The Last Witchfinder
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Review
'This is a historical romp that makes most other novels bearing that description seem like a retroactive wriggle' (Tom Cox DAILY MAIL 23.03.07 )
'This picaresque, idiosyncratic and erudite work is garnished with no small measure of wit' (THE HERALD )
'This picaresque adventure marries philosophy, science and outlandish humour' (THE INDEPENDENT ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
'This picaresque, idiosyncratic and erudite work is garnished with no small measure of wit' (THE HERALD )
'This picaresque adventure marries philosophy, science and outlandish humour' (THE INDEPENDENT ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Tom Cox, DAILY MAIL 23.03.07
'This is a historical romp that makes most other novels bearing that description seem like a retroactive wriggle'
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a very enjoyable read, though not always an easy one. Morrow has taken the battle between Renaissance and Enlightenment, between superstition and reason and located it in a time when witchfinders were stll scouring the English countryside and when unspeakble things were being done to unfortunate women in Salem, Massachusetts. If this sounds a touch dry then don't worry...it isn't. This is a picaresque novel full of larger than life characters, the best of whom are the doomed Isobel Mowbray, the exuberant Barnaby Cavendish and the fantastic heroine Jennet Stearne.
Jennet's mission is to see the overturning of the Witchcraft Statute by Parliament and it is this ultimate aim that unites the various episodes that make up the story. Some of these episodes are fantastically realised, especially the final trial scene which is genuinely tense. However, it has to be said that Jennet's time among the Indians is a trifle dull and her shipwreck on the Caribbean Island isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds. This is the problem with the book. Morrow has written a very ambitious novel and, although some things work brilliantly others just don't. The idea of casting the narrator of the novel as a book, Newton's Principia Mathematica, is original but ultimately doesn't work. Although it succeeds in creating a viewpoint located outside the time frame of the story, it becomes a distraction. Morrow has obviously done a lot of research into the intellectual and scientific theories of the period and, while at times these are stimulating and colourful, at other times they detract from the storytelling.
To sum up this is an entertaining and enjoyable read and it is worth sticking with. An ambitious, exciting, frustrating and flawed novel.
Jennet's mission is to see the overturning of the Witchcraft Statute by Parliament and it is this ultimate aim that unites the various episodes that make up the story. Some of these episodes are fantastically realised, especially the final trial scene which is genuinely tense. However, it has to be said that Jennet's time among the Indians is a trifle dull and her shipwreck on the Caribbean Island isn't nearly as exciting as it sounds. This is the problem with the book. Morrow has written a very ambitious novel and, although some things work brilliantly others just don't. The idea of casting the narrator of the novel as a book, Newton's Principia Mathematica, is original but ultimately doesn't work. Although it succeeds in creating a viewpoint located outside the time frame of the story, it becomes a distraction. Morrow has obviously done a lot of research into the intellectual and scientific theories of the period and, while at times these are stimulating and colourful, at other times they detract from the storytelling.
To sum up this is an entertaining and enjoyable read and it is worth sticking with. An ambitious, exciting, frustrating and flawed novel.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
What a great story the author has woven in this book. The lead character is utterly captivating and the supporting cast quite believable. The subject matter - the Christian-inspired campaign against witchcraft in the 17th/ 18th century and thereabouts - and the battle of the protagonist to use enlightenment science and thought against it, manages to enrage, sadden and captivate the reader - or at least me.
The main device of the book - another book as narrator - was clever and done well - maybe it's been done in other books, but not one I've read.
I would have given the book 5 stars, except there was one adventure/ twist in the story that was just too unbelievable. Still, a gripping, entertaining and worthwhile read
The main device of the book - another book as narrator - was clever and done well - maybe it's been done in other books, but not one I've read.
I would have given the book 5 stars, except there was one adventure/ twist in the story that was just too unbelievable. Still, a gripping, entertaining and worthwhile read
13 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is a behemoth, a veritable tour de force of the age he is portraying and that (I believe) is the books greatest strength and greatest weakness.
The Last Witchfinder is very difficult to classify or sum up in a sentence as it spans such a wide and varied time in both the settings that uses and the characters that are described, however I will do my best to do just that. The story centres on Jennet Sterne, a gifted and arguable petulant child whom is the daughter of Walter Sterne, the Witchfinder of Mercia and East Anglia, and sister to Dunstan, air apparent to Walter's title. As Dunstan is often away with his father learning the family trade Jennet is left with her Aunt Isobel, a scholar who opens Jennet's mind to the many wonders of the world. However, in this turbulent time a woman studying science and who lives alone with very quickly attract very unwelcome attention of Mr Sterne senior...
This is how the book begins, however in terms of describing the setting of the book I am doing it scant justice as the story takes us to Philadelphia, an Indian village, a desert island, to passionate embraces with her suitors and onwards to the challenge of parenthood. All of these settings are well described and the supporting cast are well defined but this is where I feel there is a weakness. Due to the volume of major characters and major settings you feel that the book is trying to cram in just too much for its 500 odd pages and on top of this I feel the timing / pacing of the book is also askew, for example there are many instances when you will be reading a passage to have it finish with (or the next passage begin with) and 4 years later, or Ben and Jennet went through 3 summers like this... This to me is a slightly lazy way around the narrative.
Now the really unusual part of this book is the interspersed narrative of Newton's Principia Mathematica, the idea being that the book (as with others) has a sentient nature, capable of having a one sided relationship with its readers and its author. I loved the concept but it felt just so out of place within this novel I struggled to see its relevance at all!
I would recommend this book but don't take it on lightly, it really needs sticking at. There is some wonderful interplay between the central characters which is worth the read alone but parts are overly wordy, not that relevant and can touch on the boring, thankfully the good parts far outweigh the bad.
The Last Witchfinder is very difficult to classify or sum up in a sentence as it spans such a wide and varied time in both the settings that uses and the characters that are described, however I will do my best to do just that. The story centres on Jennet Sterne, a gifted and arguable petulant child whom is the daughter of Walter Sterne, the Witchfinder of Mercia and East Anglia, and sister to Dunstan, air apparent to Walter's title. As Dunstan is often away with his father learning the family trade Jennet is left with her Aunt Isobel, a scholar who opens Jennet's mind to the many wonders of the world. However, in this turbulent time a woman studying science and who lives alone with very quickly attract very unwelcome attention of Mr Sterne senior...
This is how the book begins, however in terms of describing the setting of the book I am doing it scant justice as the story takes us to Philadelphia, an Indian village, a desert island, to passionate embraces with her suitors and onwards to the challenge of parenthood. All of these settings are well described and the supporting cast are well defined but this is where I feel there is a weakness. Due to the volume of major characters and major settings you feel that the book is trying to cram in just too much for its 500 odd pages and on top of this I feel the timing / pacing of the book is also askew, for example there are many instances when you will be reading a passage to have it finish with (or the next passage begin with) and 4 years later, or Ben and Jennet went through 3 summers like this... This to me is a slightly lazy way around the narrative.
Now the really unusual part of this book is the interspersed narrative of Newton's Principia Mathematica, the idea being that the book (as with others) has a sentient nature, capable of having a one sided relationship with its readers and its author. I loved the concept but it felt just so out of place within this novel I struggled to see its relevance at all!
I would recommend this book but don't take it on lightly, it really needs sticking at. There is some wonderful interplay between the central characters which is worth the read alone but parts are overly wordy, not that relevant and can touch on the boring, thankfully the good parts far outweigh the bad.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Brows so high, they hit the roof!
High brow lit, this one, and you have to be suitably erudite to know what erudite means, and be in the mood for it. This is no summer beach read. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Ms L. Johnson
The Lat Witchfinder by James Morrow
I found this book fascinating and a little strange at the same time! The writing style gets a bit of getting used to but once you get into the book its great! Read more
Published 20 months ago by P. A. Cunningham
Unbelieveable and tedious
I have numerous issues with this book. The storyline is unbelieveable, repetetive and static. The characters are unsympathetic, including the heroine who seems callous and... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Katie Stevens
A historical epic - both humourous and tragic.
This is a good historical romp based around the Salem Witch trials. It manages to be humourous whilst also depicting the tragedy and insanity of mass hysteria. Read more
Published on 10 Oct 2009 by Ruth Boaz
the last witchfinder
very difficult to get in to. didn't understand the need for the author to pose as a book!!! it did inspire me to find out more about the salem witch trials, which i found more... Read more
Published on 4 Jun 2007 by Am Sharpe
A Dazzling Novel
James Morrow was born in 1947. He has lectured and taught and worked in the fields of magazine publishing and television, as well as writing for children. Read more
Published on 9 April 2007 by J. Chippindale
A Dazzling Novel
James Morrow was born in 1947. He has lectured and taught and worked in the fields of magazine publishing and television, as well as writing for children. Read more
Published on 15 Mar 2007 by J. Chippindale
Thought-provoking and enjoyable
What a fine novel this is! The protagonist Jennet Stearne is a spirited but simultaneously very likeable lady if ever there was one, and with a grim determination she keeps on... Read more
Published on 9 Jan 2007 by Didier
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