Except the Dying

(Written by Maureen Jennings. First book in the Murdoch Mysteries series.) Detective William Murdoch of the Toronto Constabulary has quite a case on his hands. A servant girl was found dead in the snow - sans clothing. To make matters more complicated, she was pregnant. Where was she going on such a bitter night without a carriage? Why did she just lie down and die? Doesn't anyone know anything about her last few hours? And, most importantly, did someone help her to her death?

On a "Good Book" scale of one to ten, this ranks at about a two. The only reasons it doesn't reach lower are: Its good Victorian flavor and its lack of sex scenes. Other than that, there is really no reason why someone would want to read this book. The characters are generally either boring or annoying, the story is very much a cliché, and there is enough innuendo to stuff a mattress.

First, the characters. Now, I've seen most of the episodes from the first season of the Canadian television adaptation of this series of books. During that time, I fell in love with every one of the regular characters: Awkward but hard-working Constable Crabtree, gruff and humorous Inspector Brackenreid, professional and ladylike pathologist Doctor Ogden, and especially Murdoch, with his strong Catholic faith, shy nature, and head in the clouds of science. Then I read this book. Murdoch is totally different; none of the words I used to describe him would really apply. He's Catholic, though not particularly faithful, more disapproving than shy, and doesn't seem to be quite as involved in science. Constable Crabtree, instead of an awkward little bachelor, is a youngish married man with three kids. The Inspector, who hates politics in the shows, is fond of kissing up to various people in high places in the book. Doctor Ogden isn't even a character yet, although I am told she comes into the series later. In short, the characters were very much improved upon in the television series.

Next, the very straightforward story. Well, a young servant girl gets pregnant, and, although the culprit is unknown, it's pretty obvious that the man involved is the killer. Might it be the stable boy? Don't be ridiculous. What about the housekeeper's husband? Wrong again. Nope, it has to be someone from one of the city's more affluent families. It's not the son, either; he naturally has to be gay (something I saw from a mile off). In fact, I guessed the culprit almost from the outset, and the red herrings throughout the rest of the story turned out to be only mildly distracting.

Finally, the innuendo got a bit much. Or much too much. The victim was an unmarried mother and two key characters in this murder are prostitutes... and although the innuendo is written in Victorian language, it's still fairly clear. Page after page after page of sexual references gets very tiring, especially when there's really no humor, likeable characters, or interesting story to have as a counter-balance.

Though Jennings did a good job of using language and expressions that fit the Victorian time period of this historical novel, she did a very poor job of constructing a clean book with an interesting story and characters. Murdoch and Co. are fairly cardboard, the story is embarrassingly simple, and the innuendo is just too much. If you ever see this book on the shelf at the library, don't even waste the energy it takes to read the back cover.

My Rating: MT (constant innuendo, veiled homosexual reference, mild sexual content)

In Relation To Pride and Prescience

Written by Carrie Bebris; Book One in the Mr. & Mrs. Darcy Mysteries

Fitzwilliam Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are now Mr. and Mrs. Darcy. But, to Elizabeth's vexation, their joint wedding reception with the new Mr. and Mrs. Bingley is marred by Caroline Bingley's engagement announcement. Miss Bingley and her fiance, an American named Mr. Parrish, seem determined to steal the attention of society away from the former Miss Bennets and their new husbands, planning an extremely elaborate wedding ceremony in London just one week after their engagement announcement. Elizabeth's vexation at Miss Bingley's pretentiousness is gradually lessened, however, as the vain young woman begins to act increasingly strangely - to the point of trying to kill herself.

I am not a huge fan of fan fiction. In fact, I think authors who write fan fiction are poor writers; a truly great writer would invent his or her own characters, without having to rely on someone else's creations. Stories are important, but it's the characters that really bring a book to life.

With such a low opinion of fan fiction books, I went into this one with trepidation. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy may well be my favorite literary couple of all time, and the last thing I wanted was to see their characters ruined. I was pleasantly surprised, at least with regard to Mr. Darcy. His character is portrayed faithfully; firm, honorable, and madly in love with Elizabeth (though perhaps he has a little better sense of humor than Austen gave him). Elizabeth is not as faithfully shown, however. A rather big deal is made of her wonderful perceptiveness at times, which is utterly ridiculous considering how unperceptive she turns out to be in Jane Austen's original story. Jane and Bingley are perfect, though I would have liked them to be in the story a bit more than they were.

While the characters are much like they're supposed to be, I'm afraid the writing style is not quite true. While I don't mind some sentences being modernized (after all, no one reads books filled with double negatives nowadays), I didn't care for the modernized dialogue. At select times it was excruciatingly painful. I highly doubt the expressions "handle it" or "check on" had been invented at the time of Austen's classic. If they were, they were not used among polite society.

The dialogue was a little tiresome; the story was more tiresome still. The resolution was much too obvious for my taste; I had almost all the details worked out little more than halfway through the book. Furthermore, I got the distinct impression that the authoress was intentially trying to imitate the kind of story one might find in a gothic novel. The book revolved around the supernatural, something that evidently showed up often in gothic novels. However, I highly doubt Austen would have approved of her characters being transplanted into these novels. After all, Northanger Abbey is practically a satire of gothic novels' mysterious and mystical elements.

My Rating: T (non-religious supernatural elements, slightly gruesome murder, thematic elements)

Picture from carriebebris.com

Pertaining To Sir Percy Hits Back

(Written by Baroness Orczy. Eleventh book in the Scarlet Pimpernel series.) Fleurette has long been sheltered from the world outside by her doting father. But her perfect little world is shattered when her sweetheart, Amede, is arrested for treason against the French Republic. Desperate for his safety, Fleurette leaves her home to find her father, who is a man of some influence. Little does she know there's someone far more powerful already looking out for her - the Englishman known as Sir Percy Blakeney, alias the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Pros: Another Scarlet Pimpernel book! Fleurette is such a sweetheart, and although Amede is in it very little, he's pretty nice too. There's a surprising twist or two (or possibly three) along the way. *Spoiler Warning* I was glad to see Chauvelin actually has a heart. I don't like villains to be villainous to their very core.

Cons: Sir Percy isn't in it nearly enough. The climax scene is rather predictable, particularly if you've read other Scarlet Pimpernel novels.

My Rating: OK (violence)

Picture from paperbackswap.com.

In Relation To Eldorado

(Written by Baroness Orczy. Eighth book in the Scarlet Pimpernel series.) Louis XVI and his lovely wife Marie Antoinette have been murdered by the French Republicans. The only hope for those who wish to see the monarchy in France restored lies in the young Dauphin - a prisoner of the cruel and bloodthirsty revolutionaries. Sir Percy Blakeney, known as the Scarlet Pimpernel to most of the world, is determined to rescue the boy. But matters get rather complicated when one of Sir Percy's league - his brother-in-law Armand St. Just - falls in love with an opera singer and places her safety above that of his fellow league members and the French prince.

Pros: Very well written. Armand drives me crazy at times, but his character is fairly likable. Sir Percy is awesome, of course, as he always is. The ending was completely unexpected. I absolutely love Marguerite!

Cons: Okay, the ending was a little confusing. I must admit I had to read it more than once - and I'm still not sure I understand it.

My Rating: OK (violence)

Regarding Ivanhoe

Ivanhoe (Anthony Andrews) has just returned from the Crusades. The son of a Saxon lord, he defeats Brian de-Bois Guilbert (Sam Neill), Front de Boef (John Rhys-Davies), and De Bracy (Stuart Wilson), the three best Norman knights in England, in a tournament. Unfortunately, he is injured in the process. When a wealthy Jewish merchant named Isaac of York (James Mason) and his beautiful daughter Rebecca (Olivia Hussey) decide to take him to their home in York in order to heal, the three become attached to the party of Ivanhoe's estranged father - and his childhood sweetheart, Rowena (Lysette Anthony). The little group is captured as they travel past the castle of Front de Boef, and find themselves in the clutches of three knights with less than honorable intentions.

Pros: Rebecca is an awesome character, and Olivia Hussey played her very well. A lot better than Elizabeth Taylor did in an older version of this movie. I also like Rowena, although she's kind of boring compared to Rebecca (partly for reasons discussed in my "Cons" section). *Spoiler Warning* I think Brian de Bois-Guilbert is probably my favorite villain of all time - although villain isn't the right word to describe him - he's a hero. Even though he acts like an unfeeling jerk through nearly all of the story, he gives his life to save Rebecca in the end and redeems himself.

Cons: Christians, and the Catholic Church in particular, don't come off very well in this story. But then, the story is a good deal about prejudice - about how Normans and Saxons hated each other, and about how both groups hated Jews, who hated them in return. But the main characters - Ivanhoe, Rebecca, Rowena, and King Richard - aren't prejudiced at all. Also, Ivanhoe might be the title character, and might be the one character that really ties everyone together, but he's not much more than a prop. Talk about a boring character! Oh, and I really like Rowena's character, but the actress was not very pretty, and she couldn't act at all.

Note: Based on the book by Sir Walter Scott.

My Rating: OK (violence, mild sexual references)

Pertaining To I Will Repay

(Written by Baroness Orczy. Fourth book in the Scarlet Pimpernel series.) A decade before the French Revolution, Paul Deroulede killed the young Vicomte de Marny. It was an accident that happened during a fair fight; anyway, de Marny was asking for it. But the Vicomte's deranged father forces his daughter Juliette to swear an oath to God that she will repay Deroulede for his deed. Ten years later, now a beautiful young woman, Juliette receives a chance to fulfill her oath and avenge her brother's death. But should she really do it? Or does vengeance belong to God alone?

Pros: I'm a huge Scarlet Pimpernel fan, and a fan of Baroness Orczy's style of writing. Paul is really sweet (although a bit dim-witted at times), and Juliette tries her best to muddle her way through her problems. Sir Percy is, of course, perfect.

Cons: There's a misguided idea that Juliette's Catholic faith is somehow partly responsible for her feeling that she has to fulfill her oath at all costs. Now, I find that idea offensive. Juliette swore her oath at the prodding of her father when she was only fourteen and had virtually no idea what her oath would entail; the Catholic Church would not hold her to it. On the contrary! I'm quite certain the Church would wish her to give it up, particularly becaue what she swore to do was wrong. Very annoying. Also, Sir Percy wasn't in the book nearly enough.

My Rating: T (crimes commited by republicans, some anti-Catholic themes that almost border on anti-Christian themes; in fact, if I hadn't known of Sir Percy's faith in God, I would have said the book was anti-Christian)

Picture from Bookapex.com.

Concerning A Battle Won

(Sequel to Under Enemy Colors, written by S. Thomas Russell.) Captain Charles Hayden, new master and commander of a little sloop, is spending time with his lovely sweetheart Henrietta, waiting for his ship to come into port. Unfortunately, a certain Captain Cotton has other plans. Hayden is reassigned to be a job-captain for the frigate Themis to escort a convoy to Lord Admiral Hood at Toulon. Quite naturally angry at this change of plans (job-captains take ships from one place to another and then hand them off to others, reverting back to lieutenants when they have completed their tasks), Hayden must deal with back-stabbing officers, twisted clergymen, disgruntled Army officers - oh, and the French as well.

Pros: This is terribly exciting, and a little easier to follow in the battle scenes than the first book. I just love Henrietta, even though she's not in it very much. Just about the whole crew from the Themis is back - from the doctor to Wickham.

Cons: A nasty, cliff-hanging ending. Very unsatisfying.

My Rating: MT (language, sexual references)

Picture from sthomasrussell.com

In Relation To Under Enemy Colors

In S. Thomas Russell's book, Lieutenant Charles Hayden is at the end of his rope. He's a promising young officer in His Majesty's Navy shortly after the French Revolution, but he has no connections. If one is to advance in the Navy, one must know powerful people. So when the First Secretary offers him a position as first lieutenant aboard the Themis, a frigate captained by a man whose nickname is "Faint" Hart, Hayden reluctantly agrees. In the coming months, he will have to battle not only the French, but also his touchy captain - and a mutiny.

Pros: I thought this was really realistic; Russell obviously spent a lot of time researching. There was a lot of focus on characters other than Hayden, too, which was nice for this genre of book. Best of all, Hayden is actually a likeable guy, which I have not come across in any other series like this. Oh, and the sentences were very old-fashioned, but not confusingly so. They helped set the mood.

Cons: I must admit, I got lost among some of the jargon. The sails, etc. could be ignored, but I was totally clueless about some of the ship sections during battle scenes... "Okay, where is he, exactly?" was a question I put to myself not infrequently.

My Rating: MT (language, violence)

Picture from sthomasrussell.com

Pertaining To When Calls the Heart

Janette Oke's When Calls the Heart is the first installment in her Canadian West series. When the book begins, Elizabeth is a schoolteacher in civilized Toronto. Then her half-brother Jonathon asks her to come all the way to Calgary to teach. Elizabeth reluctantly agrees, but puts her foot down when Jonathon teases about finding her a husband. She is determined never to marry a rough frontier man! Then she meets Wynn - and falls for his deep blue eyes at first sight. But love is never easy on the frontier, as Elizabeth soon discovers.

Pros: This is a pro-life book! Little Andy, the darling mentally challenged boy in Elizabeth's school, is a beautiful example of how special needs people touch everyone around them. I'm also a big fan of Wynn. Elizabeth's animal experiences are hilarious!

Cons: Elizabeth is eerily similar to Marty in Love Comes Softly. I don't really like Janette Oke's style of writing. There's one scene where someone says there's no such thing as a "big" or a "little" sin. The Catholic Church teaches that this idea is wrong - while God died for all of our sins (not just the big ones) and all sins can be forgiven, a white lie only corrodes a person's relationship with God. Something drastic (like a murder) empties the person of God's grace.

My Rating: OK (thematic elements)

Regarding The Musician's Daughter

In Susanne Dunlap's The Musician's Daughter, Theresa Schurman's father, a violinist in the Prince of Hungary's orchestra, is murdered on Christmas Eve. His valuable violin is nowhere to be found. Theresa is unsatisfied with the explanation that her father fell victim to common robbers. She sets out to find the truth - and soon finds herself meddling in matters far above her head.

Pros: Although she chooses to do some things that I would never do, Theresa is a pretty good person. I'm extremely fond of Zoltan.

Cons: The good guys sometimes resort to methods that, in my opinion, should only be used by bad guys. There is a steady stream of mild-to-moderate innuendo and slightly-more-than-innuendo through almost the entire book.

My rating: MT (moderate sexual content)

Picture from susannedunlap.com

Concerning Robin Hood's "Thievery"

The ends never justifies the means. People can't take something that doesn't belong to them and give it to another person. Or can they?

The classic tale of Robin Hood is often rather demonized. Robin Hood and his merry men would hang out in Sherwood Forest until a rich clergyman or nobleman would come by, relieve him of his wealth, and send him on his way. They would then distribute the money they stole among the peasants who lived in and around Nottingham. On the surface, this looks like stealing. However, there might be more to this issue than its surface.

As is explained in Roger Lancelyn Green's The Adventures of Robin Hood, the men whose money was taken by Robin or his merry men were evil noblemen or clergymen. These men's money would be aptly termed their "ill-gotten gains," as it largely came from unjustly high taxes on (or, occasionally, outright theft of) their tenants. Unreasonably high taxes could be considered a form of thievery, so the men that Robin relieved of their money didn't really own that money in the first place. Robin merely retrieved stolen money and returned it to its rightful owners - the peasants.

No one has the right to take something from someone without that person's permission. However, one can steal a stolen object or money from a thief to return it to its rightful owner. This, in essence, was Robin Hood's intention.

I wrote about the Catholic Church's teaching on theft in a later blog post. It can be found here: Concerning Robin Hood's "Thievery" - Part II: The Catholic Viewpoint

Regarding The Adventures of Robin Hood

The Adventures of Robin Hood, by Roger Lancelyn Green, follows the adventures of one of the most famous outlaws of all time. King Richard the Lionheart of England is off at the Crusades and his evil brother John has all but proclaimed himself king. Robin, Maid Marian, and the Merry Men of Sherwood (including Little John, Friar Tuck, and Will Scarlet) continually outwit Sir Guy of Gisbourne, the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Prince John himself as they steal from the rich to give to the poor.

Pros: I love the story of Robin Hood! In my opinion, Robin is the quintessential hero. He saves damsels in distress, helps the poor, and outduels villains without breaking a sweat. Maid Marian is awesome in this book - tough without being too tomboyish. Friar Tuck and Little John are both great.

Cons: There are very, very few clergy or religious who are portrayed as good people. Marian actually dresses as a man once or twice. I highly doubt a woman in the Middle Ages would have done that.

My Rating: OK (violence, a creepy witch)

Picture from randomhouse.com

Pertaining To Dragonwyck

Anya Seton's Dragonwyck is the story of Miranda Wells, a farm girl who has always dreamed of being a fine lady. Her dreams seem about to come true when she receives an invitation to spend some time nannying a rich relative's daughter. Little does she know how much suffering this invitation will cause.

Pros: I thought the characters were pretty well formed. Miranda is something of a cliche, but I find that most heroines are. I really liked the doctor, Jeffrey Turner. Except for that one scene.

Cons: Miranda falls in love with a married man and then falls in love with another man after she gets married. The former is portrayed as wrong, but the latter is not. There's a little ghost story, but not enough to make the whole book a spooky tale - only enough to make it odd. Nothing explicit is described, but we see the effects of the abuse Miranda suffers at the hands of her husband. About halfway through the book I just wanted to skip ahead and read the part where Miranda's husband is dead (I had no doubt he would die eventually) and she can marry the other man.

My Rating: MT (thematic elements, physical and sexual abuse - nothing explicit described)