The Bookseller's Tale
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
15
Ratings3
Average rating3.7
Oxford, Spring 1353. When young bookseller Nicholas Elyot discovers the body of student William Farringdon floating in the river Cherwell, it looks like a drowning. Soon, however, Nicholas finds evidence of murder. Who could have wanted to kill this promising student? As Nicholas and his scholar friend Jordain try to unravel what lies behind William’s death, they learn that he was innocently caught up in a criminal plot. When their investigations begin to involve town, university, and abbey, Nicholas takes a risky gamble – and puts his family in terrible danger.
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I decided to listen to this because it sounded a little bit interesting and had great reviews, but I was not expecting to love it. It's definitely one of my favorite books I've read so far this year.
It's written in first person, which makes even the remote past of 1353 feel immediate and vibrant. The main character, Nicholas, is an ordinary tradesman living in Oxford who gets caught up in solving a murder. It's just a few years after the Black Death has killed half the population of the town, and grief and loss are facts of life for everyone who survived. Nicholas lost his wife to plague and is very devoted to his two children and his sister, and also to his two employees and his best friend, Jordaine. All of the characters are engaging, but Nicholas is a practical man who's an apt student of human nature, which makes him a great detective character.
This book reminded me of the Astreiant series, one of my favorites, because it immerses you into a world that feels alive. The author uses everyday occurrences, such as Nicholas' daughter's concern over how to find homes for a litter of puppies, to convey the details of medieval life. The main characters are deeply rooted in their community, helping each other out when possible. There is some lamenting that people are not as concerned about strangers as they were before the plague, but Nicholas and his family and friends do a lot for others. It's quite a contrast to isolated life in today's world. Everything they use comes from the town itself: all of the materials Nicholas uses to create his books, everything they eat, etc. It was amazing to visit this place, and I enjoyed every moment I spent in it.
The mystery was not much of a puzzle; the characters had it mostly figured out pretty early on, although there were a few twists near the end. Still, nothing in the plot is overly surprising. I didn't mind that, since the book's appeal for me was in the descriptions of daily life. I look forward to reading the next book.
