tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post6277931918315365364..comments2024-03-28T20:46:22.875+00:00Comments on Clothes In Books: Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana FranklinClothes In Bookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-57891502977209174272015-09-07T18:47:25.969+01:002015-09-07T18:47:25.969+01:00Thanks for dropping by, Elizabeth, nice to see you...Thanks for dropping by, Elizabeth, nice to see you. I think you would enjoy this one based on your blog reading. Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-70456265719592646972015-09-07T15:27:51.940+01:002015-09-07T15:27:51.940+01:00Sounds quite good.
Thanks for sharing. Great pos...Sounds quite good.<br /><br />Thanks for sharing. Great post.<br /><br />topping by from Carole's Books You Loved August Edition. I am in the list as #30 through #33.<br />Happy Reading!!<br /><br />Elizabeth<br />Silver's Reviews<br /><br /><a href="http://silversolara.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-promise-of-home-by-darcie-chan.html" rel="nofollow">The Promise of Home</a><br /><br /><a href="http://silversolara.blogspot.com/2015/08/the-secrets-of-lake-road-by-karen.html" rel="nofollow">The Secrets of Lake Road</a><br /><br /><a href="http://silversolara.blogspot.com/2015/08/in-dark-places-by-peter-robinson.html" rel="nofollow">In The Dark Places</a><br /><br /><a href="http://silversolara.blogspot.com/2015/08/review-and-giveaway-of-dead-money-run.html" rel="nofollow">Dead Money Run</a><br />Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01522861943931628690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-25240512581250299982015-09-06T16:54:52.634+01:002015-09-06T16:54:52.634+01:00Thanks Kathy. I haven't come across any other ...Thanks Kathy. I haven't come across any other biography of Markievicz, which is quite surprising as she was a major figure in Irish politics and history. I too would like to know more about her.Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-14938563813874110682015-09-06T11:57:58.522+01:002015-09-06T11:57:58.522+01:00I read and enjoyed your two blog posts on Ireland,...I read and enjoyed your two blog posts on Ireland, which then sent me to reading me about Yeats and Constance Markievicz. I'd like to find a good book about her. I'd like to read Norman's but I've seen some criticism of it, that it played down Markievicz's intelligence and skills and talked about her nice personality. I don't know.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-28122120832181806032015-09-02T08:46:35.724+01:002015-09-02T08:46:35.724+01:00Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I will certainl...Yes, I know exactly what you mean. I will certainly read at least one more of this series - I liked the idea of the mystery of Henry II's mistress - and see how I feel after that. Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-26264391429898998302015-09-02T08:45:30.039+01:002015-09-02T08:45:30.039+01:00I have ordered the second book, Kathy, but your wa...I have ordered the second book, Kathy, but your warning is helpful so I'm not expecting as much.<br />Now, did you see that I was in Ireland recently, and visited Sligo, Yeats's grave, and Conn Markievicz's childhood home? Be sure to visit these 2 blogposts:<br />http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/ireland-and-wb-yeats.html<br /><br />http://clothesinbooks.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/wb-yeats-and-his-grave.htmlClothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-37766014108936691682015-09-02T08:43:15.376+01:002015-09-02T08:43:15.376+01:00Yes I know what you mean Bill. But there was such...Yes I know what you mean Bill. But there was such entertainment value that I'm willing to forgive both Ariana and Adelia...Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-26045872628105422432015-09-02T06:27:30.970+01:002015-09-02T06:27:30.970+01:00I generally like historical fiction, but set aroun...I generally like historical fiction, but set around the period between WWI and WWII and then the post war years. Which does make it easier to accept some more modern portrayals. Even though there are some that are set around WWI that I had a hard time accepting. But Bernadette's point is very good. As long as I am sufficiently entertained, I can forgive a lot.<br /><br />I did enjoy the first book in the Marcus Didius Falco series by Lindsey Davis, which seemed (to me) to have a good historical setting yet the characters seem relatively modern. But I don't usually look for more series that are set before the 20th century.<br /><br />And all of that to get to the fact that I did read this book and like it and have all the others in the series, although I have not read them yet. The book wasn't perfect and strained disbelief a lot, but it did entertain.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-76013339467316254952015-09-02T03:32:02.304+01:002015-09-02T03:32:02.304+01:00I loved this book and Adelia Aguilar, and I'm ...I loved this book and Adelia Aguilar, and I'm not normally a fan of historical fiction. She is very progressive and a feminist, way ahead of her time. But I loved her and so did many of my reader friends. I liked her thinking and opinions, and due to her character, I liked Ariana Franklin/Diana Norman.<br /><br />I think a woman could have gone to medical school in Salerno at that time. <br /><br />I was disappointed that book II was more ordinary, without much incisive thinking, more of a formulaic historical romance/adventure novel. So I haven't moved on to books III and IV.<br /><br />I am, however, fascinated with Norman's book on Constance Markievicz, an Irish nationalist hero -- and, she came from County Sligo, home of my paternal great-grandmother, Sabina Agnes Ryan. So, I've always been aware of her and wanted to get this book. The library doesn't have it, but this blog post reminds me to search for it.<br /><br />I hear Norman's earlier books about Ireland are good, too, but, alas, unavailable over here.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-25396751329544656042015-09-01T23:17:10.793+01:002015-09-01T23:17:10.793+01:00Moira; I equally liked the book though I had a res...Moira; I equally liked the book though I had a reservation about the bizarre start to the conclusion.<br /><br />With regard to Adelia, the modern woman, I thought you could reverse the numbers from 12th to 21st.Bill Selneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17268006369157307593noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-70763814509752643152015-09-01T11:00:06.328+01:002015-09-01T11:00:06.328+01:00Bernadette, you put it very well, I know exactly w...Bernadette, you put it very well, I know exactly what you mean. As you say, sometimes you just have to grit your teeth. We can't have our characters using the language they would have used, because it would be incomprehensible, so I suppose we just have to give attitudes a pass too.<br />But I did really enjoy this one - and have ordered the next one. Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-38597673465990652332015-09-01T04:16:30.903+01:002015-09-01T04:16:30.903+01:00Thanks for the kind words Moira. And I'm glad ...Thanks for the kind words Moira. And I'm glad you liked Adelia's adventure. <br /><br />Like you I have struggled with historical fiction in which people - especially women and others normally treated as second class citizens - behave in ways that are totally unrealistic for their time. But in the end I decided that if I was going to read the genre at all I would have to suspend my disbelief or be very, very angry (honestly when everyone is behaving as they really did the cavalcade of rich, white, anglo-saxon men bestriding the world is pretty off-putting). I've chosen to suspend my disbelief when the writing and character development manage to bewitch me as Franklin/Norman managed to do with Adelia and company. I'm going to have to try your recommendations now (though I will admit to having faltered with Mantel some years ago - but still yet to try Sansom or Gregory so will start there).Bernadettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07641617609801125707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-76071648496127003712015-08-31T21:39:15.647+01:002015-08-31T21:39:15.647+01:00That'll fit right in, that's exactly the k...That'll fit right in, that's exactly the kind of thing they do with the bodies.Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-68283021395986708462015-08-31T21:23:57.600+01:002015-08-31T21:23:57.600+01:00Hmm, I think I'd rather go boil my head in a p...Hmm, I think I'd rather go boil my head in a pot....col2910https://www.blogger.com/profile/06422138069939709043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-2050480173712715582015-08-31T13:01:37.864+01:002015-08-31T13:01:37.864+01:00... and I would trust your judgement, Margot, alon...... and I would trust your judgement, Margot, along with Bernadette. Next time I need a historical fix I will browse through your blog for suggestions...Clothes In Bookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14680610242823846662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6129427507761315524.post-91174664891287125412015-08-31T12:37:22.139+01:002015-08-31T12:37:22.139+01:00I like historical fiction better than you do, Moir...I like historical fiction better than you do, Moira, although I'll not deny there've been some I wanted to throw across the room. I think this series is a great one, though, and I've always thought Franklin/Norman did a very effective job with Adelia Aguilar. She managed to strike that difficult balance between keeping the story consistent with the era, but at the same time making Aguilar ahead of her time, if I can put it that way. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com