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seventhswan's review against another edition
5.0
I wouldn't feel right leaving a 5-star review without making it very clear that a lot of this story is about rape. I think it was handled incredibly well, but I definitely wasn't expecting it.
That said, this is the best fiction book I've read in a very long time. Reading about a pandemic during a pandemic won't be for everyone but this story was so much more than that, and proves that it's possible to include realistic representation of people who would now be considered LGBT in historical fiction.
That said, this is the best fiction book I've read in a very long time. Reading about a pandemic during a pandemic won't be for everyone but this story was so much more than that, and proves that it's possible to include realistic representation of people who would now be considered LGBT in historical fiction.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
4.0
Bernadine is fleeing a marriage that she does not want when she falls in with a band of archers heading to the coast to catch a ship to France. Amongst them are a young man looking to buy his freedom from serfdom and the pig-boys' 'sister'. As they journey from the Cotswolds to the port of Melbury they are unaware that a greater peril is travelling in the opposite direction.
Set at the onset of the Plague in the 1340s this is a book which warrants reading. The language is difficult, written in historical style rather than modern English but the rich cast of characters make this worthwhile. The rough nature of war is prevalent, as is the second class nature of women in the Middle Ages, but the looming terror of the Plague overshadows the tale as life will be changed forever.
Set at the onset of the Plague in the 1340s this is a book which warrants reading. The language is difficult, written in historical style rather than modern English but the rich cast of characters make this worthwhile. The rough nature of war is prevalent, as is the second class nature of women in the Middle Ages, but the looming terror of the Plague overshadows the tale as life will be changed forever.
hannicogood's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Thumbs up for the weird linguistic stuff. Thumbs down because the Hayne vs Softly plot never really clicked into place for me; Will doing an abrupt 180 and deciding he did in fact love Madden/Hab came out of nowhere; and the absurd bdsm/anal thing with the queen mother was just so unnecessary.
There’s a lot here but it’s certainly not all quality.
There’s a lot here but it’s certainly not all quality.
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
4.5
‘A company of archers pervenes to Malmesbury imminently, on its way to France.’
England, 1348. Three very different people meet on the road to Calais. Bernadine, a gentlewoman, is fleeing an arranged marriage. Thomas Pitkerro, a proctor having finished his work in Malmesbury, is returning home to Avignon, and Will Quate, a young ploughman and skilled bowman, is on his way to volunteer with a company of archers. Heading towards them is the Black Death, the plague which will eventually wipe out half the population of northern Europe.
Having provided three interesting main characters, Mr Meek intensifies the story by using language which would often be more familiar to the 14th century characters than to the 21st century readers. Unfamiliar language slowed me down, enough to appreciate the alien (to me) world in which I found myself but never stopped me following the story. Will the world end, as the clerics claim? Should the archers be concerned about past misdeeds, or simply focus on the present? And what of Lady Bernadine?
There are other characters as well: the language they use reflects their social status, as do their concerns. Thomas Pitkerro does not know what he will find, Will Quate seeks adventure while Lady Bernadine wants the freedom to make her own choices. But as they travel, as the Black Death becomes ever present, I am reminded of present-day uncertainties as the current pandemic commenced its spread a couple of years ago (after this novel was written). And, as in 1348, pandemics know no social boundaries.
I wondered, as I read, what it would be like to be travelling at such a time. I marvelled at the ingenuity and courage of some and at the opportunism of others. This is a challenging and rewarding read.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
_moomin's review against another edition
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
For some reason, I cannot stop thinking about this book. I read it about two years ago and it has lived in my mind rent free since. I'm about to read the Roman de la Rose (which this book references and plays off of) for class and I am so excited. This is such a weird but damn brilliant book.
firerosearien's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this, although reading it while a pandemic is raging about the world might not have been my smartest decision.
There is a very, very clever use of language here that feels true to the time period. The plot doesn't have a ton of sudden reveals, and you can more or less guess at what is going to happen from page one - although it does take the Black Death some time to appear.
The book was written before COVID was a pandemic, but a lot of people will be like to compare the two.
There is a very, very clever use of language here that feels true to the time period. The plot doesn't have a ton of sudden reveals, and you can more or less guess at what is going to happen from page one - although it does take the Black Death some time to appear.
The book was written before COVID was a pandemic, but a lot of people will be like to compare the two.
hfnuala's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I found the emphasis on how the other men thought about the woman trying at first but over time I grew to like it. Lots of literary parallels and discussion of the romance of the rose. Some very medieval sudden occurances. This is definitely 2 men and a woman, all setting out on their own journies. Some interesting gender swapping too.
In summary, glad I read it, will probably read more by him but not blown away by this particular book.
In summary, glad I read it, will probably read more by him but not blown away by this particular book.
runkefer's review against another edition
3.0
Meh. Disappointing. I probably should have put it down weeks ago, but I’m stubborn about finishing books. I loved Meek’s “The People’s Act of Love” and I keep hoping he’ll repeat that feat, but so far no.
sawyerbell's review against another edition
4.0
I find it difficult to review To Calais, in Ordinary Time. I admired so much about it: the author's use of archaic Latinate, Norman French and Saxon vocabulary to flesh out the characters and setting, the laugh-out-loud bits of dialog, the almost Shakespearean nature of the plot, the almost cinematic nature of the prose, the experience of reading about the characters' fear of the plague while quarantined myself, nervously checking my temperature over and over to see if our modern day plague has infected me.
And yet, and yet. There were so many boring sections, so many places where the archaic vocabulary dragged me out of the story, so many sentences that were almost incomprehensible. For a relatively short book, it seemed to take an aeon to get through.
My final verdict is this: To Calais, in Ordinary Time would make an excellent movie or mini-series. A director would slash away the excessive use of archaic language that slows the story down and would be able to compress the boring bits. 3.5 stars; mildly recommended for the patient reader.
And yet, and yet. There were so many boring sections, so many places where the archaic vocabulary dragged me out of the story, so many sentences that were almost incomprehensible. For a relatively short book, it seemed to take an aeon to get through.
My final verdict is this: To Calais, in Ordinary Time would make an excellent movie or mini-series. A director would slash away the excessive use of archaic language that slows the story down and would be able to compress the boring bits. 3.5 stars; mildly recommended for the patient reader.