The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel – Book Review

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel is the first instalment in The Oakwood Mystery Series. And damn that was a super-paced good read, perfect for a bibliophile and a mystery lover!

The story's main character Charlotte – Charley – Carpenter, the owner Old Hat, a clothing store, is part of a reading group focused around mysteries. She joins the rich-women's book club with the ulterior motive of attracting buyers to her vintage shop.

The book opens with the scheduled books to be read between August and December. The group of 8, called the Agathas Book Club, with each member labelled "an Agatha", tackles a book each month. Set in the small town of Oakwood, Ohio, the book also opens with the shocking revelation of a murder. 

The Agathas are shocked to discover that the victim is an acquaintance. They also realise that the victim was positioned in a way that reflects the murder of the book they were reading. Soon after, another dead body emerges, also linked to the book club members.

"Most of the Agathas seemed to be enjoying themselves, as if the poor woman had been killed for their entertainment. Be honest, Carpenter. You're just as curious as the rest of them."

Each character in the novel has a role to play:  corpse, amateur sleuth, killer, suspect, police officer, helping hand.

The detective investigating the killings is not-an-old-friend of Charley, but her high school crush Marcus Trenault. As soon as they meet, old love and trouble are rekindled. As the two suspect that the killings are done by a woman, Charley suggests that they are likely to have been committed by an Agatha and convinces Marc to use her as an informant to infiltrate the Book Club.

"Don't be fooled by the expensive armour, most of these women are scared to death, usually of one another."

Charley is a fun, slightly sarcastic character. She's smart, brave and passionate. She's also realistic and down to earth. At one point, she faces Marcus and tells him: "You owe me an apology."

I felt that The Book Club Murders was more crime and sleuthing than plain cozy mystery. I loved it nonetheless and would definitely pick up the next books in the series. I also enjoyed the romance aspect of the novel.

The imagery and emotions in the novel are well-written, with lots of "show don't tell".

I absolutely loved the mystery-book references and how the author brought in published mystery novels and used them in the murders. This book will have me picking up several mystery novels and adding them to my lengthy – possibly never-ending - to-be-read list.

"No one is going to believe that for a second. Look, this is the twenty-first century. Everyone watches CSI and Law & Order or whatever. If you start asking questions about who left when, and did you notice anyone acting suspiciously, how long do you think it's going to take before people figure out what you're really up to?"

And the mystery… that was plain wicked!

Note: I received a free advanced readers' copy (ARC) of The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel as part of a blog tour via Lori Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, in exchange for an honest review.

About the author:

Leslie Nagel is a writer and teacher of writing at a local community college. Her debut novel, The Book Club Murders, is the first in the Oakwood Mystery Series. Leslie lives in the all too real city of Oakwood, Ohio, where murders are rare but great stories lie thick on the ground. After the written word, her passions include her husband, her son, and daughter, hiking, tennis and strong black coffee, not necessarily in that order.

Connect with the author via her Website, Twitter and Goodreads.

The World You Write In - Guest post by R. Michael Phillips - Between Good & Evil blog tour

Between Good and Evil

(Auburn Notch Mystery)

(Volume 1)

By: R. Michael Phillips

Genres: Crime - Mystery

Publisher: Sunbury Press, Inc. 

Publication date: 24 January, 2016

ISBN-13 for hardcover: 978-1620066607

ISBN-13 for paperback: 978-1620067291

E-Book ASIN: B01B12YPTC

Synopsis

Years after the Willis Asylum closed, the secrets of its past lingered in its decaying halls as a reminder to the good people of Auburn Notch—when Evil closes a door, he also opens a window. Sheriff Promise Flynn was new to the town, and she was about to find out some windows should never be opened.

Promise Flynn is an overly impulsive Metro Detective whose disregard for procedure finally resulted in her being shot and left for dead during an investigation. To repair her bruised ego and splintered confidence she abandons the callous dark alleys of Chicago to patrol the quiet, birch-lined streets of Auburn Notch—a favorite vacation spot of her youth. For two years everything was idyllic, until the body of a young girl found in the abandoned asylum outside of town awakens the insecurities she thought her new life would insulate her from.

As the new Sheriff she begins her investigation refusing to accept the similarities between the young woman’s death and her own case, oblivious to being unexpectedly recognized and penciled in at the top of a clever murderer’s To-Do list. Her internal struggle intensifies when a discredited crime reporter from the past suspiciously arrives in town to resurrect his threadbare reputation, along with an FBI agent chasing down a lead in a cold case. Both men quickly become entangled in Flynn's investigation and her attempts to finally put her past to rest.

Flynn reluctantly accepts the murder of the young girl might be the work of the two men responsible for her hasty departure from Chicago, but Agent MacGregor insists the evidence points to a man he’s been chasing. As the rising current of her past threatens to pull her under, Flynn finds herself unprepared for option three.

The World You Write In

By: R. Michael Phillips

Author of Between Good and Evil

It may sound easy, but it takes a good deal of imagination to create the world characters in a contemporary mystery novel live in. Your plot, characters, conflicts, etc. are going to take up most of your gray cells, so when you start creating your environment I’ve found it best to stay as close to a real place as possible and get the details down on paper. You allow your memory to do the bulk of the work, while your imagination fills in the details.

Between Good And Evil is the first book in a new mystery series set in a small New England town. When I decided to start the new series I went through the usual steps to create a strong protagonist, antagonist, and an assortment of secondary and tertiary characters. All this is accomplished with character mapping. This is an interesting topic for discussion also, but I’ll leave that one for another post. What I will tell you is, you can use the same formula for mapping the characteristics of the town in your novel.

 Auburn Notch is the name I chose for the town in the new series. It’s a town I made up, but based on my memories of a couple small New Hampshire towns I spent a good deal of my youth in. The memories are as fresh in my mind as they were years ago, and I took creative license where needed to fill in the rest. As a result, I describe the town this way in the book:

As small New England towns go, Auburn Notch could certainly be the picture below the word “quaint” in the dictionary. It’s a rural New Hampshire community, quietly nestled equidistant from the base of the White Mountains, the Atlantic coast and every shop not specializing in flannel. It’s the type of town you would see featured in the travel section of the Sunday paper laying in a neat pile on a wicker table on the front porch of your favorite aunt’s house. It’s the type of town Time pats thoughtfully on the head as it passes by, promising to return some day with marvelous stories of the future world. But mostly, it’s the type of town mentioned in articles about maple syrup and snowy tree lines—but never in the same article with murder. They always seem to leave those articles out of the travel section.

A large portion of the 1,586 households lie across from each other on thin, birch-lined roads dissecting Collier Avenue, the main thoroughfare through town, like a fish skeleton; the largest concentration being behind the gills—that area of town surrounding Town Hall. The remaining homes can be found along the two meandering roads at the edge of town; Maple Way, leading out to Route 16, and Lakeview Drive, circling Lake Auburn. A fortunate few—families well established in town through generations—have primary or secondary homes on the east side of the lake, accessible by private drives off the main road. Auburn Notch is just a sleepy New England town where 2015 looks remarkably like 1955, which looked remarkably like 1915, and that’s just the way they like it.

It’s a brief description, but it is enough to set the mood of the town my characters live in. As the book progressed, I added in additional descriptions, citizens, and town officials. Even though I made this town up, it still needs everything a real town has. From here, and with a little help from Adobe illustrator, I take all this information and make a digital map of the town. I indicate the mountains, the lake, main roads, etc. As I write the book I’ll add in important landmarks (real and imagined), incidents, and roads. It may sound a bit anal, but because this book is part of a series this mapping is extremely helpful to me as each new book comes along. You certainly don’t want to call the main road through town Collier Avenue in one book and Maple Street in the next. I can’t tell you how much I referred back to this map as I was writing the second book. As time goes on, you develop an entire town, with shops, homes, recreation areas, everything a town map would have. That takes care of a fictional town.

Then there is using a real city in a book. It’s done all the time, and really helps to establish the story. Using a familiar town diminishes the need to go into any detail about the particulars; the reader will already have a preconceived notion of the basics. In my Ernie Bisquets Mysteries I use contemporary London as the setting. I’ve spent a great deal of time there, so I know the city pretty well. I like accuracy in my books. I think it’s important. I work off a street map of London when I’m writing those mysteries. Some of the street names are changed where needed, additional shops or buildings are added/taken away, or a fictitious event is developed for the plot, but I try to stay true to the basic layout of London as much as possible. It’s such an incredible city with a remarkable history. It really becomes a character in itself when portrayed right.

Whether you make up the town, use a common city, or some combination of both, it’s still located in a work of fiction and is the product of the author’s imagination. Writing a book is both tough and rewarding, and creating a town from scratch is one of the more enjoyable aspects of the task.

Note from Mike to Nadaness In Motion and Readers:

Thanks so much for inviting me to your site. It’s been a delight to be here and I’m thrilled being able to share a few of my thoughts about the writing process with your readers.

Cheers,

Mike

As part of the tour with Lori Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, there is a giveaway that you can enter below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Keep up with the rest of the tour here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is a classically trained artist turned mystery writer. By combining his creative talents with a passion for mysteries he conceived his first series—The Ernie Bisquets Mysteries. It introduced Ernie Bisquets, a retired London pickpocket who decided he was going to assist the London police with their most difficult cases—whether they want his help or not. Michael has completed 3 books in the series, and has plans for at least five additional books.

Michael travels a bit, especially to Great Britain, but also has a fondness for New England. He spent many winters in the shadow of the White Mountains, skiing and enjoying the beautiful countryside. Those fond memories are the backdrop now for the new Auburn Notch Mysteries being published by Sunbury Press. The main character is Sheriff Promise Flynn—an ex-metro detective who left a dark past and her big-city detective shield behind and moved to a small New England town. What follows is anything but therapeutic.

When he’s not painting or writing Michael is an avid antique collector, filling his current home—an 1894 Queen Ann Victorian he, his wife, and son are restoring—with an assortment of antiques from around the world. Michael also enjoys cooking, working in the garden, and playing in the yard with their two rescues, Beau and Pup.

Author Links

Website- http://www.rmichaelphillips.com
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/R-Michael-Phillips-104782886282707/?ref=tn_tnmn
Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2995205.R_Michael_Phillips
Twitter- https://twitter.com/rmpbook
A Fifer's Blog- http://rmichael-fifer.blogspot.com

Purchase Links

Amazon B&N SUNBURY PRESS

More Books by R. Michael Phillips

Takhayyal writing prompt #11

Welcome Ladies and Gentlemen, Artists, Poets, Writers, Authors, Dreamers, Friends and Family; Welcome EVERYONE to Nadaness In Motion's bi-weekly picture-prompt writing challenge Takhayyal.

I found this picture a while back and I'm super excited to see what you'll come up with for it. Emotions, pictures, imagery, poems, stories? Is it as dark as it looks? What do these lasses have in store for this guy?

Show me! Show the world!

Arabic for Imagine, Takhayyal is a means to get inspired and spark our writing once more. Your post can be in English or Arabic, prose, poetry, short story, flash fiction; you name it and write it.

General guidelines:

·        No nudity, violence, and/or abuse.

·        Word count: No limits but no full-length novels please. (Feel free to write a full-length novel based on the picture prompt but just put a bit of it here) 

·        Leave the link to your post in comments below OR post your piece as REPLY to this post

·        Your piece MUST be inspired in some way or other by the above picture

·        Multiple entries allowed

·        It is not required but it is a kind and encouraging gesture to comment on others pieces.

·        Add your Twitter handle so I can tag you in my tweets!

Let's IMAGINE!

Interview with Michelle Weidenbenner - Author of Cache a Predator

I have wanted to do a series of interviews and luckily this book review thing has helped me get in contact with many talented and friendly writers.

So here is my first interview with Michelle Weidenbenner, author of Cache a Predator, and the mastermind behind Random Writing Rants. 

Check out my review of Cache a Predator here.

Q: First off, tell us a bit about yourself.

Do I have to? Lol. I don’t like talking about myself. I’d rather talk about you.

Q: Which do you prefer e-books or paperback?

Both have a different purpose for me. When I’m studying a novel I like to hold it, dog-ear the pages, and write in the margins. But if I’m speed-reading I like to read it on my Kindle.

Q: What are you currently reading? And what is your favourite genre in general?

I’m reading THE BOOK THIEF. It’ll be a movie in 2014. The novel was agented by a lit agent who read all of my latest novel, SCATTERED LINKS, in a contest. I wanted to read the type of books she represents.

Q: What do you think of self-help books on writing books or novels and publishing them? (Are they helpful or are most of them just a hoax? Would you recommend any?)

Self-help writing books are a must. I’m always striving to learn more about this craft of writing, and if a book can help I’m all about it.  The EMOTIONAL THESAURUS is a great tool to have to help you flesh out character emotions. Jim Denney is a friend of mine and he wrote WRITING IN OVERDRIVE. This book is motivational. But there are a lot of them out there. Blogs on writing are great too.

Q: If you can have any super-power, what would it be?

I’d like to be able to fly, but I’ve always wanted to have the ability to keep going without any sleep. There’s too much I want to do and not enough time to do it.

Q: What is your favourite food?

I like practically anything someone else makes for me. I don’t like to take time to cook, but I appreciate a good meal. I’m not picky, but I like to stay healthy.

Q: You told me Cache a Predator is a self-published book. So, what can you tell us about indie/self-publishing that seems to be taking the US by storm.

For me it was the way to go, but not for everyone. I’d still like to land a high-profile agent and find a large publishing house that will give me an advance. But I’m an entrepreneur and find self-publishing similar to owning my own business. I enjoy that. I’m not afraid to market my work, but that’s because I have a great editor.

Q: What are the pros and cons of self-publishing? And what was the hardest part in producing the book?

This is a huge question. One that might take too long to write. I’ll try. The pros in self-publishing are being in control of the story, the cover, marketing, and the overall project. The cons are the same—it’s all up to you, you have all the risk, you handle all the different projects wearing a different hat for each task.

But if we don’t keep writing we don’t have a product to sell, so it’s important not to forget to write every day.

Q: When writing a novel, do you have a main theme in mind or do you write and then start highlighting the themes and dissecting the book?

I typically have a premise. I wouldn’t call it a theme. I have a character with a goal, and things get in the way of him reaching that goal. I like to mess up his life and watch him squirm. Some call it torture.

Q: How do you go about when it comes to negative critiques?

I listen closely. They matter. But typically I ask several different editors and beta-readers for their opinion. If several readers feel the same way then I rethink the plot line or edit the rough edges, etc. That’s why I like to have beta readers read the novel before it’s published. They can offer great insight.

Q: Aspiring writers claim that the hardest part is finding an editor. How did that work for you and for Cache a Predator?

A good one is expensive, but just like in any business you have to spend money to make money. At least, initially. It’s important to try different ones and see how they can help. Mine liberated me. She pushed me to write the best story, but gave me confidence. Once it was professionally edited I felt better about presenting a solid piece of work.

Q: When did the title of the novel come to mind, before or while writing the book or was it a friend’s suggestion? 

The title didn’t get “finalized” until weeks before publishing. It started out as THE MUGGLER, then I had people vote on titles. Some of the other choices were COLD CACHE, THE COLD CACHE EXPOSURE, CACHE 22, and CACHE a RELEASE. Some people pronounce ‘cache’ like cachet, with the dash over the e. So I wonder sometimes if I chose the right title. Self-doubt worms its way into my thoughts way too often.

Q: Cache a Predator entails psychology and knowledge of the law. How did you conduct your research? Did you meet with doctors for instance?

I can spend a lot of time on research and never sit my butt in a chair, so yes, I interviewed doctors, deputies, geo-cachers, counselors, and child protective services staff. I needed information to make my story ring true, but honestly, there’s so much on the internet that there were times when that was enough.

Q: When and why did you start Random Writing Rants?

I started this blog for writers almost two years ago when I decided I needed a platform based on what the writing industry said was important. But I really like to help other writers and share what I’m learning, so it made sense that I would teach writing. My goal was to mentor teens because most of my novels are for young adults –ranging from first-graders to high-schoolers. But finding teens hasn’t been easy. I like to feature a teen writer on Fridays at my blog. I call it FAN FRIDAY. They share a story and I invite other writers to come and offer them encouragement. We’re THEIR fan for a day.

Q: So, having published your first novel, do you have a second one in mind? If yes, will it be a different genre?

Yes, I’ve written several young adult novels, a mid-grade novel, and a children’s chapter book series. I’m not sure which novel will be next, but I think it’ll be SCATTERED LINKS, a multi-cultural novel about a Russian teen girl. I have an adopted daughter from Russia so I’ve always been intrigued by that country.

Q: Do you know anyone who acts a bit or a lot like Ali’s mother? (She was an obnoxious character but Brett’s replies and thoughts made for comic relief)

She was a piece of work, wasn’t she? I think her character was based on someone I saw on TV—a grouchy old lady who never took responsibility for her own actions.

Q: How long did it take you to write Cache a Predator?

I wrote 50,000 words for CACHE during NaNoWriMo in 2011, but probably spent a year after (off and on, not constantly) editing the story. Then I had it critiqued, rewrote it some more, and then edited. It’s a long process, but fun!

I like that you have motives behind writing Cache a Predator, such as exposing abuse and some loopholes in the system. I also like that the theme of love in the novel is that of father-daughter, even if there is a bit of Brett-Sarah.

Thank you! I think it’s important to make stories universal—something that readers can relate to—and who doesn’t want to keep kids safe?

Q: What genres would you like to experiment with in the future?

An adult romance or a romantic suspense novel. I’m open to all stories that move me and plant themselves in my imagination. I never know when someone’s plight might trigger a story idea.

The Wolf of the Highlands

The Wolf of the Highlands by Bil Howard is an interesting novella composed of 12 episodes. It mixes adventure with history and time travel. It is a novella of experience and self-learning as we see the Ray Barrett’s character develop throughout the book.

The story focuses on Ray, who goes to the mountains to rethink his life and clear his head. There he meets the Scotsman MacGregor and a wolf. At first, the reader is unsure if MacGregor is real or is a figment of Ray’s imagination. After their first meeting, Ray is hurled into the past where he is a Native American called Hoka. Ray calls his time-travel adventures “experiences”; they are sudden and frequent.

The language is simple and it is evident that Mr. Howard knows his history. I like how he lightly incorporates bits of it in The Wolf of the Highlands making it quite interesting.

There are four main characters along with many other minor ones coming from the various and distant periods of time that Ray travels to. Both MacGregor and Alexia are “Spirit Guides”, which Ray cannot grasp what that really means. We also meet Fasser, who constantly tries to kill Ray. A little towards the end, Ray considers what a Spirit Guide means: “What was a “spirit guide”? What did they do, really? Was it a job opportunity that was listed somewhere? He laughed at the thought. “Help wanted. Must be willing to travel through time and irritate the hell out of people.” (p. 103).

The pace of the novella is quick and exciting, though slightly confusing at first if the reader is unaware of the time travel theme. The reader meets the protagonist and the wolf, sees the past and present as well as witnesses a battle in the first episode of the novella.

The dialogue in The Wolf of the Highlands has two main purposes; it acts as a source of information and comic relief. The latter occurs when it is Ray and MacGregor speaking. Ray is short-tempered and MacGregor rarely gives him a straight answer.

The reason or rather reasons that made me give this novella a 4-star rating are: 1) there were several instances of incorrect use of ‘lay’ versus ‘lie’; 2) at the beginning there were many parts that were repeated word-for-word and at other times there was redundant repetition of certain words, like the repetition of ‘thick’ four times in one paragraph. An example for the word-for-word repetition is: “He remembered the sudden horror that came over them as they realized that it was not their brothers playing a trick on them.

It was not our brothers playing a trick on us, but…”. The word-for-word repetition here, and in other places, was rather annoying for me.

The Wolf of the Highlands has an abundance of verdant landscapes and some beautiful images like “the only salve that could take away the ache that was deep inside.” (p. 44). There were also several instances of philosophical thinking and introspection, which contained some interesting lines like “Knowledge should answer questions rather than create more of them. Or did it?” (p. 52)

As the story progresses, we see the development of Ray’s character, which is very nicely done. Ray compares his various experiences and reacts differently to the idea of death in each. “Although he couldn’t put a finger on specific lessons that he had learned in each one, he began to have a better sense of who he was. It was as though he were the steel blade of a sword which had been heated, hammered on and cooled in order to make it stronger.” (p. 114).

Episode 12 answers all of Ray’s questions as it mingles humour with revelation. Both Ray's sarcasm and MacGregor's light-heartedness are funny and amusing. Their constant tittle-tattle in many such instances throughout the novella creates comic relief.

Time travel stories are often tricky at the end but Mr. Howard manages a successful ending as both Ray and the reader see the various missing pieces of the puzzle fall in place at the end.

I had a bit of difficulty rating this novella, for I did enjoy it, though some parts (mentioned above) annoyed me. So, excuse the odd rating of 4.25 stars.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by J.R.R. Tolkien - Book Review

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight written by an anonymous Anglo-Saxon poet and translated by the renowned J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy, is a very long but very sophisticated medieval poem. It is divided into four chapter-like parts; each ending at a crucial point or high note, thus prompting the reader to carry on.

The tale begins at banquet of King Arthur in Camelot, where all the knights are eating and drinking merrily, when “there passed through the portals a perilous horseman” (Stanza 7, line 7, p. 28) and at his “hue men gaped aghast/in his face and form that showed;/ as a fay-man fell he passed/and green all over glowed”. (Stanza 7, lines 18-21).

Thus, the reader is introduced to the two main characters at the beginning of the story (Gawain is mentioned earlier in stanza 6 to be sitting at Queen Guinevere’s side). In other words, the reader does not have to wait long to be introduced to the two characters mentioned in the title.

The poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight does not rhyme – as opposed to the two other pieces in the book, namely Pearl and Sir Orfeo; however, there is the exception of the last six lines of each stanza. The poem is highly alliterative; most lines consist of at least three alliterating words, with some exceptions, such as:

“Very gay was this great man guised all in green”, (Stanza 9, line 1, p. 30).

“Woven in with gold wire about the wondrous green”, (Stanza 9, line 11, p. 30).

The Green Knight presents a challenge to the court of Camelot and Sir Gawain takes it. According to the challenge, Gawain must, before the following New Year’s Day, seek out the Green Knight, who announces that he is the “Knight of the Green Chapel” and fight him.

The second part of the poem begins with Sir Gawain announcing that it is time for him to leave Camelot to fulfill the Green Knight’s challenge. There are several stanzas describing Sir Gawain’s attire and how sad the people of Camelot are to see him go. Then, he begins he quest to find the Green Knight of the Green Chapel. He journeys to lands known and unknown, meets with trolls and ogres (but none of these feats is described). Right before Christmas, he prays to God – and Jesus – to send him to a place where he can attend Christmas Mass. His prayer is answered and he arrives at a castle shortly afterwards.

Towards the end of the second part, Sir Gawain tells the lord of the house that he is on a quest to find the Green Knight and that he has only three days left to New Year’s Day. The lord of the house answers that he knows where this Green Knight lives and that Gawain has nothing to fear for the place he seeks is but two miles away.

Each part of the Sir Gawain and the Green Knight poem ends on a mysterious and suspenseful note that gives a hint of what is to come in the following part. The second part ends with these lines: “Yet ere to bed they came,/he the bargain did oft recall;/ he knew how to play a game/that old governor of that hall” (Stanza 45, lines 18-21, p. 66).

The third part begins where the lord of the house and his men prepare for a hunt. Shortly after they leave, the lady of the house, who is often described as beautiful, enters Sir Gawain’s room and attempts to seduce him. She tells Gawain “To my body you will welcome be/of delight to take your fill;/for need constraineth me/ to serve you, and I will.” (Stanza 49, lines 18-21). His response to her is rather awkward as he speaks of honour and being an unworthy knight. To me, it sounds like a strange response to a woman attempting to seduce a man. Moreover, it does not sound like a polite decline.

The whole of the third part is about the games Sir Gawain and the lord of the castle play during Gawain’s three remaining days. They agree that each would give the other what each has won during the day. The stanzas constantly shift between the hunts and what goes on in the castle between Gawain and the lady of house. On the second day, the lady of the castle visits Sir Gawain in his bed and attempts to seduce him once more.

“Here single I come and sit,/a pupil for your play;/come teach me of your wit,/ while my lord is far away” (Stanza 60, lines 24-28, p. 82). I am not sure how what the manner of a knight would be to this kind of approach; nonetheless, I find Sir Gawain’s preliminary response rather awkward. “In good faith” said Gawain “may God reward you!/ Great delight I gain, and am glad beyond measure…”, (Stanza 61, lines 1&2, p. 82). The poet is clearly criticising the lack of chastity and desire, however, the knight’s response or possibly the level of the language appears to be too high a level, making it look and sound rather strange, and which results in the whole situation sounding rather funny.

Twice the lord of the castle gives Sir Gawain the outcome of the hunt, and twice Sir Gawain returns them with kisses, which were his daily winnings from the lady of the castle. On the third day, however, the lady of the house goes to Sir Gawain’s room (again) and when all attempts to seduce him fail, she states that she is heartbroken and asks for a token of his to remember him by. She offers him a green belt; he refuses, but when she claims that whoever wears this belt cannot die, Sir Gawain decides to take it for his confrontation with the Green Knight, wherein he might be slain. On the third night, Gawain gives the lord of the castle three kisses, as the lady had given him earlier that day, but keeps the belt and does not mention where he got those kisses.

The fourth and final part begins with Sir Gawain finally setting out, with a guide, to seek out the Green Knight. He is given a chance to forsake this quest and return to his homeland, but as an honourable knight and a believer in God, he refuses. The guide would not go beyond a certain point for fear of the Green Knight. Thus, Gawain must continue the journey alone.

We finally meet the Green Knight along with an unexpected twist of events.

I will not divulge anymore here because it would give the surprise away. However, it is safe to say that the last few stanzas of the poem contain references to Morgana Le Fey and others from the Arthurian tales. These final stanzas wittingly connect the beginning and ending of the story and give a reason for the Green Knight’s strange challenge.

The final twist is like the leather that binds a book; it answers many questions that come to the reader’s mind whilst reading.

For some unknown reason, though occasionally for alliteration purposes, some of the references to Sir Gawain are written as Sir Wawain.

The poem is very long: 101 stanzas of not less than 20 lines each. I realised that it should be read at a single go or at short time intervals. It is preferable to at least make the stops at the end of each part. There are many boring parts, especially since we meet the Green Knight in the first few pages then we do not see him until the middle of the fourth part.

Tolkien’s style is fairly dominant in the poem (or at least that’s how I felt); the reader cannot tell who would have written the piece better – Tolkien or the anonymous poet. The verse is highly alliterative making it very musical along with the last rhyming six lines of every stanza.

Overall, I would give Tolkien a five-star rating for the strenuous effort undertaken to produce such a piece, but as for the content itself, I would give the original anonymous writer around 2.5 stars, for many parts were dull (that cannot be taken against the translator who cannot omit parts from the original work).

نيكروفيليا - شيرين هنائي - تعليق ونقد للكتاب

إن رواية نيكروفيليا للكاتبة شيرين هنائي ليست رواية مرعبة ولكنها رواية صادمة تتغلغل في أعماق الأمراض النفسية والإساءة إلى الأطفال وما قد يؤدي إليه ذلك إضافة إلى الطب النفسي وكيفية التواصل معهم، كما تناقش الرواية الموت بأنواعه.

إن رواية نيكروفيليا رواية جديدة من نوعها في الأدب العربي وقد تُصنف في فئة الإثارة النفسية. ولم استطع تركها، فعلى الرغم من أني أردت الوصول إلى نهايتها لم أرد الانتهاء منها، إنها رواية سوداء بكل المقاييس ولكنها أعجبتني.. جداً.

تدور أحداث رواية نيكروفيليا حول فتاة تدعى "منسية" تبلغ اثنى عشر عاماً وتعيش مع والدها وزوجة والدها اللذان يعاملنها أسوأ معاملة، فكثيراً ما نجد والدها (سيد) يضربها ويتمنى لو لم تلدها أمها. وتعاني منسية من مرض عادة ما يشخصه الأطباء على أنه أنيميا حادة حتى يراها الدكتور جاسر – بالصدفة – ويُشخص مرضها على أنه الأنوروكسيا وهو مرض نفسي خاص بفقدان الشهية. ومن هنا تبدأ الأحداث عندما يقرر الدكتور جاسر الذي يعمل على رسالة الماجستير الخاصة به استخدام منسية في بحثه.

منسية ليست فتاة عادية، حيث يتم وصفها بأن شكلها مرعب، وأنه أينما تذهب الطفلة ينظر إليها الناس ويشعرون بالرعب لأنها تبدو كالموتى على الرغم من عيناها الخضراوين. ويرى القارىء اختلاف العلاقة بين جاسر الذي يرى في منسية موضوع لبحثه وبين منسية التي تبدأ سن المرهقة وتجد في جاسر مثل الرجولة والجمال كما تجده مصدر إثارة لها. كما أن لدى منسية إعجاب خاص بالأموات وكل ما هو مشوه فنفسيتها مشوهة وهذا ما يفهمه جاسر في نهاية الرواية عندما يرى كتاباتها الخاصة بإثارتها بالموتى والعلاقات الجسدية التي تقوم مع ضحاياها من الجثث.

يتخلل الرواية أجزاء شعرية، عادة ما تكون بصوت منسية وفكرها – باستثناء نهاية الكتاب. وقد شعرت ببعض الاستغراب في بادىء الأمر من هذه الأجزاء الشعرية ثم وجدت أنها أساسية وممتعة وتضيف من قدرة الكاتبة على الإلقاء والتنويع في روايتها.

ويجدر بي ذكر إعجابي باختيار الكاتبة شيرين هنائي لأسماء شخصيات روايتها، فلكل اسم مدلول – بدرجة كبيرة - على الشخصية التي تحمل ذلك الاسم، ومن بين تلك الأسماء: منسية وجاسر وسيد (والد منسية) وفُتنة، وعلى سبيل المثال اختيار اسم "منسية" وهي الفتاة التي ينساها الجميع وفي نفس الوقت ينقلب حال كل من تدخل حياته ولا يستطيع سوى التفكير فيها، وتكاد تسبب الجنون لدى البعض.

وتحتوي الرواية على بعض النقد للمجتمع المصري حيث يتعامل الأطباء مع المرضى في المستشفيات الحكومية بمبدأ "على قد فلوسهم" وبالتالي لا يعطوهم الرعاية التي يحتاجونها. ويقوم الدكتور مرعي – عم جاسر - بهذا التعليق لنفسه في الفصل الثاني، فيفكر أنه كان من الممكن أن يعطي منسية رعاية أكثر إذا أتت لعيادته الخاصة.

ونادرة ما تتحدث منسية، فهي دائماً صماتة، حتى أنها لا تصرخ عندما تسكب الماء المغلي على أرجلها ولكن هذا بسبب خوفها من أن يضربها أبوها.

لم تكن منسية فتاة قبيحة أو مرعبة أو مريضة طوال حياتها، فقد كانت جميلة وذات جسم ممتلىء عندما كانت والدتها – الشخصية الوحيدة التي كانت تحبها – على قيد الحياة. وقد تلاشى جمال منسية مع وفاة والدتها.

وتحتوي رواية نيكروفيليا على أسلوب الارتجاع الفني (الفلاش باك أي إدراج الأحداث الماضية في أحداث أو محادثات في الحاضر)، ليس هذا فقط بل وتحتوي على وجود فلاش باك داخل فلاش باك آخر مما يضفي لمسة تشويق إلى الرواية.

في رأيي إن رواية نيكروفيليا رواية ممتعة وصادمة وجديرة بالحصول على أربع نجوم ونصف من خمس نجوم.


للنسخة الإنجليزية من هذه القراءة للكتاب، برجاء الضغط هنا.

For the English version of this book review, please click here.