The Master of All Desires

Rating:
Summary: Quircky entertainment - fun read
Review: I enjoy all of JMR's novels of this genre (Oracle Glass & Serpent Garden) - I love the strong willed "underdog" female lead characters, their feminist attitudes in a society that treats them as property, and the sarcastic humor of their other-world friends. I laughed out loud at "the master of all desires" throughout this book. An enjoyable read, lots of fun, set among rich detail.

Rating:
Summary: Quircky entertainment - fun read
Review: I enjoy all of JMR's novels of this genre (Oracle Glass & Serpent Garden) - I love the strong willed "underdog" female lead characters, their feminist attitudes in a society that treats them as property, and the sarcastic humor of their other-world friends. I laughed out loud at "the master of all desires" throughout this book. An enjoyable read, lots of fun, set among rich detail.

Rating:
Summary: A complete waste of time
Review: I'm halfway through, and wondering how long it will take to finish. I have never before felt this way about a book by Judith. I ADORE "A Vision of Light," et al. But this one is slow, the characters are shallow, and it's laughably silly in parts with the heroine hardly reacting to ghosts and a "terrible" demon head who whines like a child and tosses out lame jokes. (Then there's the fallen angel of history and the sparkly "things" swirling around him--seriously, it's described that way.) If the characters have no fear of these "evil" beings, why should the reader? At times, I felt I was reading a children's book or a comic book. The witch in Snow White is scarier. There was no sense of suspense or danger because of this.

And no, the heroine deson't have to be perfect--but she should be interesting and sympathetic.

If you haven't read JKR's other books, please don't start with this one. Find a copy of "A Vision of Light"--one of the most memorable, touching, moving, and humorous historicals I've ever read.

Rating:
Summary: Such a wonderful book!
Review: I've been a fan of Riley ever since I read "The Oracle Glass." Lately I've been reading all of her books all at once in a fit of passion for historical fiction. So I've had the distinct pleasure of watching her progress as a writer, getting steadily better and better. This, being her latest, is probably her most well-written book. Maybe not my favorite, but it showcases really suberb writing skills.

One of the great things about it is the humor. Riley's books have always been marketed as humorous, but except for a few sniggers, I always thought they were more dramatic romances. This is the first book of hers that's made me laugh out loud, and often (which is rare in books -- for some reason I'm rather humorless when reading, unless it's done REALLY well). It's a wonderfully frothy book, with a cast that redefines the word 'colorful.' A pair of high-strung lovers, a ball-busting aunt with a house full of ghosts, a malevolent queen, a truculent prophet, and a talking head. (You heard me.) This book is really an ensemble piece, something I don't remember ever seeing pulled off so flawlessly. No one really takes center stage -- despite the ingenue, Sibille, being the plot's focus, she inevitably fighting for your attentions with the hilariously crochety Nostradamus and the charasmatic Catherine de Medici. It's... well, it's just fun.

Or it would be, except for the undeniably dark overtones throughout. "Master of All Desires" contains a lot of fascinating historical and political information of the time, and alludes heavily to an event not portrayed in the book: the Massacre of St. Bartholomew. So I'd reccomend one of my favorite movies, "Queen Margot," in addition to this book. It will give you a future glimpse of many of the (historical) characters, as well as portray the massacre in horrifying detail. It's the only French history I knew of before reading the book, and I think I did okay. So, watch it before, or watch it after. Whatever floats your boat.

My only complaint was the book didn't really stick to the classical stucture of climax, denoument, etc, so I felt like it dragged in places, but that's a purely personal thing. Go out and read this book!

Rating:
Summary: Smart, funny, irresistible
Review: If you have not read anything by Judith Merkle Riley, you are in for a treat. Riley, a political science professor at the prestigious Claremont Colleges in California, must be one heck of a lecturer because her books fly through history, weaving strands of politics, culture, humor and magic together into an irresistible tapestry. "The Master of All Desires" is Menander the Undying, purveyor of anyone's deepest wishes (at a small price of your soul, of course) who now takes the form of a grisly mummified head in a box. No one understands him and he is cranky all the time, especially now that he has fallen into the hands of someone who absolutely refuses to wish for anything. Sibille is new to Paris, has very big feet and an overblown sense of her own refinement but she is no fool and knows what the cost of any poorly worded wish will be. No so scrupulous are those around her, including the Queen of France and the King's mistress Diane de Portiers. They'll happily take Menander off Sibille's hands . . .except they can't. Will she ever be able to unload this awful box that materializes wherever she goes and nags her all night long? Can Nostradamus help-and would he if he could? Intelligent, funny, surprising, and full of action,"The Master of All Desires" is historical fiction at its best.

Rating:
Summary: An extremely enjoyable book!
Review: This is my favorite book by Judith M. Riley. I didn't think much of her first book, but I have found that this author has improved with every book. I loved all the characters; they were interesting as well as entertaining. It some aspects, the book had a little "sillyness" thrown about, but this only increased the fun of this book. The way people act in ordinary life is strange- it is fitting that they be just as strange in books! And the little bits of sillyness (I love when the Banker Montavert addresses menander as "monsieur evil head") are perfect bits of surrealism. This book is excellent, truly excellent

Rating:
Summary: If You're Desperate
Review: This was my second foray into the world of Judith Merkle Riley's work. My first, "The Oracle Glass," was good. But I really liked "The Master of All Desires" much better.

I *really* liked these characters. Sibille seems very real to me. True, she isn't perfect, but I think that's what I enjoyed most about her. She is intelligent, passionate, and a bit conceited, not a great beauty. Aunt Pauline is the epitome of the widowed rich aunt, eccentric, too old to put up with nonsense. Nostradamus as a cranky old man is delightful. And Menander, the Undying Head and Master of All Desires is wickedly funny. In fact, all the ghosts and ghoulies seem to have distinct personalities, reminiscent of the spirits haunting Hogwarts in Harry Potter's world.

The verbal jousting and fencing between the ladies and Menander is priceless. The conversation is first-rate, giving the appearance that matching wits with a 2000-year-old mummified head was a perfectly normal thing to do in 16th-century France. Nostradamus' dealings with Anael, the disorganized keeper of History and the Future was equally delightful.

And while all this is going on, the history of France is being shaped by the Queen, the King, and the King's mistress. The power struggles among these three are all influenced by Menander, in ways no one anticipated.

Full of surprises, witty, and with a distinct point of view -- "The Master of All Desires" is definitely worth a read.

Rating:
Summary: the read of all desires
Review: This was the most delicious read I have had in decades. After too much force-fed reading in graduate school, I lost my ability to enjoy reading, but this book miraculously, delighted me.

I found it witty and profound, thought the supernatural elements -- Menander, Anael, and the ghosts in Aunt Pauline's house, were the best part (so there Mr. Cranky!) I most especially adored the duels of wits between Auntie Pauline and the "shriveled head in a box".

Rating:
Summary: Wonder blend of fact and fantasy
Review: What a delightful blending of historical fact to fictional fancy. The story follows a well know historical triangle between Queen Catherine de Medici , her husband, King Henri II, and his lover, Diane de Poitiers. Then through in an elderly and cranky Nostradamus and you've got a funny and entertaining novel.

It would appear that both Queen Catherine and Diane de Poitiers want to get their hands on The Master of All Desires, aka Menander the Undying. Menander is a disembodied head that can grant any wish. The problem is he has a nasty habit of granting your wish, but always with the classic saying "Be careful what you wish for." Meanander is in the hands of a young Sibille Artaud de La Roque who refuses to make a wish and is trying to free herself of Menander so that she can marry her love Nicolas and have a normal life.

The result is a true delight that feels like a modern day Shakespeare comedy. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Riley's work.

My star ratings:

One star - couldn't finish the book
Two stars - read the book, but did a lot of skipping or scanning. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection or search out other books by the author
Three stars - enjoyable read. Wouldn't add the book to my permanent collection. Would judge other books by the author individually.
Four stars - Liked the book. Would keep the book or would look for others by the same author.
Five start - One of my all time favorites. Will get a copy in hardback to keep and will actively search out others by the same author.


Rating:
Summary: Wonder blend of fact and fantasy
Review: What a delightful blending of historical fact to fictional fancy. The story follows a well know historical triangle between Queen Catherine de Medici , her husband, King Henri II, and his lover, Diane de Poitiers. Then through in an elderly and cranky Nostradamus and you've got a funny and entertaining novel.

It would appear that both Queen Catherine and Diane de Poitiers want to get their hands on The Master of All Desires, aka Menander the Undying. Menander is a disembodied head that can grant any wish. The problem is he has a nasty habit of granting your wish, but always with the classic saying "Be careful what you wish for." Meanander is in the hands of a young Sibille Artaud de La Roque who refuses to make a wish and is trying to free herself of Menander so that she can marry her love Nicolas and have a normal life.

The result is a true delight that feels like a modern day Shakespeare comedy. I can't wait to read more of Ms. Riley's work.