Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction discussion

This is the thread to discuss the June 2015 Medieval Era group read of Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie

I got a copy of this, but not certain if I will be able to get to it in time. Hopefully though, it will work out.

Started listening to this audiobook today

I may get a chance to read this after all, but it won't be until later in the month. I've decided to dedicate one vacation day to reading

I love this book. I interviewed the author in January, but I won't post the link unless Terri okays it. I will say that the book is well worth reading—not just for what it is (a look at the invention we all rely on) but for what it says about our own time.

Happy to participate!

I have started it, about 50 pages in. So far, it's a mix of The Coffee Trader, Niccolò Rising, and, The Hangman's Daughter.

I think the author is trying to emulate Dorothy Dunnett but coming off a bit David Liss. Meaning, I'm having trouble being invested in any of the characters. I think it's down to the author's writing style - how she piece-meals the beginning, so that the reader is as confused as the protagonist, but it took me a while to figure out who that even was.
Also, while I know it happened (and still does), I hate stories where all of an individual's agency is taken away through feelings of forced guilt, loyalty, and finances.

What I do like is the atmosphere set for period and place (Mainz, Germany).

Darcy wrote: "... I'm having trouble being invested in any of the characters. "

I agree, I am not feeling for any of the characters right now. I think it is only my interest in the historical event that is keeping me invested in this story, and not the story itself. Hovering between 2 and 3 stars for me at 50% in

I agree that the characters are slow to build and not the high point. Perhaps this is the historian (and book lover) in me talking, but what completely swept me up after a while was the technology. The first book ever printed—and what went into producing it was so much more complicated and fascinating than I had imagined. After a while, I was SO pulling for them I honestly didn't care about the rest.

finished. It was ok, but I think I am being kind. 3 stars. It would have made a better non-fiction book, and forget the character development entirely

You read The Coffee Trader by Daivd Liss didn't you Daniel? Was it anything like that to you?
That is how I imagined it would be and then when Darcy mentioned it reminded her of David Liss it didn't surprise me.

I did read the coffee trader and enjoyed it. I can see the similarities in the story, but Liss had better character development.

I just started reading Gutenberg's Apprentice, so I'm a little late to the game. I'm not far into the book, but I find myself reflecting on the effect on the narrator of the innovation of printing.

The narrator is a scribe, and movable type represents an historic change in the means of communication, and an existential threat to the narrator's own profession.

I find myself making a comparison to the criticisms of writing voiced by Plato. I think there's some argument about whether Plato (or the "Socrates" he portrayed) was really opposed to writing. After all, he was a writer. But if I understand correctly, Plato was concerned that writing would tend to "cement" knowledge and thus impede its progress. Or something like that. Also, people would lose the skill of memorization.

Anyway, in Gutenberg's Apprentice, I think I see some similar fear in the voice of the narrator. Anybody else getting that sense? Maybe that was in fact a concern of the real Schoeffer.

ARK

I'm about a quarter of the way in and agree that this might have worked better as non-fiction. It's quite dry and the characters aren't really grabbing me. The historical aspect is interesting though.

Taylor wrote: "I'm about a quarter of the way in and agree that this might have worked better as non-fiction."

I don't know, I'm liking this as a work of fiction, including the characters.

I don't know much about Gutenberg and the development of movable type, beyond the basics. I imagine there are already some very good biographies of him and histories of his work.

I find myself intrigued by the portrayal of a key character who was on the scene at the creation of one the most important innovations in communication. A work of fiction seems like an interesting way to explore what that might have been like.

ARK

Somewhere towards the end of the book, Peter mentioned that Anna's hair smells like vanilla. I'm curious if Peter and to some extent peoples of Europe knows what vanilla is around that time. As far as I know, the plant originated from America and very difficult to grow.

Nice catch. I looked it up and vanilla wasn't introduced to Europe until the 1520s.

I am starting this one a little late, obviously. I am trying it as an audio book. It's alright.
I don't exactly know how far I am into the book. I think I'm still in the first chapter. I'm just to the part where Fust shows Peter the printed pages. Maybe it was the man reading the book but I loved the description of Peter's horror at seeing printed pages. I thought it was brilliant. Descriptions like those might make the audio format a little easier for me.

Gretchen wrote: "I loved the description of Peter's horror at seeing printed pages. I thought it was brilliant. "

I liked that aspect of the book too. I mentioned in my review (https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) that I've worked in the field of innovation, so I tend to be attuned to people's responses to new things.

It makes me think about the tension in recent years between printed books and electronic books. It was only about 20 years ago that author Annie Proulx wrote in The New York Times: "Nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen. Ever."

ARK

I have to agree with some of the above opinions about some of the characters. As I'm progressing in the book, Peter is losing me. He's kind of obnoxious and bratty. I understand some of the motivation for some of his behaviors but overall I just get a bratty kid vibe. Just my thoughts so far.

I didn't get this one listened to before the library took it back from me :( I thought I could listen while I was doing other things. Turns out my brain won't function like that. From what I retained, things were starting to go a little better for me but I still wasn't heavily invested in the futures of any of the characters. I think a little more background on Germany at the time would help me too.