Tag: 19th century

Review: The Three Musketeers

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The Three MusketeersAlexandre Dumas, The Three Musketeers (trans. Richard Pevear)

This classic novel, whose title is somewhat misleading, follows a young solider named D’Artagnan who travels from his native Gascony to Paris in order to join the musketeers, an elite military force that serves the king. D’Artagnan naively believes that he will swiftly realize his dream and make his fortune, but his simple goal soon becomes much more complicated. Through a series of accidents he befriends the three most prestigious musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. He also becomes involved in the struggle between King Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu, the two most powerful men in France. As a would-be musketeer, D’Artagnan is the king’s man, but his loyalty wavers when he meets the beautiful Milady, one of the cardinal’s most influential spies. With the help of his three friends, D’Artagnan must foil Milady’s sinister plot while fighting his own attraction for her.

I actually read this book when I was 12 or so, but I’m very glad I read it again now that I have at least some knowledge of the historical context! I find it very interesting that Dumas, who was writing in the 19th century (shortly after the Napoleonic era), chose to set this story during the 17th-century wars of religion, a similarly tumultuous time for France. But even without the bigger picture, this book is quite simply a rollicking good read! It’s a long book, but the story is gripping and seems to fly by. The strength of the book is definitely its plot; by contrast, the characters aren’t developed very well. It’s fun to watch D’Artagnan and the musketeers interact with each other, but they’re essentially stock characters (Athos is the noble one, Porthos is the buffoon, etc.). And Milady is an extremely flat villain who is Pure Evil ™ through and through. In my opinion, the scheming cardinal is by far the most interesting character! Regardless, I really enjoyed this book and would love to read the rest of the series…one of these years!

Review: A Death in the Small Hours

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A Death in the Small HoursCharles Finch, A Death in the Small Hours

Victorian gentleman and amateur detective Charles Lenox has largely given up sleuthing in the pursuit of other interests. A rising member of Parliament, he’s just been asked to give the opening speech for the next session — a very great honor that fills him with both pride and anxiety. But when his uncle, a well-to-do country squire, writes him a letter describing some recent acts of vandalism, Charles is tempted to return to his previous life of detection. He eventually accepts his uncle’s invitation, reasoning that a little time away from London will give him the peace and quiet necessary to work on his speech. When petty vandalism escalates to murder, however, Charles must use all his former skills to uncover the sinister secrets lurking within his uncle’s village.

I always enjoy the Charles Lenox mysteries, but I think this one is a bit of a weak link. My biggest complaint is that the mystery is very perfunctory and almost uninteresting. Although the solution was creative, with the appropriate number of red herrings and so forth, I just didn’t seem to care about it very much! To be fair, the main purpose of the book seems to be Charles’ internal development rather than the external mystery: he is beginning to learn that being a member of Parliament isn’t the dream career he thought it would be. I do love Charles’ character and am interested to see what will happen to him next; I was also very glad to see more of Dallington and would love to see him take a central role in upcoming books! Overall, I definitely plan to continue the series, but this is not one of the strongest installments.

Review: The Count of Monte Cristo

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The Count of Monte CristoAlexandre Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo (trans. Robin Buss)

This classic novel tells the story of Edmond Dantès, a naïve young sailor who seems to be on the verge of getting everything he’s ever wanted: The owner of his ship wants to promote him to captain, and he’s about to marry his true love. But Edmond has jealous rivals, both professionally and romantically, who would like nothing more than to get rid of him and take his place. These men concoct a plan to accuse Edmond of being a Bonapartist — a deadly serious crime in a time when Napoleon has just been exiled to Elba and the French monarchy is still unstable. Although Edmond is innocent, he possesses a highly incriminating letter that seals his doom, and he is sent to France’s most notorious prison. With nothing to do but brood over the cruelty of his fate, Edmond becomes consumed by thoughts of vengeance. When he finally escapes from prison, he creates a new identity as the Count of Monte Cristo and sets out to destroy the men who ruined his life.

First of all, this novel is HUGE — the edition I read was over 1200 pages long — so I was surprised to discover how much of a page-turner it was! Although the plot is very slow-moving, Dumas cleverly builds suspense throughout the novel as Edmond’s plan of vengeance slowly reveals itself. The main thing that surprised me about this novel was how little time (comparatively speaking) it spends inside Edmond’s head. About the first quarter of the book is from his point of view, describing his feelings when he is arrested and imprisoned. But when he escapes and returns as the Count of Monte Cristo, the book barely ever relates his thoughts or feelings. Rather, the most developed characters turn out to be Edmond’s enemies (and a few friends), which makes Edmond’s actions more morally ambiguous. All in all, I’m very glad I finally took time to read this novel, whose status as a classic is well-deserved. I’ve been planning to read The Three Musketeers this year as well, and now I’m really looking forward to it!

Review: A Little Folly

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A Little FollyJude Morgan, A Little Folly

Louisa Carnell and her brother Valentine have grown up in the shadow of their tyrannical father, who devoted his energy to controlling their lives and repressing their spirits. So when he finally dies, the Carnell siblings are ready to come out of their shells and experience life. They re-establish contact with some distant cousins (who had been estranged from the family when their father was alive) and eventually go off to visit them in London. However, their ignorance of the world soon leads them into some fairly big trouble: Valentine becomes attached to a married woman, and Louisa has to navigate her way among various suitors who might hope to win her fortune rather than her love.

Despite — or perhaps because of — my fanatical devotion to Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer, I’m almost always disappointed by books that attempt to mimic their plots and style. The copies are almost never as good as the originals, and why read something inferior when you could have the real thing? But Jude Morgan is a writer of Regency-era historical fiction whose books I truly enjoy, and this book is no exception. I loved Louisa as a heroine because she is both romantic and level-headed. It was also nice to read a book that featured a close sibling relationship. I enjoyed the compelling storyline, witty dialogue, and satisfying romance. In short, definitely recommended to fans of fiction set in this time period!

Review: Etiquette & Espionage

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Etiquette & EspionageGail Carriger, Etiquette & Espionage

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia Temminnick is the despair of her mother due to her disheveled appearance and unladylike fascination with mechanical objects. In desperation, her mother decides to send her to finishing school — a prospect that fills Sophronia with dismay. But she soon discovers that Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing School is much more than meets the eye. For one thing, it’s located on a giant dirigible; for another, lessons include weaponry and poisoning as well as dancing and the proper way to drink tea. Sophronia is delighted with her unexpected education, which proves to be useful when the school is attacked by foes who are looking for a valuable prototype. Along with her newfound friends both above- and belowdecks, Sophronia decides to learn more about the prototype and its significance, but her investigation may endanger her family as well as herself.

I very much enjoyed Gail Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate series, so I was eager to read this new book that is set in the same universe, but a few decades earlier. I’m happy to say that I liked it even more than the Parasol Protectorate books! The concept of a finishing school that teaches young ladies how to be dangerous secret agents is absolutely fascinating, and I was absorbed by the world of the novel. I really enjoyed the combination of Victoriana, steampunk, and humor that Carriger does so well; I especially loved the occasional bits of pure silliness, such as the existence of “flywaymen” (highwaymen that travel by hot air balloon) and a villainous society of Picklemen whose leader is known as the Great Chutney. There are also some wonderful secondary characters and a few potential love interests for Sophronia, so I definitely look forward to reading more books in this series!

Review: The Night Circus

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The Night Circus by Erin MorgensternErin Morgenstern, The Night Circus

The action of this novel centers around a beautiful, mysterious circus known as Le Cirque des Rêves. It is open only at night, and it contains unimaginable wonders — not only acrobats, contortionists, and exotic animals, but also gardens made entirely of ice and carousels with animals so lifelike that they breathe. In this magical environment, Celia and Marco meet and fall in love. However, unbeknownst to them, they are also rivals: both of them are magicians whose tutors are engaged in a deadly game. As Celia and Marco outdo themselves with feats of magical prowess, they must also find a way to end the “game” without paying an unthinkable price.

I find myself a little conflicted about this book, since I absolutely loved certain aspects of it but found other parts underwhelming. By far the strongest part of the novel is its setting: the Night Circus is described in such specific, evocative, loving detail that I absolutely believed in its magic. I’ve rarely read a book with such lush, awe-inspiring descriptions. By comparison, the plot of the star-crossed dueling magicians, while a wonderful idea in theory, is a bit flimsy in execution. I didn’t particularly connect with any of the characters. Even Celia and Marco are extremely flat, with no particular defining characteristics except for their mutual infatuation. The circus is the heart of the book, but the events and people surrounding it seem almost like afterthoughts. That said, I did enjoy reading the book overall and would definitely read more by Morgenstern. Also, I hope this book is made into a movie and that Baz Luhrmann directs it — it would be gorgeous.

Review: The Leavenworth Case

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The Leavenworth Case: A Lawyer's Story by…Anna Katharine Green, The Leavenworth Case

In this early American detective novel, young lawyer Everett Raymond is shocked to discover that a longtime client of his firm, Horatio Leavenworth, has been shot dead in his New York home. Since the firm’s senior partner is ill, Mr. Raymond takes on the responsibility of visiting the bereaved family, which consists of two beautiful nieces, a private secretary, and the servants. He also attends the inquest, where the evidence points to one of the nieces, Eleanore Leavenworth, as the guilty party. But Mr. Raymond, struck by Eleanore’s beauty and grace, is convinced of her innocence. He decides to clear her name by collaborating with the police detective in charge of the case, Ebenezer Gryce. But his investigation unearths a shocking secret about the Leavenworth family that may have dire consequences for the family as well as for the murder investigation.

This book is a mystery novel written in the 19th century; that’s pretty much all you need to know to decide whether or not you’ll enjoy it. I thought it was an entertaining and quick read. Despite the flowery language, the book moves quite quickly, with the shocking news of Mr. Leavenworth’s murder being revealed on the first page. The plot is engaging and inventive, especially for its time (the book predates Sherlock Holmes by several years). The characters, on the other hand, are a bit dull and ill-formed. Mr. Raymond, the narrator, could basically be anybody; and the Leavenworth women have few characteristics, at least for the first half of the book, other than being extremely beautiful. So if you’re looking for a deep psychological study, this book probably isn’t for you. But I still found it fun and entertaining, and I’d consider reading more of Green’s work.

Reread: Emma

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As some of you already know, I am a huge Jane Austen fan. I’ve read all six of her completed novels multiple times, and I’ve seen (and in fact own) most of the major film adaptations. I may or may not (ahem) be in love with Mr. Darcy. I also have a Jane Austen action figure, which is lovingly preserved in its original packaging. In short, I am a big Austen dork. Feel free to judge.

Yet I recently realized that, for some reason, I hadn’t read any Austen in at least a year. To rectify the situation, I decided to revisit Emma. It’s definitely been several years since I last read it, and even though it’s not my favorite Austen novel (that would be Pride and Prejudice, obviously), I was craving some Highbury action. Here are some things that I was thinking about during this reading (and guys, there will be SPOILERS, so be warned!):

  • Miss Bates is GENIUS. Her long monologues may seem pointless and boring, but they actually contain all the clues to the Frank Churchill/Jane Fairfax relationship. I love Miss Bates. She would undoubtedly be tedious in real life, but she’s definitely a wonderful comic character — and also the moral center of the novel. Other characters (Emma in particular) are often judged by how well or poorly they treat Miss Bates.
  • The romance between Frank Churchill and Jane Fairfax is actually a lot more dramatic than the main action with Emma. In some ways, Jane Fairfax is actually a much more likely heroine for a novel: she’s an orphan raised in a wealthy environment but destined to become a governess. She’s beautiful and accomplished — much more so than Emma, we’re told. She meets the dashing Frank Churchill at Weymouth and is swept off her feet. They’re secretly engaged, unfairly separated by the class-conscious Churchills, and forced to hide their true feelings from everyone else. It’s practically Romeo and Juliet, if you think about it! Yet Austen interestingly decided to tell most of this story offstage, focusing instead on the more mundane dramas of Highbury.
  • I love the moment when Emma meets Mrs. Elton for the first time and is enraged that she casually refers to Mr. Knightley as “Knightley.” Methinks I see some foreshadowing there!
  • Speaking of Emma and Mrs. Elton, in some ways they are eerily similar. Emma judges Mrs. Elton harshly for trying to manage every aspect of Jane Fairfax’s life — yet Emma herself did essentially the same thing to Harriet Smith! Emma is a more sympathetic character than Mrs. Elton, but does she really deserve to be?

So anyway, I really enjoyed my reread of Emma, and now I have a craving to watch the 1996 movie version with Gwyneth Paltrow. Well, either that or “Clueless”!