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Just seen this thread. Managed to read both "London" and "Mennonite in a Little Black Dress",
will be back later with reviews.
Tess
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London by Edward Rutherfurd
I was so glad there was a family tree that came with this book or otherwise I would have had to put my own up on GR... (wonder how many people would have thought they had relatives and ask to see my tree).... What a fantastic book interweaving historical fact with the Ducket/Dogget family and a name that Hyacinth would have been proud of de Quette, the notorious Silversleeves interwoven with the odd good bloke in their family history and the Bulls and the Barnikels and then the Carpenters, Flemings and Merediths. The touch of the prince and the pauper within the Doggets. The miserly Silas had his generous moments - did he get this name from the Silas Marner character? Gideon...his name is on the bibles in drawers of bedside tables all over the world. All the small stories within the greater picture and the ways that they link up... and all the time in the back of my mind is what happened to the stolen coins and when would they turn up... Would Silas dredge them up... and then Charlie Dogget (Ducket) finds them during the blitz with one of those damned Silversleeves watching him only for the crater to be bombed again and the rest of the coins covered up till.....? (perhaps the gold coins were ducats).
Rutherfurd touched on Chaucer's Canterbury Tales and I think Boccaccio's Decameron also got a mention ... two books that I loved. I think Rutherfurd emulates them with these tales, but takes them a step further and gives us common threads throughout. Yes it was a long read but definitely a good one. Anything I didn't like yes... I wasn't happy when young David was swiftly despatched.
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:-) You moved it just as I was about to type.
I too have only got a small way into London, what a large book, and I have a hardcover version from the Library - review to come at a later date.
Mennonite in a Little Black Dress - Okay I got somewhat confused as to whether or not I was reading non-fiction or fiction to begin with, it hadn't helped that even though it was marked at non-fiction in the library I had found the book filed in the fiction shelves, the author did make a comment in the notes at the end that one of her friends thought Rhoda's story sounded more like fiction that non-fiction. I was a aware a little bit of the Mennonite relgion, though I certainly learnt a lot more from this book, I did not know that the Armish had been a breakaway from the Mennonites.
Like Anne I thought Rhoda's mother was the best/funniest character in the book - and who's mother hasn't embarassed them at some point.
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Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen
What did I know about Mennonites or Amish ... well I knew the Amish could put up a building rather quickly as per "Witness" starring Harrison Ford, and I have a National Geographic with an article about the Amish, and it also has them putting up a building.
Mennonites... women dressed in blue with little bonnets everyone
solemn etc,however, thank goodness for the guide at the back of the book.
Rhoda is anything but solemn, she is quirky with an ex-husband who was bi-polar and suffered from a bit too much mentioning in the book. Her mother comes out with some strange ideas (well so did my mother)and she has a lovely sister. A father that even blesses his chicken nuggets, and her relationship with her brothers isn't exactly close .. but that happens in families everywhere. I am not sure I would have dated that chap she went out with... the relationship seemed a strange way to go, but then I am not her. I think this book would draw out very mixed reviews depending on your perspective towards life... if you had been her husband or brothers would you have liked this publicity.. her humour could be quite cutting for some as could her choice of language. I needed a dictionary to comprehend some of it, she can certainly come up with words that I have not heard of.. she should maybe have a bit more affinity with her readers in that not everyone that will try and read
it is an academic like herself. Despite all that I liked it and I liked her mother, but I would not like to be Rhoda's friend, in case she wrote something derogatory about me. LOL
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Didn't do much good putting this up early then?
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Sending this one up to see if any Greaders are awake!
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Review Mennonite in a little black dress by Rhoda Janzen
I wasn't sure what to expect with this one and even after starting to read (On the Kindle so I didn't have a book jacket to refer to), I wasn't sure at first if it was fact or fiction.
I soon realised it was actually a memoir of Rhoda's life in a Mennonite family. I have to admit here that I had not heard of Mennonites at all. I now realise that they were the forerunners of the Amish and I know a fair bit about them.
It is a very well written, sometimes very funny, sometimes sad (as with Nick's bipolar) and down to earth book. I learned a lot about their way of life. Of all the characters in the book I loved Rhoda's mother the most. Yes, I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about Mennonites
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London:
I am halfway through this one. I started it before I went on holiday, it is so big that I couldn't carry it with me so have now picked it up again. I will review it when I finish it. (could be a while!)
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Greaders please post your reviews of Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen.
Also Of London by Edward Rutherford
And any other books that you read.
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