A respectable book... I think?
I was talking to my dear sister yesterday about a certain book that is still burning a hole in my brain. I tend to go through stages of reading any and everything by one author and then moving on to the next passing fancy.
Philipa Gregory has to be the best kind of author to do this with. Although she has written lots of very good (translation: entertaining) historical novels (I'm not a critic, so nobody needs to go all English-Department on me!), she's written different stuff too. Like *The Little House* which I LOVED because I so vehemently despised every single character because not one of them was loveable, but somehow they were all believeable. She also wrote *A Respectable Trade*. I have a love-hate relationship with this book and it's still affecting me. It's about the slave trade in England (a historical lesson for me, for sure) and is disturbing disturbing disturbing. But as much as I was disturbed, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to stop reading it, it bothered me, but I couldn't stop and was honestly relieved when it was over. Maybe I throw myself into a book too deeply. Has anyone else read that one? What was your reaction? (As a side note, this is why I don't watch scary movies, and my standard for scary is probably that of a 5 year old.)
Philipa Gregory has to be the best kind of author to do this with. Although she has written lots of very good (translation: entertaining) historical novels (I'm not a critic, so nobody needs to go all English-Department on me!), she's written different stuff too. Like *The Little House* which I LOVED because I so vehemently despised every single character because not one of them was loveable, but somehow they were all believeable. She also wrote *A Respectable Trade*. I have a love-hate relationship with this book and it's still affecting me. It's about the slave trade in England (a historical lesson for me, for sure) and is disturbing disturbing disturbing. But as much as I was disturbed, I couldn't put it down. I wanted to stop reading it, it bothered me, but I couldn't stop and was honestly relieved when it was over. Maybe I throw myself into a book too deeply. Has anyone else read that one? What was your reaction? (As a side note, this is why I don't watch scary movies, and my standard for scary is probably that of a 5 year old.)
posted by Left Coast Sister at 10:16 PM
3 Comments:
I also can't do scary movies. I remember The Little House but I know I haven't read the slave trading one. I'm sure it's because when I read a few lines to see what it was about, I could tell that it would be too deep and too disturbing for the mood I was in. I don't know when I'd be in the mood for it, though sometimes it's good to read those books anyway.
And she's a very entertaining author indeed. I've learned so many interesting things about the customs of those times (her books on royalty, etc). She has a new one out in that line, doesn't she? I'm sure I just saw it in hardback at the book store. I'm still one behind that one, though. That means I have two more to savor. Yay!
I do love her!! I didn't know she has a new one... I've still got many to go!! It does make you wonder how a monarchy can survive, though, doesn't it? I mean, where were all the thinking people when the English kept having to switch from Catholicism to Protestantism every few beheadings? Didn't anyone wonder if there could be a better way to govern than that?!
well, thinking was clearly out of fashion.
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