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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fun Bio-Thriller!,
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This review is from: The Plague Tales (Mass Market Paperback)
This book would be great to take on an airplane or to read on the beach if you want an exciting, but not too deep, read. A really clever plot keeps you wondering right from the beginning. Two alternating tales of bubonic plague in the 14th century and disease outbreaks in the 21st century future keep you guessing what the connection between the two tales might be. Both tales are equally fascinating: One is the story of a wandering Jewish physician from Spain who is unwillingly caught up in the political intrigues between Pope Clement and King Edward of England while trying desperately to hide the secret of his past. His experiences of plague in medieval Europe are frightening and grotesque. The other tale is of a woman physician, Janie Crowe, of the near future who has suffered heartbreaking loss due to outbreaks of unspecified diseases that have swept America and threaten Europe. Hysterical fear of these diseases have changed the face of modern civilization--air travelers are forced to wear sterile suits and masks and powerful Bio Cops are authorized to shoot and kill if it is suspected that a citizen harbors disease. Janie is engaged in research in London, and unearths something that has a connection to the 14th century physician. As the book progresses, these separate stories begin to entertwine, bringing us to an interesting conclusion. Benson does a wonderful job of making both stories compelling and equally interesting, and she gives you tantalizing clues concerning how the earlier story will come to bear on the future one. However, a slightly supernatural thread just doesn't fit with the technological bent of the book, weakening it. Inevitably, comparisons will be drawn between this book and "Doomsday Book" by Connie Willis, a Nebula and Hugo award winner which contains the story of Kirin, a student in future London who is mistakenly sent back to a 14th century English village just when plague is breaking out. Like "Plague Tales," the Willis book alternates between the 14th century and England of the future. While superficially similar, "Plague Tales" is much more of a bio-thriller that is a fun book to read once and then pass along to a friend, while "Doomsday Book" is a deeper, more polished book with a stronger emotional impact that you will want to read again and again. Interesting how two different authors can come up with such different takes on a similar subject.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good paranoid blend of past and present,
By
This review is from: The Plague Tales (Mass Market Paperback)
In Ann Benson's The Plague Tales, the reader is introduced to two timelines and two protagonists: Janie Crow, a former surgeon from the near future, and Alejandro Canches-Hernandez, a Jewish doctor of the 14th century. The world in which both characters live is dominated by illness and death. For Janie, it's world trying to recover from the "Outbreaks", an undefined plague that wiped out most of the US, including her family. For Alejandro, it's the Bubonic Plague, which killed almost half of Europe during the 1300s. These two timelines intersect at several points throughout the book, especially in the case of Caroline, Janie's assistant, who seemingly dreams of the 14th century while suffering from its scourge dug up in the early 21st century. Benson creates a wonderful sense of suspense as the reader approaches the first third of the book. Although some of the plot points are obviously contrived, especially in the modern timeline, by the middle of the story, the reader is taken in. Benson paints an accurate picture of ancient and modern prejudice, paranoia, and desperation, as the protagonists of both times race to save their worlds and themselves. A good read.
30 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interwoven tale from the past and the future,
By
This review is from: The Plague Tales (Mass Market Paperback)
I loved the way The Plague Tales alternated between two time periods: the fourteenth century and a near-police state in the early twenty-first century. I wrote a research paper on the black death and found this book to be very accurate in it's descriptions of the disease and the time period. I also liked that Ms. Benson was able to weave these two plots together so seamlessly and create a believable future London. Her characters are very strong and I liked how Benson was able to show cause and effect relationships not just in one time period but between the centuries. It reminded me very much of my favorite book The Eight by Katherine Neville. Ms. Benson was really able to capture the feeling of both a historical novel and a medical thriller without alienating fans of either genre. This was a great read.
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