The Plague Tales

Rating:
Summary: The Worst Novel Ever!
Review: I though that this was the worst novel it has ever been my misfortune to read. The characters were atrocious. Anyone who reads this book closely will find that it is full of inconsistancies in the characters' actions. Don't waste the $$. It's not worth it. If you want a really good book, try "The Hot Zone". It's not fiction but reads like it.

Rating:
Summary: the burning road
Review: I thought the burning road was a wonderful book. Also the plague tales was equally good. I eagerly await the next book from Ms. benson.

Rating:
Summary: Enthralling and Entertaining...
Review: The characters were fully fleshed and the twin plots kept rolling right along. It was a very interesting look at everyday life during the plague(s). I did not care for the language and (bits) of sex in it. I laughed out loud hard at several spots, not because of any poor writing but at some genuinely funny moments. This first book is very good -- I haven't had a book that caught me like this for a long time. Her second book THE BURNING ROAD was absolutely not able to recapture the flavor, excitement, melancholy and humor of the first one. Stick with the first one and you'll be fine.

Rating:
Summary: Good paranoid blend of past and present
Review: In Ann Benson's The Plague Tales, the reader is introduced to two timelines and two protagonists: Janie Crow, a former surgeon from the near future, and Alejandro Canches-Hernandez, a Jewish doctor of the 14th century. The world in which both characters live is dominated by illness and death. For Janie, it's world trying to recover from the "Outbreaks", an undefined plague that wiped out most of the US, including her family. For Alejandro, it's the Bubonic Plague, which killed almost half of Europe during the 1300s. These two timelines intersect at several points throughout the book, especially in the case of Caroline, Janie's assistant, who seemingly dreams of the 14th century while suffering from its scourge dug up in the early 21st century. Benson creates a wonderful sense of suspense as the reader approaches the first third of the book. Although some of the plot points are obviously contrived, especially in the modern timeline, by the middle of the story, the reader is taken in. Benson paints an accurate picture of ancient and modern prejudice, paranoia, and desperation, as the protagonists of both times race to save their worlds and themselves. A good read.

Rating:
Summary: Great Novel!
Review: The was by far the best novel I've read in the last 10 years. Not a dead spot in the book from start to finish. Can't believe this was her first novel. A real winner!

Rating:
Summary: worst ending of a book I've ever read
Review: I can't remember the last time I actually screeched when I finished the end of a book--it was completely unbelievable and tacked on! Most of the modern characters were barely sketched-in so I don't know why I cared. The only thing that saved it for me was the descriptions in the 14th century part, though I agree with many readers that the connection between the two parts was tenuous at best. The Doomsday Book was much better--at least I wasn't rolling my eyes in disbelief.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent and exciting read.
Review: This was a very exciting and interesting novel. The chapters that describe plague torn Europe in the thirteen hundreds were excellent. The chapters dealing with the future were a bit more wordy, but were also an interesting read.

Rating:
Summary: A fabulous tale of two stories intertwined into one.
Review: Ann Benson has created an epic tale from two unlikely stories that magnificently become one in a mind boggling creative intertwining of an ancient as well as a futuristic tale. Encountering dynamic characters and suspenseful plot themes, readers are brought back and fourth between the 14th and 21st centuries untill they reach the climatic conclusion of The Plague Tales.

Rating:
Summary: It had its moments....
Review: Although Ms. Benson has created a medical thriller as well as a historical fiction novel, the plot in her novel can be slow and hard to get through. I found it hard to connect with her characters, who seemed wrapped up in their sad stories and did not touch anyone personally. Also, the two plots in the past and future never connected and they seemed a bit unplausible. However, the book had its moments of excitement and tension as you wonder what the plague is going to do next. A good read for when you have nothing to do, and it has me interested enough to read her sequel.

Rating:
Summary: reminded me of _The Doomsday Book_ by Connie Willis
Review: although it was perhaps a bad choice to read right after i'd read the Doomsday Book (another plague-medieval time/modern plague-near-future timeframe book with a markedly different plot), i enjoyed this book quite a bit. there were a few parts that were a little slow and hard to plow through, but i found the stories for the most part quite enthralling.