Did you ever watch the show Mad Men? I know a lot of people loved the show - the writing, the costumes, the acting, the story. I watched a couple of episodes, but I couldn't get into it. I found the treatment of the female characters deeply unsettling...yes, I know, that's "how things were" during that time period, but it still felt...unnecessary?
Similarly, I'm torn choosing a rating for this book. I think the writing is fantastic, the imagery is vivid, and the plot is enthralling. Normally historical fiction is my genre, and this book is quality historical fiction. The main character, Mungo St. John, returns from university in England to his family plantation in Virginia to find that the family's attorney, Chester Marion, has ruined Mungo's family, stolen his inheritance, and kidnapped his childhood sweetheart, Camilla. Mungo swears revenge on Chester and will stop at nothing to ruin and humiliate Chester, avenge his family, and save the woman he loves. Mungo must face some of the most evil choices imaginable on the road to his revenge, and his choices will change him forever.
Sounds like an intriguing story, right? However, I felt awkward and uncomfortable almost the entire time that I was reading this book. One of the main themes is the evil of slavery and the main character's internal struggle with his beliefs on that topic. The book includes many graphic descriptions of the conditions in the slave trade and the treatment that slaves faced; I suppose this is a valid means to argue against this practice but...it was just a difficult book to read at times. I will admit that I have not read the rest of the Ballantyne series and have not previously been introduced to Mungo St. John; maybe my thoughts would be different if I had been introduced to him otherwise. In the end, I'm giving the book a neutral three-star rating for the evocative writing style but somewhat gratuitous violence toward non-white characters.
Similarly, I'm torn choosing a rating for this book. I think the writing is fantastic, the imagery is vivid, and the plot is enthralling. Normally historical fiction is my genre, and this book is quality historical fiction. The main character, Mungo St. John, returns from university in England to his family plantation in Virginia to find that the family's attorney, Chester Marion, has ruined Mungo's family, stolen his inheritance, and kidnapped his childhood sweetheart, Camilla. Mungo swears revenge on Chester and will stop at nothing to ruin and humiliate Chester, avenge his family, and save the woman he loves. Mungo must face some of the most evil choices imaginable on the road to his revenge, and his choices will change him forever.
Sounds like an intriguing story, right? However, I felt awkward and uncomfortable almost the entire time that I was reading this book. One of the main themes is the evil of slavery and the main character's internal struggle with his beliefs on that topic. The book includes many graphic descriptions of the conditions in the slave trade and the treatment that slaves faced; I suppose this is a valid means to argue against this practice but...it was just a difficult book to read at times. I will admit that I have not read the rest of the Ballantyne series and have not previously been introduced to Mungo St. John; maybe my thoughts would be different if I had been introduced to him otherwise. In the end, I'm giving the book a neutral three-star rating for the evocative writing style but somewhat gratuitous violence toward non-white characters.