Kindling, but not really lighting a fire, for some...

Well, I got some feedback on the Kindle from two readers who gave me quite different reviews.  I want to take time to thank them both for their insights and also to encourage readers to post below if you have your own comments to add.

I'll share their comments with you, and also take a minute to introduce you to them as they are fascinating people and bloggers in their own right.

The first contributor is George Angus, also known as Tumblemoose.  George Angus is a professional writer, who writes an in-depth blog on the craft of writing, he lives in Alaska and boldly dons a kilt on occasion.

George Angus had this to say:  

Well, let me first say that I don't own a Kindle right now, but it is my #1 wish for Christmas this year. My sister has one and she loves it.  She tells me:

She will always be a page turner but she really likes her Kindle.  She travels a bunch and it's perfect for that. She says pre-Kindle, if she was nearly done with one book she would have to bring that one and the one on deck. Two hardcovers while traveling is just a pain.  She says she's never paid more than ten bucks for a book.  She says they do download in less than a minute.  She says there are no readability issues at all.

So, it's second-hand, but I trust her completely.
I really would like to have one.

George

Rating per George:  Scrumptious Must-Have

My other contributor was Hal Brown who writes WebLog Redux, who is a long-time blogger, an IT professional, digital photography expert, and occassional dance instructor.  Hal already owns a Kindle, and gives us some insight into the user experience.

Hal Brown had this to say:

I have had a Kindle for about six months. Here are the pros and cons as I see them: 

Pros: Great for travel.  This is my primary use for it.  Access to thousands of books free. You can download plain text from wherever (Gutenberg and lots of others). This is a great feature.  Built in dictionary, access to Wikipedia.  Books delivered in about one minute.

Cons:  You won't save much money on best sellers, text books or anything that was expensive to publish. Genre books, Sci-fi, romance novels etc seem to be the biggest sellers for Kindle.  My biggest disappointment of all - Most of the great writers from the 20th century are not available for Kindle. Anything published from around 1930 to 2000 has not been converted.  You can't replace the battery.  If there is a problem, you have to send it back. Recently, I thought mine was going out.  I will never buy another product I have to send in for a battery replacement.  I am a book lover.  Reading common text on any ereader device is not anything like a real book. I write notes on the pages, mark, underline etc. You can save "clippings" form passages, but it is cumbersome at best. I don't even use this anymore - I keep a notepad with me instead.  Anything with tables, diagrams, footnotes, smaller text is almost unreadable.  It sucks for things like this. Example: I bought a diet book several months ago. [There are] parts of it I can't read.  There is a lag turning pages that bothers me. I record books, and I simply can't do this with a Kindle.  Not a problem for most people.  The lag is very short, but I need to read ahead (with my eyes) to record.

Bottom line:  Most people love them. I waited for the Kindle 2 thinking it would be much better. I paid over $350.00 for it. The price is down now, but I wouldn't pay $300.00 for one. Maybe $100.00 would be a good price.  On the other hand, if you read a lot of short, easy 'fun read' novels Kindle is built for this. 

Rating per Hal:  Lukewarm


Note:  I did read a Tweet the other day, that made me giggle.  I wish I could give credit where credit is due, but it refreshed too quickly for me to identify the sender, and I haven't been able to find it again.  Basically, it was from a traveling Kindle user who said he was using his Kindle, as a bookmark in the book he was reading as he traveled. 


I'd certainly like to get more feedback from users and lovers of Kindle and any other similar devices, as well as from any authors or any one in Publishing who might like to give me some insight into how Kindle, and similar e-readers affect their trade.

For myself, I have to say that I'm still on the fence with this gadget.  I like the idea of having books on hand on a whim, but I do worry that this technology is so popular that it's about to get replaced with something better.  I also think that nothing will ever replace the book for me.  I don't know how I'd like living in a world where everything was on a screen, and nothing was on paper.  Maybe that makes me a bit old-fashioned, but I have to be honest.  I like the feel of them.  I love the smell of them.

I owe the world to books.  They've opened up windows that I would never have been able to look out of without them.  Of course, the text is what does it, not the medium.  The marvelous writers who pain-stakingly put down their thoughts, their dreams, their wishes, and their fears, are to be given all the credit for the magic we enjoy.  I suppose, that times change, methods change, and we need trees for oxygen, so ultimately, a gadget may very well replace the trusty book.

On that thought, I'd like to share an article I got from The Onion on the frailty of gadgets that makes me giggle, and I hope you'll enjoy it too.  It fits with the theme of this post rather nicely:  New Device Desirable, Old Device Undesirable.

Book Gourmet Bottom Line Review:  Ponderous


If you decide, from what you've read here, that you want to get a Kindle right away, do me a favor, and order it using the clicks below..all proceeds go to my book fund which will generate nicer, fresher, tastier, book reviews.

The Silent Month of November

Sorry folks, it's been a quiet month.  Not really for me, as I have been busy writing and therefore not so busy reading.  I took the NaNoWriMo challenge, and that required a considerable amount of time and attention.  I'm glad I did it though, it has been divine.  You can read about my NaNoWriMo experience on my writing blog Hyper-Scribnia, hopefully, if you've been contemplating doing NaNoWriMo next year, or just writing a novel at any time, this blog will inspire you to go for it.

I also had an unfortunate complication with my book delivery, and now I have to track those books down and get re-started on my reading list.  I wanted to assure you that you can expect to find more quality reviews coming from The Book Gourmet in future.  If it's Yummy, I'll be reading it and writing about it here. 

I have been thinking of getting a Kindle or similar device, in order to get around some of the "lost book package" issues.  Hopefully I'll get the latest and greatest on demand.  That's what the sales-pitch says, what do you have to say?

Anyone using a Kindle or any other reader, please give me feedback. 

• How do you like the product?  

• How do you find the selection of books available to download?  

• For those of you, who travel and end up in remote locations, where do you find it works best?   

• From what countries can you access your account easily?  Where is it difficult?  

• How does it feel to read books on screen instead of leafing through the pages?  

Tell me your likes and dislikes.  I want to know.  It's an investment, and if I'm going to make one, I want to make the right one.  Give this reviewer your reviews.  In exchange, while I wait for my books to "appear," I'll do a piece on these "new fangled contraptions," and mention you directly as the reviewer with a link to your personal blog (unless you prefer to remain anonymous.)


Many Thanks and have a safe and joyous Holiday Season.

-- The Book Gourmet

'Revelation' by C.J. Sansom - A Noble Feast...

To me, one of the joys of travel, is the random find of treasure at the airport terminal book-stand.  'Revelation' by C.J. Sansom is one of those jewels that I might not have discovered, if I had not been browsing for treats between flights.

On the surface, it had everything I like to dig my teeth into.  The book is thick (629 lovely pages), with a rich cover, and a captivating quote, right under the elegantly embossed gilded title:

Don't expect to put the book down until you've seen it through to the apocalyptic finale - Observer

Me.  Hooked.

The only thing that I regret about reading this book, is that I haven't read the others in the series of Matthew Shardlake mysteries..yet.

'Revelation' is the fourth in the Shardlake series, which began with 'Dissolution' followed by 'Dark Fire' and 'Sovereign.'

If you are compulsive about these things, then you may want to begin at the beginning.  However, I can tell you that Mr. Sansom ensures that each book stands on its own two feet; any character background I might have missed was adequately referenced in 'Revelation.' 

The fifth book in the series, 'Heartstone' will hit bookstands in 2010, and my mouth is already watering.

The scene is Spring 1543, King Henry VIII is King of England, contemplating a marriage to Catherine Parr, but that is only the garnish.  The meat of the story is in the gruesome murders taking place in London, which threaten key figures of London Society and the Court itself, and which have a frightening religious connection, at a time when religion is an extremely volatile issue.

Our hero, Matthew Shardlake, is an honorable lawyer who proves that Shakespeare may have been wrong when he wrote "the first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."  (Yes, Shakespeare was being ironic, and Yes, Shakespeare was an Elizabethan--don't split hairs).

C.J. Sansom, a former solicitor from Sussex, may indeed have had that quote in mind when he crafted this novel, since a prominent lawyer is among those murdered in the book.  The cruel, ritualistic murder of his colleague and friend, Roger Elliard, motivates Matthew Shardlake to investigate and hunt down the fanatical, methodical psychopath plaguing London.  The method of the murderer's madness has terryfing connections to the Reformist Movement, the Book of Revelation, and the Tudor Court.

This book lacks nothing.  It is chock-full of fascinating historical detail, suspense, romance, fanatical religious fervor, political intrigue, obscure medical practices, and even a intimate view of life in Bedlam.

As a sub-plot of the murder investigation, C.J. Sansom gives us the equally fascinating story of a young man suffering from a form of madness that causes him to have dangerous episodes of religious fervor in public.  Shardlake defends this young man, who is put into Bedlam, while the court decides whether he is genuinely mad or a treasonous zealot.  Through Shardlake's repeated visits to this pitiable character, the reader learns the inner workings of this infamous asylum, as well as the precarious position of Protestants at the time. 

Such a well researched, and well written book is rare. Such a well crafted and unpredictable conclusion to a fast-paced and suspenseful plot is rarer.

C.J. Sansom's language is respectful of the time period of the novel and yet utterly modern in style and readability.

In 'Revelation,' C.J. Sansom weaves a mystery that captivates the reader in an exciting exploration of the nooks and crannies of Tudor London; introducing us to the various strata of society, the divergence of religious thought, the intrigues of the fickle court, and the daily lives of those trying to survive in this perilous environment.

The main character, Matthew Shardlake, is as likeable, authentic and dimensional a man as a writer could hope to weave (hunchback and all).  I also found the character of Guy Malton, the Physician, intriguing.  He contributes rich descriptions of the medical practices of the period.  Guy Malton also gives us insight into how much may have been understood about madness during this period in history.

In truth, all of Sansom's characters, even those who appear only briefly, have body and soul, and are elegantly brought to life by a loving author.

C.J. Sansom lets the reader see, hear, touch, smell, and taste the world of Tudor England.  'Revelation' is a feast for the senses and reveals a superb talent. 

The Observer is right.  You will not be able to put this book down, and once you finish it, you will want to rush to your booksellers and buy the others in the series.

I have a new vice.

I need another serving of C.J. Sansom.

Book Gourmet Ratings*:

Category:  Historical Fiction, Mystery

Appeal of Cover Art: 6/10

Readability:  9/10

Ingenuity of Form:   5/10

Suspension of Disbelief: 10/10

Believability of Characters: 10/10

Apparent Knowledge of Subjectmatter: 10/10

Un-put-down-ability: 7/10

Re-Readability: 6/10

Overall Satisfaction at Conclusion:  9/10

Recommend Factor: 8/10

Yummy Factor:  8/10

1 Extra Point to C.J. Sansom for taking the time to include unobtrusive and detailed maps of the areas of London where the story takes place, and an Historical Note well worth reading.

Overall: 9.00
 

Revelation
Pan Macmillan, Ltd.
ISBN: 978-0-330-44710-2
Copyright C.J. Sansom 2008

Lost in 'The Lost Symbol' - Send it back to the Chef, with my apologies

I've been struggling with Dan Brown's 'The Lost Symbol,' as if my grandmother had served me a fresh plate of boiled tounge.  The intention might be good, and it might be good for me, but I had trouble digesting it, and frankly, I wanted to stop almost as soon as I started.  Still, I did not want to have paid full price for a hardback only to use it as a coaster. 

It is disappointing, really.  I knew what to expect with Dan Brown, I had read 'Angles and Demons' and 'The Davinci Code' before they became mainstream hits and movies.  I knew to expect fast-food reading, but sometimes fast-food hits the spot.

In this case, it does not.  I am not sure where Dan Brown lost me but it was around chapter five of the book.  There are one hundred and thirty-three chapters in all, plus an Epilogue.  The Epilogue is like the chocolate mint for Mr. Creosote (any Monty Python Fans?)

It's a mystery (sort of) and I don't want to be a spoiler, so I won't go into details regarding the progress of the plot.  Actually, the progress of the plot is practically irrelevant to this book.  I'll give you some hints, you'll run around Washington, DC, a lot, get dizzy from going in and out of points of view, diving in and out of the minds of various characters and have your reading flow interrupted by numerous graphs, charts, illustrations, puzzles, "Codes" or whatever else could be tossed in the pot.

When a writer needs that many props to make a point, I lose interest.  When I get one third of the way through the book and I've changed points of view so many times that I no longer know who I'm following or why I care, I lose interest.

Honestly, I think the boiled tounge analogy is wrong (although when my grandmother served it it did make me just as queasy as this book did) what Dan Brown has prepared for us is more like Shepherd's Pie, a bunch of leftover ingredients tossed together in a pot and covered over with some nice looking but bland mashed potatoes.  (Though, personally, I love a good Shepherd's Pie).  This is definitely a quick frozen Shepherd's Pie from the freezer section of your local grocers, packaged in plastic, microwaveable and tasting of cardboard.

I realize that Dan Brown has sold millions of books, while I have sold frankly, zero, zip, zilch; but this is not sour grapes.  It is as honest a review as I could possibly present.  I approached this book with enthusiasm and it let me down. The style of the book does not work for the theme, and the theme itself is unclear, and the conclusion is a dissapointing let down.

Not everyone will agree with me, but thank the Lord for free speech, may it reign eternal.

There must certainly be a wide market of readership for this type of book, or it wouldn't be breaking Publication Records.  If you are into the Coronel Sanders school of publishing, then lick your fingers and never mind how the chicken got there, this is the book for you!

I even hesitated on whether I should include this book in my blog, because I want the Book Gourmet to stand for enjoyable, pleasurable reading, and I want to  emphasize positive reading experiences and eliminate the negative ones.  I contemplated leaving this review out entirely. 

What ultimately prompted me to post this review was consideration for the best interest of the general reading public, who may waste good money on the hard-back, when they could wait until it was available on paperback from a local second-hand book shop, and be just as dissatisfied for far less money.

It's not just the cost of the book of course, it is our time as readers that we resent the most; at least that is what I resent.

I think the strongest argument that Dan Brown made with this book is that a new marketing channel is required for established published authors to go straight to DVD, just like the inferior sequels of Blockbuster movies do.

Dan Brown's plot in this book might have worked better on screen than on paper.  It is written as a screen play forced to prose, and that is part of its weakness.  Perhaps this should be required reading for anyone about to fall into the "formula writing can make you an overnight millionaire" school.  If the craft were a plug-in formula, then a computer would write consisently best selling fiction and well...best not talk about that.

Honestly, had this been made into a screenplay instead, it might have worked.  I might not have minded watching this movie on DVD and yelling "Come on!" at the screen a couple of times.  Heck, it's only an hour and a half out of my life anyway, I could give Dan Brown that much for all his hard work.

In case the reader might be tempted to think that my prejudice against this book is due to the premise that Enlightenment is achievable or that I have an aversion to Noetic Science, or to the wisdom of the Ancient Scriptures, I can only say that a follower of 'Blue Earth, Red Shoes' will know that these are the core philosophical topics I find fascinating.

And that, perhaps, was the greatest dissapointment.  I bought the book because of the label, expecting to find an interesting exploration of these weighty subjects, and found a slimy mess instead.

Actually, 'The Lost Symbol' is not grandma's boiled tounge or flash frozen Shepherd's Pie.  It's just like the last time my Nana made me my favorite eel pie; when she was older and a bit senile, and she forgot to pre-cook the eel for the filling.  I dug in with my mouth watering, expecting to be delighted, and gagged on my first mouthfull.

Sorry, Dan Brown.  You've been entertaining in the past, but I don't have the same loyalty to you that I did for Nana. I am not going to fall for slimy pie twice.

Book Gourmet Ratings*:

Category:  Action/Adventure, Mystery

Appeal of Cover Art: 10/10

Readability:  5/10

Ingenuity of Form:   3/10

Suspension of Disbelief: 3/10

Believability of Characters: 2/10

Apparent Knowledge of Subjectmatter: 5/10

Un-put-down-ability: 0/10

Re-Readability: 0/10

Overall Satisfaction at Conclusion:  0/10

Recommend Factor: 0/10

Yummy Factor:  0/10

Overall: 2.54
'The Lost Symbol'
by Dan Brown
Copyright Dan Brown 2009
Random House
ISBN 9780593054277

To ensure the integrity of this blog, I will not post a link to Amazon.com for this book, nor will I include this in my Yummy Authors Link.  I cannot control if the AdSense system picks up on the inclusion of this title and posts random ads for it, but I hope the reader understands that I am not recommending the purchase of this book.

Ben Elton on: War and Peace, Truth and Deceit, Love and Hatred, Identity and Annonymity and other Light Hearted Topics from a Very Funny Man...Yum-Yum...Give Me More!

I won't apologize for my bias in favor of practically anything Ben Elton does.  It is founded on a consistently very positive experience.  Ben Elton is the man who gave us 'The Young Ones,' 'Black Adder,' and the 'Thin Blue Line' (among others) and who is consistently delivers brilliantly-comical, tragically-real, works of fiction.  If you have not yet picked up a book by Ben Elton, go get any of his titles, you won't be disappointed.

Ben Elton is so very good at crafting work that is topical, profound, satiric, heartbreakingly realistic and side-splittingly funny, that he has no equal.

I'm gushing, aren't I?  Sorry, I don't do that often, but Ben Elton just has that effect on me.  Don't worry, Ben, I'm happily married and I am probably not 'your biggest fan.'

Let's just say that Ben Elton is one of the few writers of all time who earns 10/10 on my Re-Readability scale.

But even so, when I picked up 'The First Casualty,'  I did so with more than a little trepidation.  I can honestly say that I cry like a baby on the last episode of 'Black Adder goes Fourth' and I expected that, since subject matter of 'The First Casualty' was also WWI, it would be equally likely to make me weep.  The first world war has always done that to me for reasons I cannot readily explain.

Ben Elton also seems to feel this way about WWI, but he seems to have identified and put in writing what it is about the 'War to end All Wars' that disturbs and moves him.  He reveals to us in the dedication of this book that his grandfathers fought on opposing sides of this conflict.  Clearly, that family tragedy, squared, left a mark on Ben Elton.

With Armistice Day coming in November, and with so much war happening now that seems as doomed to be ineffective at resolving our human conflicts as the 'War to End all Wars' was, I would suggest that you buy this book and read it right now.

Even if you don't care for war stories, if you are concerned over themes and issues that we face every day, such as the loss of identity, the loss of trust, the prevalence of deceit, and the quest for truth, you will love this book.  If you are looking for something as entertaining as it is enlightening, you will love this book.

This is certainly not one of Ben Elton's typical side-splitting books.  (Although, in fairness, there is never anything typical about Ben Elton's creations.)  In 'The First Casualty,' there are very few laughs, but when they are there, they are even more poignant than if they were plenty.

On the surface, the book is the story of Douglas Kinsley, a respected police detective, who earns infamy and is branded both a coward and a traitor, because he stands on principle against the war.  His integrity, his decision to stand by his convictions, comes at a heavy price to his career, his family, and ultimately his life. With Machiavellian irony, the same state that wants to kill him, hires him to solve an murder case on the fields of Flanders.

What follows is a series of events worthy of the darkest comedy.  I would not want to ruin the plot twists, and there are plot twists and surprises worthy of any good crime novel, but I can assure you that Ben Elton will capture your attention and hold it fast.  You will not be able to put this book down easily.  I read all 444 pages of the paperback in three sessions; and only because I disciplined myself to stop twice so I could get some sleep, by the third night I decided that sleep could wait for death. 

Ben Elton has written other great works, which I will surely share with you in this blog as they are all yummy reads.  But by and large, 'The First Casualty' will always hold a special place in my heart.

Besides challenging our concepts of honor and justice, Ben Elton forces us to provide our own answer to the question -- what is truth?  Ben makes us recognize that this value, to which we universally make homage, is the first thing we destroy when interest gets in the way.  In the title, Ben Elton alludes to the famous quotation from Senator Hiram Warren Johnson in 1918: 'The first casualty when war comes is truth.'  In this book, Ben Elton makes us wonder whether Truth is not also victimized in peace time. 

Heavy stuff.  But lightly and beautifully written, entertaining and addictive.  Like a well made meal form the finest chefs, it combines substantive ingredients in an elegant preparation, with the right proportions of sweets and tarts, to not overload us, and not leave us wanting. 

If you are hungry for a good book, nothing could be a finer combination of spiritual fulfillment and earthly entertainment than a nice slice of Ben Elton.  All his books fit this description, some more than others, but I believe that 'The First Casualty,' fits best.

It is so yummy and so fine, it should get a Michelin star!

Book Gourmet Ratings*:

Category:  Comedies, Crime Novels, Historical Fiction

Appeal of Cover Art: 9/10

Readability:  10/10

Ingenuity of Form:   7/10

Suspension of Disbelief: 10/10

Believability of Characters: 10/10

Apparent Knowledge of Subjectmatter: 10/10

Un-put-down-ability: 8/10

Re-Readability: 10/10

Overall Satisfaction at Conclusion:  9/10

Recommend Factor: 10/10

Yummy Factor:  10/10

Overall: 9.36

The First Casualty
A Black Swan Book: 9780552771306
Originally published in Great Britain by Bantam Press, a division of Transworld Publishers
Printing History Bantam Press edition published 2005
Black Swan edition published 2006
Copyright Ben Elton 2005

Philippa Gregory - The Other Queen: Romance, Betrayal, Political Intrigue..Mmm..Tasty!

If you are not already a big Philippa Gregory fan, you will recognize her as the author of the book 'The Other Boeylin Girl,' on which the 2008 BBC film by the same title, Starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson, was based.  In fact, Philippa Gregory was also a screenwriter for that film.

Philippa Gregory's skill for writing intriguing and addictive Historical Fiction is impressive.  Her style is highly engaging, and she effectively uses the intrinsic suspense of the historical period she writes about to keep you engaged.  She also accomplishes something that is perhaps the greatest challenge to a writer of Historical Fiction, she keeps it fresh and modern.

In The Other Queen we find an excellent example of how she accomplishes this.  The narrators of her story are known familiarly by their first names: Bess, George and Mary.  The triangle of lovers who exist hidden behind the scenes of Queen Elizabeth's golden reign, shadow puppets to a political machine operated by William Cecil, Elizabeth's spy master, and Bess' dear friend.

Bess is Bess of Hardwick, a real historical figure and a fascinating woman, deserving of a book in her own right. Bess is a fascinatingly practical and modern business woman, who loves her husband George, but is not so romantically deluded that she is blind to the physical and financial danger in which he places their family.

George is George Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, Bess' devoted and chivalrous husband, who is none the less politically inept, and entirely fanciful.  His objectivity in an extremely treacherous situation clouded by his romantic ideals of society and his role in it.

Mary is none other than Mary Queen of Scots, an intelligent and beautiful woman who is not afraid to use her charms as currency for devotion, and in doing so, to inspire men and women alike to follow her into a political abyss.

Cecil is William Cecil, Elizabeth's very pragmatic and one might say cynical advisor who none the less has the best of intentions in mind for the reign of the Virgin Queen, protecting her from endless conspiracies and plots.

By formatting the book as assorted excerpts from memoirs and letters, Philippa Gregory helps the reader to understand the point of view of the three major players in this pyramid of power.  The chapters are broken up into portions of each leading character's memoirs, from their point of view, as the plot advances.  By allowing the character most affected by events to tell the story to a particular point, Philippa Gregory allows the reader to gleam a greater truth from her work.

There is an old saying that every story has two versions: His, Hers and the Truth.  In the case of Philippa Gregory's 'The Other Queen,' it is Hers, His, Hers and the Truth, which we learn by reading between each of the interwoven lines of their personal views.  This format works brilliantly for this novel.

It is all too tempting and all too typical to shade any one of these colorful historic characters either black or white; making them good or evil, putting them on the side of right or wrong.  Phillippa Gregory's genius stems from being able to avoid those extremes entirely.  She blends her characters with so many shades of grey, that instead of being flat, two dimensional puppets, they become beautifully sketched three dimensional, living, breathing beings.

Philippa Greggory also keeps her own judgement well hidden.  She is a true scholar, and she maintains an author's objectivity that is impressive.  There is no off-putting bias to be inferred in what she allows each of the characters to say about the others and about themselves.  She let's them speak freely, and leaves us enlightened and in love.

It is difficult not to love each of the characters in their own right.

Bess' materialistic practicality, may be off-putting to some, but it is balanced by genuine concern for the well-being of her husband and their children.  Though she herself seems to have no love lost for the manipulative Queen of Scotts, Bess recognizes Mary's good traits as well as her bad.

George is a tragic, idealistic fool, but one cannot help but long for him to be right and for the higher ideals of loyalty, honesty and devotion to win out against personal interest, deceit and betrayal.  Of course, in this case, history proves him wrong.

Mary is a very likable and intelligent woman, in her own right.  That was the most fascinating part of the book to me.  Mary Queen of Scotts has been one of those abused and neglected characters from history.   She is too often portrayed in a maudlin manner, with very little depth.  But Phillippa Greggory treats her with all the respect and kindness a Queen deserves, and allows her to reveal herself as a whole human being; capable of betrayal and manipulation, but with real goals and aims, loves, and concerns.  Her fatal flaw is not that she opposed Elizabeth I, but that, unlike Elizabeth I, she put her trust in men as her tool above her own great potential, in advancing through marriage and relationships.

Through her unique format, and her deliciously rotund characters, Phillippa Gregory allows her book to be more than just about Mary Queen of Scotts, but about all of us. 

As a woman reading this book, I could see the points of view of each of the characters, reflect on moments of my life when I have been in their place, thinking their thoughts, struggling against the same challenges.  That is the brilliance of Philippa Gregory's style, she allows us to relate very personally, very intimately, with these extremely remote persons.

Philippa Gregory gives voice to the challenges of our gender that have plagued us as much from the begginning as they do today.  Are we better served when we stand alone, thumb our noses at convention, and follow our own drummers, or when we find a male partner to help us to guide us to lead us?  The answer we receive by reading this book is surprisingly: both.

None of the women of the book, including Elizabeth herself, fare very well, or could have reached their positions without men.  Neither do any of the women in the book fare very well, or enjoy a carefree live with men.  And before we can blame men for everything, we have the character of dear George to balance us, reminding us that even if they occassionally do wrong by us, they are trying their best.

There is of course one solution that none of the women in this novel consider, that is conspicuous in its abscence as a potential solution for this tragedy.  None of the women ever genuinely make an effort to have a meeting of the minds amongs themselves.  Who knows how history might have been if instead of competing with each other, these two Queens had tried to collaborate?   Who can tell what might have happened if they had put loyalty to each other above loyalty to the men that surround them.

That also, to me, is the role that George plays in this juxtaposition of characters.  He is emphatic and convincing in his argument that the greatness of our nature is in open rational dialogue, free of prejudice and self interst, and in letting respect and loyalty to each other drive our actions.  Perhaps if the women had heeded George's ideal, and applied it to their approach, things may have turned out differently.

Philippa Gregory doesn't necessarily give us a comfortable answer, because she is honest enough to recognize that there aren't any easy answers in these matters.  The reality is that it is difficult enough for two people to get along, regardless of gender, more difficult when those people have different genders, and extremelly challenging when those people are part of a larger group of both men and women each with their own agendas.

I highly recommend this book, especially as the winter nights come upon us, it will warm you up.  If you are in the tropics or the Southern Hemisphere, this book is lively enough and light enough to make an excellent beach read.  From page one to the end, it will hold your attention, keep you fascinated, keep you thinking not only of the lives of these tragic historic characters but of your own.

Read it!  You won't regret it.

Book Gourmet Ratings*:

Category:  Historical Fiction

Appeal of Cover Art: 7/10

Readability:  10/10

Ingenuity of Form:   7/10

Suspension of Disbelief: 10/10

Believability of Characters: 10/10

Apparent Knowledge of Subjectmatter: 10/10

Un-put-down-ability: 6/10

Re-Readability: 5/10

Overall Satisfaction at Conclusion:  7/10

Recommend Factor: 8/10

Yummy Factor:  7/10

3 Extra Points to Phillippa for taking the time to include a helpful bibliography, Author's Note and Q&A with Readers of the Hardback Edition

Overall: 8.18

The Other Queen -- Philippa Gregory
paperback edition 2009
Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright Philippa Gregory Ltd 2008
ISBN: 978 0 00 719214 4

For the Love of a Good Book

Since I learned to read at the age of around two, my nose has been stuck in the pages of one book or other.  The love affair began at an early age, and whether it is running white fire hot, or flickering ember warm, the passion never dies.

In life, books have been my best and most trusted companions.  They have taught me all I needed to understand that others could not explain.  They have helped me escape to far-away places when I couldn't afford to travel.  They have made me feel grounded and at home, when travel took over my life.

Through good times and bad, a book is there to rely on, to turn to.  I have a wide range of tastes, from practically all genres.  Whether fiction or non-fiction, regardless of  the intended age of the reader for which the book was written; irrespective of the heaviness or lightness of the topic and style--if it's catches my eye, I'll read it.

Because of this wide range, I thought I'd blog about what books are just tasty.  For the thousands like me, who find rich sensual pleasure in leafing through pages, and delight in getting lost in the plot.

We'll separate the crepes suzette from the pancakes, the filet mignon from the chopped beef.  But we'll enjoy them all together, the burgers and fries as much as the caviar and champagne.

Hope you brought your apetite!