Litsy

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I would not like to live in these times at all. The people in charge are greedy, insane and are willing to kill anyone for power. The Monarch does not really have a say. Everyone doesn't trust, and they all lurk in the dark. 2d

Karisimo I feel for these people who are dealing with religious “rules” and traditions changing on the whim of a king. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf I feel for anyone living in those times who had a mental health problem. Very likely to either be denounced as being 'possessed' & killed or stuck away in a place like Bedlam. 2d

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dabbe @LiseWorks I can't even imagine what it would be like to walk on London Bridge and see all the heads on poles--especially for people once in favor with the king--like Cromwell. Maybe 2025 ain't so bad--even with our current horrific leader. 2d

dabbe @Karisimo IKR? It's like one day you're Catholic, oops, no, now you're Protestant, oops, no, back to Catholic. What the heck? 😳 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To still use the word “bedlam“ today to mean “wild uproar and confusion“ from the original place kind of says it all, doesn't it? I really feel for Adam Kite and his family.😔 2d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe I think it underscores that for Henry VIII (whether he wanted to admit it or not) the core issue wasn't so much the form of worship but the seat of power. If it was truly the religious side of things, he wouldn't have part walked it back as he did. 2d

dabbe Some characters set apart by isolation and loneliness: Shardlake (as a lawyer often at odds with the powerful figures he has to encounter), Guy Malton (as a healer and outsider due to his nationality having to work on the margins of society), Adam Kite (whose religious mania confines him to Bedlam), and Tamasin (whose gender limits her opportunities by forcing her to remain at home and deal with the loss of her child while Barak is elsewhere) . 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Get Catherine of Aragon out of my way to allow me to marry good ol' Anne ... whatever it takes. He pretty much stayed Catholic even though he changed the religion so he could divorce Cat. What a scumbag (imho). 2d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Oh I could give Barak a good kick up the backside for how he's acting. Even if he is not out with other women, making Tamasin wonder where he is & what he is doing - I expected better from him. Grief makes people act out in funny ways but no wonder she is angry with him.

I hope Guy is not ill. He has to walk about a lot here & there for Shardlake in this book & at all times of the day & night!

2d

kwmg40 I really like how Sansom explores all the themes you mentioned in this post, especially the attitudes toward and understanding of mental illness at that time. 15h

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf To use his favorite word, Barak is an ARSE! He needs to man up and learn that it takes two to make a marriage work. Hopefully, Shardlake will kick his butt. And Guy ... he just has to be okay, right? 🤞🏻 15h

dabbe @kwmg40 The description of the rooms at Bedlam where these poor people have to stay are almost as bad as the cells at the Tower of London. Just horrific. 😱 15h

AnneCecilie I‘m just happy that I live today and not in the Tudor area. The Tudor area was not a place for be for the poor and powerless which after all is what most people are. What comes across in this book is the confusion of all the religious back and forth, people hardly dare believe anything anymore. 7h

38 likes14 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks The king had syphilis and that disease brings on madness. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks That is one theory but not proven as far as I am aware. Personally I tend to believe the head injury he suffered whilst jousting (the fall which was said to cause Anne to miscarry) altered his personality. After that he was more cruel & mean-tempered. 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf @LiseWorks ... and I'd add to that that he was in incredible pain most of the time due to his infected ulcerous leg and furious that he could no longer be the athletic self he once was. These issues might also have contributed to his later despicableness. 2d

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dabbe To me, Roger‘s murder in the churchyard is a richly symbolic act that sets the tone for the novel‘s exploration of religion, violence, and judgment. It underscores the killer‘s fanaticism, the corruption of sacred spaces, and the pervasive fear of divine retribution that characterizes the Reformation era. This event is the critical starting point for Shardlake‘s investigation and the novel‘s broader themes. 2d

dabbe The title REVELATION itself is symbolic, as the story revolves around a killer who uses the apocalyptic visions from the Book of Revelation as inspiration for their murders. The Book of Revelation symbolizes fear, chaos, and the end times, reflecting the anxieties of 16th-century England during the Reformation, when many believed the world was nearing its end. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes - head injury, chronic pain, & approaching mortality. That would do it. 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf More than enough, right? 2d

AnneCecilie I completely agree with @dabbe 7h

25 likes8 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR

The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I feel sorry for any young girl that He king is after now that he is old 2d

Butterfinger @LiseWorks it makes me angry toward the men who pushed the girls toward the king. Sorry, I am not part of the discussion, but I had been reading your comments. 2d

LiseWorks Oh, I agree. Women were property at the time. @Butterfinger 2d

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OutsmartYourShelf Piers - something shady about him.
Cranmer - seems a bit more human this time. Not so remote.
Catherine Parr - always felt sorry for her. Married to two old men (Latimer & then the King) & when she finally is able to marry the man she loves, disaster strikes. 2d

dabbe @Butterfinger No need to be sorry; chime in whenever you want! And if you'd like me to tag you, I'd be happy to! 🤩 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Excellent points. What a tragic life she had! She's my favorite of all of the wives for many reasons, which I'll wait to share because she'll be in the books more and more. 🤩 2d

dabbe @LiseWorks As a child I always thought how romantic it would have been to have been a princess/queen in Tudor times--even to dastardly Henry. Then I actually learned more about the time period. 😳 And now I am thrilled to be my 2020s free womanly self. 🤩 2d

dabbe Even Shardlake comments on the worthlessness of women: “A terrible thought occurred to me. Dorothy, like Roger, like me, was a lapsed radical. I told myself not to be so foolish; none of those murdered had been connected to each other and there was surely no reason why he should change his pattern and go after Dorothy. And she was a woman, whose opinions counted for less.“ 🤬
2d

dabbe Adam Kite is a deeply troubled and enigmatic character whose religious mania and psychological struggles play a significant role in the novel‘s exploration of faith, madness, and the human condition. His fanaticism symbolizes the darker side of the Reformation, where intense religious fervor could lead to psychological breakdowns. His vulnerability also makes him a sympathetic figure, even as his behavior becomes increasingly erratic. 2d

OutsmartYourShelf @dabbe Yes, & women were then also subdivided. When Shardlake looks up Strodyr, he notes that no-one really cared that much when he killed prostitutes, only when he started killing 'respectable' women. Shades of the Yorkshire Ripper there. (edited) 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Wowza. Had to look him up. Thanks for the information, and I agree 💯! 🤩 2d

kwmg40 I find the characters of Piers and Thomas Seymour interesting. They are definitely not likeable people but I'm eager to see what roles they end up playing in the story. 15h

dabbe @kwmg40 They definitely seem to be on the darker side in the 1st half of the book ... another reason to keep on wanting to read! 😂 15h

AnneCecilie Piers seems a little shady. Thomas Seymour doesn‘t come off that well and I feel isn‘t the smartest one. I just feel sad about Adam, but I hope we learn what happened to make him pray so much. 7h

25 likes14 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#ShardlakeSeriesBR #ShardlakeBR
Wow! It's been two months since our last discussion! Forgive me if these questions are a bit open-ended. Now that we're in Book #4, it just seemed better than to rehash ideas we've already talked about before.
The discussion for the 2nd half of the book will be on 2/28/25.

Thoughts, Shardlakians?

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

LiseWorks I think these books are getting better with each book 2d

Librarybelle One of these days I will catch up! I‘m still on Dark Fire 🤦🏻‍♀️ 2d

OutsmartYourShelf I'm really enjoying this one so far. 2d

See All 9 Comments

dabbe @LiseWorks Agree 💯! 2d

dabbe @Librarybelle No worries. We'll be here! 🤩 2d

dabbe @OutsmartYourShelf Yay! Me, too! 🤩 2d

kwmg40 I'm enjoying this one so far. With the serial killings, it feels darker and more of a thriller than the previous books. I'm finding it hard to put down. 16h

dabbe @kwmg40 Ooh, I love that when a book just grabs you and won't let go! 🤩 15h

AnneCecilie I‘m agreeing with both @LiseWorks and @kwmg40 I also feel that Sansom is showing us different aspects of the Turdor area. In the last book the prison system, in this one the treatment of the mentally ill. And as the religious landscape gets blurrier, it‘s harder to navigate 7h

26 likes9 comments

dabbe

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#shardlakebr #shardlakebuddyread #shardlakeseriesbr @LitsyEvents

Looking forward to Friday's discussion, Shardlakians! 🤩

Daisey, Cuilin, PurpleyPumpkin, Texreader, AnneCecilie, Gissy, Centique, OutsmartYourShelf, jenniferw88, Deblovestoread, Librarybelle, batsy, Chrissyreadit, kwmg40, Mollyanna, curiouserandcurioser, dabbe, Fr3NcHtOaSt, RaeLovesToRead, bthegood, lil1inblue, PageShifter, LiseWorks, The_Book_Ninja, Karisimo, Cheryl_Russell_BookNotes, BookWrym

Daisey Just saying . . . I teach middle school! The comic is great! 😂 🤣 5d

Mollyanna I am all caught up and ready to discuss. Thanks as always for hosting Denise. 4d

LiseWorks Let's hope I remember as I read the first half in December lol 4d

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LiseWorks I love that cartoon 4d

dabbe @Mollyanna YW! And thanks for that! 🤩😂🤗 4d

dabbe @Daisey I did, too! I moved to high school at the end of my career to get a so-called break from all the middle-school madness! 🤩😂🤗 4d

dabbe @LiseWorks Same here, m'dear! 🤩😂🤗 4d

lil1inblue What a great cartoon! I'm ready for discussion - no cramming needed this month! 😂 4d

dabbe @lil1inblue 🤩😂🤗 4d

58 likes1 stack add9 comments

Daisey

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

I finished chapter 24 of Revelation tonight, but now I don‘t want to stop. I might be a bit further by the discussion next week.

#ShardlakeBR

dabbe

tpixie 💛🐱💛 1w

TiredLibrarian It's a great series! 1w

Ruthiella 😻😻😻 1w

dabbe Yay! 🖤🐾🖤 1w

MemoirsForMe 🐈❤️🐈 1w

56 likes5 comments

Deblovestoread

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

#WeeklyFavorite

Couldn‘t put it down.

@Read4life

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 3w

Read4life 💙📚💙 3w

53 likes2 comments

Deblovestoread

Revelation: A Matthew Shardlake Tudor Mystery | C J Sansom

pick

The 4th in the Matthew Shardlake series and my favorite so far. I intended to only read the January section but was drawn in and couldn‘t stop. I have lots of thoughts and hope I can remember them when time to discuss. 4.5 🌟. @dabbe

#BookedinTime #TheTudors @Cuilin

dabbe I hope I can, too! 🤩😂🤗 3w

Cuilin 🎉 I just read book one and ready to start book 2 and may even catch up. 😮 @dabbe 3w

dabbe @Cuilin They're good, aren't they? Do you want me to put you on the tag list? 3w

Cuilin @dabbe yes please. They remind me of another historical mystery series I read years ago though I can‘t remember which one. Maybe Cadfael? I‘m not sure. 3w

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Daisey

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

I‘m finally settling in to start this next Shardlake novel with supper this evening.

#ShardlakeBR #ReadAndEat

dabbe

Butterfinger I enjoyed the show. I have the series on my tbr. 4w

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 4w

58 likes2 comments

Karisimo

Revelation. C.J. Sansom | C J Sansom

These #ShardlakeBR books keep coming up on my #bookspin list! I failed to start it last month, but I'll be sure to get it in now! My #doublespin is a middle grade book I'm looking forward to reading!

@TheAromaofBooks you're so right, now my year can truly begin! 😉

TheAromaofBooks Yay!! Enjoy!! I LOVE the cover for Sylvia Doe!!! 1mo

dabbe 🤩🤩🤩 1mo

33 likes2 comments

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