Dennis Hamley

The Second Person from Porlock is a perfectly good book, but I was left feeling lukewarm about it. It's a two-timeline, three-story novel. The first timeline follows moments in the life of Samuel Taylor Coleridge. The second timeline follow two young men, younger then Coleridge, but living when Coleridge is alive. One of the two may be Coleridge's illegitimate son, who has traveled from Italy to explore his possible parentage. The other is a sizar at Cambridge's Jesus College, rebelling against his lowly status and, inspired by Coleridge's writing, considering becoming a poet. Each narrative is well-developed. The Coleridge character doesn't come across as fully realized and seems more of a two-dimensional stand in for the idea of Coleridge than the man himself—one of those celebrity cardboard cut-outs people can take a photo with. The two younger men are more complex and more engaging.

Here's the thing of it: The Second Person from Porlock is a good enough book, but it is not a book that has anything new to offer. Poet/addict who treats his family poorly? Not new. Young man trying to understand his geneology? Not new. Young man wanting to become a writer? Not new. New might have been some of the female characters functioning at the novel's periphery: Coleridge's ill-used wife or his daughter who has grown up distanced from him (both were also writers) or any of the women in the Wordsworth household (again, writers) or Coleridge's Italian paramour. But they're peripheral.

If you enjoy the tropes The Second Person from Porlock offers, you'll find it an excellent read. If you find such tropes wearying, you probably won't want to invest the time to read it.

I received a free electronic ARC of this title for review purposes from the publisher via NetGalley; the opinions are my own.… (mais)

The Second Person from Porlock by Dennis Hamley is that rare work of fiction that will both entertain the reader with the story and pique the reader's interest in historical (in this case literary) personalities.

Even if you have little to no interest in Coleridge the poet or the literature of the period this book will still be a fascinating story. Yes, there are literary references but not to the point where you have to be fan of the romantics. Their personality quirks work in the story without that extra bit of interest.

If you do like poetry and/or the romantics you will find even more here to captivate you. I enjoy stories that succeed in bringing aspects of a literary figure into the plot. Hamley keeps the old literature teacher in me entertained while also keeping the popular fiction reader in me happy. And it is always nice to have all my inner people on the same page.

While I found the length to be a positive since it kept me in that world longer, I can imagine that some readers who are only interested in either the literary references or the narrative itself may find a few sections a little slow. I would suggest keeping with it because everything really does work together to create a satisfying conclusion.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.… (mais)

England and France are at war in 1368 and. Joslin de Lay is a minstrel like his father. Joslin lives at the castle in Contenin when his father is murdered and he escapes to England. He must find his lost mother and for that he must go to Wales. With his father’s dagger and a rattling locket, he began his journey. Little does he know that a mysterious, threatening man is following him.

In this second book of Joslin’s journey he accompanies his friend Alys to London to tell of his friend Robin’s death and burial to Randolf the man to whom Robin was apprenticed.

Randolf invites Joslin to stay and so begins another tale of murder, of pestilence of the plague and of being a suspect because he is a foreigner.

An interesting murder. This series appears to be written as ROO, each book as a standalone, the author does not reference the previous story. It started off slow because the prologue was long and indefinite, and I fumbled to integrate the characters. Once it got going it did hold my attention.… (mais)

Set in the 14th century England, Joslin de Lay, minstrel, begins a journey of 300 miles to Wales to find his mother and himself. A journey fraught with danger and adventure, in this first book he is blamed as a French spy and devil for murders occurring in the town of Stovenham.

Well written! The different imagery of people, religion and warfare held me spellbound. The mystery of the murderer and how Joslin goes about trying to free himself for the blame of the murders is well plotted. A glimpse into a different time.… (mais)