Agora

Egypt, 391 A.D. Hypatia, a renowned scholar teaches her students inside the Library of Alexandria while in the streets religious tensions grow everyday. The fights between Christians, Jews and Pagans create a climate of distrust and fear. During the religious riots led by fanatic Christians who invaded the streets of Alexandria, the young woman is trapped inside the Library with all those who still worshiped the ancient gods…

Davus, a family slave who is in love for Hypatia, tries to protect his mistress the best he can but the young woman is concentrated in her studies and cannot understand how religion can tear apart people who are all equals at her eyes.

Rachel Weisz is the heart and soul of Agora. She is perfect as Hypatia of Alexandria, exuding intelligence, knowledge, compassion and curiosity in her every word and every gesture. I read somewhere that Alejandro Aménabar, the director, wrote this part thinking about Weisz. It’s clear the role fitted the actress like a glove. I only wished there was more movies with her of this caliber, who show us how intense and talented she is.

The rest of the cast was mostly well chosen, even if it’s evident some of them are far from being as gifted as Rachel Weisz. Max Minghella’s Davus was a good surprise with his dark good looks and those shiny eyes burning of passion for his mistress. His role was a bit too predictable but not less enjoyable. I truly hope to see more of him in the future.

A small note about Michael Lonsdale, who effortlessly gets into the role of Theon, the loving and proud father of Hypatia, who acknowledges his daughter intelligence and gives her freedom to pursuit her career.

The movies was shot in Malta and apparently they used the sets of The Gladiator. They manage to create a wonderful Alexandria! I was in complete awe at the end of the movie.

Concerning the soundtrack, Dario Marianelli did an excellent job, his music in perfect harmony with the movie. Another cd to buy as quick as possible!

Even if Agora is one of the best movies I saw in 2009, the story is not without inaccuracies. Hypatia is indeed an astronomer and philosopher, but she is mostly known for her mathematical studies. Aménabar took also some liberties about her death, even if I too prefer to think that she died as he tells us than it was in reality.

Also, the image given by the Christians raised controversy and many discussions about Pope Cyril and the early believers. I am not a religious person, so this didn’t bothered me at all, but even today the destruction of the Library of Alexandria (and of the Ancient World) and the growing power of Christianity leads to speculation about Cyril’s role in many acts of violence (like the murder of Hypatia) and religious pursuits.

I can only say that I’m happy that despite the critics and warnings, Alejandro Aménabar and Rachel Weisz decided to continue the project and they finally gave us a wonderful story about a strong independent woman who was way ahead of her time.

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This movie is part of my Period Drama Challenge organized by Lights, Camera…History!

Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer

When lovely, saucy Mary Challoner had practiced her hold deception upon the hot-blooded, fiery-tempered young Marquis of Vidal–substituting herself for the young wench he had thought to carry off to France–she had little notion he would grimly hold her to her part of the bargain. Now he had left her, and she was alone, a stranger in a strange land, prey to the intrigues of glittering, heartless, 18th century Paris.

Only one person could rescue her–the Marquis himself. But how could she ever trust this man? How could she even hope to overcome the contempt in which he held her? And how could even the sudden flowering of her love ever bridge the terrible

 

Quite honestly, I don’t think I can do this book justice. Clever humor pours all through the pages of this wonderful story. I spent last Sunday afternoon with a beatific smile plastered on my face laughing uncontrollably. My cat, who was sleeping right next to me, was awaken several times and made me well aware with some glaring looks that I was disturbing his comfortable nap.

The characters are a true delight, attaching and far from perfect, who made them even more attractive to my eyes. But it’s the dialogues that caught me completely unaware with their delicious wittiness. There are so many memorable moments, that is hard to pick up a

Vidal is a true rake, not the kind that makes all the show and, at the end, is another misunderstood man who is in great need of talking about his feelings. But he is always honest with his intentions and clearly shows marriage is not in his immediate plans. The pretty and frivolous Miss Challowner caught his eye and is convinced he will maker her his marchioness.

After another scandal, Vidal needs to leave the country and intends to take his current love interest with him. But this is without counting with the young woman’s elder sister, Mary, who always knew the Marquis true intentions. Determined to ruin his plans, she decides to go in her sister’s place

I enjoyed Mary immensely! There’s sizzling chemistry between her and Vidal right from the beginning, but they both try to ignore it the best they can without many success. The shooting scene is hilarious and one of my many favorites in this book.

The constant interventions of Vidal’s family contributes to many funny moments, especially when his paternal aunt is involved (her complains about Vidal’s behavior and comparisons to her son are higly amusing) or even his mother, Léonie, the heroine of These Old Shades, who has always a peculiar talent to comfort her son.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Devil’s Cub is now in my comfort reads shelf forever.

Grade: 5/5

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Until today, I only had the opportunity to read three books by Georgette Heyer: These Old Shades, Regency Buck and Sprig Muslim. If I adored the first two, I couldn’t care less about the third one. For the letter D of the ABC Challenge, I finally decided to pick the sequel of my favorite book by Heyer: Devil’s Club, and what a great choice it was.

Next challenge, the letter E! I think my choice is done: A Place Beyond Courage by Elizabeth Chadwick

A Tournament of Reading

Challenges aren’t normally my thing, I often forget about the deadlines or even that I’m participating. It’s a complete disaster… But I cannot deny that some reading challenges are awfully appealing! So, besides the ABC Challenge that I’m really enjoying, I decided to participate in another one.

Middle Age. One of my favorite historical periods. Impossible to resist! I’m trying to keep things simple, so I’m aiming for the level Peasant (3 books). Let’s see how this goes!:) You can find all about this challenge here and here.

The Alphabet of Historical Fiction: The Queen’s Dollmaker by Christine Trent

Another letter of this challenge completed. I’m not very good   at reading challenges (quite a disaster in fact!), I easily loose track of time and I’m one of those persons who needs to be in a particular mood to read certain genres.  But I’m really enjoying this one and I hope to continue until the letter – Z -.

The next letter will be  – D – and I’m already looking at my TBR pile trying to choose a book who is sitting there for a long time. Hmmm….

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A young woman, struggling to expand her London dollmaking trade, finds a surprising customer in Queen Marie Antoinette, an avid doll collector herself. This seemingly innocent exchange puts Claudette’s life in danger when she is lured to Paris under false pretenses. Money and jewels are being smuggled in dolls destined for the Queen, and have now been discovered by the fledgling revolutionary French government…

Paris, France. Claudette Laurent, the young daughter of a renowned dollmaker, and her best friend, Jean-Philippe, join the French people in welcoming their new princess, Marie Antoinette of Austria. They are determined to see her or die trying if need be. Treated with kindness by this lovely and gentle princess, Claudette never really forgets this day.

Years later, the young girl loses all she has in a fire that ravages her neighborhood. Her beloved parents, the doll shop, her life, everything suddenly disappears. Even her sweetheart, Jean-Philippe is nowhere to be found. Desperate and alone, she decides to embark on a new adventure, London, leaving her country and everything she knows behind. On the boat that takes her to her new home, she meets Beatrice and her daughter, Marguerite.

With the help of a local priest, she finds work as a maid in an English household with her new friends. They work hard but are constantly the target of the other servants who look at them with suspicion. During a dinner at her mistress’ house, she meets William Greycliffe and we immediately feel something will happen between these two.

Through many trials and hard work, Claudette builds a life for herself with the help of Beatrice and finally achieves her dream, to become a renowned dollmaker, just like her father. Her fame and beautiful work arise the interest of many high placed people, among them the French queen, Marie-Antoinette, who asks her for a special doll. But the French Revolution is slowly approaching…

From the first moment I opened this book, I simply couldn’t let it go. Even making a pause over dinner was almost a sacrifice. The vivid descriptions of the dollmaking world grabbed my attention from the very first instant. The scenes at the London shop were entrancing. I could almost smell the wax and imagine the workroom as if I was there. I knew next to nothing about this art and since then I’ve been searching all over the internet to find as much as I can about the subject.

Claudette is a very realistic character who knows her strengths and her faults. Her father was a famous artist and she tried to learn as much as she could from him. Talented and hardworking, she was not a young miss who spent her days lazily. Her future and success lies in dollmaking and her goal is clear, open her own store and continue her father’s work. A woman artist in the 18th century who doesn’t need a man to run her business and never backs down to achieve her dreams is certainly someone I would admire. It’s quite refreshing to read a story about a self-made woman.

William Greycliffe is quite the mysterious man all along the story. Even when we find out more about his life, a part of him always remains in the shadows. His attitude towards Claudette’s profession is immediately remarkable. A man who admires his wife’s independence and work is after my own heart.

I also enjoyed how the author describes the unstable post-revolutionary Paris. The cruelty of those times was gut wrenching reaching his peak with the execution of some historical figures like the attrocious murder of the Princess of Lamballe.

The Queen’s Dollmaker is one of the most original books I read in 2009 and I have only one thing to say to Christine Trent: I crave for more! After reading the author’s post Why I Love Unusual Historical Professions, I truly hope she will continue to share with us these unexplored worlds. Her next novel The Wax Apprentice is schedule to 2011 and I’m anxiously waiting for the release.

Grade: 4.5/5

Some pictures of Edinburgh

I still didn’t had much time to upload all my pictures from my trip to Scotland but I hope to finish during these holidays. Meanwhile, some pictures of Edinburgh, one of my new favorite cities in Europe.

The Alphabet of Historical Fiction: The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Dry-White

Since I didn’t had the time to finish the book I wanted for this challenge: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/176590.The_Light_Bearer, I finally decided to reread the first volume of one of my favorite historical comics – Les Aventures Extraordinaires d’Adèle Blanc-Sec by Jacques Tardi. It’s been years since I picked up this book.

I’m a big fan of comics of any kind, but if there’s some history trow in, I’m always happy. This series by Jacques Tardi was, for me, a great way to get to know the city of Paris. The stories are always filled with mystery, suspense, history (obviously!) and many eccentric characters.

Adéle Blanc-Sec is an independent young woman who leads her life as she wishes, not being afraid of social conveniences. She’s a freelancer writer who enjoys a good mystery and finds herself involved often in some incredible stories involving paranormal, murders, science,… Most stories are set before the WWI and after avoiding the war conflict.

The first volume of this series is Adèle et la Bête (Adèle and the Beast). A Pterodactyl escapes from a museum and everyone who sees him dies immediately afterward… Our heroine decides to solve the mystery and collect at the same time the government’s reward for the capture of the animal. But everything is not what it seems and Adèle loses someone close to her in this adventure.

Adèle Blanc-Sec is a very cynical heroine who never hesitates to give her opinion or simply do what she thinks needs to be done. This first volume introduce us several characters who are simply too delicious to miss. Jacques Tardi has a real talent to bring them alive and make them so real that you simply cannot  help but wish you were also part of these adventures. Normally, everything related to dinosaurs puts me off but the story is fast paced and very well written. The author’s drawings are just perfect for these stories, I could never imagine them otherwise.

Grade 5/5

To know more about Adèle Blanc-Sec: http://www.coolfrenchcomics.com/adeleblancsec.htm

Sasmira: L’appel (book 1)

Until more or less 10 years ago, I wasn’t a comics fan. One day at my local library I decided to pick up some less known titles during one of those “I have to try new things” kind of phase. The book was called Sasmira, a mysterious time travel who caught me right away under its spell.

The story starts in modern Paris. While walking in the street, Stan, a known musician, hears someone calling his name. He sees then a very old woman who gives him an strange ancient ring and asks him to return to her. Moments later she dies in his arms. Trying to know her identity, he finds in her pocket an old photograph dating from the beginning of the 20th century. To his astonishment, he feels powerfully attracted to one of the women portrayed.

His curiosity awaken, he tries to find out more about the house he sees in the picture and asks for the help of his girlfriend, Bertille. With her help, Stan finally finds the location of the house and sneaks out trying to get there alone. Furious with him, Bertille immediately follows. Arriving to the house, they find a secret cave and suddenly they feel irresistibly drawn to each other and have sex. When they awake, they are suddenly in another era…

This is, until today, one of my favorite historical comics. Not only the drawings are beautiful, but the story is compelling mixing mystery, adventure, history and even romance very well.

The characters are endearing, especially the young woman, Bertille. She is sharp, intelligent and very outspoken. In the other hand we have the quiet and secretive Stanislas. We feel they have a recent relationship and when Stan disappears for weeks without any explanation, disturbed by his encounter with the old woman, Bertille immediately imagined he was having an affair. She is exasperated by his behavior but her attraction for him is too strong. Even if she helps Stan in any way she can, she never forgets to tell him what she thinks of him, now and then, in a very humorous way.

I have to talk about the beautiful drawings, the precision and detail of the costumes and surroundings, especially at the mansion. It’s really a wonderful work! I confess that it was one of the reasons why I was attracted to the book in the first place and I was happy to see the story matched the drawings perfectly. The underwear, the jewels are perfectly captured. The among of research done is obvious in each single page.

This first volume called: “The Calling”, shows us the beginning of an unpredictable story that I really cannot wait to read. Until today only the first book was publish but the second is announced to be release very soon. I’ve been waiting for the sequel for more than 10 years, so I can only say that I’m really excited!

Grade: 5/5

Edit: A friend recently told me this book was translated years ago in portuguese and after a fast research I found out it’s also available in spanish and dutch.

The Alphabet of Historical Fiction: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

The last time I read this book, it was part of a challenge several months ago. It was already a reread and, quite frankly,  while I enjoyed Philippa Gregory’s storyteller skills, I was less impressed by the story and the characters’ lack of complexity. Undecided if I should part ways with this book or not, I picked it up again this past weekend for The Alphabet Challenge of Historical Fiction organized by Historical Tapestry.

 

My opinion of this book didn’t change much since the last time, but I was even less tolerant towards the irritating Mary and the obnoxious Henri VIII.

This is my original review with some changes…

Mary Boleyn catches the eye of Henry VIII when she comes to court as a girl of fourteen.
Dazzled by the golden prince, Mary’s joy is cut short when she discovers that she is a pawn in the dynastic plots of her family. When the capricious king’s interest wanes, Mary is ordered to pass on her knowledge of how to please him to her friend and rival: her sister Anne.
Anne soon becomes irresistible to Henry, and Mary can do nothing but watch her sister’s rise. Anne stops at nothing to achieve her own ambition. From now on, Mary will be no more than the other Boleyn girl. But beyond the court is a man who dares to challenge the power of her family to offer Mary a life of freedom and passion. If only she has the courage to breakaway – before the Boleyn enemies turn on the Boleyn girls…

I still remember getting really annoyed the first (and even the second!) time with the historical liberties taken by Philippa Gregory. The Other Boleyn Girl is (very!) loosely based on real facts and far from being an accurate historical portrayal. This was clearly getting on my nerves this time, which is never a good sign. Many parts of this story were based in unproved theories and even Mary Boleyn’s life is mostly a mystery. There’s very little information, especially about her relationship with her sister or/and the King Henry VIII.
Sometimes, I don’t mind historical innacuracies if the author creates a gripping story that makes you forget everything else. This time, I truly struggled to keep reading and just try to get to the end without actually trowing the book against the wall.

It’s rather obvious that the author has a huge sympathy for Mary Boleyn and even, sometimes, a bit of a condescending attitude towards the young, pretty and naive girl who fell helplessly in love for her king. Now, Anne is an entirely different matter, she’s described as a true villainess! An intelligent and ambitious young woman who did everything she could to attract Henry’s attention and become a Queen. Two sisters. The fair and the dark one. The generous and the ruthless. This omnipresent dichotomy was kind of annoying and took some of the characters complexity and richness.

Henry VIII gained here a portrait of the perfect man that I never really imagined he could be. He might have been a charismatic king, even charming occasionally but someone physically attractive, sweet and gentle and an attentive husband? For some moments, I even had the feeling that everyone had their schemes and intrigues, except for him. He is clearly a victim, just like sweet Mary.

What really bothered me in this story, was the sensationalized end. The incest with the brother, the accusations of witchcraft and treason. Gregory gives reason to the king for murdering his wife when nothing, absolutely nothing proves she was guilty of all those crimes. Even knowing the flaws, the historical mistakes and trying to keep this as a light reading, I just couldn’t stomach this one without some frustration.

The last time I read this book, Gregory’s writing style made up for the less pleasant parts. This time around, I was simply exasperated by this over the top drama.

Grade: B – (my initial grade was a B+)

Travelling and reading

When I travel to foreign countries, I always enjoy to read a few books set in those places to start the adventure a little bit earlier. In a few days I’m leaving for Scotland.  I’ve been reading Sophia’s Secret by Susanna Kearsley but I found out that except for Gabaldon and Dunnett’s series, I don’t have many historical fiction set in this country. Any suggestions?

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite commercials about Scotland, whiskey and foreign (and lost!) travelers.:)

Book Giveaway!

Lights, Camera…History ! is organizing a book giveaway to celebrate the upcoming release of the movie Dorian Gray (9th September in the UK). If you want to win a copy of the fabulous book The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, you have all the infos here: The Picture of Dorian Gray book giveaway

Good luck!