mentioned, The Art of Eating is an omnibus of 5 of Fisher's works, the first is Serve it Forth. This omnibus may take the full 6 months of the Unread Authors Challenge, because it is (at least so far) very different from Long Ago in France, a fascinating and short memoir. Fisher was so young when she wrote Long Ago in France, as new bride. The nightly marathons continue.

I read The Moonstone (eons ago, when in high school). When I reread The Woman in White last year, I was delighted that it did not disappoint. The Moonstone, however, while not disappointing, is so different from my memories. I had no memory of the humor or of so many of the characters; I retained only the solution to the mystery. So...in my rereading, I'm perhaps too much in the know about the mystery, but completely surprised with Collins' character/narrators (Gabriel Betteridge, Miss Clack, Mr. Bruff, Ezra Jennings--a few of the various narrators) and with Collins' view of "do gooders" and religious proselytizers. Have to wonder about who in Collins' real life aroused his sense of the ridiculous and invited his satirical eye.

Season of the Witch (another R.I.P & Unread Authors Challenge)

Mostert, Natasha. Season of the Witch. I found this one disappointing. The characters, with the exception of Frankie, who was barely necessary to the novel, seemed cold and flat.

I was willing, but unable to"suspend disbelief." The novel read quickly, I did want to finish, and there were some aspects that I found quite interesting, but it just didn't have the quirky charm of A Great and Terrible Beauty, nor were the characters or the narrative as well developed as in Dissolution.

Aspects that did appeal:

• references to Stargate, the secret government program (dismantled in the 90's) that involved research into telepathy, clairvoyance, psychic abilities. I've always been interested in this program.
  
• The Art of Memory and memory palaces. I do agree with Minnaloushe that with all of our modern technology, we no longer need to use our long term memory as much as in the past and that, as a result of books and technological aids, our long term memories have become less capable. I mean, when pre-literate societies could memorize entire histories to pass on orally, you have to admit that our abilities today are pretty meager. Scops that could memorize Beowulf and other epic works may have been the most talented "memorizers" of their time period, but without written works, everyone had to be better at memory tasks.

I had never heard of memory palaces and was interested in learning more about them. Here, and here, and here, are some sites with information about Memory Palaces.


Fiction. Gothic/mystery. Dutton. 2007. 395 pages.

Dissolution (R.I.P. & Unread Author Challenges)

Sansom, C.J. Dissolution. I put this one on my TBR list sometime back, then Jill posted about it and renewed my interest; when the R.I.P. and Unread Author Challenges came up, I finally ordered the book. Given Jill's recommendation, the subject matter (dissolution of monasteries), time period (Tudor era), and genre (mystery), I was pretty sure that I would like this one...and I did.

Matthew Shardlake is a lawyer, a royal commissioner under Thomas Cromwell, and a hunchback. When Cromwell orders him to solve the murder of another royal commissioner at the Scarnsea monastery, Matthew has no choice. He and Mark Poer find a complicated set of individuals and behaviors at the monastery and evidence of quite a few misdeeds and secrets. Then...another murder.

Gothic elements: monks, monastery, mystery, secret passages, etc. Historic tidbits include information about the Reformation and various viewpoints, the dissolution of the monasteries, the power-hungry and greedy attitude that accompanied many "reformers," a bit out about Ann Boleyn, Jane Seymour, and Mark Smeaton.

Matthew Shardlake is a genuine believer in the Reformation, but is forced to confront some of the aspects to which he has willfully blinded himself...about his master and about religious reform. Shardlake is intelligent, flawed, interesting, and ethical in a difficult time.

In May, Jill mentioned Dissolution again and posted some great links that you might want to check out. Mary and Ann have also given it a thumbs up.

I will certainly want to follow up with Dark Fire and Sovereign.

An interview with the author.

Fiction. Historical/mystery. 2003. 390 pages.