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The Unburied by: Charles Palliser

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Rating: - Great fun - ever felt like a pawn ?

Having been gripped by The Quincunx (fantastic) and amused (and bemused too) by Betrayals (out of print i think) I was at least prepared for the labrynthine plot of The Unburied. It is intelligent and funny and well written and keeps you guessing. Ecclesiastical politics, scholastic rivalry and a fascinating whodunnit, Morse meets Trollope. Palliser's books are shifting sands. Dr Courtine, our eyes to the truth is a flawed and human hero. Who can you believe? - now there's the mystery. Reader beware. You'll love it.

Rating: - Stick with it

A book where little is what it first seems, and which will stimulate re-reading after completion. As I ploughed through the first 100 pages or so I thought, this one's a slow burner. The suspense and mystery build up slowly, but by the end I was hooked, and the final 50 pages are gripping. I was worried that the final few pages left too little space to satisfactorily resolve the plot, but in fact I think Palliser has handled the pacing well. What an imagination this guy has! Does anyone know anything about him?

I would recommend this book.

Rating: - I think I think it was a great book.

This book is a funny old bird. It's an on-the-fencer. I got so involved in it that I read it in one sitting, yet, the ending left me so bemused that I felt Mr Paliser had stayed up late, like myself, in order to finish it. The plot, or should I say plots, no plot will do, rather cleverly revolves around three mysteries in history focusing around the Cathedral. The mysteries, however, are not the central story, that role is given to human nature, more particularly, man's greed and self-absorption. The use of the Sleeping-Beauty-esque tale at the end is also a clever placement, showing the narrator of the Account's own insecurity and vulnerability. I would, at the end of the day, recommend this work to anyone interested in historic fiction, detective fiction, or good old-fashioned "anti-philanthropy".

Rating: - An excellent murder mystery

Dr Courtine is an investigative historian taking advantage of a little spare time before Christmas to study his favourite subject, Alfred the Great. Instead of a little quiet solitude, Dr. Courtine becomes involved in an investigation of a disappearance two hundred years ago, uncovers lies and deceit with regards to his manuscript and becomes embroiled in a murder investigation. Throw in the ghost and a shifty former best friend, and all Palliser's ingredients are in place. Written through accounts as opposed to narrative, along the same lines as Bram Stoker's "Dracula", The Unburied is a compelling piece of historical fiction that evokes the late Victorian period vividly. The setting, characters and most of all the strong plot which maintains intrigue throughout, result in a fantastic read. This is the first Palliser novel I have read, I do not intend to stop there.

Rating: - A story within a story within a story - all equally tedious

I have very rarely found a plot more difficult to follow - not because of a lack of understanding, but the author's failure to bring any sense of empathy for, or interest in, his characters and their lives. Palliser has tried to use two of the oldest plot devices: drawing comparisons between two apparently unrelated events to illustrate the human condition; and the whodunnit. It is rare that I've ever seen either done so badly.

The irony is that the book tells three stories in history - and all of them are equally tedious.

(for people who have read the book - did housewives ever spend so long discussing fourteenth century history with such enthusiasm? I think not.)

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