The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd

 The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd - 480 pages, ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

A highly-detailed biography of Thomas More, the Lord Chancellor of England who was imprisoned in the Tower of London and ultimately beheaded for his refusal to accept King Henry VIII's claim of supremacy over the Pope and the King's marriage to Anne Boleyn.

I watched A Man for All Seasons (1966; dir. Fred Zinnemann) back in March, and was unexpectedly charmed by the witty dialogue and the intense conviction with which Paul Scofield portrays Thomas More.  As the film is a fictionalized adaptation of historical events, I was curious how accurate it is, so I picked up The Life of Thomas More by Peter Ackroyd.  Although I enjoyed reading the book, I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for the casually curious.

I got the book in May, and finally finished it a whole seven months later.  It's a bit of a brick -- although the copy I read was only 405 pages, with 75 pages of appendices, the book still seemed much longer than it was.  That is in no way a condemnation of Peter Ackroyd's writing; his prose is clear and engaging, and he makes a lot of interesting observations and connections (there is an entire chapter comparing Martin Luther and Thomas More, for example, and Ackroyd finds a lot of similarities between the two, despite their very heated disagreement in regards to religion).  Ackroyd, however, has a tendency to go into almost superfluous amounts of detail -- I didn't get to where A Man for All Seasons starts until late October.  Granted, The Life of Thomas More tells More's entire life story, while A Man for All Seasons focuses only on his final six years or thereabouts.  Even so, I thought Ackroyd spent a few too many chapters discussing More's childhood and young adulthood.  The high level of detail Ackroyd gives to More's career as a lawyer makes sense, as it informs so much of More's behavior, writing, arguments, and his character as a whole.  There are far fewer connections made between More's childhood and adulthood, which makes the length and amount of chapters focusing on More's childhood seem excessive.  

The other issue I have with the book, which I hesitate to even call an issue, is Ackroyd's penchant for direct quotes.  He frequently quotes primary sources verbatim, complete with untranslated Latin and Early Modern English spellings.  One of the final chapters is just the transcript of Thomas More's trial in its entirety, without any commentary whatsoever.  While having so many direct quotes from primary sources is nice, it does make the book less readable.  I've read my share of Shakespeare and Latin texts, but it was still difficult to constantly switch back and forth between Ackroyd's commentary in present-day English and the primary sources in Latin and Early Modern English.  It might be a good idea to keep Wiktionary handy to help translate the Latin, or the Google Translate app if you just want a rough translation quickly.  

Despite my complaints, I did find the book interesting enough to finish.  I particularly liked how balanced Ackroyd's perspective on More is.  He discusses More's surprisingly-progressive views on the importance of education for women, as well as his clever satire in Utopia and his other writings.  He talks about More's love for bawdy jokes, and the many probably-apocryphal stories of his witty remarks to defendants at trial.  Most of all, though, Ackroyd portrays More as a person who was deeply frightened by the changing world around him, so much so that he was willing to give up his life for what he believed.  In short, Ackroyd writes about More the man rather than More the martyr.  He picks apart the stories and rumors that have been passed down through generations of biographers, and notes whether there is any evidence of truth behind the legend.  While I do see some of the real Thomas More in Paul Scofield's portrayal from A Man for All Seasons, his More is a bit too heroic, too perfect.  Ackroyd emphasizes that, despite More's cleverness and celebrated conscience, he was still just a flawed human being like the rest of us.  

You could say The Life of Thomas More is a book for all seasons, considering how long it took me to finish it.  I realize I keep harping on that, but I want to emphasize that this is not a book most people would pick up for a casual read.  It's a bit of a slog, really, but it's a fascinating slog.  Hardcore fans of Tudor history, people with a lot of time on their hands and a solid working knowledge of Latin and Early Modern English, and incredibly-persistent people who want to know everything about Thomas More for some reason may want to give it a try.  For everyone else, though, the Wikipedia page and/or A Man for All Seasons would probably suffice.

The Rainmaker by John Grisham

 The Rainmaker by John Grisham-598 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

⭐⭐☆☆☆

Rudy Baylor is finishing up law school and meets Dot and Buddy Black whose son, Donny Ray, is dying of Leukemia. Their insurance claim to get a bone marrow transplant with Donny Ray's twin, Ron, is denied by Great Benefit Insurance multiple times. Rudy agrees to take up their case and sue Great Benefit. Will Rudy and the Blacks win the case? How much will they get? 

It feels like there's a lot of filler plot in this story. There's just so much going on and it gets pretty bizarre. I had trouble suspending my disbelief at times. I understand it's fiction, of course, but it's meant to be something that could be real. I would give this 2 stars out of 5. 

Murder at Black Oaks by Philip Margolin

 Murder at Black Oaks by Philip Margolin, 278 pages

This reads alot like Agatha Christie; but not quite.  It was a fast read and I did not guess who did it. So it was nice to be fooled.  

A Time For Mercy by John Grisham

A Time For Mercy by John Grisham-464 pages

My favorite character Jake Brigance is back.  I love to see how his lawyer mind works and how he is all about getting justice.  The story is phenomenal, it has you pulling for the defendant and you are glad that Jake is his lawyer.  He uses his witnesses masterfully. Jakes whole family gets on board at a huge monetary risk.  And there is an extra special surprise at the end.  I am looking forward to seeing Jake in the court room again!  Another excellent novel by John Grisham.  Loved it! 

 

To Kill A Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel by Fred Fordham and Harper Lee

 To Kill A Mockingbird: A Graphic Novel by Fred Fordham and Harper Lee-273 pages

I have not read the original "To Kill a Mockingbird" classic novel by Harper Lee. When I saw this on the shelf I decided I would read it for this month's challenge. It is a good novel/graphic novel. It is harrowing and appalling to once again realize that this is how African-Americans were (and to some extent still are) treated during the Jim Crow Era. The way Tom Robinson is convicted even though all evidence says to the contrary is infuriating and appalling, but this is truly the way it was. This is a fairly accurate portrait of life in the 1930s in the American South. Harper Lee was from Alabama and grew up in this time, so she should have a decent grasp on the time. She wrote it from the point-of-view of a young white girl named Jean Louise "Scout" Finch. Her father, Atticus Finch, is appointed to defend Tom Robinson because the judge knows he's the only one who will treat him with dignity and truly defend him properly. It is a thought-provoking story. I am glad to have finally read it in some form. 

Muzzled by David Rosenfelt

 

                                                 

                                                     Muzzled by David Rosenfelt-293 pages

Andy Carpenter is a lawyer who would rather not practice law. He'd rather spend his time working with the Tara Foundation, his dog rescue organization, and being with his family and his two dogs, Tara and Sebastian. But when a friend asks him for a favor that involves both dogs and his lawyerly expertise, he can't say no.

Andy's friend Beth has found a stray that seems to have belonged to a murder victim--in fact, the man and two of his colleagues died in an explosion a few weeks ago. But when the murdered man contacts Beth, asking for his dog back, Andy knows there must be more to the story. The man claims his life is in danger, and that's why he disappeared. As much as Andy doesn't want to get involved--anything to avoid a new case--he can't help but come to the rescue of a man who'd risk everything, even his life, to reunite with his dog.

This is one of my favorite series.  I highly recommend listening to it on audio.  The recurring characters are just hilarious.  

No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky

 No Ocean Too Wide by Carrie Turansky-354 pages

Inspired by true events, this story takes place in London in 1908.  It was a time when there were many orphans on the streets of London and they thought that the program of shipping them off to Canada, to loving homes was the answer. 

The McAlister family is living on the edge of the poorhouse after the tragic loss of their father.
When the mother falls tragically ill and is hospitalized, her younger children are forced to go to the orphanage.  When they are shipped to Canada their oldest sister knows that she must act quickly if she is to bring the family back together again.

This book brings to the fore what situations these poor children found themselves in.  Yet, the love of their true family is what strengthened them to endure.

I enjoyed this book very much.

Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer

Nothing Ventured by Jeffrey Archer-320 pages

I enjoyed the "Clifton Chronicles" by Jeffrey Archer so I was looking forward to the launch of his new series "William Warwick".  I was not disappointed.  This follows a young man who since the age of 8 had always wanted to be a detective.  He achieves his dream and is on the fast track to Scotland Yard.  There are several cases going on at once and through many twists and turns he seems to always come out on top.  I highly recommend.

Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt

          Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt-281 pages

David Rosenfelt never disappoints!  When I am in the mood for a good laugh this is my go to series.  Mystery and dogs, two of my favorite things in one book.  And with this installment I do believe he is setting the stage to launch a new series..one that I am sure will delight all of us who are fans of Andy Carpenter.  I highly recommend this series.

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting

Meet Cute by Helena Hunting -- 370 pages

Talk about an embarrassing introduction. On her first day of law school, Kailyn ran - quite literally - into the actor she crushed on as a teenager, ending with him sprawled on top of her. Mortified to discover the Daxton Hughes was also a student in her class, her embarrassment over their meet-cute quickly turned into a friendship she never expected. Of course, she never saw his betrayal coming either...

Now, eight years later, Dax is in her office asking for legal advice. Despite her anger, Kailyn can't help feeling sorry for the devastated man who just became sole guardian to his thirteen-year-old sister. But when her boss gets wind of Kailyn's new celebrity client, there's even more at stake than Dax's custody issues: if she gets Dax to work at their firm, she'll be promoted to partner.

The more time Kailyn spends with Dax and his sister, the more she starts to feel like a family, and the more she realizes the chemistry they had all those years ago is as fresh as ever. But will they be able to forgive the mistakes of the past, or will one betrayal lead to another? 

The Litigators by John Grisham

The Litigators by John Grisham, 401 pages

After enjoying another book by John Grisham (The Broker), I thought I would try this one next. It is a very long, very boring, very slow story about two very ridiculous, small time, sleazy lawyers - Finley & Figg who go against a very large drug company in a class action lawsuit. Another lawyer from a major law firm goes nuts one day and shows up on the door step of Finley & Figg (after a drinking spree in which he notices their sign on a bu)s. He is immediately employed leaving a $300,000 a year job for a measly stipend of $1,000 a month. With the class action lawsuit he is promised big money. Other than driving around town trying to find victims of the Krayoxx drug, nothing much happens to catch the readers interest. I'm really very shocked it received rave reviews.

The Broker by John Grisham

The Broker, by John Grisham 432 pages
"In his final hours in office, the outgoing President grants a controversial last-minute pardon to Joel Backman, a notorious Washington power broker who has spent the last six years hidden away in a federal prison. What no one knows is that the President issues the pardon only after receiving enormous pressure from the CIA. It seems that Backman, in his heyday, may have obtained secrets that compromise the world’s most sophisticated satellite surveillance system.

Backman is quietly smuggled out of the country in a military cargo plane, given a new name, a new identity, and a new home in Italy. Eventually, after he has settled into his new life, the CIA will leak his whereabouts to the Israelis, the Russians, the Chinese, and the Saudis. Then the CIA will do what it does best: sit back and watch. The question is not whether Backman will survive—there is no chance of that. The question the CIA needs answered is, Who will kill him?"   
Oh my goodness. This was my first Grisham novel (that I can recall) and I couldn't wait to get to the end. Absolutely loved it. 

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson

Dark Tort by Diane Mott Davidson, 312 pages

Book 13 finds Goldy catering meals for a local law firm. While finding her way in to the firm one evening, she trips over the body of a friend. Who could have killed such a young, vibrant woman? And why?

These lovely light mysteries are a fun read - although there is always a murder and some mayhem, there is never a lot of gore or overly descriptive violent descriptions.

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger

The Divorce Papers by Susan Rieger - 480 pages

Not only is the novel about a divorce case with all the paperwork involved, it is also written entirely as correspondence and documents.  Sophie Diehl is a criminal lawyer who does a preliminary interview with a woman who was served divorce papers while the main divorce lawyers at her firm are all out on leave.  Mia Mathers Meiklejohn Durkheim likes Sophie and requests she remain on the case. The rest of the book follows the case's proceedings, including negotiations; personal conflicts between all parties; and the daughter's, Jane's, feelings about the situations.  Mia's meddling (in a good way) father also plays a significant role.  Also, through Sophie's work on the case she begins to understand her parents divorce and forgive her father.

Overall, the format of the book took some getting used to.  I'd say the novel was average; there were an equal number of good and boring parts with some "laugh tracks" written in.  However, since it seems to closely mimic a real divorce, I could see it as a painful read to someone who has been through one.

Sycamore Row, John Grisham

Sycamore Row, John Grisham, 447 pages

Even though I had not read the first in the series; I found that this novel grabs you from the very first page and keeps you guessing until the very end.  The characters and story from the previous novel are covered very well so you are not left guessing where they all fit in.  The older man who is dying from cancer chooses a way to die that is very symbolic.  In the end you see that events that he put in motion three years before, weighed into everything that he did in the last two days of his life. Your emotions will be pulled in and you find yourself rooting for the person named in his handwritten will.  You also see into the racial divide that existed and maybe still does to some extent in the south.