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A review by aeudaimonia
The Great Mortality by John Kelly
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I was already obnoxiously interested in historical plague surges and John Kelly has done nothing but enable me. Looking forward to being as insufferable as possible at upcoming family gatherings.
Even though I enjoyed it like I would a 5-star book, I think it's more accurate to put it at four. Some chapters are more engaging and well-written than others; occasionally I got the impression that Kelly was reaching for more content. For example, his chapter on Avignon contains several pages devoted to the trial of Queen Joanna of Naples and her lover, Luigi of Taratino, concerning the suspicious death of her Hungarian husband Andreas. Other focal points of the chapter include the papacy of Avignon, the poet Petrarch's relationship with Laura de Sade, and the musician Louis Heyligen. While plague remains in the backdrop of these stories, the fact remains that I picked up The Great Mortality to read about the Great Mortality-- not about Joanna and her lover, beautiful and tragic though they be. These stories are certainly interesting but I still wish they'd been cut; if not cut, at least abridged.
I see that other reviews have already mentioned his penchant for melodrama and repetition. Personally I didn't mind the repetition so much; I felt that the statistics he offered each chapter were relevant and added to the picture. As for the former, there's a thin line between humanizing the distant past and making a charicature of very real suffering. Now, I doubt I myself could have walked the line as well as Kelly does, but it's worth mentioning that there were several instances in which I had to wonder: Did you keep this paragraph because it's necessary, or because you relish your own creative grasp of the macabre?
Nevertheless, this was an absolutely fantastic read. I borrowed this book from a family friend, but I'll probably buy a copy for myself soon so that I can return to it whenever I want. Definitely recommend!
Even though I enjoyed it like I would a 5-star book, I think it's more accurate to put it at four. Some chapters are more engaging and well-written than others; occasionally I got the impression that Kelly was reaching for more content. For example, his chapter on Avignon contains several pages devoted to the trial of Queen Joanna of Naples and her lover, Luigi of Taratino, concerning the suspicious death of her Hungarian husband Andreas. Other focal points of the chapter include the papacy of Avignon, the poet Petrarch's relationship with Laura de Sade, and the musician Louis Heyligen. While plague remains in the backdrop of these stories, the fact remains that I picked up The Great Mortality to read about the Great Mortality-- not about Joanna and her lover, beautiful and tragic though they be. These stories are certainly interesting but I still wish they'd been cut; if not cut, at least abridged.
I see that other reviews have already mentioned his penchant for melodrama and repetition. Personally I didn't mind the repetition so much; I felt that the statistics he offered each chapter were relevant and added to the picture. As for the former, there's a thin line between humanizing the distant past and making a charicature of very real suffering. Now, I doubt I myself could have walked the line as well as Kelly does, but it's worth mentioning that there were several instances in which I had to wonder: Did you keep this paragraph because it's necessary, or because you relish your own creative grasp of the macabre?
Nevertheless, this was an absolutely fantastic read. I borrowed this book from a family friend, but I'll probably buy a copy for myself soon so that I can return to it whenever I want. Definitely recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Antisemitism
Moderate: Vomit