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Title: Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon, Jeff Woodman ISBN: 1-4025-6884-3 Publisher: Recorded Books Unabridged Pub. Date: September, 2003 Format: Audio CD Volumes: 8 List Price(USD): $29.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.07 (81 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: "Lord John" -- Not a Bad Start for a New Series
Comment: "Lord John and the Private Matter" started existance as a short story that got away from the author, and ended up instead as a novel. It is the first of a series of mysteries featuring a character from the wildly popular "Outlander" series by Diana Gabaldon. Lord John is an 18th century British army officer, who also happens to be gay. His sexual orientation is made known to the reader from the beginning (if they did not know it already from reading "Outlander), but it is not common knowledge among his fellow officers. In solving the rather light-weight mystery, Lord John gives the reader a tour of the underground world of some 18th century London homosexuals, including pubs that catered to gays, as well as houses of prostitution. Some of the vocabulary in the book is rather modern (such as the use of the word 'transvestite'), and the author states that she did take liberties in this area. There is a brief encounter with a male prostitute, which may disturb some readers.
The strength of the novel is with the characters, not the plot. Lord John is very likable and intelligent; his loyalty to his family shines through the entire work. We also get to meet his delightful mother, who is witty and well-read. My impression was that mother was aware of her son's sexual orientation, although that is not spelled out; his 16-year-old female cousin is obviously unaware, as she would like to see him married.
I hope that future "Lord John" books have a stronger plot line and a more interesting mystery. Ms Gabaldon's "Outlander" series is full of historical detail, has complex plot lines, and very memorable characters, so that this book was a bit of a disappointment to a reader who has read all of her previous books more than once. However, the strong characterizations alone will keep me coming back to "Lord John."
Rating: 5
Summary: Private Matter indeed, me Lord!
Comment: I have tried to read Gabaldon's tomes of great renown, i. e. The Outlander series, and I may yet try again. But something about this little book in purple on the Sam's Club sales shelf wooed me, much as the small detective series of Sharon Kay Penman's protagonist, Justin de Quincey had lured me into a series of mysteries in the time of Eleanor of Aquitaine.
And I just thought I should give this shorter write a try. I am so glad I did! For I discovered much more than I thought I would in the pages of Lord John's tale, a story of intrigue befitting the times of the mid-1700's in England and rich with a history of a seamier side of life which directly impacts the lives of Lord John and the other characters.
I found Lord John's role in the nobility of his day and its leadership of the English military quite fascinating, especially as it linked itself into the very real underworld of humanity, the scandalous and necessary part of whoring, both male and female, and the varied sexual proclivities that have always been enmeshed in human life.
Was I surprised by Lord John's tastes? Yes! Was it off-putting? No! In fact, his sense of duty to family and his task as an agent of the monarch, indeed his self-knowledge and loyalty to who he really is are quite admirable. And Gabaldon's skill at keeping me reading, leaving just enough to question, made the novel one I found hard to put down.
The other characters in the story, especially the Byrd brothers, Quarry, Stubbs, Olivia and Lord John's mother, the Countess, are colorful enough to make me feel like I would enjoy seeing them again, as is the especially flamboyant Stephan von Namtzen. Even the villains are sympathetic with a seemingly despicable Trevelyan and his Irish apothecary Scanlon assuming near heroic purpose as the tale unwinds.
This little book is quite user friendly. It feels good in one's hands, and its smaller size, with a less crowded set of words on each page made me feel like I was just breezing through it. Nothing weighty here, though the social and moral questions it presents, which are set in a time of England's war with France, and the tragedies that war brings are weighty indeed.
Most wonderful of all is Gabaldon's skill in writing historical fiction with a mystery interwoven. I really shall look forward to the rest of Lord John's trilogy. And I will promptly mail my copy of the book to my very dear friend for his enjoyment. I shall delight in knowing how he views this tale.
If you like historical fiction that is on the mark, and you consider yourself a mystery buff, I suggest you spend some time with this private matter as well. This is mature adult fiction, at its best.
Rating: 2
Summary: Mediocre Historical Mystery
Comment: I expected something more from than a bland (at best) mystery novel. Diana Gabaldon is a favorite of mine, and since I'm also a mystery fan I was thrilled that she was releasing a mystery. However, upon reading, this seems like a side project that she didn't devote her full attention to. The story is missing the passion and vivid characterization of her other books. The plot points moved along slowly, and while I do like Lord John, I found the majority of the characters confusing and bland. I didn't care what happened to any of them, really. There are much better mystery novels around, if you need a Diana Gabaldon fix I'd reread Outlander instead.
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Title: The Outlandish Companion by Diana Gabaldon, Diana Gabaldon ISBN: 0385324138 Publisher: Delacorte Press Pub. Date: 29 June, 1999 List Price(USD): $27.95 |
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Title: The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon ISBN: 0385336764 Publisher: Delta Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon ISBN: 0440212561 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 02 June, 1992 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon ISBN: 044022425X Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 10 November, 1997 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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Title: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon ISBN: 0440217563 Publisher: Dell Pub. Date: 01 October, 1994 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
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