http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/non-fiction/the-black-death/ reading material to get excited about Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:08:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/non-fiction/the-black-death/comment-page-1/#comment-64787 ben jones Wed, 09 Dec 2009 11:03:13 +0000 http://www.bookgasm.com/?p=9686#comment-64787 i think his book is plop. i would rather kiss a skunk and shave it and put its hair in my mouth with a pot of hot steaming poo then do the can-can with hitler than read this. i may be the sun of a top-secret super agent for the governments but i know what i'm talking about you punk ass busta fool, i'm gunna kill you. EPIC LULZ peace out i think his book is plop. i would rather kiss a skunk and shave it and put its hair in my mouth with a pot of hot steaming poo then do the can-can with hitler than read this. i may be the sun of a top-secret super agent for the governments but i know what i’m talking about you punk ass busta fool, i’m gunna kill you. EPIC LULZ peace out

]]> http://www.bookgasm.com/reviews/non-fiction/the-black-death/comment-page-1/#comment-64263 Lan Wed, 07 Oct 2009 02:47:59 +0000 http://www.bookgasm.com/?p=9686#comment-64263 I'm reading this right now and doing a critical book review for my graduate history course. I think Hatcher is a historical snob--especially reading his preface. The book is a rather dull read and Hatcher keeps beating you over the head with the same words over and over. He's trying for a blend of fiction and history and failing miserably. He doesn't seek to try to develop his characters (because oh no, that's going into the bad, evil, dirty territory of "the novel") and really doesn't allow for them to be even human. It's realistic to believe Master John was a devout priest, strictly by the rules, kind of guy. However, for him to never get irritated with his congregation--who act like a bunch of scared, dumb sheep, wailing and lamenting all the time--or think about anything other than his congregation and the plague is silly. At some point, he has to think of himself, if only in the sense of "I'm hungry and need sleep." Hatcher is trying to be too objective and so focused on historical accuracy, that he can't even create interesting dialogue. Everything sounds like something that was previously written down in a speech or parish court or manorial court document. There are many historical books that can read as easily as fiction or blend the lines between, for example Four Queens by Nancy Goldstone. There are other novels that are very grounded in history for example Umberto Eco's The Name of the Rose. Really, Hatcher doesn't provide the reader with any more insight to the mind of 14th century witness to the plague than any other well written history book on the subject. I’m reading this right now and doing a critical book review for my graduate history course. I think Hatcher is a historical snob–especially reading his preface. The book is a rather dull read and Hatcher keeps beating you over the head with the same words over and over. He’s trying for a blend of fiction and history and failing miserably. He doesn’t seek to try to develop his characters (because oh no, that’s going into the bad, evil, dirty territory of “the novel”) and really doesn’t allow for them to be even human. It’s realistic to believe Master John was a devout priest, strictly by the rules, kind of guy. However, for him to never get irritated with his congregation–who act like a bunch of scared, dumb sheep, wailing and lamenting all the time–or think about anything other than his congregation and the plague is silly. At some point, he has to think of himself, if only in the sense of “I’m hungry and need sleep.” Hatcher is trying to be too objective and so focused on historical accuracy, that he can’t even create interesting dialogue. Everything sounds like something that was previously written down in a speech or parish court or manorial court document. There are many historical books that can read as easily as fiction or blend the lines between, for example Four Queens by Nancy Goldstone. There are other novels that are very grounded in history for example Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose. Really, Hatcher doesn’t provide the reader with any more insight to the mind of 14th century witness to the plague than any other well written history book on the subject.

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