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Soul
Learner's The Witch of Cologne is an erotically-charged novel of people swept inexorably along by events they could not control. In Soul , Learner relates the story of Lavinia and Julia Huntington, passionate women trapped in emotional whirlpools that threaten to drown them and everyone they love.
In 19th century Britain, Lavinia is married to an older man who seems to appreciate her lively curiosity. Lavinia proves to be an apt pupil in both the study and the bedroom, glorying in the pleasures of the physical.
In 21st century Los Angeles, geneticist Julia is trying to identify people who can kill without remorse. Stunned to discover that she seems to possess the trait she is looking for, Julia is reassured of her emotions by her intense passion for her husband and her delight in her pregnancy.
In the past, Lavinia's desire for her husband grows, but his cools as he becomes fascinated with another. In the present, Julia's love overwhelms her husband, who leaves her.
Lavinia and Julia feel the tortures of passion unspent. Cold logic tells them that the deaths of their tormentors will bring them peace. Separated by a hundred years, two Huntington women face the same decision. Their choices will echo far into the future.
In 19th century Britain, Lavinia is married to an older man who seems to appreciate her lively curiosity. Lavinia proves to be an apt pupil in both the study and the bedroom, glorying in the pleasures of the physical.
In 21st century Los Angeles, geneticist Julia is trying to identify people who can kill without remorse. Stunned to discover that she seems to possess the trait she is looking for, Julia is reassured of her emotions by her intense passion for her husband and her delight in her pregnancy.
In the past, Lavinia's desire for her husband grows, but his cools as he becomes fascinated with another. In the present, Julia's love overwhelms her husband, who leaves her.
Lavinia and Julia feel the tortures of passion unspent. Cold logic tells them that the deaths of their tormentors will bring them peace. Separated by a hundred years, two Huntington women face the same decision. Their choices will echo far into the future.
425 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2006
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477 people want to read
About the author
Tobsha Learner
51 books87 followersAka T.S. Learner
Tobsha Learner was born and raised in England; she now divides her time between Australia, the UK and the USA. She is well known in Australia as an author and playwright.
Tobsha Learner was born and raised in England; she now divides her time between Australia, the UK and the USA. She is well known in Australia as an author and playwright.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
July 2, 2008
I'm not a fan of this cover, I'll say that right off the bat. It's not too awful, but it's not great either. A bit tacky maybe? It doesn't do the book justice, anyway. The parallels to Shakespeare are too obvious, some excited editor's idea of a clever cover. The book doesn't deserve something so glaringly obvious.
Tobsha Learner is probably best well-known for her book of erotic short stories, Quiver, and her previous novel, The Witch of Cologne - neither of which I've read, but I'd sure like to. She comes from a background of screenplay writing, and I have to say this: she's meticulous in her research. There's even a bibliography at the back of Soul, not that you needed convincing of all the hard work she put into this book.
Soul is two parallel stories, linked by genetics and circumstance: that of Irishwoman Lavinia who married Englishman Colonel Huntington in 1859 at the age of eighteen, and murdered him in 1861; and her great-granddaughter Julia, an acclaimed geneticist reeling from the unexpected break-up of her decade-long marriage to Klaus, a struggling Hollywood scriptwriter who's been having an affair with her best friend Clara. Sounds torid and melodrammatic, I know, summed up like that. But - in flavour and style, not plot - it reminded me of a favourite book of mine, Beverley Swerling's City of Dreams: a novel of Nieuw Amsterdam that follows three generations of one family in the early years of a settlement now known as New York. Soul has the readability of general fiction and the epic scope of literature, along with a bit of psychological thriller and murder mystery.
Not that it's a mystery - you learn early on, through Julia, that Lavinia was tried and executed for the murder of her husband. What you don't know is the how and why's of it all. Why would she kill a man she loved and looked up to? A man she was dependent upon, having no home or wealth of her own, as well as being the father of her little boy? There's also the scientific angle: the Colonel is an intrepid explorer and anthropoligist, and Julia is working on genetic profiling for the Defense Force - a highly problematic but profitable venture, if she can find and map the gene that allows for a small percentage of soldiers to kill and not suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. The ethical implications are huge, and the jockeying for the knowledge (and profits) scary.
There's a lot going on in this book, but being carefully paced and plotted, you never get lost in the details. The emotions are intense and raw, and as much as I wanted Julia to stop pining for Klaus, the bastard, I could totally understand her feelings, actions and reactions. It felt horribly familiar. It's all so believable. Learner's portrayal of Victorian London is perhaps the scariest thing of all - honest, dark, somewhat cruel, definitely hypocritical. The period is extraordinarily fascinating - a period when advancing technology began to encroach on the natural world and the human body. The new sciences of phrenology (the study of the skull as a means for understanding and predicting human behaviour and character traits), for example, and the debates between the Church and Darwinists, the uproar at the suggestion that we might be related to apes - this is the background against which Lavinia struggles to be a proper wife and comes to understand that the expectations for men and women are vastly different.
Before writing this, I came across an old article in the Age from when this book first came out in Australia, which I found interesting. It certainly doesn't surprise me to learn she's a pretty intense woman. Divided into three parts reflecting Genesis: "The Apple", "The Serpent" and "The Fall", Soul is also an exploration of human behaviour, a beautifully written study of relationships and the difference between nurture and nature, and their impact on us. Can our environment, the way we were brought up, and our own free will trump our genetic predispositions? At times graphic, at times violent or sad, but always intense and determined, Soul is a gripping story of tragedy and love, anger and what drives us to commit crimes of passion, and what stops the majority of us from doing so.
Tobsha Learner is probably best well-known for her book of erotic short stories, Quiver, and her previous novel, The Witch of Cologne - neither of which I've read, but I'd sure like to. She comes from a background of screenplay writing, and I have to say this: she's meticulous in her research. There's even a bibliography at the back of Soul, not that you needed convincing of all the hard work she put into this book.
Soul is two parallel stories, linked by genetics and circumstance: that of Irishwoman Lavinia who married Englishman Colonel Huntington in 1859 at the age of eighteen, and murdered him in 1861; and her great-granddaughter Julia, an acclaimed geneticist reeling from the unexpected break-up of her decade-long marriage to Klaus, a struggling Hollywood scriptwriter who's been having an affair with her best friend Clara. Sounds torid and melodrammatic, I know, summed up like that. But - in flavour and style, not plot - it reminded me of a favourite book of mine, Beverley Swerling's City of Dreams: a novel of Nieuw Amsterdam that follows three generations of one family in the early years of a settlement now known as New York. Soul has the readability of general fiction and the epic scope of literature, along with a bit of psychological thriller and murder mystery.
Not that it's a mystery - you learn early on, through Julia, that Lavinia was tried and executed for the murder of her husband. What you don't know is the how and why's of it all. Why would she kill a man she loved and looked up to? A man she was dependent upon, having no home or wealth of her own, as well as being the father of her little boy? There's also the scientific angle: the Colonel is an intrepid explorer and anthropoligist, and Julia is working on genetic profiling for the Defense Force - a highly problematic but profitable venture, if she can find and map the gene that allows for a small percentage of soldiers to kill and not suffer post-traumatic stress disorder. The ethical implications are huge, and the jockeying for the knowledge (and profits) scary.
There's a lot going on in this book, but being carefully paced and plotted, you never get lost in the details. The emotions are intense and raw, and as much as I wanted Julia to stop pining for Klaus, the bastard, I could totally understand her feelings, actions and reactions. It felt horribly familiar. It's all so believable. Learner's portrayal of Victorian London is perhaps the scariest thing of all - honest, dark, somewhat cruel, definitely hypocritical. The period is extraordinarily fascinating - a period when advancing technology began to encroach on the natural world and the human body. The new sciences of phrenology (the study of the skull as a means for understanding and predicting human behaviour and character traits), for example, and the debates between the Church and Darwinists, the uproar at the suggestion that we might be related to apes - this is the background against which Lavinia struggles to be a proper wife and comes to understand that the expectations for men and women are vastly different.
Before writing this, I came across an old article in the Age from when this book first came out in Australia, which I found interesting. It certainly doesn't surprise me to learn she's a pretty intense woman. Divided into three parts reflecting Genesis: "The Apple", "The Serpent" and "The Fall", Soul is also an exploration of human behaviour, a beautifully written study of relationships and the difference between nurture and nature, and their impact on us. Can our environment, the way we were brought up, and our own free will trump our genetic predispositions? At times graphic, at times violent or sad, but always intense and determined, Soul is a gripping story of tragedy and love, anger and what drives us to commit crimes of passion, and what stops the majority of us from doing so.
June 21, 2013
I am a sucker for an intriguing cover. Let’s be honest here, the cover does play a large part in what attracts us to books. It doesn’t have to be “Ooo pretty!,” just eye-catching. Soul caught my eye several times at work when we still had it in stock at work, and I was intrigued enough to rescue it. Add to the fact that the back synopsis sounded at least halfway interesting (and the title felt like there was a hint of a reincarnation theme to it), and thus it found a new home on my shelves.
(…yeah. Have I mentioned that a big part of my library-reread is to also clear off a tiny bit of room from my shelves. Because I need room, and I don’t need books that I don’t like taking up said room.)
I’ve mentioned in a previous review that I don’t like a lot of mainstream literature. Specifically, “Rich White People Who Have Problems” literature. Soul is a prime example of that kind of book. I either hated or didn’t really care about any of the characters involved; there’s no plot to speak of, much less anything to intrigue me for nearly 450 pages; and the author likes to shove her own opinions in my face, particularly when said opinions don’t have anything to do with the story proper. This was also in our mystery section at work, which is a surprise to me, because there was a mystery in this book? There’s half-hearted attempts of adding a mystery in here at a few points, but the revelation is either obvious or flatly stated a few dozen pages later.
Honestly, this feels more like Tobsha Learner sprouting off her feelings about “nature versus nurture” with her stance planted firmly in nature. Julia continually worries whether or not killing a man in self-defense means that she’s got it in her nature to kill, because that’s what her great-grandmother did to her great-grandfather! This is also centered around Julia’s genetics work, where she’s trying to find a genetic mutation to find a perfect soldier—people who can kill without feeling remorse for it.
Okay. I am admittedly crap at chemistry, moreso genetics. However, bullshit. Julia justifies her killing a man by repeatedly saying it was self-defense and ignoring that she could have been having an adrenaline rush. There’s no prior history of violence between her or Lavinia. (Lavinia’s prologue where she stabs a stablehand aside. That opening felt more like a last minute addition to go “See! She commits violence without remorse!” ONCE. ONE TIME. Why isn’t Lavinia a cold, sociopathic hellion growing up? THAT WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE.) Julia wants to repeatedly hurt her ex-husband for abandoning her? Really? That’s unheard of behavior?
Also, how the fuck does Julia live in Los Angeles and not be recommended to a therapist for anything? Considering all that happens to her, the only person to suggest therapy is her ex, Klaus…but oh wait, he’s a cheating bastard so we can’t take any of his suggestions because they’ll just hurt her more. Lavinia, I understand why Lavinia wouldn’t be able to get anything resembling humane therapy, but there’s no excuse for Julia at all. I don’t know if that says more about her character or her friends.
Nothing happens in this book. Lavinia’s scenes are nothing but her moping around about how her husband doesn’t love her anymore and she doesn’t want to be just a society wife because she’s educated and wants to put that to good use! There’s all this talk of whether or not Lavinia killed her husband, but it’s pretty much outright stated at the end of the book. You know what would have been better? If Lavinia’s story was told through her murder trial—that would have added a lot more mystery to it, instead of suffering through how much she hates running the household.
Julia…oh Julia. How I loathe you. Yes, I do feel sorry for her, especially after she miscarries; but she manages to become so absolutely ridiculous that I couldn’t muster any further sympathy for her. (Again, HOW THE FUCK WAS SHE NOT DRAGGED TO THERAPY.) Let’s fantasize about killing my ex-husband! Let’s sleep with my only friend’s nineteen year old son and then hire him to do lab research! (His mother is completely clueless about this affair to boot.)
The writing itself isn’t outright terrible, apart from a few prose cringers. The characterization and plotting…augh. I just didn’t get anything with Klaus—his leaving Julia at the beginning is supposed to be a shock, but the other scenes with him are so wildly opposing I didn’t understand what was going on. Gabriel, the aforementioned nineteen year old lover—he’s nineteen? What fucking nineteen year old acts like him? Not the fact that he’ll sleep with a woman his mother’s age (I actually didn’t have a problem with the age difference, aside from the fact that the relationship isn’t written as being believable), but his dialogue just doesn’t ring true. The Victorian-set scenes do have a bit of a leg up as being better, to the point where I really wished that this was just Lavinia’s story. Instead, Learner tries to shove as many parallels into the reader’s face between the two stories as she can without really using them to advance the storyline. (The most egregious is the revelation of an Army incident in Brazil that Julia stumbles across…involving the tribe that Colonel Huntington was “a member of.” Cue me rolling my eyes because of course it was. Subtly is not this book’s friend.)
(Speaking of subtly and things that don’t have any bearing on the plot, Learner would like you to know her feelings on the outcome of California’s 2002 gubernatorial recall election. Because it’s repeatedly mentioned that Arnold Schw—excuse me, “The Candidate” as he’s annoyingly referred as – hates science and that the only reason he’s the frontrunner is because he’s famous and not to mention the image of manliness! WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING. Trust me, it’s not for setting.)
There were several points when I was basically restructuring the book to make it interesting. As a historical thriller—had the focus been on the trial of Lavinia Huntington for the murder of her husband—that could have been a decent book. In fact, stretch the five pages of the trial into a whole book and then incorporate flashbacks of Lavinia’s marriage. Julia, we can just dispense of her completely. Or if you must, have Julia being the framing device: perhaps she’s doing family history research to distract her from all the other problems? Or maybe because her therapist suggests the parallels between the two women. (I know, I’m harping on it, but it’s a “head meet wall” point.) Alas, that book only exists in my head, and I seriously doubt that I would be interested in writing that story, even just as a writing exercise.
As I mentioned above, this is now my go-to example for why I tend to stick to certain genres and categories because this exemplifies everything I hate about adult literature. Honestly, skip this book.
(…yeah. Have I mentioned that a big part of my library-reread is to also clear off a tiny bit of room from my shelves. Because I need room, and I don’t need books that I don’t like taking up said room.)
I’ve mentioned in a previous review that I don’t like a lot of mainstream literature. Specifically, “Rich White People Who Have Problems” literature. Soul is a prime example of that kind of book. I either hated or didn’t really care about any of the characters involved; there’s no plot to speak of, much less anything to intrigue me for nearly 450 pages; and the author likes to shove her own opinions in my face, particularly when said opinions don’t have anything to do with the story proper. This was also in our mystery section at work, which is a surprise to me, because there was a mystery in this book? There’s half-hearted attempts of adding a mystery in here at a few points, but the revelation is either obvious or flatly stated a few dozen pages later.
Honestly, this feels more like Tobsha Learner sprouting off her feelings about “nature versus nurture” with her stance planted firmly in nature. Julia continually worries whether or not killing a man in self-defense means that she’s got it in her nature to kill, because that’s what her great-grandmother did to her great-grandfather! This is also centered around Julia’s genetics work, where she’s trying to find a genetic mutation to find a perfect soldier—people who can kill without feeling remorse for it.
Okay. I am admittedly crap at chemistry, moreso genetics. However, bullshit. Julia justifies her killing a man by repeatedly saying it was self-defense and ignoring that she could have been having an adrenaline rush. There’s no prior history of violence between her or Lavinia. (Lavinia’s prologue where she stabs a stablehand aside. That opening felt more like a last minute addition to go “See! She commits violence without remorse!” ONCE. ONE TIME. Why isn’t Lavinia a cold, sociopathic hellion growing up? THAT WOULD HAVE MADE MORE SENSE.) Julia wants to repeatedly hurt her ex-husband for abandoning her? Really? That’s unheard of behavior?
Also, how the fuck does Julia live in Los Angeles and not be recommended to a therapist for anything? Considering all that happens to her, the only person to suggest therapy is her ex, Klaus…but oh wait, he’s a cheating bastard so we can’t take any of his suggestions because they’ll just hurt her more. Lavinia, I understand why Lavinia wouldn’t be able to get anything resembling humane therapy, but there’s no excuse for Julia at all. I don’t know if that says more about her character or her friends.
Nothing happens in this book. Lavinia’s scenes are nothing but her moping around about how her husband doesn’t love her anymore and she doesn’t want to be just a society wife because she’s educated and wants to put that to good use! There’s all this talk of whether or not Lavinia killed her husband, but it’s pretty much outright stated at the end of the book. You know what would have been better? If Lavinia’s story was told through her murder trial—that would have added a lot more mystery to it, instead of suffering through how much she hates running the household.
Julia…oh Julia. How I loathe you. Yes, I do feel sorry for her, especially after she miscarries; but she manages to become so absolutely ridiculous that I couldn’t muster any further sympathy for her. (Again, HOW THE FUCK WAS SHE NOT DRAGGED TO THERAPY.) Let’s fantasize about killing my ex-husband! Let’s sleep with my only friend’s nineteen year old son and then hire him to do lab research! (His mother is completely clueless about this affair to boot.)
The writing itself isn’t outright terrible, apart from a few prose cringers. The characterization and plotting…augh. I just didn’t get anything with Klaus—his leaving Julia at the beginning is supposed to be a shock, but the other scenes with him are so wildly opposing I didn’t understand what was going on. Gabriel, the aforementioned nineteen year old lover—he’s nineteen? What fucking nineteen year old acts like him? Not the fact that he’ll sleep with a woman his mother’s age (I actually didn’t have a problem with the age difference, aside from the fact that the relationship isn’t written as being believable), but his dialogue just doesn’t ring true. The Victorian-set scenes do have a bit of a leg up as being better, to the point where I really wished that this was just Lavinia’s story. Instead, Learner tries to shove as many parallels into the reader’s face between the two stories as she can without really using them to advance the storyline. (The most egregious is the revelation of an Army incident in Brazil that Julia stumbles across…involving the tribe that Colonel Huntington was “a member of.” Cue me rolling my eyes because of course it was. Subtly is not this book’s friend.)
(Speaking of subtly and things that don’t have any bearing on the plot, Learner would like you to know her feelings on the outcome of California’s 2002 gubernatorial recall election. Because it’s repeatedly mentioned that Arnold Schw—excuse me, “The Candidate” as he’s annoyingly referred as – hates science and that the only reason he’s the frontrunner is because he’s famous and not to mention the image of manliness! WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH ANYTHING. Trust me, it’s not for setting.)
There were several points when I was basically restructuring the book to make it interesting. As a historical thriller—had the focus been on the trial of Lavinia Huntington for the murder of her husband—that could have been a decent book. In fact, stretch the five pages of the trial into a whole book and then incorporate flashbacks of Lavinia’s marriage. Julia, we can just dispense of her completely. Or if you must, have Julia being the framing device: perhaps she’s doing family history research to distract her from all the other problems? Or maybe because her therapist suggests the parallels between the two women. (I know, I’m harping on it, but it’s a “head meet wall” point.) Alas, that book only exists in my head, and I seriously doubt that I would be interested in writing that story, even just as a writing exercise.
As I mentioned above, this is now my go-to example for why I tend to stick to certain genres and categories because this exemplifies everything I hate about adult literature. Honestly, skip this book.
Read
January 23, 2015What to say, what to say?
I truly did not like this book, the premise, the characters (mostly), nor the writing. But, the image from the very first scene pulled me in just enough to get me to read all the way through, hoping for more of the same. It came in bits and pieces, and so I was quite disappointed.
I should also give some warnings: this book is a romance (that may be enough to stop many people). The story involves "justified" murder. The story includes a few fairly graphic sex scenes (I've read worse). The sex also includes masturbation with household objects. The sex also includes extra-marital affairs, both hetero and homo. The sex also includes what I would classify as rape (and no, I'm not talking about at the beginning of the book - I'm talking about a 30 year old and a teenager - even though he is probably a little older than 19, the descriptions of him and his "manhood" and body kept putting him at 16 or 17 in my mind).
In any case, let's break it down:
Setting: The book is mainly split between present-day California and England in the mid 1800s, going back and forth between the events in the life of a modern woman and her grandmother (or great grandmother, I forget). The fact that both women are scientists and suffering through a bad marriage is laughable. Soul, indeed.
Plot: This is easy to see coming from a mile away. In fact, if it would have ended with both women choosing the very same path, it would have at least been more interesting and controversial. As it is, the author decided some good old homily about free choice (which I believe in, but come on) would be appropriate.
Conflict: Of this, there was enough to keep me reading and interested. mostly because it was not just about the marriage relationships, but got into some complexities with homeosexuality and choices and accountability.
Characters: The only character I even felt a little for was Lavinia (the one who lived in the 1800s). And it was because she was a strong woman in a chauvenistic time, doing things that were quite remarkable, and using her brain. But, then she would ruin it by some stupid act or through ignorance.
Text: Bad, bad, bad. Poor writing. Grammar issues. Sloppy dialogue.
Luckily, it was a free eBook, so I didn't waste any money on it.
I truly did not like this book, the premise, the characters (mostly), nor the writing. But, the image from the very first scene pulled me in just enough to get me to read all the way through, hoping for more of the same. It came in bits and pieces, and so I was quite disappointed.
I should also give some warnings: this book is a romance (that may be enough to stop many people). The story involves "justified" murder. The story includes a few fairly graphic sex scenes (I've read worse). The sex also includes masturbation with household objects. The sex also includes extra-marital affairs, both hetero and homo. The sex also includes what I would classify as rape (and no, I'm not talking about at the beginning of the book - I'm talking about a 30 year old and a teenager - even though he is probably a little older than 19, the descriptions of him and his "manhood" and body kept putting him at 16 or 17 in my mind).
In any case, let's break it down:
Setting: The book is mainly split between present-day California and England in the mid 1800s, going back and forth between the events in the life of a modern woman and her grandmother (or great grandmother, I forget). The fact that both women are scientists and suffering through a bad marriage is laughable. Soul, indeed.
Plot: This is easy to see coming from a mile away. In fact, if it would have ended with both women choosing the very same path, it would have at least been more interesting and controversial. As it is, the author decided some good old homily about free choice (which I believe in, but come on) would be appropriate.
Conflict: Of this, there was enough to keep me reading and interested. mostly because it was not just about the marriage relationships, but got into some complexities with homeosexuality and choices and accountability.
Characters: The only character I even felt a little for was Lavinia (the one who lived in the 1800s). And it was because she was a strong woman in a chauvenistic time, doing things that were quite remarkable, and using her brain. But, then she would ruin it by some stupid act or through ignorance.
Text: Bad, bad, bad. Poor writing. Grammar issues. Sloppy dialogue.
Luckily, it was a free eBook, so I didn't waste any money on it.
October 5, 2008
Excruciating. Thematically obvious and written with an amazingly leaden hand, Soul finally lost me for good when it referred to a female character's genitalia as her "sex." As in "His hand cupped her sex and was enveloped in her moistness." Yeah. Soul is that kind of book. For some of you, this is a good thing. But it is most certainly not a good thing for this guy, who was expecting an intriguing and thought-provoking exploration into the workings of the human mind. Eck.
July 23, 2009
That was such a depressing read. I don't even know how I picked this book up, but it was so upsetting watching one intelligent woman fall apart over her husband, who didn't deserve ANYTHING, and the other strong woman watching her life fall apart because her husband was following society and married her but fell in love with another man. I wanted to cry reading this because it was THAT UPSETTING. I mean, hell, back in the day, if you tried to defy your husband, you were crazy, and nowadays, if your exboyfriend wants to bitchslap your ass and mocks you while doing it, BUT YOU RETAILATE (yay strength!) -- you're seen as crazy/bitch/that shittastic exwife/girlfriend.
HAVE WE NOT PROGRESSED?!
HAVE WE NOT PROGRESSED?!
May 21, 2008
Part historical fiction, part bodice-ripper melodrama, this strange book is a page-turner despite itself. The book involves two parallel stories of women, one a genetist in contemporary Los Angeles and the other her grandmother in London in the 19th century. Their stories are connected by parallels in their tragic relationships with men as well as through their genes. The book's ambitions are not realized, and much of it is forced and predictable, but I still kept reading and thoroughly enjoyed it.
November 8, 2016
2.5 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews
At the close of the 20th century, Julia Huntington is searching for the genetic basis of serenity - more precisely, why some soldiers suffer post-traumatic stress and some don't. In the 19th century, her ancestor is struggling to find purpose in her life. Both face difficulties in their marriages, and find solace in other men.
I downloaded this free from Tor some years back. I was under the strong impression that it was SFF. I dipped in, didn't care for it, and set it aside. This time, I persevered, but I can't say I cared for the book much more.
I like some romance in my SFF, but this more an SFF sheen on bodice-ripping erotica. Learner is quite a good writer, if one with a very casual attitude toward punctuation. However, I couldn't generate much interest in her subject matter. There's far too much sexual detail for my taste; it's just one of those things that's more interesting to do than read about. I quickly grew tired of heavy-handed references to men's masculinity and women's beauty, and of the idea that a woman groping a man in public is seductive rather than crude. Even in the present day segments, there's some uncomfortable sexism in the views of gender roles and needs.
Learner leans too heavily on pop culture references; I was particularly irritated by coy references to Arnold Schwarzenegger, identified only as 'the Candidate' for governor. She does better in the past, though she's a little too eager to immerse us in the careful research she's clearly done.
The two marital relationships at the core of the story are too overwrought to be really credible, and just not very interesting. It's only Learner's skill as a writer that carried me to the end, but her rejection of standard comma use and the occasional clumsy prose made even that a tenuous journey.
Mostly, though, I was disappointed in the plot. Not only is there no real speculative element, the title Soul has virtually nothing to do with the plot. The element that's meant to be the thematic linchpin - a genetic predisposition to tolerate violence - is essentially just color for the romantic elements. There's a slight mystery element - why 19th century Lavinia killed her husband, but it turns out to be even more trivial than the science. The book never really comes to any conclusions about any of it.
All in all, both not to my taste, and a wasted opportunity to tell an interesting story in any genre.
At the close of the 20th century, Julia Huntington is searching for the genetic basis of serenity - more precisely, why some soldiers suffer post-traumatic stress and some don't. In the 19th century, her ancestor is struggling to find purpose in her life. Both face difficulties in their marriages, and find solace in other men.
I downloaded this free from Tor some years back. I was under the strong impression that it was SFF. I dipped in, didn't care for it, and set it aside. This time, I persevered, but I can't say I cared for the book much more.
I like some romance in my SFF, but this more an SFF sheen on bodice-ripping erotica. Learner is quite a good writer, if one with a very casual attitude toward punctuation. However, I couldn't generate much interest in her subject matter. There's far too much sexual detail for my taste; it's just one of those things that's more interesting to do than read about. I quickly grew tired of heavy-handed references to men's masculinity and women's beauty, and of the idea that a woman groping a man in public is seductive rather than crude. Even in the present day segments, there's some uncomfortable sexism in the views of gender roles and needs.
Learner leans too heavily on pop culture references; I was particularly irritated by coy references to Arnold Schwarzenegger, identified only as 'the Candidate' for governor. She does better in the past, though she's a little too eager to immerse us in the careful research she's clearly done.
The two marital relationships at the core of the story are too overwrought to be really credible, and just not very interesting. It's only Learner's skill as a writer that carried me to the end, but her rejection of standard comma use and the occasional clumsy prose made even that a tenuous journey.
Mostly, though, I was disappointed in the plot. Not only is there no real speculative element, the title Soul has virtually nothing to do with the plot. The element that's meant to be the thematic linchpin - a genetic predisposition to tolerate violence - is essentially just color for the romantic elements. There's a slight mystery element - why 19th century Lavinia killed her husband, but it turns out to be even more trivial than the science. The book never really comes to any conclusions about any of it.
All in all, both not to my taste, and a wasted opportunity to tell an interesting story in any genre.
May 15, 2019
This books is noteworthy for all the different things it tries to be. Soul consists of two parallel plotlines about a wealthy Victorian woman, Lavinia, who is trapped in a brutal marriage and her modern-day descendant, Julia, who is a brilliant scientist struggling with a crushing divorce. It delves into historical romance, the clash between the modern and the primitive, modern feminism and sexism, and airport thriller-level military/political intrigue. For juggling so many different balls in the air, Soul should come out a hot mess but it is oddly intriguing. Learner packs a great deal of story into each bite-sized chapter that leaves one wanting to know what happens next. The shear curiosity that this book engenders propels the reader through it even at times when none of the characters are particularly sympathetic.
The story does trip over itself in some regards. Its central question is whether or not a person can be genetically hardwired to kill without remorse, then it spends its duration building up a pair of villains so narcissistic, selfish, and unlikable that no one could be blamed for wanting to kill them. At one point there is a shocking revelation that a character long believed dead is actually alive, only to have very little come of this character's newly discovered existence. But again, even when it stumbles that fast-paced, hard-driving story remains, still compelling the reader to find out more.
A personal quibble that is probably petty: I hate when British writers try to write American characters with absolutely no understanding of how Americans talk. Americans wear "sweaters," not "jumpers," use "flashlights," not "torches," and we "call" people on the phone rather than "ring" them. An American person would never use the phrase "in the dock" to describe someone on trial for a crime, let alone do so over and over again. It's probably a petty thing to notice. But given the extensive research Learner did into everything from genetic research, to modern warfare, to Victorian social mores, (and the bibliography she includes proves it,) it seems odd that she wouldn't dedicate the same fastidiousness in figuring out how her modern-day characters would talk.
Soul is an unusual and exciting book that shows a lot of ugliness but compels us to keep investigating. Perhaps this makes us kind of like the two women it follows themselves, because this is exactly what their lives become. If you want a fast read full of hard questions that you'll definitely like, but may not love, then it might be the book for you.
The story does trip over itself in some regards. Its central question is whether or not a person can be genetically hardwired to kill without remorse, then it spends its duration building up a pair of villains so narcissistic, selfish, and unlikable that no one could be blamed for wanting to kill them. At one point there is a shocking revelation that a character long believed dead is actually alive, only to have very little come of this character's newly discovered existence. But again, even when it stumbles that fast-paced, hard-driving story remains, still compelling the reader to find out more.
A personal quibble that is probably petty: I hate when British writers try to write American characters with absolutely no understanding of how Americans talk. Americans wear "sweaters," not "jumpers," use "flashlights," not "torches," and we "call" people on the phone rather than "ring" them. An American person would never use the phrase "in the dock" to describe someone on trial for a crime, let alone do so over and over again. It's probably a petty thing to notice. But given the extensive research Learner did into everything from genetic research, to modern warfare, to Victorian social mores, (and the bibliography she includes proves it,) it seems odd that she wouldn't dedicate the same fastidiousness in figuring out how her modern-day characters would talk.
Soul is an unusual and exciting book that shows a lot of ugliness but compels us to keep investigating. Perhaps this makes us kind of like the two women it follows themselves, because this is exactly what their lives become. If you want a fast read full of hard questions that you'll definitely like, but may not love, then it might be the book for you.
August 9, 2014
Very good (like 4.5 stars good). Nature vs. Nurture. Free will vs. genetics. Pure logic vs. the heart wanting what it wants. The story is told in two threads. Julia, our modern day geneticist & Lavinia, her great-great grandmother. The women's lives unfold for us as their marriages unravel & the aftermath of the events follow. I very much enjoyed that both women were scientifically minded & took their work seriously. I felt for Lavinia when she was cut off from hers & was glad Julia still had hers when everything else fell apart. Julia's research with the soldiers was a fascinating thread of the story & I still don't know on which side I am of the ethical implications of her undertaking it for the military. I'll be thinking about that for some time. That said, I enjoyed the resolution to it at the end. I did like how the Bakairi tribe & The Tempest were additional threads that tied the two women's stories together across time.
I was very interested in both women but other than them, I only really felt any empathy for Colonel Huntington (though the head shaving of Lavinia & subsequent forced visit to the phrenologist tested that). Julia's husband Klaus was just not sympathetic to me. Every time he showed up after the initial break, he seemed worse. I figured out fairly quickly what Carla's attitude was about & while I was appalled by her brazenness & borderline cruelty, I still wanted to know what made her tick. I was fairly intrigued by Hamish. Gabriel & Aloysius were only nominally interesting but her served their purpose well. I felt the same way about Lady Morgan. Naomi was interesting but not as deeply rendered as the rest.
The only thing a bit off was that the Americans in Julia's thread, don't speak generally as Americans do. Those instances stood out glaringly to me, not the least being that the instances were so frequent. Using "ring" instead of "call", "jumper" instead of "sweater" or "cardigan"; "primary" school teacher instead of "elementary" school teacher; "laying" a table instead of "setting" a table; a waitress in a diner saying saying "one serve of bacon, eggs..." instead of "one order of..."; a born & raised in L.A. soldier saying "get on" instead of "get along"; "night porter" not "security guard". And even with all of those, they were only distractions because it was still a great read. I'd definitely read another by this author.
I was very interested in both women but other than them, I only really felt any empathy for Colonel Huntington (though the head shaving of Lavinia & subsequent forced visit to the phrenologist tested that). Julia's husband Klaus was just not sympathetic to me. Every time he showed up after the initial break, he seemed worse. I figured out fairly quickly what Carla's attitude was about & while I was appalled by her brazenness & borderline cruelty, I still wanted to know what made her tick. I was fairly intrigued by Hamish. Gabriel & Aloysius were only nominally interesting but her served their purpose well. I felt the same way about Lady Morgan. Naomi was interesting but not as deeply rendered as the rest.
The only thing a bit off was that the Americans in Julia's thread, don't speak generally as Americans do. Those instances stood out glaringly to me, not the least being that the instances were so frequent. Using "ring" instead of "call", "jumper" instead of "sweater" or "cardigan"; "primary" school teacher instead of "elementary" school teacher; "laying" a table instead of "setting" a table; a waitress in a diner saying saying "one serve of bacon, eggs..." instead of "one order of..."; a born & raised in L.A. soldier saying "get on" instead of "get along"; "night porter" not "security guard". And even with all of those, they were only distractions because it was still a great read. I'd definitely read another by this author.
April 1, 2010
I picked this book up in an Airport on my way from Oakland to St. Louis. For two reasons 1. I liked the cover and 2. To avoid having to speak to my boyfriend at the time with whom I was travelling begrudgingly for work. This is one of those rare finds a book that you think is a throw away read to be donated to the local nursing home library once you finish it and return home or maybe left in a hotel room to share with the next person who stays there. I however could not put this book down, and I swear it had nothing to do with the fact that Russell was in the seat next to me on a 5 hour flight. This book was amazing. It tells the story of two women one in Victorian England, married to a scientist and explorer, and one in modern times, a geneticist working for the government and supporting her artist husband, who share similar mindsets that label them as different in their respective societies and they also share genes. Their two tales are wound so perfectly together that you cant help but ponder the age old question of Nature v. Nurture. I have already read this book over 5 times and it will permanently have a home in my book collection.
August 2, 2022
This book was not at all what I thought it would be. I got the impression that it would have the granddaughter investigating whether her grandmother was a murderer or not but it's nothing like that at all. It has dual timelines, one for the grandmother, Lavinia and the other for the granddaughter, Julia. It starts off with an attempted rape on page 2 which did not make me very keen to continue reading. I almost gave up on it at that point, and I rather wish I had.
Despite the bibliography at the back and the author stating that she used all these books for research, the book is full of errors. The crinoline was not a new fashion in 1861, the steel cage crinoline had been popular since the early 1850s. The first polo match in England took place in 1869, and divot stomping takes place at the middle of the game, not at the end. Phrenology had been discredited by the 1840s so it made no sense that the colonel would still be involved with it or take Lavinia to a phrenologist over 20 years later! I'm not sure what the author was researching, I found all of these with a quick search online.
Julia's timeline is set in 2002 but there's lots of dated terminology - "homosexual colleague" really? - and technology. People using beepers and Klaus saying he's only going to communicate with Julia by fax? Surely he means email. Gabriel has a Walkman! I could understand a Discman, but cassettes in 2002? The first iPod came out the previous year, and I would have expected he'd be the first to get something like that. There's also lots of references to a political candidate who is only referred to as the Candidate. It's obviously meant to be Arnold Schwarzenegger so why not use his name?
Overall, the book is very slow, to the point that when I'd reached halfway, it didn't feel like anything had actually happened. The chapters on Lavinia were incredibly dull. There's lots of sex scenes which were very cringe-worthy. Despite the author's previous books all being erotica, the sex scenes were not very well written and lacked any kind of emotion. I found the ending to be a relief that it was over but also a let-down. All the research into the murder gene that Julia does is irrelevant and the book is mostly about the two generations repeating history.
Despite the bibliography at the back and the author stating that she used all these books for research, the book is full of errors. The crinoline was not a new fashion in 1861, the steel cage crinoline had been popular since the early 1850s. The first polo match in England took place in 1869, and divot stomping takes place at the middle of the game, not at the end. Phrenology had been discredited by the 1840s so it made no sense that the colonel would still be involved with it or take Lavinia to a phrenologist over 20 years later! I'm not sure what the author was researching, I found all of these with a quick search online.
Julia's timeline is set in 2002 but there's lots of dated terminology - "homosexual colleague" really? - and technology. People using beepers and Klaus saying he's only going to communicate with Julia by fax? Surely he means email. Gabriel has a Walkman! I could understand a Discman, but cassettes in 2002? The first iPod came out the previous year, and I would have expected he'd be the first to get something like that. There's also lots of references to a political candidate who is only referred to as the Candidate. It's obviously meant to be Arnold Schwarzenegger so why not use his name?
Overall, the book is very slow, to the point that when I'd reached halfway, it didn't feel like anything had actually happened. The chapters on Lavinia were incredibly dull. There's lots of sex scenes which were very cringe-worthy. Despite the author's previous books all being erotica, the sex scenes were not very well written and lacked any kind of emotion. I found the ending to be a relief that it was over but also a let-down. All the research into the murder gene that Julia does is irrelevant and the book is mostly about the two generations repeating history.
April 19, 2020
Beautifully rendered historical fiction and modern day thriller.
If you enjoy the tales of Kate Mosse, Diana Gabaldon or Geraldine Brooks you'll love Tobsha Learner.
Set in London in the mid 1800's and LA in the early 2000's Soul follows two remarkable women as they pit their intellects against the mysteries of their time, the foibles of their lovers and the prejudices faced by their sex.
Highly recommend!
If you enjoy the tales of Kate Mosse, Diana Gabaldon or Geraldine Brooks you'll love Tobsha Learner.
Set in London in the mid 1800's and LA in the early 2000's Soul follows two remarkable women as they pit their intellects against the mysteries of their time, the foibles of their lovers and the prejudices faced by their sex.
Highly recommend!
February 11, 2022
Soul by Tobsha Learner is an chic lit/erotic romance novel centered around a deeper science fiction theme - nurture versus nature, and the propensity for women to kill. The two protagonists of the story, Julia and her great-grandmother Lavinia Huntington, are driven to murdering their husbands, and, as Tobsha makes painfully clear, the circumstances that impel them to do it are strikingly similar. So much so, the two may have even share a "murder gene" inside their DNA. As the book follows the storylines of both characters, we learn that the two women have a lot more than DNA to worry about, and readers may come out with a new feeling of sympathy for the two.
Julia is a genetic scientist in 2002, researching the genes of soldiers who are emotionally unaffected by their on-the-battlefield murders. As she meets soldiers and performs her studies, she ruminates time and again on the topic, and seems to share an affinity for the soldiers she interviews. She is also haunted by her own history, as her great-grandmother, Lavinia Huntington, killed her husband in the 19th Century, and Julia is lost in thought about why, and what this means for her own mental construction. Is she a remorseless killer too, she wonders, and in so doing she secretly includes herself in the study.
Lavinia is a young 20-year old Irish girl in potato famine Ireland, who, because of her sharp intellect and drive, attracts the attention of 47-year old James Hungtington, an English Colonel who seems to enjoy a cushy place in high society but looks to Lavinia as an intellectual companion and breeder so he can finally have children. He hires her as his understudy, and soon he marries her and gets her pregnant, moving her to a stodgy city in England, Mayfair, where she is surrounded by the well-to-do. Lavinia is swept off her feet and feels like this is a dream come true at first, but the romanticism wears off with time; James is gone much of the time, and he doesn't advance on her sexually very much. She is frustrated with sexual longing for him, but his removed approach drives her nuts. She masturbates with a statue, starts sleuthing around to discover him cheating time and again with different men, and later, after years of trying to work this out, she sleeps with his butler. Finally, after becoming hysterical with the imbalance of her relationship, she acts out and James "gaslights" her to an extreme - he says she is wild and crazy, and he starts hitting her. When she hits back, James finds a phrenologist to "scientifically confirm" she is hysterical and driven to murder. She is absolutely livid with him, and this hatred intensifies as she starts asserting herself - she wants to have sex, she wants James to stop sleeping with men, and she wants a more equal place in the relationship.
Julia is a high-earning scientist with a husband Klaus, who after 10 years, says he wants out. Julia is stunned that this could happen - she wants him back, and she grows livid when she finds out Klaus left her for her best friend Clara. Worse, Clara is a few months pregnant, and Klaus is taking a very aggressive stance during the divorce, pushing for a restraining order and a chunk of her financial assets. Julia loses her best friend and her husband in one swoop. Julia starts stalking them, fights with him several times, and tries time and again to beg him back. Her words fall flat - Klaus is weak and effeminate by nature, and it's clear that his years married to a hard-driving career woman were not a good fit. Julia was pregnant with Klaus's baby, but the stress from their divorce literally causes a miscarriage, and effectively ends her last chance of ever having a baby. Worse yet, the scientific study she's working on seems to further justify her murderous feelings.
Lavinia kills her husband by slipping him drugs. She is tried in court, found guilty and promptly killed by hanging. Her child with James Huntington is taken to the United States by Lavinia's new lover, and life begins anew. Julia, on the other hand, is in a simmering hatred for Klaus and as they start arguing about the divorce, Julia pulls a gun and aims it at his head. Julia misses, claiming she restrained herself at the last minute, breaking an "innate" desire to kill him. Klaus decides not to press charges, but Julia's life remains sad and childless.
Tobsha's writing feels leaden and wooden at times, and Tobsha has an odd habit of changing her style to feel more 1850s-ish. In Lavinia's time, the scenes are about "his sex", but in Julia's, the word becomes "cock", for instance, and the inner monologue also feels altered between the two. Lavinia, hoping to marry James, thinks, "Ask me, ask me now, you must. You will be my husband, and I your wife, and you shall lift me high like the wind and carry me away from this atrocious backwater that is murder for my spirit." (p. 33) When Lavinia confronts one of James' love interests, a transvestite, she asks, "Do you think my husband could love me or any of my sex as a man should love a woman?" The transvestite tells her, "I believe we are not fixed beings but creatures whose affections lie beyond the dictates of Society..." Not only does Tobsha give away the plot and the themes right away, but she does it too much and too blatantly throughout the novel.
I personally felt for Lavinia Huntington as she starts fighting with James Huntington, but the storyline is way over-done to be believable, "...I will not allow you, nor any other, to dictate how or with whom I choose to spend my time. You are a child in these matters. I have strived, in my own way, to protect you from certain aspects of my character. But you have been obstinate and naive to insist on fidelity. Man is simply not constructed to live in such a fashion. For the sake of propriety, we shall continue to attend the remaining events of the season as man and wife. Meanwhile, you will respect your vows and perform the role of loving mother and dutiful wife." (p. 347) The whole story is an anachronism - her husband is secretly homosexual, and in 19th Century English high society, we are to believe that Lavinia (1) can freely investigate her husband's sexual encounters (2) that he can launch into such heady dialogue about his own sexuality (3) that an imbalanced couple (poor Irish girl with high status English Colonel) will engage in these heady debates during such a sexist society in the 1850s.
Insofar as the "soul" and the nature versus nurture debate, Tobsha gives an unsatisfying message - the institutions that insist on genetic nature (phrenology, government-funded genomics) prevail. Julia resists the urge to shoot her ex-husband dead, showing that free will can overcome human genetics some of the time. As to why Julia shot the gun in the first place, or what can Julia can possibly do to bounce back in her life, Tobsha makes clear she's doomed. Even when Julia is allowed to walk on the gun charge, she destroys her scientific data and tells the military it was inconclusive. And of course, they don't believe her, moving it all forward anyway.
Not the happiest story, or the best writing, but it had some good erotic scenes. 3.3 STARS
Julia is a genetic scientist in 2002, researching the genes of soldiers who are emotionally unaffected by their on-the-battlefield murders. As she meets soldiers and performs her studies, she ruminates time and again on the topic, and seems to share an affinity for the soldiers she interviews. She is also haunted by her own history, as her great-grandmother, Lavinia Huntington, killed her husband in the 19th Century, and Julia is lost in thought about why, and what this means for her own mental construction. Is she a remorseless killer too, she wonders, and in so doing she secretly includes herself in the study.
Lavinia is a young 20-year old Irish girl in potato famine Ireland, who, because of her sharp intellect and drive, attracts the attention of 47-year old James Hungtington, an English Colonel who seems to enjoy a cushy place in high society but looks to Lavinia as an intellectual companion and breeder so he can finally have children. He hires her as his understudy, and soon he marries her and gets her pregnant, moving her to a stodgy city in England, Mayfair, where she is surrounded by the well-to-do. Lavinia is swept off her feet and feels like this is a dream come true at first, but the romanticism wears off with time; James is gone much of the time, and he doesn't advance on her sexually very much. She is frustrated with sexual longing for him, but his removed approach drives her nuts. She masturbates with a statue, starts sleuthing around to discover him cheating time and again with different men, and later, after years of trying to work this out, she sleeps with his butler. Finally, after becoming hysterical with the imbalance of her relationship, she acts out and James "gaslights" her to an extreme - he says she is wild and crazy, and he starts hitting her. When she hits back, James finds a phrenologist to "scientifically confirm" she is hysterical and driven to murder. She is absolutely livid with him, and this hatred intensifies as she starts asserting herself - she wants to have sex, she wants James to stop sleeping with men, and she wants a more equal place in the relationship.
Julia is a high-earning scientist with a husband Klaus, who after 10 years, says he wants out. Julia is stunned that this could happen - she wants him back, and she grows livid when she finds out Klaus left her for her best friend Clara. Worse, Clara is a few months pregnant, and Klaus is taking a very aggressive stance during the divorce, pushing for a restraining order and a chunk of her financial assets. Julia loses her best friend and her husband in one swoop. Julia starts stalking them, fights with him several times, and tries time and again to beg him back. Her words fall flat - Klaus is weak and effeminate by nature, and it's clear that his years married to a hard-driving career woman were not a good fit. Julia was pregnant with Klaus's baby, but the stress from their divorce literally causes a miscarriage, and effectively ends her last chance of ever having a baby. Worse yet, the scientific study she's working on seems to further justify her murderous feelings.
Lavinia kills her husband by slipping him drugs. She is tried in court, found guilty and promptly killed by hanging. Her child with James Huntington is taken to the United States by Lavinia's new lover, and life begins anew. Julia, on the other hand, is in a simmering hatred for Klaus and as they start arguing about the divorce, Julia pulls a gun and aims it at his head. Julia misses, claiming she restrained herself at the last minute, breaking an "innate" desire to kill him. Klaus decides not to press charges, but Julia's life remains sad and childless.
Tobsha's writing feels leaden and wooden at times, and Tobsha has an odd habit of changing her style to feel more 1850s-ish. In Lavinia's time, the scenes are about "his sex", but in Julia's, the word becomes "cock", for instance, and the inner monologue also feels altered between the two. Lavinia, hoping to marry James, thinks, "Ask me, ask me now, you must. You will be my husband, and I your wife, and you shall lift me high like the wind and carry me away from this atrocious backwater that is murder for my spirit." (p. 33) When Lavinia confronts one of James' love interests, a transvestite, she asks, "Do you think my husband could love me or any of my sex as a man should love a woman?" The transvestite tells her, "I believe we are not fixed beings but creatures whose affections lie beyond the dictates of Society..." Not only does Tobsha give away the plot and the themes right away, but she does it too much and too blatantly throughout the novel.
I personally felt for Lavinia Huntington as she starts fighting with James Huntington, but the storyline is way over-done to be believable, "...I will not allow you, nor any other, to dictate how or with whom I choose to spend my time. You are a child in these matters. I have strived, in my own way, to protect you from certain aspects of my character. But you have been obstinate and naive to insist on fidelity. Man is simply not constructed to live in such a fashion. For the sake of propriety, we shall continue to attend the remaining events of the season as man and wife. Meanwhile, you will respect your vows and perform the role of loving mother and dutiful wife." (p. 347) The whole story is an anachronism - her husband is secretly homosexual, and in 19th Century English high society, we are to believe that Lavinia (1) can freely investigate her husband's sexual encounters (2) that he can launch into such heady dialogue about his own sexuality (3) that an imbalanced couple (poor Irish girl with high status English Colonel) will engage in these heady debates during such a sexist society in the 1850s.
Insofar as the "soul" and the nature versus nurture debate, Tobsha gives an unsatisfying message - the institutions that insist on genetic nature (phrenology, government-funded genomics) prevail. Julia resists the urge to shoot her ex-husband dead, showing that free will can overcome human genetics some of the time. As to why Julia shot the gun in the first place, or what can Julia can possibly do to bounce back in her life, Tobsha makes clear she's doomed. Even when Julia is allowed to walk on the gun charge, she destroys her scientific data and tells the military it was inconclusive. And of course, they don't believe her, moving it all forward anyway.
Not the happiest story, or the best writing, but it had some good erotic scenes. 3.3 STARS
September 7, 2012
Still working my way through the backlog of free ebooks from Tor.com before the website opened. This is a dual story about a geneticist struggling through a new study and coming to grips with her husband suddenly leaving her, and her great-grandmother’s rise in Victorian England from rural Ireland to fashionable London as she catches the fancy of an ex-soldier turned scientist.
To start with, for anyone who might be tempted to pick up this book, I would like to point out that this was published by the wrong company. There is nothing fantasy about this book. It is a modern-day and historical fiction, and further, it reads more like literary fiction than nearly all of the genre books I’ve read – never mind the reading guide at the end.
Aside from that, the story/stories in this novel are interesting. The characters are well portrayed, and I did find myself wondering what was going to happen next. However, the recurring theme of loneliness was something of a detriment to the book’s enjoyment. Every major character went through some period of loneliness through the book, in a way that was well written, but depressing to the point of annoying, and it honestly put me in a bad mood at times while I was reading it. Kudos to the author for making me feel along with the characters, for really making me appreciate the injustice of it all as I got each character’s different perspective, but it was frustrating to read. It wasn’t a bad book, but it’s not one I would recommend.
To start with, for anyone who might be tempted to pick up this book, I would like to point out that this was published by the wrong company. There is nothing fantasy about this book. It is a modern-day and historical fiction, and further, it reads more like literary fiction than nearly all of the genre books I’ve read – never mind the reading guide at the end.
Aside from that, the story/stories in this novel are interesting. The characters are well portrayed, and I did find myself wondering what was going to happen next. However, the recurring theme of loneliness was something of a detriment to the book’s enjoyment. Every major character went through some period of loneliness through the book, in a way that was well written, but depressing to the point of annoying, and it honestly put me in a bad mood at times while I was reading it. Kudos to the author for making me feel along with the characters, for really making me appreciate the injustice of it all as I got each character’s different perspective, but it was frustrating to read. It wasn’t a bad book, but it’s not one I would recommend.
May 1, 2016
I found it emotional reading this book. There is a great sense of impending doom for the main characters and you see events unfolding without any sense of control about them - a train slowly derailing. As a woman I felt the pain of the main characters acutely when cruel events happened to them that were outside of their control. You wished you could reach into the book and help them somehow. But Lavinia and Julia are far from shrinking violets. They are driven and intelligent and capable of more than is thought of them (not necessarily a compliment). When things start spiralling down your thoughts turn from "I wish I could help them / I wish they would do this to fix their situation," to "STOP! Don't do that!" In high-stress situations human beings make drastic choices without proper thought, and like a fly on the wall you witness a growing rockslide.
I was a little unsatisfied with the ending, which felt a bit rushed, but I made the star rating four instead of three because of how gripped I was by the rest of the novel and how emotionally involved i got in it - the world just seemed so unfair and you hoped for the best for the characters, even though you know it's only going to get worse - you can just feel it.
I was a little unsatisfied with the ending, which felt a bit rushed, but I made the star rating four instead of three because of how gripped I was by the rest of the novel and how emotionally involved i got in it - the world just seemed so unfair and you hoped for the best for the characters, even though you know it's only going to get worse - you can just feel it.
January 10, 2009
A vivid erotic thriller that has two stories from different time periods running side by side. In the 21st century, a geneticist - Julia - is trying to find out whether people who kill without remorse are born or made and if they are made whether she can isolate this gene.
The other storyline is set in the 19th century, where Julia's great-great-grandmother Lavinia marries the man she loved, is bitterly betrayed by him and is later tried for his murder. We are left wondering, did Lavinia do it? Could Julia's ancestor have killed her own husband?
Since Julia herself also seems to exhibit the propensity towards killing without remorse, the reader is left on tenterhooks wondering whether Julia's story will end in tragedy, mirroring that of Lavinia Huntington?
The other storyline is set in the 19th century, where Julia's great-great-grandmother Lavinia marries the man she loved, is bitterly betrayed by him and is later tried for his murder. We are left wondering, did Lavinia do it? Could Julia's ancestor have killed her own husband?
Since Julia herself also seems to exhibit the propensity towards killing without remorse, the reader is left on tenterhooks wondering whether Julia's story will end in tragedy, mirroring that of Lavinia Huntington?
July 11, 2020
"Soul" should be one of those books that sucks you in to the point you realize multiple hours have passed. The premise is fascinating, and the writing sometimes poetic.
But ... it just didn't. There's much dragging without resolution, even understanding the circumstances of the time. And these two women are presented on the surface as strong and determined in their own lives. And yet both break down for men.
The concept is so interesting, but it's only developed on the most basic level. It's a concept that should leave you pondering the deeper and baser meanings of who we are. Despite the book promising that very concept, just doesn't make it that far.
But ... it just didn't. There's much dragging without resolution, even understanding the circumstances of the time. And these two women are presented on the surface as strong and determined in their own lives. And yet both break down for men.
The concept is so interesting, but it's only developed on the most basic level. It's a concept that should leave you pondering the deeper and baser meanings of who we are. Despite the book promising that very concept, just doesn't make it that far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2009
Started reading this because it was a free Kindle download from TOR. Didn't know anything about it. After several chapters I read the jacket info at BC.com and decided I don't really care about finishing it. Especially since the only character I like so far is going to die pretty soon. Too much good stuff out there to waste time on stuff that doesn't interest me.
January 16, 2013
I read this a few years ago but I remember feeling somewhat unsatisfied when I finished. I kept reading it because I wanted to see what happened, but then once I got there I didn't feel any better about having spent the time reading it. It is now in my box of books to give away.
September 6, 2020
If you like both historical and modern-day fiction, you don’t have to choose. You have both in Soul. Take the age-old theme of passion and betrayal; run the theme through two separate storylines set approximately 150 years apart; toss in some steamy sex scenes, tie it all together with scientific hypothesis and intelligent narrative, and you have this captivating novel by Tobsha Learner.
We first meet a very young Lavinia, who is shown to be quick-thinking and independent beyond what is acceptable for young ladies in 1861. We then meet Julia, a brilliant geneticist, just home from a three-month, grant-sponsored military tour in Afghanistan, in 2002. The novel switches back and forth between their storylines. The link between the two women is lineage, specifically DNA. The thread that ties their two narratives together is science and the pursuit of understanding human emotion, or lack thereof.
At seventeen, Lavinia marries a much-older ex-soldier and an anthropologist, Colonel James Huntington. His area of study is phrenology, and he is a strong advocate of evolution thriving on adaptability. He has spent time amongst the tribal peoples of Brazil and had been initiated as a shaman through their hallucinogenic rituals. Lavinia believe she has found a husband who will appreciate her independent spirit and will encourage her intellect. Colonel Huntington believes a marriage will ensure not just an heir, but will focus society’s attention on his respectability and distract attention from his sensual pursuits. He underestimates his wife.
After surviving a violent ambush in Afghanistan, Julia is offered a commission with the military to research the possibility of isolating the genome that could create the perfect combat soldier, free of guilt and PTSD. Madly in love with her husband, Julia not only discovers she is the victim of the ultimate betrayal, but wonders if she might be carrying the genome that could allow her to commit murder without remorse.
Connected by blood, could the same obscure genome affect the decisions made by both Lavinia and Julia? Does “nurture”, one’s environment, temper the power of nature? Questions still unanswered.
We first meet a very young Lavinia, who is shown to be quick-thinking and independent beyond what is acceptable for young ladies in 1861. We then meet Julia, a brilliant geneticist, just home from a three-month, grant-sponsored military tour in Afghanistan, in 2002. The novel switches back and forth between their storylines. The link between the two women is lineage, specifically DNA. The thread that ties their two narratives together is science and the pursuit of understanding human emotion, or lack thereof.
At seventeen, Lavinia marries a much-older ex-soldier and an anthropologist, Colonel James Huntington. His area of study is phrenology, and he is a strong advocate of evolution thriving on adaptability. He has spent time amongst the tribal peoples of Brazil and had been initiated as a shaman through their hallucinogenic rituals. Lavinia believe she has found a husband who will appreciate her independent spirit and will encourage her intellect. Colonel Huntington believes a marriage will ensure not just an heir, but will focus society’s attention on his respectability and distract attention from his sensual pursuits. He underestimates his wife.
After surviving a violent ambush in Afghanistan, Julia is offered a commission with the military to research the possibility of isolating the genome that could create the perfect combat soldier, free of guilt and PTSD. Madly in love with her husband, Julia not only discovers she is the victim of the ultimate betrayal, but wonders if she might be carrying the genome that could allow her to commit murder without remorse.
Connected by blood, could the same obscure genome affect the decisions made by both Lavinia and Julia? Does “nurture”, one’s environment, temper the power of nature? Questions still unanswered.
July 19, 2017
I liked this book overall, but it wasn't as good as I had hoped when I picked it up. There are two separate stories - one of the great-grandmother's Victorian London life and that of the granddaughter protagonist in the present day. Both are strong female characters, who are also somewhat self-absorbed and a bit naive. The male protagonists are abominable. They both frustrated me in different ways, and, honestly, I can't decide who was worse.
While I enjoyed both stories, there were largely unconnected. Julia, the granddaughter, doesn't know Lavina's story. All she knows is that she was convicted of murdering her husband. We get to learn her story, but Julia never does. Lavina's story is detailed and drawn out. Julia's story is faster-paced and not as well developed. I almost felt that these two stories could have stood on their own for the most part. While Julia's and Lavinia's stories parallel each other, they never really connect, which left me feeling like they were a bit disjointed. I think learning Lavinia's story would have been more meaningful if Julia was also learning it as well.
My other complaint would be that the ending, which I won't spoil, felt rushed and too vague for my taste. I would have preferred stronger answers, especially for Julia's character. It seemed like the loose ends were tied in a neat bow without explanation. I wanted a bit more closure on certain issues.
Overall, a good read and certainly a good reminder of how awful women have been treated throughout history and how limited our options and freedom were. We've come a long way, but we've still got miles to go.
While I enjoyed both stories, there were largely unconnected. Julia, the granddaughter, doesn't know Lavina's story. All she knows is that she was convicted of murdering her husband. We get to learn her story, but Julia never does. Lavina's story is detailed and drawn out. Julia's story is faster-paced and not as well developed. I almost felt that these two stories could have stood on their own for the most part. While Julia's and Lavinia's stories parallel each other, they never really connect, which left me feeling like they were a bit disjointed. I think learning Lavinia's story would have been more meaningful if Julia was also learning it as well.
My other complaint would be that the ending, which I won't spoil, felt rushed and too vague for my taste. I would have preferred stronger answers, especially for Julia's character. It seemed like the loose ends were tied in a neat bow without explanation. I wanted a bit more closure on certain issues.
Overall, a good read and certainly a good reminder of how awful women have been treated throughout history and how limited our options and freedom were. We've come a long way, but we've still got miles to go.
July 5, 2020
Learner's The Witch of Cologne is an erotically-charged novel of people swept inexorably along by events they could not control. In Soul, Learner relates the story of Lavinia and Julia Huntington, passionate women trapped in emotional whirlpools that threaten to drown them and everyone they love. In 19th century Britain, Lavinia is married to an older man who seems to appreciate her lively curiosity. Lavinia proves to be an apt pupil in both the study and the bedroom, glorying in the pleasures of the physical. In 21st century Los Angeles, geneticist Julia is trying to identify people who can kill without remorse. Stunned to discover that she seems to possess the trait she is looking for, Julia is reassured of her emotions by her intense passion for her husband and her delight in her pregnancy. In the past, Lavinia's desire for her husband grows, but his cools as he becomes fascinated with another. In the present, Julia's love overwhelms her husband, who leaves her. Lavinia and Julia feel the tortures of passion unspent. Cold logic tells them that the deaths of their tormentors will bring them peace. Separated by a hundred years, two Huntington women face the same decision. Their choices will echo far into the future.At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
July 9, 2024
I stopped reading at chapter 36, although the story has great potential, it was poorly executed. Upon finding this book at a thrift shop, I was initially intrigued by the promise of a 'murder mystery' and 'psychological thriller', only for the writing to not fulfil these claims. Half-way through this book the "murder mystery" has only been mentioned in the same, repeated and vague sentences used within Julia's chapters, though the motive is somewhat presented slowly throughout the chapters. The blurb also mentions 'two women, across two eras,' I find that their experiences and situations are too similar/ repetitive, often leading to my interest being lost. The author often puts great detail into certain scenes, but I often feel as though most of these descriptions are unimportant to the plot as they are dragged of for longer then necessary. This adds to some essential scenes often lacking in description, I noticed this in the initial chapter, feeling like it came to an abrupt end, not considering the main characters emotions or thoughts, something I wished to read in-depth. I continued reading hoping to gain more insight to the characters true nature following that interaction, for it to barely to mentioned again.
The book may improve following what I've read, but I have no interest to continue, the story came to a plateau and my inspiration to read further has been lost.
The book may improve following what I've read, but I have no interest to continue, the story came to a plateau and my inspiration to read further has been lost.
August 21, 2017
I was hoping that this book would have been much better than it actually was. I respect that the author did research in order to formulate the idea that her two main characters, in different time periods, were genetically prone to violence given the right circumstances. However, I just couldn't buy in to the story line. Both women were intelligent, independent, and prone to making decisions based on logic rather than emotion, so the premise that they emotionally "lost it" (due to a genetic trait) when their respective husbands abandoned them didn't quite fit the picture for me.
August 9, 2019
Took me a long to time you get into this book. I felt the historical story and modem story arches were connected, but not tightly coupled in a way that made me care about them. So it felt like two stories in one book.
February 16, 2018
Disappointing and plodding. I hated Lavinia and had even less love for Julia.
Love Tobsha Learner, but this was not a pageturner for me.
Love Tobsha Learner, but this was not a pageturner for me.
July 25, 2021
Haunting and griping.. loved it!
April 23, 2019
The parallel storylines rise to very well constructed crescendos and yet do not disappoint thereafter. One of the few books that I read in a go ,as gripping as it was. Quick paced and easy to read
November 7, 2010
This book was really weird. I became obsessed with it early on, but could not define the mania that kept me turning the pages. I felt sympathy for the wrong characters and became heartbroken when one in particular was revealed for who they really were. But perhaps this was the intent of the author. The shifting points of view disturbed me. I often had to reread a paragraph to be sure whose thoughts I’d been party to and the small breaks in the narrative didn’t always clearly suggest a shift. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn’t, an inconsistency I found annoying.
The sex, while written in a sensual manner, lacked depth. (But perhaps I looked for a love story where none waited to be found?) The characters seemed dispassionate and despite their inner confessions of love, were apathetic towards their partners. It was obvious to the reader that one partner in each relationship was destined to fall foul of the other, which seemed to pluck suspense from the novel. Rather than invest myself in the characters, I waited for the inevitable heartache.
Therefore, it took me a long time to warm to Julia, the modern protagonist. She seemed so self absorbed that I found it difficult to muster sympathy for her plight, initially. Not that I would say she got what she deserved, I’m not a vindictive person and neither is the author. I will say that I applauded her triumph at the end of the book, however. I also wonder if her decision had been the initial goal of the author of if Julia led her there. I’d like to believe the latter.
I could muster little if any sympathy for Lavinia. I’m not sure why – her story was truly the more tragic. Perhaps my inner romantic hoped for a happier ending, a sail into the sunset with the man who properly loved her.
Finally, I found the last chapter, the glimpse at Aidan, just plain confusing.
Yet despite all of the above, I devoured this book in about six hours. I couldn’t put it down. Some of the author’s descriptions caught my imagination and I enjoyed finding those small gems of poetry amongst the pages. Julia’s heartbreak was exceedingly well portrayed, I felt her pain. I read on because I wanted her to find something, anything. And she did. That alone made it worth the journey to the end. As for the background story, the research into genetics, I skimmed it. The science, perhaps the very reason behind the characters actions played second fiddle to the actions themselves. I don’t think Julia, Lavinia, or their motivation needed to be explained. They were simply being human.
The sex, while written in a sensual manner, lacked depth. (But perhaps I looked for a love story where none waited to be found?) The characters seemed dispassionate and despite their inner confessions of love, were apathetic towards their partners. It was obvious to the reader that one partner in each relationship was destined to fall foul of the other, which seemed to pluck suspense from the novel. Rather than invest myself in the characters, I waited for the inevitable heartache.
Therefore, it took me a long time to warm to Julia, the modern protagonist. She seemed so self absorbed that I found it difficult to muster sympathy for her plight, initially. Not that I would say she got what she deserved, I’m not a vindictive person and neither is the author. I will say that I applauded her triumph at the end of the book, however. I also wonder if her decision had been the initial goal of the author of if Julia led her there. I’d like to believe the latter.
I could muster little if any sympathy for Lavinia. I’m not sure why – her story was truly the more tragic. Perhaps my inner romantic hoped for a happier ending, a sail into the sunset with the man who properly loved her.
Finally, I found the last chapter, the glimpse at Aidan, just plain confusing.
Yet despite all of the above, I devoured this book in about six hours. I couldn’t put it down. Some of the author’s descriptions caught my imagination and I enjoyed finding those small gems of poetry amongst the pages. Julia’s heartbreak was exceedingly well portrayed, I felt her pain. I read on because I wanted her to find something, anything. And she did. That alone made it worth the journey to the end. As for the background story, the research into genetics, I skimmed it. The science, perhaps the very reason behind the characters actions played second fiddle to the actions themselves. I don’t think Julia, Lavinia, or their motivation needed to be explained. They were simply being human.
December 13, 2009
In nineteenth-century Britain, young Lavinia Huntington's older husband appreciates her lively intellect and seems eager to extend his wife's education from his study to their bedroom. Lavinia absorbs all he has to teach and glories in the birth of their son.
In twenty-first-century Los Angeles, Julia Huntington studies the human genome, seeking the origins of human emotion. As passionate about her marriage to her beloved Klaus as she is about her life's work, Julia is delighted to discover that she is pregnant.
Separated by nearly 150 years, Lavinia and Julia suffer the same shock when their men abandon them. Their powerful love becomes painful hate; their intense passion transforms into icy logic. The genes of the Huntington women have formed their emotions - now their life experiences drive them to make decisions that they, and those they love, may long regret.
This is one of those books where the blurb doesn't entirely accurately describe what actually happens in the book. The sort that sometimes make you wonder if somebody wrote the blurb based on an initial draft or concept that got altered by the time the book was published, and no one bothered to update the blurb. Chief among the inconsistencies is the fact that Lavinia's husband never actually leaves her. Abandons her emotionally, yes, but he never actually leaves her. Or maybe even more than that, we never really see any evidence of his alleged eagerness to teach his wife in the bedroom. Almost from day one when we're introduced to them as a couple, he's distant, so it's hard to really feel the same sadness at the increasing estrangement as you can with Julia and Klaus, because they seem pretty tight until he up and leaves. There are clues, for us at least, but you actually get the sense that he cares about her before he goes. As a result of this, the Lavinia story got fairly tiresome fairly quickly, with just more and more of the same "why doesn't my husband love me?" over and over.
Ultimately, this book wasn't terrible, but it was not what I was expecting, and thus kind of a disappointment.
In twenty-first-century Los Angeles, Julia Huntington studies the human genome, seeking the origins of human emotion. As passionate about her marriage to her beloved Klaus as she is about her life's work, Julia is delighted to discover that she is pregnant.
Separated by nearly 150 years, Lavinia and Julia suffer the same shock when their men abandon them. Their powerful love becomes painful hate; their intense passion transforms into icy logic. The genes of the Huntington women have formed their emotions - now their life experiences drive them to make decisions that they, and those they love, may long regret.
This is one of those books where the blurb doesn't entirely accurately describe what actually happens in the book. The sort that sometimes make you wonder if somebody wrote the blurb based on an initial draft or concept that got altered by the time the book was published, and no one bothered to update the blurb. Chief among the inconsistencies is the fact that Lavinia's husband never actually leaves her. Abandons her emotionally, yes, but he never actually leaves her. Or maybe even more than that, we never really see any evidence of his alleged eagerness to teach his wife in the bedroom. Almost from day one when we're introduced to them as a couple, he's distant, so it's hard to really feel the same sadness at the increasing estrangement as you can with Julia and Klaus, because they seem pretty tight until he up and leaves. There are clues, for us at least, but you actually get the sense that he cares about her before he goes. As a result of this, the Lavinia story got fairly tiresome fairly quickly, with just more and more of the same "why doesn't my husband love me?" over and over.
Ultimately, this book wasn't terrible, but it was not what I was expecting, and thus kind of a disappointment.
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