Musing Monday

Musing Mondays asks you to muse about one of the following each week…

• Describe one of your reading habits.
• Tell us what book(s) you recently bought for yourself or someone else, and why you chose that/those book(s).
• What book are you currently desperate to get your hands on? Tell us about it!
• Tell us what you’re reading right now — what you think of it, so far; why you chose it; what you are (or, aren’t) enjoying it.
• Do you have a bookish rant? Something about books or reading (or the industry) that gets your ire up? Share it with us!
• Instead of the above questions, maybe you just want to ramble on about something else pertaining to books — let’s hear it, then!

My Musing:

Right now I'm reading The Hangman's Daughter. It's going rather slowly. First, I was in a car accident and was the only one in the vehicle to achieve a concussion (go me!), so I haven't been able to read much :( (or post anything, as you can tell). And second, the book is... well, it's a little dry. 

I enjoy the historical and completely human aspect of this book - how people would go into hysteria over things that they couldn't explain or solve. Science and forensics weren't exactly top of their game back then, so people had to find a way to channel their fear. "Let's just blame the easiest target, call her witch, burn her, and be done with it! Case closed!"

It seems pretty ridiculous to us today, but in a time when science was basically considered blasphemous to most, witchcraft and associations with the devil were more logical.

So while it's interesting to see things from a totally different perspective and a different time, what bothers me about this book is the lack of emotion. It's completely dry. Children are dying or in danger; a seemingly innocent women is being called to the stake; a hangman deals with the baggage that comes with torturing and taking lives. This is all pretty heavy stuff, but while I understand that, I can't feel any of it. The author doesn't portray these emotions in a way that touches the reader. It's explained and described, but I don't feel the passion, pain, or fear behind the words. 

I'm having a hard time getting into this book. The concept and the story itself is awesome - but without feeling what the characters are feeling, I can compare this experience to reading a history textbook so far. You can gather the information, but you can't relate to how people felt at the time. 

What are your literary musings today?

Cheers!!