Book Reviews: An Irish Country Doctor and The Knight of Maison-Rouge

Well, that's a title I never anticipated typing out! :-) Anyway, I read two books over break, so if you care, here are my reviews, one of a modern bestseller and one of a forgotten classic.

An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor- I found this book on one of Barnes & Noble's "good books" tables and picked it up, because I've been trying to be a little bit more adventurous with my book-buying. It's a fictional story about a newly-graduated doctor from Belfast and his new life in a small town called Ballybucklebo. (I have no idea how you pronounce that.) The story focuses on the new doctor, Barry, and his unorthodox mentor, Dr. O'Reilly as they tackle eccentric townsfolk and Barry learns about love or whatever.

I liked it, but didn't quite love it. I was expecting it to read like James Herriot, which in retrospect was a somewhat damaging expectation. An Irish Country Doctor was a quick, enjoyable vacation read, but can't compare with the sweetness of James Herriot, who also has the benefit of being, you know, real.

Who would like this book: Anyone on vacation who likes stories about living and learning in a small rural town. Basically, it's a good book to pass along to your mom or aunt or sister for a lazy summer afternoon.

The Knight of Maison-Rouge: A Novel of Marie Antoinette (Modern Library)

The Knight of Maison-Rouge by Alexandre Dumas- Here's a confession: I don't particularly seek out historical fiction that stars long-dead royalty, and I have adored Alexandre Dumas since the age of 14. So when I saw this novel on the shelf at B&N, I was a little wary. One one hand, Dumas! On the other, "A novel of Marie Antoinette". I stood there wavering for another minute before I picked up the book and read the first line:

It was the night of the tenth of March, 1793. The bell at Notre-Dame had just struck ten, and each stroke rang out clear and distinct, one after the other, before flying off into the ether like a night bird soaring from some bronze nest, sad, monotonous, and resonant.

As soon as I read that line, all the wonderful memories of reading, no, devouring, The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo came flooding back.

I'm so glad I decided to buy it.

The book is just so very Dumas. It's funny and rollicking and satisfying, but has moments of genuine romance and terror. The plot takes place during the Terror, a horrifying time of guillotines and political turmoil. (One unexpected benefit of the book is the crash-course history lesson provided by the many endnotes.) The hero is citizen Maurice Lindey, an honorable Revolutionary and one of Dumas' typical lover-boys. He's still likable, but I found the other leads more appealing, like the witty, verse-spouting Lorin and the gentle, driven Knight of Maison-Rogue. There was also a female lead, something I hadn't really seen before from Dumas. The women in The Three Muskateers were either Evil (Milady) or Annoying (that chambermaid or whatever that D'Art. lusted after). This woman, Genevieve, at times is annoying and swoony. But she's also strong and sassy for much of the book, calling out the men in her life on their selfish, maybe even boorish behavior.

My biggest complaint is with the translation. A review by Charles Taylor summed it up for me: "There are a few glaring anachronisms in Julie Rose's translation, phrases that strike the reader's ear as contemporary. But Dumas' sweeping, dramatic spirit comes through." I'm not a huge fan of translating novels into contemporary language. Books don't need to be archaic, nor do they need to sound like a modern-day workplace. Still, the book is excellent, and the translation was just a minor regret or annoyance.

Who would like this book: Anyone who likes historical fiction, Dumas, adventures, or good stories.