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I'm jumping into this group. Hope its okay.
I haven't quite finished it yet - just hit the self-mutilation chapter but my initial thoughts are as follows... I didn't mind the story-telling style applied to history. I have experienced it before with authors like Alison Weir and find that it makes it easier for non-hardcores like me to wade through historical events. I will say, however, that the author might be trying a little too hard to imitate a certain style of Victorian writing that I actually found a little off-putting. The way that I often have a hard time accepting a gender reversal in an author's main character, I guess I also find it distracting when a modern author imitates the voice of another era although I can understand why this particular author made this choice. I also found that the author repeated himself in the book and I can't tell if that was for effect or if he just forgot that he had explained that point previously. On the whole, however, I think the 3 out of 5 is fair. The topic is interesting and it hasn't been hard going. Plus it totally makes me want to go out and get a dictionary...unfortunately not the OED. Did anyone else think that Samuel Johnson's dictionary would make a great read or is it just me?
Mel
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