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Judges Of The Secret Court: A Novel About John Wilkes Booth (Revised) (1961)

by David Stacton(Favorite Author)

3.83 of 5 Votes: 2

ISBN

1299572413 (ISBN13: 9781299572416)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

New York Review of Books

review 1: Strange and unnerving, Stacton's novel focuses on the individuals involved in or affected by the conspiracy to assassinate Lincoln, creating deep psychological portraits of Booth, Booth's brother Edwin, and those others who knew the assassin. Although at times the narrative style veers toward a pulpier tone, the majority of the book is insightful as it is incisive. A precursor to Delillo's Libra.
review 2: Usually I don't like historical fiction, perhaps because the authors so often feel compelled to demonstrate the depth and breadth of their research. So many little and large facts thrown into the mix. This one is different. It has a casual feel about the pace, plotting, and setting. Did John Wilkes Booth recite Shakespeare on the banks of a Maryland riv... moreer while hoping to escape to Virginia? Probably, and while a history couldn't include that scene it sure is believable. I have no idea how much is precise, historically, but I have the sense it is pretty accurate and provides a very readable overview of the assissination of Lincoln and those who were rightfully and wrongfully caught in the vengeful government's net afterwards. The opening and closing chapters depict John Wilkes Booth's brother Edwin in the 1890s. I found these the least well integrated portions of the book. When I think of the Frnech Revolution, all my mental images come from a Tale of Two Cities. I suspect this book will do the same for my sense of this cataclysmic event of American history. less

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