Book Thoughts - The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry

The Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry
published 1979
287 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

While the Ellison girls were out paying calls and drinking tea like proper Victorian ladies, a maid in their household was strangled to death. The quiet and young Inspector Pitt investigates the scene and finds no one above suspicion. As his intense questioning causes many a composed facade to crumble, Pitt finds himself couriously drawn to pretty Charlotte Ellison. Yet, a romance between a society girl and so unsuitable a suitor was impossible in the midst of a murder....

My thoughts:

First Impression - 7/8/12

How have I not found this series before? It's like a Jane Austen novel with a mystery thrown in - I am just loving all the family cattiness, and the marital intrigues, and of course the creepy maniac who keeps garroting young ladies in alleys. Charlotte Ellison is, of course, funny and intelligent and so much less annoying that the typical "young woman of her day" - although at times, I can't help but wonder if this type of heroine would actually have existed in the time, or if we as modern readers and authors just impart our ideas of women's liberation and freedom upon them. In any case, I'm certainly enjoying her.

Second Thoughts - 7/12/12

Whew! The mystery has definitely arrived at Charlotte's doorstep, and with it the slightly socially awkward but clearly (eventually) lovable Detective Thomas Pitt. It's fairly clear his role in the novel - Charlotte's eventual true love - but Perry isn't going to make their road to romance smooth. I barely care about the grisly murderer running around because I am so enjoying the relationship dynamics Perry has set in motion.

I think my favorite character, though, is Emily. She is naturally vain and self-centered, but there is a calculating coldness under that vapid exterior that hints at a good deal of intelligence. I really hope her character is explored throughout the series, because I think she is the one out of all the cast who can undergo the most interesting transformation.

Because it is a mystery, red herrings abound, and I have chosen and then discarded several. I'm bad at figuring out the mystery, but that never stops me from trying! *grin*

Last Word - 7/14/12

Well, that ended....abruptly. We have the big declaration of love (sorry for the spoiler, but it's not a big secret), and then the reveal of the murderer (again, not a big secret), and then it's over. I mean, on that same page, the book is over. That felt very strange.

I think the novel lost some steam for me in the middle - the mystery was really only dealt with peripherally, with the main focus of the story being the family relationships. Perry spent some time dealing with a couple of the secondary characters I didn't particularly care for, and that made less interested in where she was going. Emily continues to be my favorite character, and I hope the series features her in the upcoming books.

It was a good novel - it didn't end as terrific for me as it started, but I would still recommend it if you like historicals with a bit of a mystery thrown in.

Finished: 7/14/12
Source: my shelves
MPAA rating: PG-13 for adult themes and violence
My rating: 7/10

Book Thoughts - I, Iago by Nicole Galland

I, Iago by Nicole Galland
published 4/2012
400 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

From earliest childhood, the precocious boy called Iago had inconvenient tendencies toward honesty—a failing that made him an embarrassment to his family and an outcast in the corrupt culture of glittering Renaissance Venice. Embracing military life as an antidote to the frippery of Venetian society, Iago won the love of the beautiful Emilia and the regard of Venice's revered General Othello. After years of abuse and rejection, Iago was poised to achieve everything he had ever fought for and dreamed of . . .
 
But a cascade of unexpected deceptions propels him on a catastrophic quest for righteous vengeance, contorting his moral compass until he has betrayed his closest friends and family, and sealed his own fate as one of the most notorious villains of all time.

My thoughts:

First Impression - 6/8/12

I LOVE stories that make me root for the villian - and Iago is one of the best villians in literature. In Galland's version of the story, he is also incredibly smart, and quite funny. I was hooked on the voice she created for him from the first pages of the novel, and am suprised to find him equally sympathetic. He is "...more talented than a few, more industrious than many, and more intelligent than most..." (p. 60), and I'm beginning to think Othello must have had it coming. *grin*

I'm also a compulsive reader of author's notes, and in hers Nicole Galland shares the story of how she came to write this novel, and what transpired after, and that story was equally charming. This is the first book in quite a while that has made me seriously consider calling in "sick" to work.

Second Thoughts - 6/10/12

Galland certainly doesn't strip her Iago of all his faults - the jealousy and bitterness that would make a man betray his friend are all there, just simmering under the surface, waiting for the the right sequence of events to push him over the edge. He is difficult and complex, and his emotions feel very real. I'm impressed with the story she has written for this man.

I have to say, though, that my favorite character in the novel is Iago's wife, Emilia. Every bit as smart as her husband, with humor and compassion to gentle her wit - she is the kind of person I'd love to know in real life. Almost more than what it does to Othello, I hate the betrayal that is to come because I know how much it will hurt Emilia.

Galland's writing is strong, and the plot moves at a rapid pace. She obviously must have spent hours in research, because I feel like I'm learning about Venetian politics and military history as well. I'm enjoying this novel so much - I am excited to turn each page to see what will happen next.

Last Word - 6/14/12

The real tragedy in Galland's novel is not the fated death of Desdemona, or the suicide of Othello - it is is the fall of Honest Iago into deceit and treachery. Of course, his betrayal of Othello was brutal, but the ways in which he was able to decieve himself were the truly painful moments. It is always tragic to watch a good man descend into evil, and Galland showed the slippery slope that can lead to the previously unimaginable.

Iago was such a rich and complex character, but Emilia was still my favorite. Her strength and bravery made her the one I was really rooting for. I thought the author did a great job of giving life to familiar characters while still honoring the original story. I think readers who are not terribly familiar with the source material will still find this to be a compelling story - of course, those who know what's coming will only feel the tragedy more deeply, as they come to understand the inner workings of Iago's mind.

I loved this novel - I did not want to put it down, I talked about it at work, and I will highly recommend it to lots and lots of people!

Finished: 6/14/12
Source: review copy from the publisher - thank you!
MPAA rating: R for violence, adult situations
My rating: 9/10

Book Thoughts - The Secret River by Kate Grenville

The Secret River by Kate Grenville
published 2006
349 pages

Synopsis from publisher:

London, 1806 - William Thornhill, happily wedded to his childhood sweetheart Sal, is a waterman on the River Thames. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake for which he and his family are made to pay dearly. His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. Soon Thornhill, a man no better or worse than most, has to make the most difficult decision of his life.....

My thoughts -

First Impression (4/12/12) - I received this book two Christmases ago from Aarti, as a part of the LibraryThing SantaThing program. I was really excited to read it, and then 2010 happened, also known as the Year that I Hardly Read Anything. Since this year is the first time I feel like I am getting back into the swing of reading and blogging, I knew I wanted to make sure this book was a priority, and that was a very good decision.

I am just under 1/3 of the way through the novel, and it is gorgeous. Grenville's style is beautiful without feeling overblown, and I am not only enjoying the story, but also the act of reading itself.

"He did not know what it was that melted something in him, so he felt his face grow smooth with thinking of her, could even drift away into a dream of her that stayed with him all day, until he trudged up the steps at night hearing the water squelch in his shoes. Lying on his straw in the kitchen, waiting for sleep, the knowledge that she was above him in her room under the roof made something thicken in his throat. Sometimes, coming across her by surprise, he found he could not quite breathe for a moment, or find the words to answer her greeting." (p. 37)

William and Sal are gutsy characters - their life is the scary, dangerous one of London in the early 1800s, and they often have to do bad things in order to get by. But they are not bad people, these two, and it's not hard to hope that things turn out well for them.

I have a feeling this book might break my heart.


Second Thoughts (4/18/12) - "Cozy by lamplight, with the night kept outside and Blackwood's liquor warm in his belly, it was an easy enough promise to make. I would never, he said. Not never, ever, and she relaxed against him and was asleep straight away, her weight sweet as a child's against him while he stared into the shadows." (p. 165)

Oh, I can see where we are headed. Grenville is about to take her characters down an extremely dark road. I don't know for sure what the outcome will be, but I can sense the pain at the end. Books like this make me tense anticipating what I feel sure will happen.

This novel has a lot to say about the conflict between different groups of people - rich vs. poor, white vs. black, native vs. colonizer. These are touchy subjects, and handled lightly can easily give offense. So far, I think Grenville has managed to navigate the waters of race and class well - the attitudes and actions of her characters feel authentic, and in many cases I can relate to their feelings. As before, I am loving her prose - simply beautiful.

Last Word (4/22/12) - This book is really about the consequences of decisions - how every decision has a consequence, even the ones you think won't make any difference at all. At how those consequences can ripple through your life for years to come. And about how those consequences can change you in ways you never imagined you would change. It's about how a good man can make a bad choice, and how it feels to live with that choice for the rest of his life.

William and Sal are characters I won't soon forget - particularly Sal, whose strength was remarkable in the face of the life she was asked to live. Theirs is, ultimately, not a "happily ever after" story. Each of them must make a choice that determines the future of their family, and their choices are neither easy nor cheap. But they make them, and make the best of them, and come out stronger for it.

This novel has a feeling of melancholy that is difficult to shake. It was apparent from the start that a happy ending would be a stretch. But it was a fascinating read about a time and place I know very little about. If you are looking for a good literary fiction read, I definitely encourage you to check this one out!

Finished: 4/22/12
Source: Aarti from Booklust
MPAA rating: R for violence
My rating: 9/10