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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gundrun Weaves a Wonderful Tapestry, November 12, 2004
This review is from: Gudrun's Tapestry (Hardcover)
Anyone who likes Medieval History, or wants an introduction to Medieval History, will love Joan Schweighardt's Gundrun's Tapestry. Set in the 5th Century, Gundrun's Tapestry follows the adventures of Sigfried, Brunhilda, Gundrun, and the gang in the ancient Niebelungen Saga. Scholars think this legend tells the history of the arrival of the Huns in Europe, and Schweigherdt gives us that history with full measure, woven into a thrilling plot that fills out the action of the legend, and adds exciting twists that keep even an old Niebelungen Hound like me turning those pages. I just loved seeing the story come alive under Schweighardt's pen (well actually keyboard, I'm sure.) I got a sense of the clothes, the food, the houses, and the life styles of people both living with Atilla, and living in the Europe through which he rampaged. Everyone felt as real as anyone walking the streets today. Characters in an ancient saga are usually larger than life and heroic. That's okay for the version written inthe 5th Century. That was the style in those days. Today we like reality charcters with warts as well Christy Brinkley looks, and Gundrun's Tapestry has them. For example, Brunhilda is attractive, yes, but her eyes are watery. Siegfried is handsome and bold, as he should be, but he can also be a touch cocky. His enemies? Well, some are bold. Others? Shhhhh! I 'm not explaining, because finding out about them made good reading for me, and I want it to for you as well. Another neat thing about Gundrun's Tapestry is the main character's perspective. It isn't the kind of person who normally has much to say in a traditional Norse Saga. Again, I'm not saying why. You will have to enjoy the discovery for yourself, and believe me, you will. Finally, understanding the title of the book comes at the very end. Learning that was fun too. Best fo all, the enjoyment came in an elegant but easy-to-read style. For me Gundrun's Tapestry and Joan Schweighardt blew the dust off long forgotten memories of Medieval History Class. For people who have never had any Medieval History, here comes a wonderful introduction.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Joan Schweighardt Weaves a Tale of Love and Vengence, June 2, 2003
This review is from: Gudrun's Tapestry (Hardcover)
Gudrun's Tapestry is a compelling story of one woman's life, a Burgundian woman whose people are among the many victims of Attila the Hun. Some years after her home at Worms is destroyed, Gudrun's dreams of a peaceful life with her love, Sigurd, are shattered by the beautiful valkyria, Brunhild. Gudrun risks what is left of her personal life by setting out to destroy Attila. Schweighardt has drawn on history and poetic myth to create a context for a tale of the most basic human emotions--love, greed, jealousy, and revenge. Although the story is set over fifteen centuries ago, these characters from the Dark Ages are revealed as people whose motivations and actions are clearly recognizable to us. After all, is the pursuit of a dragon's gold really so different from the pursuit of an expensive sports car? Jealous lovers still lie to get what they want; families nearly destroyed by tragedy still find the will to rebuild and be happy again. The more things change, the more they remain the same. But there's more here than just a great page-turner of a tale. This is a story as skillfully woven as the tapestry within it. Schweighardt plays the woof of Gudrun's time spent in the city of Attila over, under, around, and through a warp of Gudrun's personal history. Schweighardt reveals the past as its impact becomes meaningful. In that way there are two stories of Gudrun's life here--the events that forged her character, and the use the fates made of that steely determination. It is fascinating to read the two intertwined. I believe this book has the potential to be a surprise bestseller if only the word gets out.
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13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
History Comes Alive in Schweighardt's Amazing Novel, June 30, 2003
This review is from: Gudrun's Tapestry (Hardcover)
This is an astonishing book! It leads the reader into a strange historical landscape--the world of Attila the Hun--and effortlessly (or so it seems) provides the details to make that time period and the people in it very, very real. Schweighardt's extensive research is impressive, yet it never holds the story back, "dries it out," or weighs it down. Instead, we're given a complex heroine on a sacred mission. Her mission drives the story forward at a breathless pace, but Schweighardt refuses to rely on plot alone. She has created a protagonist who experiences it all--love and hatred, passion and despair, strength and weakness, courage and fear--and placed her against a backdrop of unfamiliar and often shocking historical events. Gudrun's voice is convincing and often heart-wrenching, and the story she tells is one that stays with you long after you close the book. This is a novel in which history (or more correctly, her-story)and myth collide. It is a tour de force for this very talented writer and a perfect reminder that real people, as well as those in myths , legends, and stories, can transcend their circumstances and triumph. A definite must-read.
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