Bleak House
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Though the title, age, and overall length (almost 1000 pages!) of this book may turn some readers away, this classic is well worth a read! Dickens’ writing style is evident in full force here and his lengthy descriptions of everything from fog to court judges contain beautiful insights and nuanced observations. It is the characters of this book that really shine though; fans of everything from Anna Karenina to Bridgerton will love the wide array of expertly named characters. From the somber and mysterious Lady Deadlock, to the cold and calculating Tulkinghorn, readers are pulled into the drama of the court case that the whole story centers around. There are twists and turns, triumphs and tragedies; a perfect book for a rainy day and an intrepid reader!
Reviewed by Elizabeth
Tagged: England, Fiction, Historical fiction, Lawyers, Satire
The Table of Less Valued Knights
by Marie Phillips
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Marie Phillips, author of the delicious satire Gods Behaving Badly, now turns her gift for parody on the legends of King Arthur and his knights of Camelot. It’s a bit of Terry Pratchett meets Jane Austen meets The Princess Bride. The underdogs at Camelot are the heroes of this comic novel: Sir Humphrey of the Table of Less Valued Knights (the rectangular one in the draftiest corner, where they only get leftovers and watered-down wine) takes up a quest to find a damsel’s missing fiancé. Meanwhile in the neighboring kingdom, the freshly-minted and unwilling Queen Martha runs away from her destiny while another knight is tasked with bringing her back to the exceptionally unpleasant Prince-Consort-who-wants-to-be-King Edwin. Nobody is quite what they appear, except perhaps the elephant Jemima. Even the Lady of the Lake is a substitute, annoyed with having to hold on to the magic sword while the original Lady has run off with Merlin. Full of wit, surprises and off-the-wall characters, this contemporary re-visioning of medieval myths is a lot of fun.
Reviewed by Faith
Tagged: Fiction, Humor, Satire
