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Gallows Curse (2011)

by Karen Maitland(Favorite Author)

3.73 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0241958369 (ISBN13: 9780241958360)

languge

English

genre

Historical Fiction

publisher

Penguin Export

review 1: It wasn't awful. But I much preferred Company of Liars.Generally Maitland repeats words far too much for me, particularly verbs (for example, every candle and lantern in the story "gutters". If this is what all light sources do, why does it need to be mentioned? Repeatedly?); I'm not sure why it required 500+ pages when not all that much actually happens; I would have liked an actual ending; and, the worst thing for me, I really didn't get a sense of place at all. Why would small one roomed "cottages" have courtyards? What does this mean? What does it look like? I have no idea.Sorry, but it wasn't the greatest.
review 2: Whenever I read books set far back in history, I always wonder if it's a bit of a futile undertaking - people in medieval times had an incredi... morebly different worldview and conception of the self, and I always wonder if an author will be able to write believable characters that are also relatable and sympathetic to a modern audience. One of the reasons I like Karen Maitland so much is that she totally delivers on this promise. Medieval history is not my specialty, so I can’t say for sure how many anachronisms can be found in this book, but I found it pretty seamless.The mystery, set against the backdrop of an excommunicated England, is twisty and complex. It’s not so much a whodunit, as it is an intricate weaving of characters, all brought together. I loved the way Maitland gradually revealed the past events. Sometimes books with a series of flashbacks can feel stilted or stitched together, but Maitland’s flashbacks never felt forced or unnatural.I love the way that Maitland weaves the supernatural into her books. When I read Company of Liars, it crept up a little more, but in this book, it’s (of course) much more out in the open. (See above, re: mandrake narrator.) Anyway, the way that the characters treat magic and superstition makes it seem entirely plausible as you read.And Maitland’s characters are also excellent. Though many characters have rather nasty motivations for their actions, almost all of them are sympathetic (at least in part). Raffe especially does some great things for not so great reasons. He’s absolutely fascinating to read, because there is much to admire, abhor and pity in him. The mandrake isn’t exactly an unreliable narrator, but deeper motivations and feelings become revealed as the story progresses.I thoroughly enjoyed this deeply layered look into medieval England. It’s got death, gore, love, magic, a lion, a dwarf, and a eunuch. What more is there to say? less

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