I’ve got a couple of books to recommend this month–in two different kinds of categories.
The first is The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory. I have enjoyed previous historical novels by her–while she fictionalizes some of the specifics, they are based on what appears to be sound historical research. This one deals with Mary, Queen of Scots, during the period after she was overthrown by rebellious Scottish lords and fled to England to beg for help from her cousin, Elizabeth I. She was placed in the custody of George Talbot, Lord Shrewsbury, and his wife Bess.
The format she uses in this novel is to focus on each character (Mary, Talbot, and Bess) in turn, using a chapter for each month she focuses on. Sometimes you hear Mary’s inner thoughts, sometimes it’s more narrative…
What looked like it was going to be a simple task–providing hospitality for the queen until she could return to her throne–turned into a disaster for all three of the protagonists…and Gregory steadily walks you through the progress of the disaster, even as you find yourself alternately in sympathy with and wanting to shake sense into each of the three. It’s a good way to get a better sense of customs and life during Elizabeth’s reign–and to make sense and better understand an individual who has either been demonized or romanticized. All three (Mary, Talbot, and Bess) come off as very real human beings whose lives became intertwined in totally unexpected and eventually tragic ways.
The other book I found interesting this month is titled Snark by David Denby. It’s not a long book, but it’s a fascinating read about the kind of “humor” that is damaging our ability to carry on civil conversations. Denby is not opposed to pointed humor, but he discusses how–while sharp humor can point out hypocrisy–snark is more poisonous. It’s not really humor; it’s savage attacks…sometimes based on fact, but more often on some tidbit of gossip that then becomes seen as truth.
While snark has always been around–and Denby gives a brief history going all the way back to Rome–the Internet has made it possible for snark to spread incredibly quickly and widely. As I’ve been involved with some chat sites online, I’ve become aware that dialogue has (at least about some topics!) become more difficult, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Denby’s book helped me understand what’s going on.
If we want to become a more civil society–a society where we can discuss difficult topics about which we disagree–I’d say that this is a must-read. Sharp pointed humor is a valuable asset to society; snark isn’t.
