Customer Reviews

The Blood Doctor: A Novel

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(12)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

but I'm a huge fan of Ruth Rendell/Barbara Vine and have read (most) everything she has published in the last 30 years. I think she is a true master and I especially enjoy the novels under the Barbara Vine pseudonym.

However, (and I admit I'm only a third of the way through it), I have found this to be the most plodding, didactic, and just plain hard to read book of hers in years, if ever. While I enjoy my novels to be educational, I feel that I'm being lectured to. I find the family tree business to be difficult to keep straight in my mind (thus, constantly referring to the family trees in the front of the book).

The writing, as usual, is excellent. But, at least for me, in this case, a little less would yield a lot more. It's just not a page turner for me and I have found many reasons to read other books rather than return to this which, unfortunately, feels more like a chore to me.

Granted, this is the first time I've ever posted a review on Amazon.com. I read like a fiend and was curious as to what others thought because of my disappointment. The glowing reviews pushed me over the edge to write.

And anyone who has read Barbars Vine knows, calling one of her novels superior is really saying something. Readers who have never before picked up one of her books are in for a treat.

In "Blood Doctor" she juggles a mystery in history, the end of an era in the House of Lords, and modern fertility issues with great depth and sensitivity. Martin Nanther is dealing with all of these. A biographer and hereditary peer, he is beginning to research the life of the physician anscestor who earned the peerage for the family. The historical mystery theme is a popular one in current literature, but Vine plays her story out so beautifully, offering fascinating vignettes on Victorian and Edwardian life, hemophilia, period medical practice, and one man's life as expressed through the minimal entries in his diary that the book is hard to put down. The intertwining stories of the House of Lords and our un-Victorian challenges with fertility are equally engrossing.

Vine covers no new ground with "Blood Doctor" but who cares? You might even figure things out before the end of the book. But no one would dream of putting this book down before reaching the last page. Her writing is marvellous, and she sets the gold standard for nuanced psycological insight into her characters from the past and present. This novel comes close to my favorite of her books, "No Night Is Too Long."

I've always thought Barbara Vine wrote better books than Ruth Rendall. "The Blood Doctor" again supports this belief. It's a fascinating study of genealogy and of the dreaded blood disease (haemophilia) that afflicted Queen Victoria's progeny. This time, we're spared Rendall's nonsensical flirtation with grotesques (eg, "A Sight For Sore Eyes","Adam And Eve And Pinch Me", etc). Instead, we get to burrow into the secret life of the fictional former Lord Henry Nanther, great grandfather of biographer Martin Nanther and physician to QV herself in his time. As Martin tries to make sense of Henry's life for the biography he is writing, he interviews surviving relatives and scrutinises letters between family members for any light that they may shed on his subject. In the process, he stumbles across curious evidence suggesting the existence of a dark family secret, not formally known or understood, though suspected among those affected within the extended family. He hunts down the clues to reveal a truth that is as appalling as it is sensational. In the meantime, we are treated to a mildly interesting subplot involving Jude's (Martin second wife's) desperate attempts to bear a child and yet another subplot - more interesting this time - about the life of peers in the House Of Lords.

Figuring who's who isn't too difficult with the help of the two geneology maps that precede the narrative. Nobody with an interest in families should find the proceedings tedious. I didn't. Indeed, I found it fascinating.

"The Blood Doctor" is another clear and undisputed triumph for Barbara Vine. Don't miss it !

Lord Martin Nanther is digging up the past, researching the life of his great-grandfather, the first Lord Nanther, in order to write his biography.

Henry Nanther was a physician to Queen Victoria, and an expert in diseases of the blood, in particular hemophilia. For his services to the Queen, Lord Nanther was the first surgeon to be granted a peerage. He kept meticulous notes and diaries, clearly desiring to one day be the subject of such a biography. However, as Martin delves further into Henry's life, he discovers discrepancies throughout, puzzling questions which seemingly make no sense. Such as, why did he break off his engagement to a wealthy heiress, marriage to whom would allow him access into the very social circle which he craved? Why did he choose to marry a poor solicitor's daughter instead? And what was the real story behind her violent death?

Even without these questions Martin is burdened enough. The House of Lords, in which he sits, is being reformed, and the hereditary peers (of which Martin is one) are being thrown out. If that weren't enough, his wife is unable to conceive the child she so desperately desires. To top it all off, Martin will also discover that his great-grandfather died with a monstrous secret.

This is a superb novel. Ruth Rendell has long been one of my very favourite authors, and reading this book has only cemented that opinion. I don't understand those who dont like tihs book. They perplex me inexpressibly. Did they not read it properly? Are they not incredibly stimulated by it, all the topics it covers and all the characters she flawless creates?

She weaves absolutely seamlessly between the past and the present. And the reader is just as interested in both plot strands (the research into Henry Nanther and the complications surrounding Martin Nanther's wife's inability to bring a child to birth.) She paints both eras excellently. Brilliant modern social observation and the ability to acurately depict our society, is matched by her ability to write authentically about events at the turn of the century.

The characters are drawn beautifully...very realistic and likeable (in particular, Jude, Martin's sorrowful wife) even the characters who lives over a hundred years ago are drawn well. Unusual for a Rendell novel, the characters are not actually mentally damaged in some serious way. There are no sleeping passions, no strange quirks, nothing which would make them seethe and finally explode. This is a tale about rather normal people uncovering horrible secrets from the past.

RR deals with the Reform of the House of Lords excellently. She offers us incredibly interesting glimpses into the institution, about which very little is known by most people. And the insights she gives us are truly fascinating. Martin's and the other hereditary peer's, departure from the Lord is written in such a way that it is subtly moving. The regalness and gothicness abd overall atmosphere is painted wonderfully. She has whetted the appetite, and i now wish i could know more about The House Of Lords!

The mystery about the first Lord Nanther's life slowly unfolds, and the truth is certainly strange.

There is so much that people reading this book could be interested in...there is genealogy, information on the royal family, information about blood diseases, in particular heamophillia, the subplot about the house of lords, the subplot of Jude's miscarriages...and, the icing on the cake, the mystery elements. This is truly a feast, and it is more than enough to satisfy her fans. Indeed, i think it will satisfy even those who are new to Vine/Rendell. All i can say is thank God for her - she is the best novelist currently at work in any language, and this is exceptional stuff even by her standards. If you don't love it, there's something deficient somewhere.

The Blood Doctor, like all of Barbara Vine's (Ruth Rendell) works, is a fine psychological mystery examining the effect past decisions and actions have on the present. I think The Blood Doctor is the Vine work which is the widest and richest in scope since her first: A Dark Adapted Eye.Martin Nanther is the 4th Lord Nanther, a man of great complexity. As an hereditary peer, he enjoys his work in the House of Lords (and the income it provides), but he accepts that heredity is not a suitable prerequisite for a government position. At home he has a beloved second wife who wants desperately to have children, a prospect that Nanther views with indifference or distaste (he already has an unsatisfactory son), but knows he will have to accept if he is to save his marriage. His greatest complexities are revealed when he begins to research the life of his ancestor, the first Lord Nanther.Henry Nanther was an eminent Victorian physician, specializing in blood diseases like hemophilia. This earned him entree into the Household of Queen Victoria and eventual ennoblement. The first Lord Nanther was as complex as his great-grandson, as Martin discovers when he begins his research. Martin eventually uncovers layers of mysteries in his family tree that trace back to the first Lord's researches and manipulations. As Martin contacts hitherto unknown relatives and pieces together the puzzle, he recognizes that his great-grandfather's obsession with blood has marked his descendants for the next century.This book is fascinating on several levels. Genealogists will enjoy the descriptions of family research (trees are thoughtfully provided for those who get lost in the entangled branches). Those interested in nobility and royalty will delight in the details of the life of a member of the House of Lords and the insights into the lives of some of Queen Victoria's descendants. And of course, as always with a Vine book, you'll be engrossed in a dramatic and detailed story with a satisfying ending.By the way, other books you might find of interest after reading The Blood Doctor include Queen Victoria's Gene by D.M. and W.T.W. Potts, Prince Leopold by Charlotte Zeepvat, and Ask Sir James by Michaela Reid

What a fortunate man Martin Nanther was to be in possession of his anscestor's belongings which set him on an amazing journey of discovery about his past and himself. Betrayal, hypocrasy and greed set the scene for this tantalising tale surrounding several generations of people who have all been caught up, in one way or the other, in the driving force of one man; hence through his want of recognition he unknowingly creates a series of "unspeakable" events that harrowly effects each branch of his descendants. From the foundation of a family's history another story unfolds which questions the rites of passage and parenting while delivering an informative account about haemophelia. Being a genealogist I was drawn to the dynamics of every aspect of this book. I woke at night to read it and was dissapointed when it ended. Having said that, I guessed the outcome. This book will be included in my favourite list along with "My Brother Jack" by George Johnston and "Victim of the Aurora" by Tom Keneally.

I usually really like Barbara Vine/Ruth Rendell, so I was disappointed that I could see the denouement in this one coming hundreds of pages ahead. Yet somehow it kept me up reading all night! It took a while to get going, but once it does, the author does an excellent job simultaneously telling the two stories. If you're someone who is intimidated or otherwise put off by books with genealogical charts, this book is not for you! Personally, I like them - "the Quincunx" is one of my all-time favorites. The importance of the chart also means this is probably an impossible choice for an audiobook.

Only the die-hard Vine fans will want to attempt this long, redundant concoction of biography and murder mystery. No plot device, interior monologue or character analysis is not repeated as many as three, four or more times. And still the Russian-novel-like list of generations of characters in one family remains confusing and vague. I slogged on and on because I detected some major shocker of an ending, a twist to make it all worthwhile; unfortunately that is never delivered. Vine has written some choice novels, but this is not one of them. Not even close.

Ruth Rendell, as Barbara Vine, has again written an original and mesmerizing novel, "The Blood Doctor." It combines all the elements that make this author's writing so compelling. "The Blood Doctor" has elegant prose, vivid descriptive writing, intriguing characters, a riveting plot and an ending that is both shocking and poignant.

Martin Nanther, a Hereditary Peer in the House of Lords, has decided to write a biography of his great-grandfather, Henry Nanther. Henry was an expert on diseases of the blood, particularly hemophilia. In recognition of Henry's work as one of the physicians to Queen Victoria's family, the Queen made him a lord. This title was passed down to Henry's great grandson, Martin, now Henry's biographer.

Rendell interweaves details of Martin's present day life with revelations about Henry Nanther that slowly emerge throughout the novel. Martin is about to lose his peerage as part of a reform bill that will oust most hereditary peers. More disturbing, his beloved wife, Jude, has difficulty carrying a child to term, and she consistently miscarries early in her pregnancies. This failure to have a child is threatening Martin's and Jude's close and loving relationship.

Partly as a distraction from his present-day problems, Martin throws himself into detailed research of his great-grandfather's life. Martin traces distant relatives who have saved valuable letters and notebooks. These papers shed some light on the character of Henry Nanther. However, they also raise some puzzling questions. Henry seems to have been many men at once. On the one hand, he was a charming physician with a soothing bedside manner. On the other hand, Henry was a fanatical scientist who was obsessed with blood diseases, especially hemophilia. Henry was a devoted husband to his wife, Edith. Yet, he was also fickle in his relationships with women. Henry was a cold and distant father to his children. However, when he eventually fathered a son who was deathly ill, Henry treated this son with great love and compassion. Which of these Henrys was the real Henry? What motivated this man to act in such contradictory ways?

In telling this most unusual story, Rendell probes the internal conflicts and twisted motivations that sometimes cause people to behave perversely. She balances this with her touching portrait of Martin and Jude Nanther, whose deep love for one another is sorely tested. Enriching this novel still more is Rendell's colorful description of life in Victorian England as well as the fascinating medical details she provides about genetics and the scourge of hemophilia. "The Blood Doctor" proves once again that Ruth Rendell sets the standard for highly accomplished novels of psychological suspense.

I could not put this book down. Never thought I would be interested in the British Parliamentary system, which forms a fairly large part of the book intertwined with all the other themes, but did find this very interesting indeed. The story, or rather two stories, take place in parallel - today and the Victorian era. Barbara Vine is so good at this. She is also one of the best creators of interesting characters in modern fiction. I absolutely love her style. Cannot recommend this book too highly.