Bob Marshall-Andrews
Autore di Palace of Wisdom
Sull'Autore
Opere di Bob Marshall-Andrews
Etichette
Informazioni generali
- Nome canonico
- Marshall-Andrews, Bob
- Nome legale
- Marshall-Andrews, Robert Graham
- Data di nascita
- 1944-04-10
- Sesso
- male
- Nazionalità
- UK
- Luogo di residenza
- Druidston, Pembrokeshire, UK
- Istruzione
- Mill Hill School
University of Bristol - Attività lavorative
- novelist
Politician
Barrister
Columnist - Relazioni
- Marshall-Andrews, Gill (wife)
- Organizzazioni
- Labour Party
National Secular Society (Honorary Associate)
British Humanist Association (Distinguished Supporter)
George Adamson Wildlife Trust (Founder, Trustee)
Geffrye Museum (Trustee, Chair of Development Committee)
Grey Court School (Chair of Governors)
Utenti
Recensioni
Premi e riconoscimenti
Statistiche
- Opere
- 4
- Utenti
- 52
- Popolarità
- #307,430
- Voto
- 3.0
- Recensioni
- 4
- ISBN
- 16
- Lingue
- 1
Camille and Pepys are sent to Paris by Charles II to negotiate a treaty whereby the French King Louis will pay for the English navy to fight the Dutch while the French army conducts the war on land. The pair must face opposition from Charles’ enemies in parliament and Camille must battle for her life to resolve the feud that forced her to flee France.
The novel is good historically, entwining real events with a strong feel for time and place. The book is presented as a translation of two ‘lost’ documents: a previously unknown Pepys diary from 1670 and Camille’s written history of her time working with Pepys.
The problem is the tone of the book. The language does not really capture the ‘feel’ of Restoration England and the characters are far too cartoonish to be believable. Camille is the Baron Munchhausen of her day. There is nothing at which she does not excel: actress, singer, instrumentalist, male impersonator, swordswoman, thinker, philosopher, strategist. A character is set up over several pages as one of the most dangerous and feared men in England, only to be despatched by Camille in five seconds flat. Pretty much everything she does turns out to be a marvel, or else she wins out through a massive and frankly unbelievable stroke of luck.
This is OK as a piece of light historical fiction, but Mantel or Tremaine it is not.… (altro)