Found for cheap at a Library store, one even has an old Borders sticker on the back,sigh.
pickIn 2012 anthropologists starts opening six coffins in Winchester Cathedral. Winchester is the old city of kings & queens. Who are the people mentioned on the coffins and how many people are in them?
Jarman looks into who they were and the time they were living in. This is the time when England was gathered into one nation, the time of the Viking invasions.
As a Norwegian it was interesting to read about the Vikings from another point of view.
panRead these Hardy novels before this one: Tess, Jude, Mayor of Casterbridge, Return of the Native, Desperate Remedies, The Hand of Ethelberta, The Trumpet Major, The Well Beloved. and don‘t read this one. It has all the Hardy hallmarks of astronomy, earnest lovers, and an unyielding English lanscape and social constructs that shape the fate of earnest lovers. But, the writing is clumsy, the science talk is too much, and the characters are dull.
panIt was a relatively short book by page numbers, but it took a while to get through. A love square with Anne considering Festus, Bob, and John. She should have picked John. Most worthy of them all. But no, she picked the player, his brother. And then such a depressing ending with Uncle Benjy dying and finding out that John dies a few years later. On top of all this, I don‘t know why they all thought Anne was such a catch. She was just coy.
so-soI was a bit disappointed this book wasn't more about the bone chests of the title (a set of chests full of bones of kings, queens and bishops from early in England's history), and was more a general Anglo-Saxon history. As the latter, it's fine, just... I felt like it was a bit of a bait-and-switch.
I'm continuing with my theme of doing as badly as it is physically possible to do at actually getting a bingo for #BookSpinBingo...
pickAnother truly remarkable book from Hardy. Sauntering into the serene landscapes of southern England meandering through the trails surrounded by Larches, Elms, and the peering eyes of the unknown. Hardy‘s Woodlanders is a masterpiece depicting love, false and true in the midst of false pretense or a loyalty so deep that it spans a lifetime.
pickI have to say that I really enjoyed Hardy‘s short story compilation. Different themes throughout and even an unexpected witch story that I would most definitely reread. Highly recommend, perfect for a road trip or a train ride on the pacific coast.
so-soIt was an okay book, but it was extremely slow going and not much happened overall. It was a nice romance but I struggled to put the two MCs together since they don't have much in common and it felt forced. The ending was expected but it contradicts the whole plot, which took meaning away from the story. A lot of the ideas are outdated. One positive is I really liked the focus on astronomy and the descriptions overall.
pickAnother one of Hardy‘s books that do not disappoint. This was a short story but still had some depth. After reading several of his novels, you can see this being one of his earlier works as he has developed further as a writer as time passed on between novels. I really enjoyed the antiquated, hardy characters set in the pastoral English scene, painted by the author in a way that no other could match.
