| Sovereign (Shardlake) | 
 enlarge | Author: C.j. Sansom
Publisher: Pan Books
Category: Book
List Price: £7.99
Buy New: £5.00
You Save: £2.99 (37%)
New (35) Used (46) from £0.42
Avg. Customer Rating:  68 reviews
Sales Rank: 400
Media: Paperback
Edition: New edition
Pages: 400
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.1 x 1.8
ISBN: 0330436082
EAN: 9780330436083
ASIN: 0330436082
Publication Date: March 16, 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
| Showing reviews 66-68 of 68 | | « PREV 1 ... | | |
Compelling story and a wonderful feeling for Tudor England August 29, 2006
19 out of 21 found this review helpful
This is the third book about Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer in the time of Henry VIII. The first two (Dissolution and Dark Fire) were excellent and this lives up to the standard they set.
The mystery is very good -- it is quite difficult to put down and the story line is extremely well-constructed. If you buy it just as a thriller, you will find it a great read. The twist is, according to the historical notes at the end, based on some credible evidence.
However, the great joy of this book is the feeling it gives for a fascinating period of history. As with C.J. Sansom's other book (the superb Winter in Madrid), this is a period in which society was sharply divided on ideological and religious grounds. The paranoia about Catholicism has some very clear parallels with the current day: Shardlake's outrage at the abuses perpetrated by the state in the name of suppressing threats from rebels or foreign attackers could almost come from present-day editorials about the Terrorism Act or detention without trial. Fortunately, the acceptance of torture and execution still sounds very alien.
The descriptions of Henry VIII's court re-create the extraordinary, and arbitrary, power of a terrifying tyrant.
My only reservation is that the dialogue occasionally grates. Sansom should choose between authentic pre-Shakesperean dialogue (which would make the book as difficult to understand as the Book of Common Prayer) or modern speech. Fortunately, he nearly always chooses the latter but occasionally lapses into archaic constructions or uses the odd olde-world word. Maybe it is reasonable to use "malapert" since we simply don't have a way of expressing it anymore but "aye" instead of "yes" just sounds odd. I didn't really notice this in the first two books but I think he used the same policy -- maybe I registered it because the dialogue in Winter in Madrid was so superbly well done. In any case, it is a niggle that does not really take away from the enjoyment of the book
Overall, despite the 500+ pages, this is a thoroughly good investment of time. I found myself hoping that Shardlake would have a long life (he's almost 40 as the book closes) and that I would get to read about much more of it. I wonder how he survives Edward VI's ultra-reformism and Mary's attempt to re-impose Catholicism. I hope that Sansom plans to tell us.
 Disappointing. Drammatically flat. August 29, 2006
7 out of 20 found this review helpful
This book has received approving reviews in the press. I expected it to be sophisticated both in plot and characterisation. Instead I found a story totally revealed from a single point of view, that of its main protagonist, the hunchback lawyer Shardlake. His assistant Jack Barak is thrown into the story as a bit of an alter ego (rough lad off the streets, heart of gold, attractive to women, etc. myriad other cliches). His role is quite thin, largely serving to amplify his master's thoughts. The descriptions of Tudor York and the king's retinue are entertaining and interesting, but I became bored at times with the constant single point of view presented by Shardlake which resulted in lashings of dialogoue - more like a film script - where all the characters had to verbalise their thoughts and intentions. In passing I noted that the 'bad' characters in the book all had eys that were 'cruel', 'cold' and 'icy'. Despite the hype and very attractive cover sleeve, the book is a B-list candidate in my opinion.
 FANTASTIC August 26, 2006
27 out of 29 found this review helpful
I have read all of the Shardlake books and this is the best to date. The story is gripping - set aside a weekend when you won't be interrupted to read this because you won't be able to put it down. I love the sense of place and atmosphere - I feel as if I am there in York with Shardlake and Barak. Shardlake has to present petitions to Henry and to safeguard the welfare of a prisoner and then finds himself (with Barak)involved in investigating the death of a glazier. The language creates a strong sense of the smells, the people, the mutual suspicions between the southern visitors and the hosts, the casual barbarity of everyday life and the sense of a world turned upside down.
I have enjoyed all Sansom's Tudor mysteries but he has reached a pinnacle with this one. There are several stories happening at once and many layers of intrigue and deception, all of which keep you guessing. Characterisation is strong and vivid and an old world is brought to life in technicolour. I wished it would go on forever. I can't wait for the next one.
|
|
|
