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Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer
3 reviews
tessisreading2's review against another edition
funny
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Readable, well-categorized overview of life in fourteenth-century England.
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Sexism, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic
None of the above are particularly graphic or problematic but the text does at various points touch on them as part of people's lives in the fourteenth century.leif's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
4.5
Written as a travel guide for anyone planning on doing some temporal exploration on their next vacation, The Time Traveller’s Guide to Medieval England by Ian Mortimer provides a comprehensive perspective into the day-to-day lives of people living in 14th century England. I think what surprised me most was that, the more I read this book, the more certain I was that I would NOT be visiting.
From violence and sexism to horrifying illnesses abhorrent sanitation systems (including an actual “Shitbrook”), this book doesn’t shy away from the most uncomfortable aspects of life back in the 1300s. At times, these aspects were a little difficult to stomach but the author does an excellent job explaining to our 21st century sensibilities why exactly these aspects of life were acceptable or even embraced by people 700 years ago. In fact, primary evidence is often used to support Mortimer’s explanations. Unfortunately, this book does centre quite heavily on how it would be to time travel <i>as a man</i> but the sad truth is I sort of expect that kind of limited perspective going into many history books.
I can’t remember exactly how this book ended up on my TBR list but this book sounded like exactly what I wanted to read when I wanted to listen to a fiction audiobook. This was the perfect choice for the audiobook format. In fact, I’d actually recommend reading it this way. I’ve seen some reviews (which I personally disagree with) complain about the level of detail provided by the author such as the many lists used to illustrate the comparative cost of goods. However, in the audiobook format, these lists as well as unfamiliar vocabulary and places were very easy to digest and I was much better able to become absorbed in this book. Also, on that note, I’d also like to mention that I saw these details as necessary to challenge the idealized and fictitious medieval setting portrayed in popular culture and actually establish and fully appreciate the realities of everyday life in 14th century England.
This book is clearly well-researched and strikes a very good balance between being entertaining and informative. Ive thought about this book a great deal since reading it and I can’t help but think about how my own life relates to it. For example, I know now that I’d have towered over the people of medieval England (with average heights of 5’7 for men and 5’2 for women). More alarmingly, I’m absolutely certain one of the minor infections, flus, or other easily treatable ailments I had during my childhood have killed me. I would strongly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about what it would have been like to live in medieval times.
From violence and sexism to horrifying illnesses abhorrent sanitation systems (including an actual “Shitbrook”), this book doesn’t shy away from the most uncomfortable aspects of life back in the 1300s. At times, these aspects were a little difficult to stomach but the author does an excellent job explaining to our 21st century sensibilities why exactly these aspects of life were acceptable or even embraced by people 700 years ago. In fact, primary evidence is often used to support Mortimer’s explanations. Unfortunately, this book does centre quite heavily on how it would be to time travel <i>as a man</i> but the sad truth is I sort of expect that kind of limited perspective going into many history books.
I can’t remember exactly how this book ended up on my TBR list but this book sounded like exactly what I wanted to read when I wanted to listen to a fiction audiobook. This was the perfect choice for the audiobook format. In fact, I’d actually recommend reading it this way. I’ve seen some reviews (which I personally disagree with) complain about the level of detail provided by the author such as the many lists used to illustrate the comparative cost of goods. However, in the audiobook format, these lists as well as unfamiliar vocabulary and places were very easy to digest and I was much better able to become absorbed in this book. Also, on that note, I’d also like to mention that I saw these details as necessary to challenge the idealized and fictitious medieval setting portrayed in popular culture and actually establish and fully appreciate the realities of everyday life in 14th century England.
This book is clearly well-researched and strikes a very good balance between being entertaining and informative. Ive thought about this book a great deal since reading it and I can’t help but think about how my own life relates to it. For example, I know now that I’d have towered over the people of medieval England (with average heights of 5’7 for men and 5’2 for women). More alarmingly, I’m absolutely certain one of the minor infections, flus, or other easily treatable ailments I had during my childhood have killed me. I would strongly recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about what it would have been like to live in medieval times.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma
hannahb2603's review against another edition
dark
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Sexism, and Sexual violence