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A Plague On Both Your Houses: The First Chronicle of Matthew Bartholomew (Chronicles of Matthew Bartholomew)

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Storytelling is, just like the "Thomas Chaloner" series, although this is the series that the author started and sent her on the way of recognition, of a superb quality, it's also a story where all the characters come vividly to life and where the historical details are wonderfully worked out in this medieval mystery, and not to forget the delightful picturing of the atmospheric surroundings of Cambridge, England. But the Plague was never far away and the theatres were major spreaders, so when it struck London again in 1601 and again in1603, the theatres, seen as particularly dangerous spots for the spread of the disease, were again closed. What will follow is a very eventful mystery into which Matthew Bartholomew has to face quite dangerous and deadly encounters from these conspirators, and after a few twist and turns and solving an exciting plot within a plot, he will be able to identify the culprit(s) of these terrible murders, and finally bring some peace into a Cambridge community which is plagued all around with the Black Death.

It has long been acceptable to include first line questions in trivia quizzes, however I see that end lines, other than that of A Tale of Two Cities, are starting to creep in too. It gave a good pretext for an introductory story about a physician, but I felt like the main mystery/plot as well as the general action and time frame of the book could have centered more on the plague. In the tradition of Ellis Peters, A Plague on Both Your Houses introduces the physician Matthew Bartholomew, whose unorthodox but effective treatment of his patients frequently draws accusations of heresy from his more traditional colleagues. It is hard to ignore the fact that the initial part of the story bears remarkable similarities to Umberto Eco's masterpiece, 'The Name of the Rose'. Towards the end of the novel, when the plague has receded, the narrator reflects: ‘[T]here is more to admire in men than to despise’; adding solemnly in the last sentence ‘[T]he plague bacillus never dies or disappears for good … for the bane and enlightening of men’ it will ‘rouse up its rats again and send them forth to die in a happy city’ (1991: 308).Mixed into the plot is the rivalry between the two universities – Cambridge and Oxford, human greed, the medieval perception of the plague and hints of a love story. Unwittingly, perhaps, sharing Camus’s world, many of these could play a worthy role in one of his novels. Look, I don't favor one side over the other in this debacle—a plague on both their houses, as far as I'm concerned, because they're both equally responsible.

Unfortunately, the mystery is not as compelling as it becomes overly complex with several convoluted threads and an abundance of characters with a mish-mash of motivations and agendas. His pursuit of the truth leads him into a complex tangle of lies and intrigue that cause him to question the innocence of his closest friends – and even his family. When plague struck yet again in 1606, Shakespeare and his company toured the English countryside, during which time he wrote Macbeth, Anthony and Cleopatra and a revised version of King Lear, which is now the definitive version. This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link.He peered carefully both ways, and, satisfied that there was no one to see him, he made his way stealthily down the street towards his home. light on thy daughters [ King Lear] O plague and madness [ Troilus and Cressida] the common file — a plague! And the academic setting of Cambridge University is and always will be a much loved and massively personally appreciated added bonus, an evocative painting of academic life in Medieval Cambridge, Medieval Britain, of both its positives and also its negatives.

Bartholomew, however, is distracted by the sudden and inexplicable death of the Master of Michaelhouse - a death the University authorities do not want investigated.I’m glad I tried this book, the author is a historian and the main character of Matthew Bartholomew was likable and interesting.

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