Customer Reviews

The Unburied

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The title of this review was borrowed from Sir Winston Churchill. I use the quotation here, as I believe it describes this book beautifully. This book is my first introduction to the work of Mr. Palliser who was unknown to me prior to this volume. I actually bought the novel based upon a quote on the jacket that referred to Mr. Palliser unburying the Author Wilkie Collins as well as others not named. Mr. Collins is credited by some for creating the mystery novel, and is known for such works as "The Moonstone" and "The Woman In White". He was a friend of Charles Dickens and they published a paper together for a time. Some Scholars suggest that the book Mr. Dickens was writing but died before finishing; "The Mystery Of Edwin Drood" was influenced by Mr. Collins. This is one of the top 10 books of this genre I have ever read. I actually bought the Author's previous book "The Quincunx" before I had reached the mid-point of "The Unburied". If as some have written the book prior to this was even better, I look forward to it being astonishing. If it were only as good as this book, I would be thrilled. The book has an interesting structure with an unusual Note at the beginning and end. I will say no more than that. Between those notes is a mystery of the highest caliber. Characters whose names are reminiscent and a tribute to Dickens, not simply badly copied. A plot that while complex can be followed but the reader must pay careful attention. Paper and pen to diagram relationships amongst the players does not hurt, it also allows you to continue hypothesizing when reading is impractical. For those who like naming the conspirators or detailing the crime before the book reveals it's secrets, just as objects and people, both living and dead, throughout the book do, will I believe find this tale wonderfully frustrating. It keeps its secrets until the end, but there is more. Every time you are tempted to think aha! I got it; a few pages later will have you questioning how you ever could have had such a solution. And the Author does not use simplistic literary tricks, the information is there, the reader has to find it. This Author pays tribute to his readers by challenging them to match wits, as opposed to handing down a cliché or re-write of a familiar tale. Mr. Palliser makes you work, he makes you think, he offers bits of information that are false leads unless you catch them before being duped, and admitting for the 10th time your aha! was really another trap presumption led you into. The book is like the wind and the Author the wind's master, your hat or paper are blown from you, and each time it pauses and you reach away it flies once more. When you finally grasp it you stand to find you have been lead into a Labyrinth, and the task you thought was complete has just begun. Get this prize of a book you will not be disappointed. I am off to start The Quincunx!

Charles Palliser once again scores with a crisply written English and stylishly legal/murder 'who done it'!

Thrusting the reader into the 19th century, Palliser's haunting prose is vivid and enthralling.

This is not a book for those who do not like twists and turns, although this book is easier than Pallisers masterpiece, The Quincunx (which I have read 5 times at last count!).

Palliser uses intriguing techniques to tell his story - an editors Foreward followed at the end by an editors Afterword, in which the mystery is more clearly defined. There is a ghost-story, tales of King Alfred, and even a fairy tale thrown in for good (or should I say bad?) measure. It's a wonderful mix!

In this book, you can feel the English countryside - its fogs and mists and rains and gloom-laden scenery; its strange mixture of suspicious and creepy characters. It is a quintessentially English novel - every page evokes emotions; I found myself drifting off into the English countryside I once knew well so vivid are the descriptions.

This is a book to be read in one sitting, preferably beginning late afternoon, settling into a cozy chair by a roaring log fire, glass of red wine to hand. As darkness descends, and, with luck, the rains begin and the winds rattle the windowframes, the added atmosphere will add to the excellent story-telling.

Savor the wonderful language. It is a pleasure. Its the English language that should be - like Mervyn Peake and J R R Tolkien.

Enjoy! And, for those who have not read The Quincunx I urge you to rush to read it. The Quincunx is truly sensational!

Several years ago I had the great pleasure of reading Charles Palliser's magum opus, the Quincunx. As a long devotee of Dickens, I found this great book to be a wonderful re-creation of the world of Dickens. When the Unburied was published, I immediately bought it. Twice I was able to make my way to about page 100, but for various reasons never made it beyond that point. It simply didn't pull me all the way in and I let myself be drawn to other books and other demands of life.

Ten days ago I decided that I was going to finish the book, come hell or high water. I'm glad I did because it's a very good novel. Once I made it to page 150 I was hooked and finished the book in a large gulp.

This novel requires patience and an ability to keep a lot of facts and clues straight. There is a multi-leveled story set in the Victorian times involving a murder, a literary mystery about King Alfred, a recounting of cathedral politics in the 17th century, a fairy tale, and several other sub-plots.

In the end, the read is well worth the effort. Palliser is particularly good at creating atmosphere ( in this case dark, foggy and wet) and in fleshing out memorable characters.

But this isn't a book for those who want a quick, easy read. However, if you're willing to invest some effort, I recommend the book.

Reading The Unburied is rather like unwrapping a mummy, and finding the jewels within the wrapping until the whole is laid bare and you still have to piece together the identity of what you've found. It is not a light and easy read, but the work of reading it is a pleasure in itself. Those who appreciate Victorian masters M.R. James, Wilkie Collins, and Charles Dickens, who like a chill and murky atmosphere, who are not put off by a bit of ambiguity, and who can cope with a cast of characters worthy of Tolstoy will probably enjoy this book. While a great deal of the mystery behind the murders will be fairly obvious to anyone who's read a murder mystery, many of the details are revealed slowly. Those who have had to sit on a jury will be amused by Charles Palliser's sly digs at the judicial system, and anyone who knows anything about the machinations of academia will recognize much of what's going on with the academic subplot. I also enjoyed his take on the constant rewriting of history. Under it all, however, are Palliser's ruminations on the nature of vengeance and how we damage ourselves in seeking vengeance against others. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel and look forward to reading more of Palliser's work.

Charles Palliser is obviously a familiar of ghosts. He has a penchant for weaving together the intricate threads of the Classic Victorian Mystery, ala Wilkie Collins, stark with the emphatic colours of the darkest side of human nature -Indeed- upon the furthest extent anything even the likes of Charles Dickens ever conceived! And his sense of atmosphere is uncanny.

Unlike with THE QUINCUNX, which I'd read a few weeks prior to picking up this one, Palliser tenders the gentle reader with a very likeable protagonist: Dr. Edward Courtine. Courtine is a Cambridge scholar who, in 1882, as he nears the age of 50, accepts an invitation from his old school chum, Austin Fickling, after some 20 years of separation stemming from a supposed betrayal. Since Austin resides in the Cathedral Close of the ancient village of Thurchester, Courtine views the visit as more than just the renewal of their friendship -- For, somewhere within the vast labyrinth of the Cathedral Library, there supposedly houses an ancient manuscript confirming the heroism of the -notably obscure- 9th-century Saxon king, Alfred, of whom Courtine has long held a scholarly fascination.

When I say that Palliser has "woven," I do mean that in almost the most literal sense: for he has intricately threaded four mysteries into one: the earliest being that of Alfred the Great and the martyr, St. Wulflac. Second is the unsolved 17th-century murder of a Canon-Treasurer, William Burgoyne, inside the Thurchester Cathedral itself. Burgoyne's ghost appears to still haunt certain paths nearby the Cathedral. Then, during the course of Courtine's visit, another murder takes place within the Close: that of a reclusive banker residing at the New Deanery, who was found to have been killed very shortly after Courtine and Fickling had had tea with him. Finally, there's the mystery of Courtine himself - his past, his passions, and his own personal ghosts. And by the time he leaves, some four days after having first arrived in Thurchester, Courtine finds himself less content with his life and how he's lived it. But he's by far a wiser man.

Palliser's style of tale-telling is something one must develop a taste for reading. He certainly has a tendency to get too tedious in his detailing, especially of historical elements. There was quite a bit less active motion, especially during the first 1/3 of the novel, than one could have wished there to be. Also, as with THE QUINCUNX, the reader may well be working out in their head a certain portion of the clues given, well before the hero does. Yet, I must say that- though I read through the more than 800 pages of THE QUINCUNX without even the tinge of anxious thirst, nor verily a hunger pain- I had, by the end, found that it roused my brain sufficiently to really think about it, even -perchance- dream about it. Thus, THE UNBURIED coerced its way into my perusal embrace.

And there's no denying that I'm very glad that it did.

i really wanted to enjoy this book...it was foggy outside, and i was curled up in bed. i typically enjoy gothic, chilling tales and was eagerly anticipating this read. i have to say, much to my chagrin, that this novel was a sore disappointment. while the storyline is complex and developed, it is tiresome and difficult to understand. many obscure references are often interjected which leaves the reader confused and off-track. there is simply TOO much going on in the plot, and there is not enough actually occurring to off-set all the wordy dialogue. in other words, it ends up reading like one longwinded tale in which very little happens. it verbose to a fault and does not employ any stategies of keeping a person entertained. it felt like work. sorry, palliser!

In this book the author has spun an intricate web of manipulation and murder. A mysterious invitation, unsolved murders, a lost ancient manuscript and secret ambitions all form an integral part of the story. This book is like a maze, an ultimate search for the truth along twisted pathways with new surprises at every turn.

The ending is impossible to guess although all of the pieces do fall perfectly into place. It is worth it read this book again and try to look for the clues that the author has sprinkled throughout.

A deeply atmospheric book, the author has done a superb job of recreating a small, Victorian cathedral town and all of its mystery.

Some have compared An Instance of the Fingerpost to this book. In my opinion, there is absolutely no comparison. The Unburied is far superior to the dry, dull An Instance of the Fingerpost. Indeed, most mysteries seem dull and boring compared to this tour de force. Never to be forgotten by me or any other mystery fan.

Charles Palliser's most recent novel, "The Unburied," is utterly fascinating for so many reasons, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to clearly articulate all of them. It is best, perhaps, to be clear about what this novel is not: it is not a Dickensian family drama on the order of his masterpiece, "The Quincunx." It is not a ghost story, Henry James-esque or otherwise. It is not a gothic adventure, a creepy page, turner, or just about anything else you might think. It is, in fact, one of the most clever and enjoyable works of post-modern deception that I have ever read.

The novel is packaged as a Victorian ghost story, and I can't quite tell if that is part of the deceptive plan or if the publisher is merely looking to find a wider audience for this clever little gem. Indeed, the novel begins as though it is going to be a ghost story, and it also wanders recklessly into the murder mystery genre, but it is something beyond either of those kinds of tales. At its heart, Palliser is interested in writing about personal ghosts, and the kinds of narratives we tell our selves to keep from confronting those ghosts - and the kinds of narratives we seek out as a distraction. The protagonist in "The Unburied," is a scholar named Courtine who comes to a small cathedral down in England during the late 19th century to uncover a mystery that relates to his studies of the 9th century king, Alfred. Along the way he gets caught up in a murder mystery from the 17th century, and then a mysterious murder perpetrated during his visit. How do all of these things tie together? They don't. They are not suppose to. As he attempts to uncover these mysteries of the past and the present, Courtine must come face to face with the mysteries of his own past, and rather than discovering the motives of medieval historians or puritan plotters, he realizes he would be better off confronting his own motives.

Unfortunately, this is a puzzle whose picture is only clear once you have completed it. Readers who curl up with their Earl Grey and scones to lose themselves in Victorian delights will soon find themselves befuddled by the details in which Courtine delights. Frankly, I hit a point at about page 150 where I almost threw the book away. I didn't care anymore about the 17th century murder, and we read so many different accounts, involving so many different characters, that the whole thing becomes a big muddle. But I forced myself over that page 150 hump, and it was well worth it. Reader, I finished it, and in the end it was well worth the efforts.

I usually can't stand mysteries but Charles Palliser's "The Quincunx" seemed too good to pass up...and it was. So, I was really eager to read "The Unburied," even though it took me some time to get around to doing just that. I found that "The Unburied" is a very different mystery than is "The Quincunx." While "The Quincunx" was filled with fast-paced adventure and intrigue, "The Unburied" is definitely a 19th century "drawing room" mystery. A lot of this book even takes place in the drawing room...in front of massive fireplaces, during tea, etc. It is a setting that fits the novel and the story told perfectly.

The trouble with "The Unburied," for me at least, is that it can't seem to decide exactly what it is. At first, it seems to be a very Gothic ghost story. Dr. Edward Courtine is an academician who travels to the British town of Thurchester to visit an old friend. In an overly-long opening exposition (one in which I nearly discarded the book), Courtine learns of a 200 year old murder and of a ghost that is said to still haunt Thurchester. Okay, I thought, good. I like ghost stories, as long as they're told with skill and panache.

Courtine however, wasn't as interested in the ghost (or in the fact that the people of Thurchester were acting in a very odd manner) as he was in tracking down a lost book on Alfred the Great. At this point, I felt my interest begin to sag a bit, but still, I thought, perhaps the lost book had something to do with the ghost. Palliser is a clever writer and I thought he would certainly tie the two together...eventually.

"The Unburied" is a book with more red herrings and false clues, more twists and turns than an Alpine mountain pass and this isn't always good. Not only do we have the 200 year old murder to think about, Palliser gives us a fresh murder to entice and confuse us. Is "The Unburied" about the 200 year old murder and the ghost that is said to haunt Thurchester or is it about this recent murder? The answer is really both and neither. If that makes no sense to you, you'll just have to read the book to find out why.

I liked "The Unburied" overall, but I think Palliser made it a little too ponderous, a little too difficult. There's a little too much "telling" in this book and not quite enough "showing." And I think it was a bit overly-long. Even 19th century readers got tired of so much expository material.

If Palliser wanted to write a book that returned the reader to the 19th century English "drawing room" mystery, he certainly succeeded. This a book that is very Victorian in flavor and in pace. I really didn't mind this slow pace...I like atmosphere and "The Unburied" simply abounds with rolling fog, gaslights and things that go bump in the night. What I didn't like was the fact that Palliser left so many questions unanswered and led us down so many false trails that we began to lose sight of the real one.

If you're a reader who loves a good mystery, who loves a mystery in which it's impossible to figure everything out, and if you have the patience to wade through many red herrings and false starts, then "The Unburied" might be perfect for you. But if you need something a little faster-paced and if you need all the questions answered at the book's end, it might be best to pass on this one even though it is very well-written.

I know several people have compared Palliser with Umberto Eco. This is unfair to both authors, I think, as both are very original in style and content. And really, Palliser is nothing at all like Eco! Eco is far more cerebral than is Palliser. Palliser, whose writing is just as good, writes more for the "everyday" reader than does Eco.

Overall, I liked "The Unburied," but I did get impatient with Palliser (and with Courtine) at times, and I did want to know about that ghost!

Charles Palliser is the author who brought the Victorian novel out of the drawing room with The Quincunx, a fast-paced novel of adventure and intrigue.

With The Unburied, however, he takes us back into the drawing room...literally. Much of this book involves fireside conversation over sherry or port, and much of it moves at a pace that would make writers such as Dickens and George Eliot proud.

At first glance, The Unburied seems to be no more than a ghost story, and it is certainly atmospheric, filled as it is with all the spookiness and gloom one usually finds only in the Gothic form of the genre. Palliser, however, deviates somewhat from a standard thriller as he leads us down first one unexpected path, then another.

The book centers on the character of Dr. Edward Courtine, an academic who has come to the English town of Thurchester to visit an old acquaintance. Courtine gradually learns the details of a murder at the local cathedral more than two centuries earlier and of a ghost that some still believe to haunt the area. Courtine, however, hasn't come to Thurchester to hunt ghosts; he has come to look for a lost book about Alfred the Great. So great is his preoccupation with his search, in fact, that he overlooks what the reader can see quite clearly: all of the townsfolk are acting as if they had something to hide.

It is at this point that the unexpected paths make their first appearance. Unexpected paths, red herrings, false clues, the reader really doesn't know what to make of this story. Is the centuries old murder the book's focal point or is it, instead, the murder that has just been committed? Perhaps it both.

Palliser cleverly uses a recently revealed manuscript as a framing device and proceeds to tell his tale in the first-person, with Courtine as the narrator. The story is rewoven many times and readers who fail to pay attention will find themselves at a loss.

The Unburied unfolds in a typically slow Victorian fashion as Courtine embarks on a personal journey, addressing old wounds and looking towards a newly bright future. There is a lot of exposition is this book, but that is all to the good and Palliser has succeeded in creating one of those dark, brooding and intensely atmospheric Victorian novels that he, himself, loves so very much. Some readers, however, may find this frustrating. The Quincunx balanced its nineteenth century setting with a sense of urgency about the plot; The Unburied takes its time as gaslights, fog, architecture and landscape come to be regarded almost as characters in their own right.

By the time we near the end of this amazing book, we begin to wonder if this is a story of murders long ago or ghosts that still walk. Or is it even more? Is it an exploration of the things that can, and often do, haunt a man internally? The answer is something that each reader will have to decide for himself, for this is certainly an ambitious work.

The Unburied is a book for mystery lovers and for non-mystery lovers alike. Anyone who enjoys a well-constructed novel written with meticulous care and detail will find this book time well spent.