Categories: books
Date: 24 September 2008 19:37:09
I schlepped this book over to Denmark with me for several reasons:
1. It was recommended by an author in a review as ideal holiday reading
2. It was set in Denmark
3. It was quite thick and so would take the place of having to lug another two or three with me.
4. It had won the Whitbread Novel Prize in 1999 - and I never seem to read award-winning books.
5. I had never read any Rose Tremain and thought this a good opportunity.
It is set in the palaces of Denmark at the time of Christian IV (approx 1628-ish onwards). The reader is introduced to the various main characters who then tell the story from their point of view in looooong chapters. It began well - I warmed to Christian - and to his Consort, Kirsten, who although a spoiled, selfish, manipulative person, expressed her viewpoint in an amusing way. But after the initial glow of the introduction, the pace slowed down to the point that one felt it might be possible to skip about 50 pages at a time and still know what was happening.
The central story (I think...it was a bit difficult to tell...) i.e. the Music and Silence was a love story revolving round Peter, an Englishman and musician in the King's orchestra, and Emilia, a Danish girl, and lady-in-waiting to the King's Consort. Their story was frankly rather dull and not based on any specific event - a few longing glances from castle windows and lots of sighing but they did not seem to have much to base their relationship on in my view! They were of course parted (cue: lots of waiting around for messengers with letters which never came) and - did they ever overcome the obstacle of their separation? If you feel you have the energy to plough through 454 pages to find out, I won't spoil it for you! There was one moment which lasted perhaps - ooh a minute and a half in real time - when there was a bit of real tension.
I made myself read it to the end - giving it the benefit of the doubt that it would get better - but it was a struggle. I can't understand why it won the Whitbread. I know it depends a bit on the standard of the competition - but surely there must have been a more worthy work for the title than this?