Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

4.12 Company of Liars

I would say that the biggest liar here is the book itself.  The back flap describes it as, “A retelling of The Canterbury Tales.” Umm, what??? Oh because we are in England, and the Plague is spreading, and people are traveling.  Same thing right?  Ugh…  Why do publishers do that?  Especially a description like that!  As if most readers are searching for another dose of Chaucer like they seem to so desperately need another lovelorn vampire.  My bet is that you lost more readers than you gained with that one folks.  Plus, the readers you did get are annoyed because you lied. 

The Canterbury Tales is full of richly developed characters that are enduring; this book has a collection of characters that are never really hashed out.  They are wet a lot, and mad a lot, and they cook a lot, but I never cared much for any of them.  Is this because they are liars?  No, it is because they are one dimensional and boring.  No one actually changes over the story, just his or her circumstances. I loved the historical information, and the way the author showed the slow dismantling of society when faced with an unbiased terror like the Plague.  To see it spread along with its created prejudice and superstitions was actually fascinating; but that historical information gave way to a murder mystery that I just wanted to be over.  The big twist came too late and with far too little explanation, and the ending was decidedly rushed, although I didn’t hate it.  I am sure a lot of people did but I think by the time I got there the story had nowhere left to go anyway.