People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of People of the Book: A Novel
Book Review: An excellent plot that combines a historical thread with a modern thriller
Summary: 4 Stars
This book is built around two interrelated stories, one contemporary and one historical. In 1996 Hanna Heath, an Australian expert on the conservation of rare books, is called to Bosnia to work on the Sarajevo Haggadah. This is a remarkable illuminated Hebrew manuscript created in medieval Spain and which was believed to have been lost in the recently-ended war after the break-up of Yugoslavia. As Hanna's researches progress, the author reveals the history of the book in a series of flashbacks as gradually the two threads interweave and then converge into an unexpected climax. The Sarajevo Haggadah exists and a little of what is here is authentic, but most of what is here is a plot devised by the author, who has done an excellent job with a combination of her own background (an Australian native who moved to the USA and has worked as a journalist in Bosnia) and some detailed research. It does make some demands on the reader's knowledge of history and languages, but I enjoyed reading this book, which succeeds in combining the elements of an informative historical thread with a modern thriller. It also has plenty of relevance to modern politics and religion. I recommend it.Book Review: Touching |Lives throughout the Ages.
Summary: 5 Stars
People of the Book is a very good read. I wasn't sure that I would like it, but I really did. It is the story of the Haggadah that is centuries old, and of its' journey through time, and the story of the people whose lives it touched. It is told throughout in a sort of 'looking back' way. It deals with religion. bigotry, mysticism, truth, love and sadness in both the past and the present. It touches on world wars, civil wars, and personal battles. The main setting is Sarajevo, but this a book that is well-travelled and battle-scarred. It mixes both modern science and ancient belief in a way that is really believable. I thought it was going to be a bit like the Da Vinci Code, but to be fair, I liked it better, as it was neither over-hyped nor slightly patronising. I have never read Geraldine Brooks before, but I will definitely be looking out for her work from now on. I found it very easy to get totally immersed in this novel, which is always a good thing I think, and I liked the whole concept of the past and present crossing over very much. A really good, engrossing, interesting read. Book Review: A book about a book and a box of jewels
Summary: 5 Stars
The premise of 'People of the Book' might seem unpromising; Hanna Heath is the conservator called in to preserve a rare mediaeval Jewish manuscript rediscovered in Sarajevo after it was presumed to have been destroyed. As she investigates and restores the book it is interlinked with short stories centered around the people who have encountered the book through history. Open this book up and it is a box of jewels. This is not a dry tome about an academic spending their time in the library. This is a book within a book, a book about a book which contains rare a beautiful illustrations and 'People of the Book' contains its own set of marvellous short stories set within the main thread, a main thread which contains it's own story and mystery.
Unlike many authors Ms Brooks doesn't seem compelled to try and tidy up all the loose threads raised in the book, just as Hanna the main protagonist does not feel compelled to attempt to repair all the damage that the Haggadah has suffered. Its refreshing to find a novel which doesn't try to tidy up all the loose ends when life never bothers to do so. Many of the subplots, such as Hannah's relationship with her mother and what happens to the reproduction copy, are left unanswered.
Like many books the subtext or message that the author seems to want to convey is perhaps a little too obvious to need restating in the way that the characters do, or indeed in the way that the title alludes to in both it's reference to the characters involved with the Haggadah and tolerance between Islam, Christianity and Judaism. But its big theme, religious and cultural tolerance, is undeniably valid, well underlined by the stories retrieved from the Haggadah's past and all too well illustrated by the historically accurate short stories interspersed through Hanna's story as the Haggadah passes through history and the hands of those who suffer intolerance.
If I was to look for a flaw in this book it would be that the modern story thread is not as well constructed as the short stories in the past. Somehow even though the short stories spend less time exploring their characters those characters are oftn more real than the characters in the present day. But that really is looking for a flaw rather than something that affects this book in any way.
Overall, this book is a real treasure. Just as the book around which it is based it contains a succession of wonderful illustrations with a common thread running through them, this contains a succession of excellent short stories surrounded by a common theme.
Book Review: A historical novel & a thrilling read
Summary: 4 Stars
Hanna, an Australian rare-book expert & conservationist, is asked to prepare the Sarajevo Haggadah, an ancient Jewish text, for display in post-war Sarajevo. She becomes immersed in an intriguing investigation of the book's origins. The novel alternates between chapters of Hanna's investigation, and the real history of what happened to the book, right back to the time it was created.
The story gets going quickly, and the pace is maintained throughout, making it hard to put this book down. It is the stories of the characters in the book's history, who created it and passed it on, that make it worth reading. The author's ability to create the atmosphere of the historic settings, and the poignant emotional journeys of the "People of the Book" are both outstanding and hold the reader's attention right to the last page.
If this novel had a flaw, it was that somehow Hanna herself didn't totally convince me as a character. Perhaps too many of her actions were dictated by the needs of the plot, to get us to the end of the story, rather than in making her seem plausible. She does travel an emotional journey of her own, reconnecting with her own past, and finding out about her father - but somehow, that didn't seem to add to the novel very much, despite some parallels with the main plot.
Overall, this is a highly original book, and the minor flaws were far outweighed by the moments of brilliance. It was the first book I'd read by this author - but it definitely won't be the last!
Book Review: Hidden Book Treasure
Summary: 5 Stars
WOW! This book has gone straight into my top ten for this year and I predict it is going to be a bestseller. I'm going to attempt to do it justice with a great review but am not sure I'm going to be eloquent enough for the task.
Based on a true story, it starts off in present day, when Hanna, a rare book expert, gets the job of discovering the history of a book that has been around since the 1400s. She has to find out where it has been, who looked after it, how it was cared for, why it ended up where it did and also has the task of conserving this precious book. The book in question is a highly prized Haggadah - a Haggadah is a collection of Jewish prayers and readings written to accompany the Passover - that has been lavishly decorated and travelled extensively, mostly under cover, and kept hidden from the world. As Hanna works she uncovers minute clues, a tiny piece of butterfly wing, spilt wine, saltwater and a white hair. From these clues the reader is taken into the past, and hears the relevant tale of where the Haggadah is and how it got there. Along the way we hear about the inquisition and horrendous tortures, Nazis, book burnings and anti-Semitism. Brooks brings all of these tales together seamlessly, and entwines each story together fluidly. Her attention to detail is astounding, and she writes with such a descriptive style that every page comes alive.
If you love books about books, or have an interest in history, or religion, then this book is a must have for you.