The Witchfinder Sister Beth Underdown 9780241978030 Books
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'The number of women my brother Matthew killed is one hundred and six...' THE PAGE-TURNING RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER 'A compelling debut from a gifted storyteller' Sarah Perry, author of The Essex Serpent When Alice Hopkins' husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives. But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women's names. To what lengths will Matthew's obsession drive him? And what choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan? Winner of the HWA Debut Crown Award 2017, and a Spring 2018 Richard and Judy Book Club pick, this beautiful and haunting historical thriller is perfect for fans of Sarah Waters, The Miniaturist and Burial Rites. 'Vivid and terrifying' Paula Hawkins, author of The Girl on the Train 'A clever, pacey read that blends truth and fiction...what elevates this book above other historical thrillers are the questions that Underdown asks about the nature of power, fear and how easy it is to become complicit in terrible acts' The Times 'A chilling, creeping novel with very obvious parallels to more modern forms of witch-hints and misogyny, but is still firmly rooted in an England torn apart by civil war and gripped by religious fervour' Red 'A haunting, brooding debut' Psychologies 'At once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller' Patrick Gale 'A richly told and utterly compelling tale, with shades of Hilary Mantel' Kate Hamer, author of The Girl in the Red Coat 'Anyone who liked Cecilia Ekback's Wolf Winter is going to love this' Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street 'Beth Underdown grips us from the outset and won't let go...at once a feminist parable and an old-fashioned, check-twice-under-the-bed thriller' Patrick Gale, author of Notes from an Exhibition 'A tense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water 'Beth Underdown cleverly creates a compelling atmosphere of dread and claustrophobia... Even from the distance of nearly four hundred years, her Matthew Hopkins is a genuinely frightening monster' Kate Riordan 'A tense, surprising and elegantly-crafted novel' Ian McGuire, author of The North Water 'Superb dark, terrifying and utterly compelling' Tracy Borman 'A novel for our times. Beth Underdown's The Witchfinder's Sister explores another time and another place to lay bare the visceral horror of what a witch hunt truly is' New York Times Book Review 'Entertaining and thought-provoking, with a valuable message for our own times' Washington Post
The Witchfinder Sister Beth Underdown 9780241978030 Books
This is one of the most engaging historical novels I have ever read. A compelling story, beautifully portrayed: the lives and times of good-natured people being turned upside-down, exposing their vulnerability and flaws. Simultaneously sad and uplifting, appalling in its content and inspiring in its delivery, Underdown’s debut novel showcases her as a thorough researcher and a hugely talented writer.Don’t be fooled by the content, though – the idea of the witchhunt itself is enough to unnerve some, and as a pagan myself I feel a great deal of empathy and sympathy for the suffering of those women. Yet Underdown manages to weave her story with raw human emotion and profound understanding of psychology – psychology of masses, of victims of their time, of ultra-religious minds, and of what today we understand as depression, schizophrenia, neurosis, anxiety, etc.
The portrayal of Essex as a county in trouble is also worthy of note. Essex: the earthly recipient of negative energies, not because of witchcraft itself, but because of the wrong ideas that people so easily and readily dispersed about those with whom they had an issue… I think Underdown understood this even from the first stages of her research – the dense energy that became trapped in a part of land because of such horrible actions against human beings, the loss of power of even local religious leaders themselves struggling against manipulation, fear, and in some cases, mass apathy.
I won’t say much about the story itself, given that Matthew Hopkins is a historical character with a documented life already out there for anyone to find, but mostly because in Underdown’s retelling, the characters are there to be discovered by the reader. I will say this, however: it takes a special kind of talent to turn dark history into a poetic piece of narrative, and Beth Underdown has that talent!
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Tags : The Witchfinder's Sister [Beth Underdown] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. 'The number of women my brother Matthew killed is one hundred and six...' THE PAGE-TURNING RICHARD AND JUDY BOOK CLUB BESTSELLER 'A compelling debut from a gifted storyteller' Sarah Perry,Beth Underdown,The Witchfinder's Sister,Penguin UK,0241978033,FICTION Historical General
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The Witchfinder Sister Beth Underdown 9780241978030 Books Reviews
I had known of witch hunting from stories about Salem but never read an account that could be pretty accurate...it was so sad to read but well written
Thoroughly enjoyed this authors’ character development and the way she wove historical facts into one story from the witch hunt era in England’s past.
4 stars. A very interesting, well written book about a fascinating period in history. The writing was beautiful, and put you squarely in the chilling time and place of 1645, England- and a witch Hunt. Growing up near Salem, Mass, I was always fascinated and horrified by our terrible history of the witch trials in America, it was interesting to learn about the equivalent in England. I also enjoyed the day to day details of how people lived in that time, from a woman's perspective.
Engrossing. Beautifully written. I had a hard time putting the book down but I felt like throwing it on more than one occasion. This novel makes you feel the claustrophobia of being a woman 500 years ago. The author threw a curve ball to relieve it towards the end but finished with an "oh boy" twist at the end.
I honestly couldn't wait to get through this book, not because I was anxious to pick it up and read it because I was unable to put it down, but rather that it was long winded and the language was more of an old English style, that was not familiar. There were interesting parts, and it's unfathomable that people actually believed there were witches and the ridiculous things they claimed of women then. I didn't find the characters overly enthralling, somewhat two dimensional. I did, however, chuckle out loud at the ending. The irony!
If someone would ask me if I'd recommend this book, probably not. I just found it to be drudgery reading it.
It was a little dry and lukewarm. While the writing itself was educated and the history it was based on interesting, the overall tale was lacking excitement in my opinion.
SPOILER ALERT
I found it hard to believe that Alice, after months of being locked and malnourished in the attic, had the strength to smother her brother to death with a pillow. The entire story she plays witness to his atrocious behavior without doing a thing, then when she is at her weakest she is able to kill him in that way? I was frustrated with her throughout the book. I literally rolled my eyes when I read the part about how she ended him. It seemed to lack imagination.
The story is told from the point of view of a young widow who returns home to live with her brother. He is a severe and cold hearted man who has developed a talent for discovering witches. He sadistically torments his sister through intimidation.
She fears him but tries to temper his behavior. It is very chilling to read the cold and formal account of this woman and the horror she witnesses.
When she tries to expose him, he tells the other well to do men of the town that she is mad. The town leaders see her as a weak, crazy woman and are grateful to her brother when he locks her away in the attic.
The book is really interesting and written in the style of a journal. As the story enfolds, the woman's terror grows. It is chilling. I recommend it.
This is one of the most engaging historical novels I have ever read. A compelling story, beautifully portrayed the lives and times of good-natured people being turned upside-down, exposing their vulnerability and flaws. Simultaneously sad and uplifting, appalling in its content and inspiring in its delivery, Underdown’s debut novel showcases her as a thorough researcher and a hugely talented writer.
Don’t be fooled by the content, though – the idea of the witchhunt itself is enough to unnerve some, and as a pagan myself I feel a great deal of empathy and sympathy for the suffering of those women. Yet Underdown manages to weave her story with raw human emotion and profound understanding of psychology – psychology of masses, of victims of their time, of ultra-religious minds, and of what today we understand as depression, schizophrenia, neurosis, anxiety, etc.
The portrayal of Essex as a county in trouble is also worthy of note. Essex the earthly recipient of negative energies, not because of witchcraft itself, but because of the wrong ideas that people so easily and readily dispersed about those with whom they had an issue… I think Underdown understood this even from the first stages of her research – the dense energy that became trapped in a part of land because of such horrible actions against human beings, the loss of power of even local religious leaders themselves struggling against manipulation, fear, and in some cases, mass apathy.
I won’t say much about the story itself, given that Matthew Hopkins is a historical character with a documented life already out there for anyone to find, but mostly because in Underdown’s retelling, the characters are there to be discovered by the reader. I will say this, however it takes a special kind of talent to turn dark history into a poetic piece of narrative, and Beth Underdown has that talent!
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