Saturday, July 3, 2010

Show Me 5 Saturday: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley


A fun way to add variety to review formats this meme was created by Alipet at That's A Novel Idea.


Jenners at Find Your Next Book Here has the Mr Linky each week so we can link up our posts .


1 Book I read: The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag by Alan Bradley

2 Words that describe the book: Juvenile sleuth

3 Settings where it took place and/or characters met:

  • Set in the 1950's in the English rural village of Bishop's Lacey.

  • Miss Flavia Sabina de Luce - 11- years-old, with a love of reading and chemistry, a bike named Gladys, an insatiable curiousity and a talent for sleuthing.

  • Various villagers , villains and family.
4 Things I liked/disliked about it:

  • I liked the storyline which is actually quite dark and gruesome and involves a murder during a performance of a travelling puppet show with links to a local death several years before.

  • I didn't like the behaviour of Flavia's sisters early in the story. In the first book The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie the girls were constantly having a go at each other but it seemed the normal sort of sibling activity. What is said to Flavia this time is both cruel and vicious and seemed a bit too much.

  • I liked the introduction of Flavia's Aunt Felicity........"the dotty old bat in George Bernard Shaw costume" who in telling Flavia how like her mother she is removes a heavy burden from this young girl.

  • I like Flavia............and I like her insights. " I'm at that age when two minds exist, one that cackles at these capers and another that never gets much beyond a rather jaded and self conscious smile". This made me think of reading and what a pity it is if an adult reader can't sometimes remove the critical, judgemental hat and simply enjoy a fun and entertaining tale even if at times it stretches one's credibility.
5 Stars or less for my rating:

4 Stars for a another delightful Flavia mystery .

8 comments:

  1. Some books really do stretch the imagination and that is fine with me. Just sit back, relax and go along for the ride. Glad you enjoyed the book.
    Have a great weekend.

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  2. I really need to get started on this series!

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  3. Fun reading ideal for relaxing. Hope you will read and enjoy,Lisa.

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  4. Sounds like a good book and I really like what you told us about Aunt Felicity. She sounds like a gem!

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  5. thanks for stopping by, I'm so glad you enjoyed this book, I'm not sure I'll venture to another Christophe Moore for awhile, too many others on my TBR pile. Have a wonderful Fourth of July.

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  6. If nothing else, I do love the titles of these books! I have requested the first one from the library

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  7. This is the second time I have heard of this book in the last three days.... in some ways it sounds interesting - in others, I just dont know.

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  8. I'm with you ... there is nothing wrong with just going along and enjoying Flavia for all that she is. And this was a bit darker than the first one, I agree.

    I'm sorry for not getting by sooner .. we were out of town for a few days and I'm a bit behind on all things blogging related!

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