The Scold's Bridle: A Novel
by Minette Walters
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Book Summary Information
Author: Minette WaltersEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-02
ISBN: 0312427557
Number of pages: 368
Publisher: Picador
Book Reviews of The Scold's Bridle: A Novel
Book Review: "Unnatural needs do breed unnatural troubles."
Summary: 4 Stars
When elderly Mathilda Gillespie is found dead in her bathtub in a ghastly parody of Ophelia, a scold's bridle on her head ("a primitive instrument of repression" used to "curb the tongues of nagging women in the Middle Ages"), her demise is first ascribed a suicide but later amended to murder by an enterprising policeman, Detective Sergeant Cooper of the Dorset Police. Leaving behind an avaricious daughter, Joanne Lascelles and granddaughter, Ruth, who have every expectation of assuming Mathilda's family inheritance, it is a great shock when the woman's latest will bequeaths the entire estate to GP Sarah Blakeney- "the only person... who came to her without prejudice and took her as she was"- who has only treated the deceased for chronic arthritis for the past year. Suddenly the truly unsavory Lascelles women are dependent on Sarah's goodwill to receive any remuneration, the town reeling with gossip about the physician, patients assuming Sarah is complicit in the old woman's death.
Besides dealing with her damaged reputation and the unreasonable demands of Mathilda's daughter and granddaughter, Sarah must also confront a whimsical, philandering husband, Jack, an artist who paints "personalities" instead of portraits and is a sly observer of human nature. Their relationship complicated by Jack's self-important genius and Sarah's inherent lack of confidence as a wife, Jack's familiarity with the deceased increases the subtleties of a plot rife with deception and cynicism. Deftly constructing some truly unlikable characters, Walters nevertheless provides a compelling story, part of the fascination the depravity of some of the major players. The image on the scold's bridle dominates the novel: the ramifications of the device and its symbolism in modern times (keep her quiet at all costs). Even worse is the abuse endured by the vulnerable, Jack outraged by the brutality of his gender and Sarah's groping for a resolution to a frightening moral dilemma.
Salted with homilies, much of the pleasure of this book is discovering Walter's appreciation of the foibles that bedevil her characters. An avid fan of the vagaries of human nature, Walters writing, for all that it is in the mystery genre, is blissfully sophisticated, while at the same time pragmatic and to the point. A gifted storyteller, this author cannot fail to entertain, a fountain of wry observation on man's inhumanity to man and occasional bursts of altruism. No matter the topic- in this case child abuse, incest and the pain wrought of family dysfunction- the author plunges beneath the surface of our expectations, revealing the complexities of her tormented characters and the generosity and confusion of unlikely protagonists. Like vintage wine, such novels are meant to be savored, filled with astonishing events and profound insights. Within two titles, The Ice House and The Scold's Bridle, Walters has found a willing addict, her fascinating characterizations and diabolical plots absolutely compelling. Luan Gaines/2007.
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