Publisher: Hammer
ISBN: 0099561832
I don’t think I’ve ever been so productive on the blog as I have with
this Challenge…
I recently read this as a book club selected read for
October. Helen from Fennell Books liked
it as did I think everyone else to some degree.
I didn’t hate it, but I’m not a fan either.
Short Synopsis: Based on the first set of well documented court
records of the Pendle/Lancaster Witch Trials of 1612 it follows Alice Nutter
through the recorded events up to, and a little beyond, the end of the court
hearings. There is some artistic licence
is used to add detail and backstory etc…
As I mentioned earlier I didn’t hate it, but I can’t say that
I enjoyed it either. You know how
sometimes there’s nothing really wrong with a book, but it just doesn’t gel
well for you? No particular reason, it
just doesn’t suit? I’m afraid this was
the case for me with The Daylight Gate.
Maybe it was because it was based on true events. I did spend most of the book thinking about
what was real and what was not. Some of
it was clear, other parts were not, so I was rather distracted by that
throughout. Maybe it depends on whether
you think witchcraft is real. I don’t, so much of the book dealing with the
supernatural aspects I found totally unbelievable. I personally didn't care for any of the
characters. I thought that the treatment
of women in general, and Jennet Device in particular while utterly believable, was
also utterly sickening. This is probably
the best part of the story, in terms of getting me invested in what was
happening. The ending was brilliant!
There were some excellent moments, and if you like
historical fiction you might well enjoy this.
According to members of the book club this will be made into
a film by Hammer as well.
so funny, I just rejected a comment about this which was discussing rice cookers? huh? It wasn't even a 'I like your post, please buy my fantastic new rice cooker' sales pitch. weird.
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