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Blindspot: A Novel
Stewart Jameson, a Scottish portrait painter fleeing his debtors in Edinburgh, has washed up on the British Empire's far shores—in the city of Boston, lately seized with the spirit of liberty. Eager to begin anew, he advertises for an apprentice, but the lad who comes knocking is no lad at all. Fanny Easton is a fallen woman from Boston's most prominent family who has disguised herself as a boy to become Jameson's defiant and seductive apprentice.
Written with wit and exuberance by accomplished historians, Blindspot is an affectionate send-up of the best of eighteenth-century fiction. It celebrates the art of the Enlightenment and the passion of the American Revolution by telling stories of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time.
Written with wit and exuberance by accomplished historians, Blindspot is an affectionate send-up of the best of eighteenth-century fiction. It celebrates the art of the Enlightenment and the passion of the American Revolution by telling stories of ordinary people caught up in an extraordinary time.
544 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 297 reviews
March 27, 2009
I just loved the first third or so of this book. It's a historical novel set in Boston during the 1770s and is told as an epistolary novel, alternating between the male protagonist, a painter, and the female protagonist, the painter's apprentice, who is a fallen-from-society woman pretending to be a boy so that she can work. It's full of witty banter and the authors are American history professors, so it also felt as if the settings and descriptions and dialogue were real. Just wonderful.
And then the sex scenes started in, which would be fine with me if they were occasional and brief and meant to advance the plot, but these were of what I think of as the how-to-manual variety, as if we are all very interested in who does what to whom in what way for pages at a time. Plus some detailed sexual harassment and abuse, which is never fun to read. And if that weren't enough, the authors had to throw in a completely unnecessary *murder* which had to be solved at great length and in detail even though the villain was obvious from the get-go.
I finished the book, hoping it would get back on track with the history and banter, but skipped and yawned a lot. Too bad.
And then the sex scenes started in, which would be fine with me if they were occasional and brief and meant to advance the plot, but these were of what I think of as the how-to-manual variety, as if we are all very interested in who does what to whom in what way for pages at a time. Plus some detailed sexual harassment and abuse, which is never fun to read. And if that weren't enough, the authors had to throw in a completely unnecessary *murder* which had to be solved at great length and in detail even though the villain was obvious from the get-go.
I finished the book, hoping it would get back on track with the history and banter, but skipped and yawned a lot. Too bad.
May 26, 2010
I think the authors were trying to make a nod at novel conventions, so I can overlook the trite mystery and romance aspects of it. As a few other people mentioned, the sex scenes seem out of place and a bit overboard, but what really got me was the way Fanny's reveal as a woman became such a big deal. She immediately starts wearing women's clothes around the house, and acting the lady somehow even though she has more than proven that such roles are based on nothing, and her romance with Jameson turns into a triumph of heterosexuality over his homosexual pining for Weston and his previous relationship with Ignatius. His preference for a "man's mind in a woman's body" couldn't help but resonate with me as somewhat heterosexist. Even though the characters are supposed to be of their own time, Jameson has already established himself as having had passionate same-sex affairs in the past, so his changing preferences seem to be a value judgment that hits too closely to the era the authors live in.
Additionally, while it tries, perhaps too hard, to portray African Americans in a sensitive way, it ends up exalting them in a way that feels a lot like anxious racial guilt. The book is clearly written by white people for white people. We're meant to be moved and captivated in the one scene that features more than one black person, which is a midnight burial, complete with musicality and spirituality. Then the rest of the book Ignatius goes back to being Sherlock Holmes. Gag.
Additionally, while it tries, perhaps too hard, to portray African Americans in a sensitive way, it ends up exalting them in a way that feels a lot like anxious racial guilt. The book is clearly written by white people for white people. We're meant to be moved and captivated in the one scene that features more than one black person, which is a midnight burial, complete with musicality and spirituality. Then the rest of the book Ignatius goes back to being Sherlock Holmes. Gag.
January 26, 2022
I just can’t get into this one! The narrator seems to be rambling on, but I just can’t pay attention. DNF
December 24, 2008
Those who read my reviews regularly know that I deplore poorly researched historical fiction. Unfortunately, there is such a plethora of poorly researched historical fiction available today that I begin each book with a sense of trepidation.
Fortunately, "Blindspot" is not only well-researched but also entertaining. This semi-epistolary novel finds portrait painter Stewart Jameson newly arrived in Boston on the eve of the American Revolution. His ad for an apprentice is answered by one "Francis Weston," who is actually a disgraced woman called Fanny Easton, disguised as a boy because she wishes to become an artist.
Between Jameson's amusing addresses to his reader and Fanny's letters to her childhood friend Lizzie, authors Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore shows us an early America in which abolitionists are pitted against slavers, royalists against revolutionaries and rich against poor. At the center of the plot is a murder for which a slave is hanged, despite his wife's protestations of his innocence. Jameson and Weston/Easton, along with Ignatius Alexander (an African physician, based on the historical Ignatius Sancho), investigate and find the true culprit through a series of amusing stratagems.
The book does touch on some sensitive issues (slavery, crime and punishment, homosexuality), but does so in a frank yet tasteful fashion.
(Review based on advance reading copy.)
Fortunately, "Blindspot" is not only well-researched but also entertaining. This semi-epistolary novel finds portrait painter Stewart Jameson newly arrived in Boston on the eve of the American Revolution. His ad for an apprentice is answered by one "Francis Weston," who is actually a disgraced woman called Fanny Easton, disguised as a boy because she wishes to become an artist.
Between Jameson's amusing addresses to his reader and Fanny's letters to her childhood friend Lizzie, authors Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore shows us an early America in which abolitionists are pitted against slavers, royalists against revolutionaries and rich against poor. At the center of the plot is a murder for which a slave is hanged, despite his wife's protestations of his innocence. Jameson and Weston/Easton, along with Ignatius Alexander (an African physician, based on the historical Ignatius Sancho), investigate and find the true culprit through a series of amusing stratagems.
The book does touch on some sensitive issues (slavery, crime and punishment, homosexuality), but does so in a frank yet tasteful fashion.
(Review based on advance reading copy.)
July 13, 2009
Blindspot is a masterpiece of teamwork. Kamensky and Lepore, both history professors, have brought alive pre-Revolutionary Boston in the most charming way imaginable: the tale of Stewart Jameson, exiled Scottish portraitist, and Fannie Easton, fallen-socialite-turned-apprentice. As Fannie Easton—or, as she comes to be known, Francis Weston—struggles to make sense of her new situation, Jameson finds himself caught up in the politics of colonial Boston. What begins as a comedy of errors, with Jameson experiencing torment over his feelings for the young male apprentice and Fannie confiding similar feelings to her only remaining friend, becomes something darker when a murder is committed in the very house where they are painting a portrait. Not quite a mystery, not quite a comedy, and not quite a romance, Blindspot will keep you guessing (and laughing) from beginning to end. Kamensky and Lepore have “pinned” the vernacular of the time, providing a wealth of wit and dirty jokes. Their research is unrivaled, and it is the small details that make the setting come alive. This is the most entertaining historical novel I’ve ever read.
May 5, 2019
This could have been a classy book of historical fiction but for some reason the authors decided to make it a bawdy romance going so far as to name a horse "muck" so they could make a rhyme with the word "fuck". Much of this book is serious and worth consideration: slavery in the 1760's colonies, the slave trade, the plantations and all the money to be made, the call for freedom from taxation by the British while subjugating the people bought in Africa, the proper behavior for women in the 1760's and their subjugation to men. So we have a fine historical novel, well written and interesting. But then we add in a murder mystery, which while based on a true case, felt very much tacked in, rather than part of a seamless story. And worse, we add in sex and more sex; it isn't even done in a romantic way, it is done in an aren't we naughty, sniggering way. It was also quite long and had an ending that I didn't like.
January 7, 2009
I enjoyed reading about this period in American history and was intrigued enough to follow the authors' link to learn more about real-life art and biographies from which the novel is drawn. At the risk of sounding prudish (for who wants to be accused of that! lol) I did not think the book needed the steamy scenes to sell the story.
September 20, 2011
Henry Fielding has been channeled in this murder mystery and titillating transvestite tale that is rife with political pull and painting practices, and stacked with sniggering slang. The authors have used Fielding’s writing technique he introduced in Tom Jones, wherein the narrator addresses the audience directly while presenting, explaining, or mollifying the sensitive reader to certain material. They have expanded his technique employed in Joseph Andrews (or Shamela for that matter) in which penned letters or handbill texts and news items are blended with the narrative to enrich or to advance the plot.
Here, the narrator is Stewart Jameson, a portrait painter who is prone to punning, rants, and scheming. He has escaped to Boston from London to avoid the debt incurred when he sought to free a slave-worthy friend from bondage. The inclusion of his friend, Ignatius Alexander, provides the authors license to explore the slavery issues of 18th Century Massachusetts as well as to offer a bit of technical CSI pioneering.
Jameson encounters and contracts the crossing-dressing Fanny Weston, who eventually reveals herself as Francis Easton, the runaway daughter of a wealthy merchant and politico. She pens the intermittent letters to a childhood chum, all the while functioning as an artist’s apprentice. Their efforts in oils provide the authors a larger palette to explore 18th Century painting techniques.
The duo have been contracted to paint a number of portraits for a men’s social club. One sitter—a vociferous protestor against English governance—dies mysteriously a day after his portrait has been made. His death propels Jameson, Weston, and Alexander into an investigation of the man’s death and launches them into a feverish search for his missing Will. What the trio unearths strips away the pretensions of three prominent families.
This is an ambitious work that intertwines early Colonial culture, art, politics, morals, and philosophy with a lexicon that creates an intimate landscape and enlivens the characters. The novel is accurately authentic enough to please any historian, although the pontificating portions might be off-putting to some modern readers—but that’s the style of 18th Century fiction.
I love alliteration in writing, and the Jameson character provides plenty of expressive epigrams, giggling gibberish, witty ditties, and rhyming retorts. Brava. Bravura. Bully for Blindspot.
Here, the narrator is Stewart Jameson, a portrait painter who is prone to punning, rants, and scheming. He has escaped to Boston from London to avoid the debt incurred when he sought to free a slave-worthy friend from bondage. The inclusion of his friend, Ignatius Alexander, provides the authors license to explore the slavery issues of 18th Century Massachusetts as well as to offer a bit of technical CSI pioneering.
Jameson encounters and contracts the crossing-dressing Fanny Weston, who eventually reveals herself as Francis Easton, the runaway daughter of a wealthy merchant and politico. She pens the intermittent letters to a childhood chum, all the while functioning as an artist’s apprentice. Their efforts in oils provide the authors a larger palette to explore 18th Century painting techniques.
The duo have been contracted to paint a number of portraits for a men’s social club. One sitter—a vociferous protestor against English governance—dies mysteriously a day after his portrait has been made. His death propels Jameson, Weston, and Alexander into an investigation of the man’s death and launches them into a feverish search for his missing Will. What the trio unearths strips away the pretensions of three prominent families.
This is an ambitious work that intertwines early Colonial culture, art, politics, morals, and philosophy with a lexicon that creates an intimate landscape and enlivens the characters. The novel is accurately authentic enough to please any historian, although the pontificating portions might be off-putting to some modern readers—but that’s the style of 18th Century fiction.
I love alliteration in writing, and the Jameson character provides plenty of expressive epigrams, giggling gibberish, witty ditties, and rhyming retorts. Brava. Bravura. Bully for Blindspot.
September 19, 2011
If I could give this 3.5 stars I would. I found the first 1/2 - 3/4 funny, engaging, and interesting. It totally immerses you into Boston right before the Revolution- language, clothing, art, politics, social classes, everything. The characters were witty and likeable and the romance suspenseful. Then there was a period where I felt irritated by the extreme sexuality. Then when the characters got a grip on their lustful appetites and got back to the mystery part of the story, it somehow felt overdone, like a parody of a whodunit.
So my reaction is mixed. I went from loving it to feeling lukewarm. Overall I enjoyed the book, but wasn't sad to see it end.
So my reaction is mixed. I went from loving it to feeling lukewarm. Overall I enjoyed the book, but wasn't sad to see it end.
February 12, 2010
I was charmed by this homage to eighteenth century fiction not in small part because it is written by two history professors from Boston (the main setting of the story) who know the period and its literature well, so their appreciation of how Enlightenment politics, fine art practices, entertainments, and conflicting attitudes on slavery played out in the 1760s is both instructive and entertaining. The hero and heroine, both talented portrait artists, are also witty and capable of the sort of banter and riddling that delights fans of Tom Jones (and I don’t mean the aging Welsh pop star…). As each of the authors assumes control of the perspective of but one of these two characters, the main pair’s voices are distinctive and for me, believable (in that I came to quickly admire and care about both of them, even while seeing their shortcomings). A lot of the early part of the story hinges on the predictable cross-dressing-in-disguise that a fallen woman with limited options in that time and place might be forced to adopt to avail herself of new opportunities. The murder mystery aspect picks up as the tale continues, and several subplots and secondary characters, with their own struggles, concerns, and dreams, many of them related to the prospect of Revolution, are interwoven with skill and grace, from the deductions of the brilliant dark-skinned Dr. Ignatius Alexander down to the shenanigans of the loveable street urchin Ben.
I only found one moment in the book where a comment or action struck me as anachronistic, so that it jarred me out of the story for a moment, and that was a particular religious reference I suspect belongs in the commentary of a nineteenth century Anglican clergyman but not in that of one from the eighteenth, a point so picayune most people won’t even notice it—and I’ve sent a follow-up inquiry to a professor of religious history I know to resolve this small matter for me, for I might be wrong. In the end, if that was the only slip in 500 pages, and it prodded me to learn more through research and verification (which is a GOOD thing), then the complaint is insignificant. Some modern readers might complain about the length of this book, but to that I say, well, if you want to read something paying homage to an eighteenth century work of literature, drawing for instance upon the then common epistolary style, do not expect a condensed version or a quick read. I just checked, and Tom Jones clocks in at 968 pages, Pamela at 592, and Tristam Shandy at 656. Blindspot is written with 18th century flavor, mood, and tone, but in a language style that is still quite accessible (and consciously created so) for any reasonably literate 21st century reader—it really does flow along as you read it. Even including the afterword and bibliography that encourage readers to learn more about that particular period in American cultural and political history, this novel only totals 518 pages in the paperback edition I read—so I say, if you can’t handle that, go find another genre and don’t expect this one to mollycoddle you!
I only found one moment in the book where a comment or action struck me as anachronistic, so that it jarred me out of the story for a moment, and that was a particular religious reference I suspect belongs in the commentary of a nineteenth century Anglican clergyman but not in that of one from the eighteenth, a point so picayune most people won’t even notice it—and I’ve sent a follow-up inquiry to a professor of religious history I know to resolve this small matter for me, for I might be wrong. In the end, if that was the only slip in 500 pages, and it prodded me to learn more through research and verification (which is a GOOD thing), then the complaint is insignificant. Some modern readers might complain about the length of this book, but to that I say, well, if you want to read something paying homage to an eighteenth century work of literature, drawing for instance upon the then common epistolary style, do not expect a condensed version or a quick read. I just checked, and Tom Jones clocks in at 968 pages, Pamela at 592, and Tristam Shandy at 656. Blindspot is written with 18th century flavor, mood, and tone, but in a language style that is still quite accessible (and consciously created so) for any reasonably literate 21st century reader—it really does flow along as you read it. Even including the afterword and bibliography that encourage readers to learn more about that particular period in American cultural and political history, this novel only totals 518 pages in the paperback edition I read—so I say, if you can’t handle that, go find another genre and don’t expect this one to mollycoddle you!
July 5, 2012
Solid historical fiction...,
The tale told here is complicated: a woman of stature but fallen from grace takes a painting apprentice position but must dress as a boy to do so; the painter is a runaway debtor, newly arrived in New England; the painter's friend is an educated black man who was sold in to slavery and escapes to his friend; a murder takes place, a slave is blamed and a mystery ensues; the beginnings of the American Revolution are the backdrop for this all.
The story is vividly told, the use of colors as seen by painters a good base for description. The runaway "slave" gives strong voice to the cause of human rights in the midst of a cry for liberty (the paradox of the word made clear in the continued promotion of slave trade while white men scream for their freedom from taxes).
The love story that takes place between the "boy" (Francis Weston/Francis Easton) and the painter is interesting, basically homosexual (though we the readers know it ultimately is not) on the part of the painter, and deceptive on the part of the young disguised apprentice.
The story is told in the form of a memoir from the painter, letters from the apprentice, and short posts from various newspapers. The authors don't let this fact, known by the reader but not the writers, slip by; they play on this in creative and, occasionally, somewhat comical ways. At the beginning of the book, the letters are clearly marked and seperate from the memoir, but toward the end, they tend to blend (perhaps a literary tool, perhaps not?) and the reader is forced to know the style of the writer (for both the painter and the apprentice have their own style) in order to follow the story.
The information about pre-Revolution Boston is sound, the facts mixing well with the fiction to create a lively and interesting look in to the lives of "real" people in this volatile time in U.S. history.
The address of slavery in this period is also of value as it has become somewhat believed in history classes in the states that slavery was a practice condoned by all until the mid 19th century.
The love story is perhaps the part that I am least able to judge as I have not really read many romances of any kind. The historical fiction is what led me to this story and the romance did not overtake that portion of the story. Yet, I would not take my review as approval for romance.
The tale told here is complicated: a woman of stature but fallen from grace takes a painting apprentice position but must dress as a boy to do so; the painter is a runaway debtor, newly arrived in New England; the painter's friend is an educated black man who was sold in to slavery and escapes to his friend; a murder takes place, a slave is blamed and a mystery ensues; the beginnings of the American Revolution are the backdrop for this all.
The story is vividly told, the use of colors as seen by painters a good base for description. The runaway "slave" gives strong voice to the cause of human rights in the midst of a cry for liberty (the paradox of the word made clear in the continued promotion of slave trade while white men scream for their freedom from taxes).
The love story that takes place between the "boy" (Francis Weston/Francis Easton) and the painter is interesting, basically homosexual (though we the readers know it ultimately is not) on the part of the painter, and deceptive on the part of the young disguised apprentice.
The story is told in the form of a memoir from the painter, letters from the apprentice, and short posts from various newspapers. The authors don't let this fact, known by the reader but not the writers, slip by; they play on this in creative and, occasionally, somewhat comical ways. At the beginning of the book, the letters are clearly marked and seperate from the memoir, but toward the end, they tend to blend (perhaps a literary tool, perhaps not?) and the reader is forced to know the style of the writer (for both the painter and the apprentice have their own style) in order to follow the story.
The information about pre-Revolution Boston is sound, the facts mixing well with the fiction to create a lively and interesting look in to the lives of "real" people in this volatile time in U.S. history.
The address of slavery in this period is also of value as it has become somewhat believed in history classes in the states that slavery was a practice condoned by all until the mid 19th century.
The love story is perhaps the part that I am least able to judge as I have not really read many romances of any kind. The historical fiction is what led me to this story and the romance did not overtake that portion of the story. Yet, I would not take my review as approval for romance.
April 29, 2009
My hold shelf at the library is always filled with surprises. When the stack on my bedside shelf starts to get short, I do a crosscheck: If it's on my to-read list and available at the library, I put it on hold.
Sometimes, the book has been on my to-read list for a year or more. Sometimes a friend just mentioned it. Nine times out of ten, I have absolutely no idea why I flagged it as a book of interest.
So, Blindspot stunned me a little. It's historical fiction, set in Boston before the Revolutionary War. I was worried it wasn't my style (which is eclectic, to say the least). In other words, I thought I'd be bored, at best.
But again, I'm finding delight in the unexpected. And Blindspot is nothing but.
It's told from two perspectives, and actually, is written by two authors. (There's no specific note that each author wrote one voice, but that's my assumption. They're both history professors.)
One narrator is a young woman in men's clothing, literally. She's fallen from grace and applies for a job as an artist's assistant -- but the only way she can get it is to pretend to be a young boy. The other narrator, of course, is the artist, but he's as full of pretense. He fled to the Colonies to escape debts in the old country.
The scenes that they set are revealing -- a country on the brink of war, a town nearing anarchy, a people thinking about freedom and human rights. Interestingly, there are plenty of parallels to today.
I loved that I stumbled into the book without knowing much, so I won't fill in the gaps for you. Needless to say, there are comedies of error. Blindspot is cheeky and cute, painful and proud, loving and lust-filled. A great, great read.
Sometimes, the book has been on my to-read list for a year or more. Sometimes a friend just mentioned it. Nine times out of ten, I have absolutely no idea why I flagged it as a book of interest.
So, Blindspot stunned me a little. It's historical fiction, set in Boston before the Revolutionary War. I was worried it wasn't my style (which is eclectic, to say the least). In other words, I thought I'd be bored, at best.
But again, I'm finding delight in the unexpected. And Blindspot is nothing but.
It's told from two perspectives, and actually, is written by two authors. (There's no specific note that each author wrote one voice, but that's my assumption. They're both history professors.)
One narrator is a young woman in men's clothing, literally. She's fallen from grace and applies for a job as an artist's assistant -- but the only way she can get it is to pretend to be a young boy. The other narrator, of course, is the artist, but he's as full of pretense. He fled to the Colonies to escape debts in the old country.
The scenes that they set are revealing -- a country on the brink of war, a town nearing anarchy, a people thinking about freedom and human rights. Interestingly, there are plenty of parallels to today.
I loved that I stumbled into the book without knowing much, so I won't fill in the gaps for you. Needless to say, there are comedies of error. Blindspot is cheeky and cute, painful and proud, loving and lust-filled. A great, great read.
January 20, 2016
I was looking forward to a good solid historical fiction set in pre-Revolutionary Boston, especially given the fact that it was written by two history professors. I wasn't expecting it to be primarily a bawdy romance and secondarily a poorly conceived mystery. The main characters were Stewart Jameson, a portrait-painter from Scotland who fled to Boston to avoid debtor's prison, and Francis Weston, a poor starving boy from a workhouse, who Stewart takes on as a painter's apprentice. Weston, unbeknownst to his master, is actually Fanny Eason, the disgraced daughter of one of Boston's most influential families. Of course the two fall in lust almost immediately, even before he know's Weston is a girl, and their ardor never abates, no matter what else is going on in the story, although one comes to wish it would. The whole thing goes on way too long. The most amazing thing about it is that I actually finished it. I wouldn't recommend that exercise to anyone else.
June 28, 2010
Actually did not finish. Think Goodreads needs to add this category for those of us who refuse to waste time reading a book we are not enjoying.
Normally I like historical fiction but the writing style of this one just didn't appeal to me. In the first 40 pages or so we had a prologue, a chapter from the main characters POV, a chapter from the main female characters POV, a couple of reports on what the Colonies have to say about British taxes and a chapter on what the British are planning on doing to tax said colonies. It felt disjointed and hard to follow. When I realized I was more bored than interested I stopped reading.
The book came highly recommended and to someone else it might work, just didn't work for me.
Normally I like historical fiction but the writing style of this one just didn't appeal to me. In the first 40 pages or so we had a prologue, a chapter from the main characters POV, a chapter from the main female characters POV, a couple of reports on what the Colonies have to say about British taxes and a chapter on what the British are planning on doing to tax said colonies. It felt disjointed and hard to follow. When I realized I was more bored than interested I stopped reading.
The book came highly recommended and to someone else it might work, just didn't work for me.
February 11, 2009
I don't know whether it was because the characters were so likable, because I live in Boston, or because I saw the authors speak and they looked like they had such fun writing it that I enjoyed this book so much. It got a tad melodramatic at times, but for the most part I really got into this story and loved it.
December 4, 2021
The first half sets things up well, and then…there were so many things wrong with this book!
April 14, 2024
NPS Book club inaugural book! If Jill Lepore and Jane Kamensky were able to write this and maintain their positions as respected historians and Harvard professors I feel like I don’t need to worry *that* much about like, how I use the social internet
February 18, 2009
The beginning of this book was a little slow, but then it picked up and I got involved in the story. Later, through the weight of its many plot lines and themes, it kind of fell apart again. The story isn't all bad, but there is just too much going on.
The plot starts out as a comedy of errors with the cross dressing Weston, then moves into a "will they or won't they" love story as Weston (Frances Weston / Fanny Easton) and Jameson start falling for each other. There is the carreer striving of Weston's training and Jameson's need to find patrons and income for them, his original intent to find a wealthy wife to solve his financial problems. All the while, there is the story of Alexander and locating him and ensuring he is safe. The is an inconvenient, but loved dog who gets poisoned. Then there is a murder to be solved and innocent people to be freed, a will to find, adulterers to expose and a derailed marriage plan to save.
While all of this is going on there is the history of colonial Boston and the pre-revolution American colonies. There are the back stories of Weston, Jameson and Alexander. There is an innocent man hanged. There are multiple themes about forgiveness, loss, starting over, generosity, the subjugation of women, the immorality of slavery, the rights of the colonies.
It is all too much, like the authors were trying to make a novel that has everything they ever wanted to say in it. Oh... and sex. Did I mention the novel has lots of sex?
I have no problem with new lovers going at it like rabbits, but the nature of Weston and Jameson's sex seems unlikely for the time. Start with the fact that Jameson is heterosexual, but apparently falls in love with Weston believing he is a 16 year old boy. He resists his sexual urges with him because he feels it would be taking advantage of his apprentice, even making plans to send him away to study in London to save him from his lust, but he is plainly obcessed. He states he would have no problem pursuing the desire were Weston an adult man. Then Weston, acting as a boy, flirts with heavy sexual innuendo and does her best to draw Jameson into a sexual relationshuip. That Jameson would be so open minded about homosexuality and Weston so direct seems unlikely. Weston who was thrown out of her father's house for getting pregnant and refusing to marry the father, who sold her body on the street to prevent starvation and freezing to death, who ended up in the work house, nearly starved anyway... would have more hang ups about sex and be more concerned about keeping her secrets and remaining safe and well fed in Jameson's home. When they do begin to have sex, it starts with fellatio and rapidly progresses to anal sex, at Weston's encouragement, because that is what Jameson had been fantasizing about for so long when he believed her a boy. Again, it seems very unlikely they would be so openminded, or that Weston would have no hang ups and not be more conservative than other women of her time instead of less.
Throw in the constant ups and downs, passions and declarations of love followed by anger and tears between Jameson, Weston and Alexander... it is exhausting trying to keep up with the constant inexplicable drama. And the ending! The ending with Weston sailing away to study painting in London for 6 months! The motivation for that decision is barely explained, but as a newly married woman, who has been having sex for a month or more to undertake a transAtlantic voyage of that length where she could be 6 or 7 months pregnant on the return trip, seems unlikely. I think such concerns would be on the fore for a woman of that time, when coming home is a 6 - 8 week sea voyage in the trecharous North Atlantic. And Jameson let her go, and Alexander put the idea in her head and encouraged her to go... makes no sense.
So, all in all, a confusing book with too much going on and none of it well-enough crafted to make sense and feel realistic.
The plot starts out as a comedy of errors with the cross dressing Weston, then moves into a "will they or won't they" love story as Weston (Frances Weston / Fanny Easton) and Jameson start falling for each other. There is the carreer striving of Weston's training and Jameson's need to find patrons and income for them, his original intent to find a wealthy wife to solve his financial problems. All the while, there is the story of Alexander and locating him and ensuring he is safe. The is an inconvenient, but loved dog who gets poisoned. Then there is a murder to be solved and innocent people to be freed, a will to find, adulterers to expose and a derailed marriage plan to save.
While all of this is going on there is the history of colonial Boston and the pre-revolution American colonies. There are the back stories of Weston, Jameson and Alexander. There is an innocent man hanged. There are multiple themes about forgiveness, loss, starting over, generosity, the subjugation of women, the immorality of slavery, the rights of the colonies.
It is all too much, like the authors were trying to make a novel that has everything they ever wanted to say in it. Oh... and sex. Did I mention the novel has lots of sex?
I have no problem with new lovers going at it like rabbits, but the nature of Weston and Jameson's sex seems unlikely for the time. Start with the fact that Jameson is heterosexual, but apparently falls in love with Weston believing he is a 16 year old boy. He resists his sexual urges with him because he feels it would be taking advantage of his apprentice, even making plans to send him away to study in London to save him from his lust, but he is plainly obcessed. He states he would have no problem pursuing the desire were Weston an adult man. Then Weston, acting as a boy, flirts with heavy sexual innuendo and does her best to draw Jameson into a sexual relationshuip. That Jameson would be so open minded about homosexuality and Weston so direct seems unlikely. Weston who was thrown out of her father's house for getting pregnant and refusing to marry the father, who sold her body on the street to prevent starvation and freezing to death, who ended up in the work house, nearly starved anyway... would have more hang ups about sex and be more concerned about keeping her secrets and remaining safe and well fed in Jameson's home. When they do begin to have sex, it starts with fellatio and rapidly progresses to anal sex, at Weston's encouragement, because that is what Jameson had been fantasizing about for so long when he believed her a boy. Again, it seems very unlikely they would be so openminded, or that Weston would have no hang ups and not be more conservative than other women of her time instead of less.
Throw in the constant ups and downs, passions and declarations of love followed by anger and tears between Jameson, Weston and Alexander... it is exhausting trying to keep up with the constant inexplicable drama. And the ending! The ending with Weston sailing away to study painting in London for 6 months! The motivation for that decision is barely explained, but as a newly married woman, who has been having sex for a month or more to undertake a transAtlantic voyage of that length where she could be 6 or 7 months pregnant on the return trip, seems unlikely. I think such concerns would be on the fore for a woman of that time, when coming home is a 6 - 8 week sea voyage in the trecharous North Atlantic. And Jameson let her go, and Alexander put the idea in her head and encouraged her to go... makes no sense.
So, all in all, a confusing book with too much going on and none of it well-enough crafted to make sense and feel realistic.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 27, 2016
If you like American Revolution historical fiction that is written in diary/letter form along with historical accounts (snippets of newspaper articles and the like), and portions of historically-significant works, you will like Jane Kamensky and Jill Lepore’s Blindspot. This is one of the books from my Goodreads wish list from 2011.
Stewart Jameson is an Scot in exile, escaping his debtors who seek to put him in prison. He is a Scot, whose good heart lands him in the predicament that forces him to seek shelter in Boston, Massachusetts. He meets up with a young male, a Francis Weston, who lands on his doorstep, after some misadventures that had forced the Fanny Easton to become Francis Weston. Francis becomes Stewart’s apprentice. Stewart is a portrait artist, and from the narrative, is fairly good at it.
Francis, and later Fanny, and Stewart become enamored with each other. In 1760’s Boston, this poses a problem for Stewart as everyone but two thinks Fanny is a male. Along with this is Stewart’s wish to resolve the issue of what caused him to flee to America. That issue in the form of a Dr. Alexander that is perceived by the town to be a slave, turns up on his doorstep as well. Stewart, who has bought his friend’s freedom back in London, takes his friend in. His friend is a learned soul, and a smart one, and a rebellious one.
Before long, Stewart, the good doctor, and Francis aka Fanny, are embroiled in a murder mystery, one that revolves around the sudden death of a man that sat for Stewart to have his portrait painted. Two slaves in the victim’s household are arrested, a trial is had, the suspects are found guilty, and one is hanged while the female slave is destined for the West Indies to work in the sugar cane field as a slave. Stewart and crew must find out who’s responsible for the murder before it is too late for the female slave and her baby, which has been decreed by the court to be sold.
Blindspot is a treasure trove of history, art, books, and romance (some of it is graphic though tastefully done) from the period. It a bit long in the tooth but still an enjoyable read and an education. The novel was well-written particularly given that there are two authors.
Stewart Jameson is an Scot in exile, escaping his debtors who seek to put him in prison. He is a Scot, whose good heart lands him in the predicament that forces him to seek shelter in Boston, Massachusetts. He meets up with a young male, a Francis Weston, who lands on his doorstep, after some misadventures that had forced the Fanny Easton to become Francis Weston. Francis becomes Stewart’s apprentice. Stewart is a portrait artist, and from the narrative, is fairly good at it.
Francis, and later Fanny, and Stewart become enamored with each other. In 1760’s Boston, this poses a problem for Stewart as everyone but two thinks Fanny is a male. Along with this is Stewart’s wish to resolve the issue of what caused him to flee to America. That issue in the form of a Dr. Alexander that is perceived by the town to be a slave, turns up on his doorstep as well. Stewart, who has bought his friend’s freedom back in London, takes his friend in. His friend is a learned soul, and a smart one, and a rebellious one.
Before long, Stewart, the good doctor, and Francis aka Fanny, are embroiled in a murder mystery, one that revolves around the sudden death of a man that sat for Stewart to have his portrait painted. Two slaves in the victim’s household are arrested, a trial is had, the suspects are found guilty, and one is hanged while the female slave is destined for the West Indies to work in the sugar cane field as a slave. Stewart and crew must find out who’s responsible for the murder before it is too late for the female slave and her baby, which has been decreed by the court to be sold.
Blindspot is a treasure trove of history, art, books, and romance (some of it is graphic though tastefully done) from the period. It a bit long in the tooth but still an enjoyable read and an education. The novel was well-written particularly given that there are two authors.
March 12, 2009
I was so excited for this book- a historical fiction written by two well-known and very well respected historians. And I enjoyed the book immensely. It's a really good historical fiction novel without being too sappy, but I'm not sure it lived up to all the hype surrounding it. I expected more- I wanted a bibliography (other historical novels sometimes supply this), I wanted a closer rendition to what actually happened, or at least an opaque connection to historical actors. Instead, this is a novel set in a historical time and place, with historical events, loosely based on historical actors (but changed names). Why? I don't think the authors quite knew what they wanted out of this book, so a lot of the book is neither quite historical fiction romance, nor is it a historical narrative. It gets a little lost in the inbetweeness.
There was some intriguing subplots that reveal a lot about early America. Were those parts fictional or historically based? I want to more about the reactions to cross-dressing. What about the sexual consequences of that cross-dressing. It's described, but not analyzed. The same issue with a woman painting- it's described but not analyzed. What's the point of having two distinguished historians write a historical novel if they don't do something different than what other non-historian writers of historical fiction do?
There was some intriguing subplots that reveal a lot about early America. Were those parts fictional or historically based? I want to more about the reactions to cross-dressing. What about the sexual consequences of that cross-dressing. It's described, but not analyzed. The same issue with a woman painting- it's described but not analyzed. What's the point of having two distinguished historians write a historical novel if they don't do something different than what other non-historian writers of historical fiction do?
August 22, 2010
Summer reading, perhaps? The story is a light look at a tease between two people, one a man, the other a woman disguised as a man (you can guess the mischief that results), both cloaked in a historical guise; an Agatha Christie-type light and somewhat entertaining murder mystery (a little too racy for my taste); a friendship between a white man and a highly educated black man in a time when such relationships were highly unlikely and were frowned upon by social custom; and a few other gems to keep you rooting for a predictable "happily ever after."
Except for the two main characters (the man and the woman disguised as a man), there is very little character development, although there were characters who might have had an interesting story to tell.
The story is slightly educational, but primarily it's just fun and lightly entertaining. Read this book if you want a light read and you enjoy or can tolerate racy content. Otherwise, just skip it and hope the authors write another book and tell you about the lives of those characters who were only mentioned in this story.
(This is the review I posted on Amazon)
Except for the two main characters (the man and the woman disguised as a man), there is very little character development, although there were characters who might have had an interesting story to tell.
The story is slightly educational, but primarily it's just fun and lightly entertaining. Read this book if you want a light read and you enjoy or can tolerate racy content. Otherwise, just skip it and hope the authors write another book and tell you about the lives of those characters who were only mentioned in this story.
(This is the review I posted on Amazon)
September 2, 2009
I do not like history novels. That being said, I completely loved this book. I found it at an independent bookstore, and had never heard anything about it. But the cover looked interesting, so I bought it. Where it sat on my to-read pile. For months. Once I finally, grudgingly, picked it up, I could barely sleep until I finished it! Charming characters who you actually care about tell the story. He is a Scottish painter who flees his debts on the other side of the pond and sets up his easel in Boston. Where he happens to advertise for an apprentice who just happens to be a talented female artist who has disguised herself as a young man so that she can learn. Oh yes, and eat, after being thrown out of her father's home for doing what comes naturally. Tongue in cheek from him, intense letters from her to her best friend...delicious. Other characters move the story along, a brilliant black scholar who is Jameson's friend, and of course murder and mayhem. Loved it.
April 1, 2009
I loved this book.
I have to say, it's not my usual genre. I honestly picked it up because it was a free advance copy, and now I feel like I want to go buy another copy just to encourage these authors to write more. Yes, the way it turned into a romance novel toward the end was a bit much and unnecessary, and I'm still not certain how I feel about the ending, but it was so very worth reading that I don't mind.
It was one of the only books I've ever read where, when finished, I had to seriously stop myself from flipping it over and starting it again. For my first true romp into the world of historical fiction, it was lots of fun. I want to read more like it!
I have to say, it's not my usual genre. I honestly picked it up because it was a free advance copy, and now I feel like I want to go buy another copy just to encourage these authors to write more. Yes, the way it turned into a romance novel toward the end was a bit much and unnecessary, and I'm still not certain how I feel about the ending, but it was so very worth reading that I don't mind.
It was one of the only books I've ever read where, when finished, I had to seriously stop myself from flipping it over and starting it again. For my first true romp into the world of historical fiction, it was lots of fun. I want to read more like it!
March 15, 2017
What happened here?! Sure, a "bawdy romp", but alaso a thin story, not enough about the impending revolution, then you add a murder mystery, and I just couldn't believe I was reading about an adult man groping a boy and worse. When he pulls out the mineral oil I would have thrown the book out the window if it wasn't 10 degrees below zero. Skimmed to the end, which was disappointing. It suggests that they never see each other, with no idea what might have happened. Was this supposed to be intriguing? It wasn't.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 23, 2010
Ah yes, let us please have another novel that reveals the shocking and unknown truth that slavery is bad and hurts people! Let us have some bad, bad white hypocrite meanyheads and two slaves at different ends of the spectrum--the erudite and the unlettered, characters who are mere shades beneath the weight of the slavery that overhangs them. Let us be bawdy and anti-Christian multiple times per page. In other words, let us shoehorn modern values into a historical novel without making a readable experience out of the end result.
September 3, 2011
This book started out very promisingly. I loved the first 1/3 of the book. Trudged through the second third. And then came upon the ridiculous sex scenes and dropped the book. Purely idiotically written sex scenes. Not worth finishing the book.
May 24, 2012
Loved it! At first I wasn't sure then so much fun.
March 31, 2016
This book seized my attention from the first page and held me captive! Disguise, detecting, art, rebellion and history all in one book.
January 14, 2018
Can't finish this one. It's just bad.
June 27, 2018
Thank the Heavens I’m finally done with this book! I just really didn’t care too much for it.
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