Helpful Score: 2
I guess this book is intended to be deep, and have a cool setting and a mystery to boot, but I have to admit that I just didn't love it.
Certainly Unsworth is pointing at larger truths than just the surface level of the story: itinerant priest in 11th century England joins band of roving players as a means of hiding and gets caught up in a murder mystery. But the mystery is hinted at to loudly and too early, so it falls apart. And Unsworth never really explores his other themes in earnest, and the writing is only so-so.
As a historical novel it's ok, but there are better ones. As a mystery it's ok, but there are definately better ones. As a treatise on the nature of reality vs. the roles we play and the way we present ourselves to the world it really just doesn't dig deep enough.
Perhaps the problem is that Unsworth was trying to write too many books at the same time. It's not a bad book, it's just not a very good one either.
Certainly Unsworth is pointing at larger truths than just the surface level of the story: itinerant priest in 11th century England joins band of roving players as a means of hiding and gets caught up in a murder mystery. But the mystery is hinted at to loudly and too early, so it falls apart. And Unsworth never really explores his other themes in earnest, and the writing is only so-so.
As a historical novel it's ok, but there are better ones. As a mystery it's ok, but there are definately better ones. As a treatise on the nature of reality vs. the roles we play and the way we present ourselves to the world it really just doesn't dig deep enough.
Perhaps the problem is that Unsworth was trying to write too many books at the same time. It's not a bad book, it's just not a very good one either.
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