- Paperback: 352 pages
- Publisher: Grove Press; Reprint edition (Jun 4 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0802143792
- ISBN-13: 978-0802143792
- Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 14 x 2.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 295 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,692,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||
Product Details |
Product Description
From Amazon
The narrator of Sheri Holman's debut novel, A Stolen Tongue is Father Felix Fabri, a 15th-century monk on a pilgrimage to Alexandria, Egypt, to visit his "wife," Saint Katherine. The fact that Katherine is long dead, her various body parts distributed among reliquaries from Greece to Palestine, does not dilute Felix's passion for his spiritual mate. Indeed, from the day he first offered himself to her as a boy, it has been his life's ambition to travel to the Sinai, where she was martyred, visiting each relic along the way. But every time Felix arrives at one of these holy places, he finds a piece of Katherine gone. First her hand, then her ear, then her tongue--all stolen.
This historical mystery has many charms, not least among them Father Felix himself. Ms. Holman has done both the actual historic figure and her novel a great service by occasionally allowing this unique individual to speak in his own words (translated from the Latin by the late Aubrey Stewart) on such subjects as "Why the Eucharist May Not Be Celebrated on Shipboard" or "The Rules for Pilgrimage." It is a testament to the author's skill that the seams stitching together the fictional Felix and the historic one are well-nigh invisible. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Widely varied notions of faith and mission, from the conventional to the bizarre, color this intriguing historical thriller about a 15th-century pilgrimage from Germany to Mt. Sinai. The narrative takes the form of a journal kept by Dominican Father Felix Fabri, beginning at sea in 1483. Felix seeks to visit the relics of his spiritual wife, St. Katherine of Alexandria, on whom he has developed a fixation that might strike contemporary readers as not being entirely in keeping with his vows?though such eroticized spirituality was not uncommon at the time. As pieces of Katherine's body disappear from churches along his party's route, Felix faces a troubling mystery made more strange by the appearance of a young woman named Arsinoe, whose possibly mad communications with the saint have earned her the sobriquet, Tongue of St. Katherine. The pilgrims' voyage is arduous enough, but with the added intrigue of the disappearing relics, and conflicts that try Felix's faith and corrupt his judgment, they will be pushed to the brink of despair. First-novelist Holman pulls her readers along with odd riddles and careful suspense. As absorbing as is her portrayal of the premodern world is, her feel for timeless ironies is also sure: Felix decries the strange, unholy ways of the "Saracens" while he searches for his dead "wife," whose dried-out tongue he keeps in a pouch around his neck. While the plot's resolution is a bit unsatisfying, this is a strong debut, an often enthralling yarn that draws the reader right in among the pilgrims on their harrowing trek.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most helpful customer reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
A Far Cry from The Dress Lodger,
By A Customer
This review is from: Del-Stolen Tongue (Hardcover)
I was expecting another descriptive, intriguing book by Holman. The Dress Lodger is one of my favorites. This book disappointed me. The plot was weak and the conclusion was lacking (although without a good plot it would be difficult to write a great end).
2.0 out of 5 stars
Tedious and Distasteful,
By A Customer
This review is from: A Stolen Tongue (Paperback)
As a fan of great historical fiction (e.g. anything by Dorothy Dunnett, Eco, Anya Seton), I had high hopes for this book. Alas. The writing here, while noble for a first effort, is ultimately mediocre, the plot obvious and distasteful.
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good, not Great,
By Andy Edie (Kansas City, Missouri) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Stolen Tongue (Paperback)
I wanted so badly to like this book. I read so many positive reviews on Amazon, and I like historical fiction generally.The main character, Father Felix, is a sniveling, demented crybaby and sissy. I wish I would have been there just to smack him upside his head. I doubt the real Father Felix acted this way. I expected there to be some mystery involed in the plot as well, but Holman was very transparent in this area. I wonder what this book would have been like had Ian Pears written it. (hint: MUCH BETTER) If you are a Holman fan, read it. If you have a long bus ride, and you have a copy of this book, read it.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Want to see more reviews on this item?
|
Most recent customer reviews |
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Historical
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Religious & Inspirational > Christian > Mystery
- Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary
- Books > Mystery & Thrillers > Mystery
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Literature & Fiction > Mystery
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
