I recently read two books set in the Victorian time period. (Well, sort of. One took place in an alternate world, so it was kind of hard to tell, but the culture seemed Victorian.)
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan was published in 2013. The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl was published in 2015. And yet, they both read like they were written in the late nineteenth century. Published as contemporary novels. Written as Victorian ones. An intriguing paradox.
A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan was published in 2013. The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl was published in 2015. And yet, they both read like they were written in the late nineteenth century. Published as contemporary novels. Written as Victorian ones. An intriguing paradox.
A Natural History of Dragons is the first volume in the memoirs of Lady Trent. It tells of her childhood and marriage, but most importantly, it tells of her passion for dragons. Women at the time were not supposed to be passionate about dragons. They were supposed to host parties and do needlework. Somehow, she convinces her husband to take her along on an excursion to see dragons in the mountains of a nearby country. And that's where danger and politics and greed enter in.
I love dragons. And I especially love a well-developed world where dragons make sense. A Natural History of Dragons has both of those things. The dragons are simply another type of wild animal, just like lions or deer. It's just that very little is known about them scientifically. That's a perfectly plausible set up for a world full of dragons. Because the book was written in a more Victorian style, it seemed occasionally slow-paced. But there was plenty of intrigue (and dragons!) to keep you invested in the story, all the way to the very end.
I love dragons. And I especially love a well-developed world where dragons make sense. A Natural History of Dragons has both of those things. The dragons are simply another type of wild animal, just like lions or deer. It's just that very little is known about them scientifically. That's a perfectly plausible set up for a world full of dragons. Because the book was written in a more Victorian style, it seemed occasionally slow-paced. But there was plenty of intrigue (and dragons!) to keep you invested in the story, all the way to the very end.
The Last Bookaneer by Matthew Pearl takes place just before the first international copyright laws come into effect. Which means, for the time being, whoever gets to an author's manuscript first can make a tidy profit. These are the bookaneers, and the two most famous of them are racing to get Robert Louis Stevenson's next novel, supposedly his masterpiece. Of course, Stevenson didn't make it any easier for them by moving to Samoa, an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Again, the Victorian style set me back a bit here. For a book that is essentially about pirates, it was rather less. . . swash-buckling than I would have expected. We hear the story from the bookaneer's companion, told to his young friend several years after the adventure. The story probably would have had more impact being told directly as it was happening. Even so, I enjoyed the concept of book pirates. I enjoyed learning about the island of Samoa and Robert Louis Stevenson's time there. It's an unusual book, made even more so by its style of narration. Even with that quirk, it was still a pretty great adventure.
Again, the Victorian style set me back a bit here. For a book that is essentially about pirates, it was rather less. . . swash-buckling than I would have expected. We hear the story from the bookaneer's companion, told to his young friend several years after the adventure. The story probably would have had more impact being told directly as it was happening. Even so, I enjoyed the concept of book pirates. I enjoyed learning about the island of Samoa and Robert Louis Stevenson's time there. It's an unusual book, made even more so by its style of narration. Even with that quirk, it was still a pretty great adventure.
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