An excellent book - I am so glad I took the time to get into it. I tried to read it once before, but couldn't seem to settle into it. This second time round, it had me hooked from the start. I enjoy historical fiction, and although the 1800s don't usually appeal to me, this story kept me up at night. The author did a fine job of making each of the main characters come alive in their own way, and made Dante accessible (not a small task). I truly feel I have a better understanding of Dante and his times, as well as Longfellow, Holmes, and Lowell and theirs.

I picked this up at the Milpitas Community Library book sale. It is a trade paperback edition.



Jan 06: Sending to Cestmoi at the TO convention, via Noumena12.

Thanks Jamesmum and noumena12 for sharing and being part of the convention.

I'm starting this tonigh. Will journal again soon!

Like you jamesmum, it took me two tries to get into this novel. I started to read it and found it so cumbersome trying to remember who everyone was and what their role was and how they related to each other and to Harvard that it gave me a headache and I put it away for about a week. When I picked it up again, I kept reading and suddenly (right at page 87) after the second murder, it suddenly took off like a bush fire and I could not put it down. It was ingenious and I had no clue as to who "Lucifer" could be and even suspected Wendy at one point ;) as well as the wonderful Rey. I truly loved this story for its history, its sense of literature and for what it taught me about Dante's Inferno.

Now I want to read it for myself! Although I am not sure I will be able to stomach it...any novel that makes me want to learn something MORE is always a good thing.

Sent to bluenoser. Enjoy!

My bookshelf is gradually migrating north to Bluenoser...!

This was in a package of books waiting for me when I returned from Calgary last night.
Thanks so much cestmoi....and jamesmum. If you both like it I'm sure I will. I'll remember to persevere until after the second murder :o)

Well it took until about page 70 to get into this book. The language is beautiful but very much in the style of Boston of 1865. The murders are gory but I found the descriptions of the Civil War battles and the horrific life of the soldiers much more disturbing, probably because I knew the murders were fictional whereas, given the author had done his historical research so well, the Civil War and its suffering were fact.
Very good reading.

RELEASE NOTES:

On a table in the front hall.