- Paperback: 464 pages
- Publisher: Pan Books; New edition edition (6 Aug 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0330411969
- ISBN-13: 978-0330411967
- Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 11 x 3.4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (217 customer reviews)
-
Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
211,065 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #55 in Books > History > Britain & Ireland > British Heads of State > Henry VII
Dissolution (Matthew Shardlake 1)
and over 900,000 other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
"'Remarkable' P. D. James"
Product Description
Henry VIII has ordered the dissolution of the monasteries and England is full of informers. At the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control with the murder of Commissioner Robin Singleton. Matthew Shardlake, a lawyer, and his assistant are sent to investigate.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
678 of 681 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A rose by another name....and a list,
By
This review is from: Dissolution (Shardlake) (Paperback)
I agree with previous reviewers that when you start out on this novel part of you is thinking "is this just a re-hash of The Name of the Rose" - no it isn't, it has many echoes, or should that be Eco's, of that great novel but is an of itself as absorbing, if not quite as high in writing style or rich in semiology. As a frequent buyer from Amazon I always find it frustrating that coming to a series of novels it isn't always that clear in which order one should read them, yes you can sometimes tell by publication date - but these can often be just as confusing...so here for the new C J SANSOM fans is a list in order of ther series to 2010, should you wish to rattle off the series before the next publication... Dissolution (2003), ISBN 1-4050-0542-4 Dark Fire (2004), ISBN 1-4050-0544-0 Sovereign (2006), ISBN 1-4050-5048-9 Revelation (2008) ISBN 1-4050-9272-2 Heartstone (2010) ISBN 0307356183 Hope that helps some of you...and it maybe something Amazon could consider doing on the author page?
189 of 193 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Historically rooted, gripping story, a whodunnit with real verve,
By Mark Meynell "quaesitor" (London, UK) - See all my reviews (VINE VOICE) (TOP 500 REVIEWER) (REAL NAME)
This review is from: Dissolution (Shardlake) (Paperback)
To begin with i thought this was just a pastiche of Eco's Name of the Rose: Monastery in winter, dodgy monks, murders and a beautiful young girl with an unusual detective plus honourable apprentice (even Aristotle's lost work On Comedy makes an appearance). But this is set a few centuries later and is firmly rooted in the Tudor terrors at the time of Dissolution of the Monasteries. National politics and the reformation are the sword of Damocles that hang over the monastery throughout. What is so exciting and satisfying is the way (rather like Eco did) that national politics and scandals are interwoven naturally into the goings on in this remote monastery on the South Coast. Henry VIII exists as an invisible presence throughout; the nearest we get to him is his ruthless and foul henchman, Thomas Cromwell. But his lethal authority and whims are stamped on every page.
The hero of the piece is Matthew Shardlake who finds himself having to do Cromwell's bidding. He is a believable character, idealistic but flawed, given to blindspots and jealousies - but he acknowledges all these, especially as he recognises that to have remained neutral could have helped find the culprits sooner and thus prevented more deaths. This is a great read - and brings a dark chapter of England's history to life. There are no easy answers - and the rights and wrongs of the period are not so categorically stated that the reader is drawn inevitably to either 'papists' or 'reformers'. A tour de force.
69 of 70 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absorbing, exciting - a great book,
By
This review is from: Dissolution (Shardlake) (Paperback)
I also bought this book on a whim in an airport - and was delighted to find a new author I hope to read much more of. The book itself is a great murder mystery - plenty of twists, without losing its credibility, and simply a superb story. On top of this though, it's a great picture of a time of enormous change in England - although I knew the basics of the dissolution of the monasteries, this really brings everything to life, and although there is plenty of detail for those who like their history, it never becomes dry or boring. Quite simply, this is one of the most gripping and readable books I've picked up for quite a while, and I'll be recommending it far and wide.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
![[Start the discussion]](http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/02/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/start-new-discussion-sec._V192198663_.gif){kind=small}
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Historical
- Books > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Mystery
- Books > Fiction > Contemporary Fiction
- Books > Fiction > Historical
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > British Heads of State > Henry VII
- Books > History > Religious History > Other Religions
- Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Crime, Thrillers & Mystery > Mystery
- Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Fiction > Historical Fiction
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
