Define Regarding Books The Owl Killers
Title | : | The Owl Killers |
Author | : | Karen Maitland |
Book Format | : | Hardcover |
Book Edition | : | First Edition |
Pages | : | Pages: 640 pages |
Published | : | June 1st 2009 by Michael Joseph (first published March 26th 2009) |
Categories | : | Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Mystery. Medieval. Fantasy. European Literature. British Literature |
Karen Maitland
Hardcover | Pages: 640 pages Rating: 3.79 | 3664 Users | 441 Reviews
Rendition Supposing Books The Owl Killers
From the author of Company of Liars, hailed as “a jewel of a medieval mystery”* and “an atmospheric tale of treachery and magic,”** comes a magnificent new novel of an embattled village and a group of courageous women who are set on a collision course—in an unforgettable storm of secrets, lust, and rage.England, 1321. The tiny village of Ulewic teeters between survival and destruction, faith and doubt, God and demons. For shadowing the villagers’ lives are men cloaked in masks and secrecy, ruling with violence, intimidation, and terrifying fiery rites: the Owl Masters.
But another force is touching Ulewic—a newly formed community built and served only by women. Called a beguinage, it is a safe harbor of service and faith in defiance of the all-powerful Church.
Behind the walls of this sanctuary, women have gathered from all walks of life: a skilled physician, a towering former prostitute, a cook, a local convert. But life in Ulewic is growing more dangerous with each passing day. The women are the subject of rumors, envy, scorn, and fury…until the daughter of Ulewic’s most powerful man is cast out of her home and accepted into the beguinage—and battle lines are drawn.
Into this drama are swept innocents and conspirators: a parish priest trying to save himself from his own sins…a village teenager, pregnant and terrified…a woman once on the verge of sainthood, now cast out of the Church.…With Ulewic ravaged by flood and disease, and with villagers driven by fear, a secret inside the beguinage will draw the desperate and the depraved—until masks are dropped, faith is tested…and every lie is exposed.
*New York Times Book Review
**Marie Claire
Identify Books During The Owl Killers
Original Title: | The Owl Killers |
ISBN: | 0718153200 (ISBN13: 9780718153205) |
Edition Language: | English |
Literary Awards: | Shirley Jackson Award Nominee for Novel (2009) |
Rating Regarding Books The Owl Killers
Ratings: 3.79 From 3664 Users | 441 ReviewsCritique Regarding Books The Owl Killers
God, religion and a firm foundation of faith has been matters of great befuddlement for me for a while now. We who have feared and revered everything beyond the immediate vicinity of the fire in the cave have come a long way into the multi million dollar world of organized religion. Fear has always been the riding whip for religion and power its allure. Men and women who hold sway over the multitudes with a firm grasp on the pulse of belief will commmand far more murderous mobs than a dictatorLoved her first book and this one was also very good. Dark and atmospheric, Paganism vs. Christianity in the Dark ages. Compelling characters, quite a bit of terror and I am just so glad we are not living during that time period.
I am smitten with Karen Maitland's writting if The Owl Killers is indicitive of her talent I will be spending many hours with her. Maitland evokes vividly the texture and realities of life in Medieval England with this novel. She also introduced me to the Beguines, a medievel society of religious lay women who shunned marriage and the nun's veil to live in collectives. These women may very well be the first feminists who stood against the power of church and state to live lives of service.
Owls are among my favourite birds, mainly because they were important to my maternal grandmother Matilda and they will always be associated with her in my mind. Anyone who kills an owl is immediately persona non grata to me. My one disappointment with this book was that the followers of the pagan religion in this book turned out to be bad guys, killing owls to warn people that they were next if they didnt conform and murdering people just as readily. However, in this novel, there is plenty of
Another historical religious mystery which enthralled me from the beginning .Never had heard about beguines, though I was familiar with nunneries. This is set in 1321 in a small seaside village in England where mysterious occurrences occur and the village folklore seems to be actually happening .There is a beguinage with mostly good women , a manor housing cruel lords , the owl masters who try to cause havoc in the village , many deaths and killings happen , and accusations of witchery and
THIS BOOK, you guys. I know I keep saying that, but seriously, I cannot gush enough about this book. It has been a while since I have completely fallen in love with a book like I did with The Owl Killers. And that's saying something because this book was DARK. This was my work read of the moment, but despite reading this in an office breakroom, I gasped, I laughed, I fumed, I cried. A GOOD book (to me, anyway) is one that gets me to feel, to react. Let me tell you, The Owl Killers fit the bill.
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