As usual, I have a lot of introductory comments before I get to today's topic...
Let me start by saying that I am not generally a huge fan of historical fiction. But the fact that Anne Perry is likely the most well-represented author on my shelves is in direct contradiction to that statement. So... let me rephrase. I am not a huge fan of historical fiction which is set any earlier than the mid 1800s.
That said, I HAD to read Anne Perry's newest book, "The Sheen on the Silk." After all, I've read all of her other 48 books--it would be weird not to! "Silk" is a story of intrigue and vengeance set in 13th century Byzantium. It's a world where religion has more to do with politics than with worship and where no one is what they seem.
Perry is a genius at describing a time and place so that it feels like you are an eyewitness to unfolding events. Sadly, I think that skill is working against her in "The Sheen on the Silk." I am six chapters into it and it is feeling like a school assignment. Through Perry's gorgeous prose I am learning A LOT about the history, culture, geography, weather, fashions and social habits of Constantinople in 1273. The plot, though, Anne...the plot is moving like a sleepy donkey.
I will finish the book. Not to would be like giving up on an old friend after a single afternoon of irrational behavior. Maybe the plot will pick up after she runs out of things to describe. I'll let you know...though it may take a while.
These were my thoughts last night as I soaked and read in the hot tub. Which, naturally, led me to thinking about Anne Perry herself; best-selling mystery writer, LDS scholar and murderess.
Nope--not a misprint.
I was already a huge fan when, about thirty years ago, I found out that at the age of fifteen, Anne Perry (whose name at the time was Juliet Hulme), conspired with her best friend to kill the friend's mother. The case was made into a movie in the late 1990s entitled, "Heavenly Creatures," with Kate Winslet playing Juliet. Discovering this about a woman I had enormous admiration for led me to reconsider some of my long-held attitudes on crime, punishment, and redemption. Juliet's family, originally from England, were living in New Zealand at the time. Too young to be eligible for the death penalty, they were tried in 1954, found guilty, and sentenced to serve a five year term. The girls never saw each other again, Juliet's family returned to England, and she changed her name to Anne Perry. In 1968, at the age of thirty, Anne was baptized a member of the Church. In 1979 she published her first book, "The Cater Street Hangman."
Anne Perry is (not surprisingly) reluctant to bring up her criminal past. When questioned, though, she speaks frankly of her journey through repentance to forgiveness and redemption. She would not accept baptism until she travelled to Salt Lake City, met with one of the general authorities and received his assurance that she could be forgiven and found worthy of baptism. She has never married. In one interview she described her lack of a spouse and children as a "self-imposed" punishment. She lives in the Scottish Highlands, has served as a Relief Society president, and regularly writes a column for the online LDS publication, Meridian Magazine. To enjoy a sample of her beautiful writing and gospel insights, see her column of August 23, 2010:
http://www.meridianmagazine.com/personal-voice/article/6100?ac=1
Despite my earlier criticism of "The Sheen on the Silk, there should be no doubt that I am a fan. Anne Perry is at her best when writing traditional mysteries. She is one of the world's top-grossing mystery writers and has more books currently in print than any other living author. In fact, not one of her books has ever gone out of print. Below is a list of her four series with my brief description of each. While each features a stand-alone mystery, it is best to read them in order to follow the evolution in the personal lives of the lead characters.
Featuring Thomas and Charlotte Pitt. The "coziest" of her series--The couple meets in the first book when Thomas is called in to solve a scandalous crime in Charlotte's family. Set in the late 1800s, he is a policeman and she is the daughter of an upper class family (a scandal in and of itself):
The William Monk series. Monk is a darker character--when we meet him he has amnesia following an accident and the first mystery is his own identity. This series is set about 35 years before the Pitt series. In later books Monk teams up with Hester Latterly, an outspoken nurse and veteran of the Crimean War:
The World War I series, featuring the Reavely brothers. An absolutely riveting and harrowing description of life (and mysteries) in the trenches:
The Christmas series. These are short novellas which come out each Christmas and feature some of the supporting characters from the Monk and Pitt series. They do not have to be read in order:
The Perry books combine beautiful writing with insightful commentary. If you live nearby, you are welcome to borrow from my Perry stash!
I'm not sure I have the time right now to delve into Anne's catalog of work but I did enjoy her Meridian article. I really like how she described the soul like a diamond that can only be cut and polished by something equally hard. I think great writing can make up for a myriad of things (even a slow plot in a 13th century mystery).
ReplyDeleteI think I feel like you do about historical fiction. It always bothers me as to what was researched and found to be fact and what was concocted from an author's vivid imagination!
ReplyDeleteAn author would be kind to their audience to explain the difference in the back of their books.
That is a fascinating story about Ann Perry/Juliet Hulme. I wonder if she served out her 5 year sentence...
If I ever get time to read again I will have to borrow some Anne Perry books. I do like historical fiction a lot- even when I do develop an inaccurate view of history :) I also liked her article in Meridian. Thanks for the good suggestions!
ReplyDelete