1940: The Spanish Civil War is over, and Madrid lies ruined, its people starving, while ... more
the Germans continue their relentless march through Europe. Britain now stands alone while General Franco considers whether to abandon neutrality and enter the war.
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Advantages: A very absorbing and compelling read Disadvantages: I don't think it's in paperpack yet and the hardback version is rather heavy to hold!
A really good story can transport you to another place. Revelation is the fourth in a series of good stories written by C. J. Sansom, the first three being Dissolution, Dark Fire and Sovereign. All of these novels are set during the period of Henry VIII?s reign and written in the voice of Matthew Shardlake, a hunchback lawyer who lived and worked in London.
Due to his integrity and competence, Shardlake repeatedly finds himself involved in all sorts of political and religious intrigue, in spite of his efforts to avoid such situations, which inevitably lead to great personal discomfort and danger.
Revelation is the story about a serial killer and the title of the book is taken from the last book of the New Testament with its prophecies about the end times. As in previous adventures, Shardlake is in pursuit of yet another murderer ...
Advantages: Gripping plot, interesting period of history (to me) Disadvantages: Poor characterisation, repetitive writing, assumes in depth knowledge of period
pages and from there it was a series of thrilling twists and turns that left my heart pounding. If only the final chapter hadn?t been such a cringe-making return to the insipidness of the opening part of the book! I realise my appraisal sounds contradictory but the fast-paced final part really did make up for the cardboard characters and the dull writing.
Only in that ?Shadow of the Wind? and ?WinterinMadrid? are both set in Spain could one compare Sansom to Zafon; the work of the latter is more dark and serious and much more descriptive and evocative. As for the mention of Faulks, I can only think the connection came from espionage during the war being the central theme of ?Charlotte Gray?; in terms of writing ability, Faulks is head and shoulders above this.
Some readers have suggested that ?WinterinMadrid? is teeming ...
Advantages: Good characters, fast pace Disadvantages: Not everyone's cup of tea
complex against the setting of the monastery as every monk and member of staff seem to have their own motive. As the body count rises Shardlake is drawn further into the complex web of monastery life and the corruptions of the time.
So, that's a very breif summation of the plot. I really don't wish to give away the ending or the plot twists, but these are good and well written by Sansom. I've never been good at solving mysteries in books and this one was no exception - it kept me guessing right to the end.
I normally avoid historical novels as their protrayal of their chosen time is often shaky and the facts inaccurate. I was dubious about reading this one having studied the dissolution, and also being Roman Catholic I find authors are often lazy about the religion. Sansom, however, brilliantly evoked the atmosphere of threat and malice ...
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