![]() ![]() Also, some scenes don't ring true-characters do things that are way out of character at times. ![]() Doesn't quite earn the label "eposidic," but close. And the construction of the novel is a little simplistic at times-most mysteries are wrapped up quickly, before new scenes are begun. The writer is a bit unsophisticated at working the historical lessons into the scenes, so at times he describes too much without enough action. Throughout, though, the writer deliberately demonstrates these horrors as, well, horrible, and that is much of the point of the book-the strife to overcome these issues and live as well as possible. Women are horribly abused, Jews are persecuted, serfs are treated like dogs, and all is taken for granted because that was the history of the era. ![]() While there is plenty of romance, revenge, abuse, family, and all the elements of mainstream novels, the central story is still the historical setting. The story takes place over two generations in 14th century Barcelona, and is about class, wealth, political intrigue, trade, and of course social conditions in a time of great change. This is good historical novel, with a strong setting and enough detail to make the characters and their actions make sense. If you don't like cheese, don't order a pizza. The point of the novel is the historical setting as much as the characters, so if you don't like historical detail, there's not a lot of reason to read it, or complain about the detail if you do. ![]()
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