Company of Liars in Pick-a-Shelf

Jul 24, 2013 emily rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011-to-2015, fiction-historical, mystery-and-crime, queers-and-queer-relationships, thrillers-and-suspense, arthuriana-medieval, owned-physical, hey-look-trans-rep

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The creepy kid trope is often used as a mini deus ex machina, not to solve the problems of a particular story, but to expose them. The idea of a child that knows too much is unsettling-- a child that can think like an adult, and worse, perpetrate evil or horrifying acts like an adult, is one of the creepiest there is. Even if the creepy kid's job is just to stand by and make ominous pronouncements about what's going to happen, it's still unsettling. Kids a Read !

The creepy kid trope is often used as a mini deus ex machina, not to solve the problems of a particular story, but to expose them. The idea of a child that knows too much is unsettling-- a child that can think like an adult, and worse, perpetrate evil or horrifying acts like an adult, is one of the creepiest there is. Even if the creepy kid's job is just to stand by and make ominous pronouncements about what's going to happen, it's still unsettling. Kids are supposed to be innocent, and when faced with one who isn't, it jolts us out of our comfort zone faster than you can say Linda Blair.

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I should also mention this book is not for people who are squeamish about blood. ...more

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Dec 15, 2019 Susan rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy

This seems like a book worth 3.5 stars to me, and I had a hard time deciding between 3 and 4 stars. Ultimately, I gave it 4 stars. At first, I didn't think I would like it much, but it grew on me as the story went on.

I don鈥檛 know enough about The Canterbury Tales to appreciate the allusions to it. What finally drew me in were the complex characters, each of whom carried their own secrets, and the interrelationships that formed among them as they traveled together.

And the ending... ? I can hard ...more

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Dec 05, 2008 Kathy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: highly-recommend, england, favorites, mystery, favorite-authors, historical-fiction, the-plague, middle-ages

What's not to love? England, the middle ages, the plague, reinterpretation of The Canterbury Tales, and mystery. All of my favorites rolled into one extraordinary novel is a rare find indeed. And, Karen Maitland is the remarkable talent behind the tale. Her characters, the setting, the plot--all come alive for the reader in a mesmerizing adventure of pure joy in page turning. I'm hooked on this great new author, simply besotted. ...more

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