tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5944570901299649958.post1964698489477267316..comments2023-10-29T16:02:17.355+00:00Comments on Historical Tapestry: Why I Love Unreliable Narrators by Rebecca JohnsMarghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13508430635744720721noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5944570901299649958.post-74217742787552756042011-11-21T05:54:00.454+00:002011-11-21T05:54:00.454+00:00Thank you, ladies--it's always nice to know th...Thank you, ladies--it's always nice to know there are such thoughtful readers out there!<br /><br />And Jeanie--the book I found the most helpful was Tony Thorne's Countess Dracula. It did include some translated correspondence that I hadn't seen elsewhere, a few things that really helped me develop her voice. Kimberly Craft has since translated a bunch of Bathory's personal correspondence, but it wasn't yet available when I was researching the novel. I also liked Katalin Peter's Beloved Children, which did a LOT to help inform the sense of family dynamics and politics of the time period.<br /><br />I did have to take something of a creative leap with the countess's motivations. It seems from the formality of her correspondence with her husband that they were not terribly warm toward each other. There's a lot of formality there, where other couples of that time period would have been more loving. But it followed, at least to me, that if she felt the servant girls were taking away her husband's affections that she would take out her frustration on them.<br /><br />And I'd love to see your take on the book. Thanks for your interest!TLBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00528402228927046821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5944570901299649958.post-85587320401704186952011-11-20T03:30:25.669+00:002011-11-20T03:30:25.669+00:00Rebecca did a great job of developing Erzsébet'...Rebecca did a great job of developing Erzsébet's personality. She starts off so tarnished. The "you suffer too little" comment still sticks with me LONG after I've finished the book. <br />The book allowed me to see what she would have been like. It was within her "rights" to do those things. She was being framed. And she presents a great alibi. I definitely loved her presentation of herself.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04317813419161397510noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5944570901299649958.post-47188430019326579842011-11-19T23:39:36.845+00:002011-11-19T23:39:36.845+00:00I love novels that aren't just another boring ...I love novels that aren't just another boring rehash. I've seen references to your novel before and it is definitely going on my Christmas wish list.J. R. Tomlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01109874615059334200noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5944570901299649958.post-34953314865637530472011-11-19T18:51:32.549+00:002011-11-19T18:51:32.549+00:00thanks to debra marvin for sending me over here to...thanks to debra marvin for sending me over here today via twitter. i had just posted on <a href="http://charactertherapist.blogspot.com/2011/11/good-kind-of-reader-manipulation.html" rel="nofollow"> A Good Kind of Reader Manipulation</a> and Rebecca's post totally relates. <br /><br />on a side note, i think it's fascinating that you chose to write about the blood countess. from the info on your blog, you seem to recount a very different motivation for the acts attributed to her (gaining the love of her husband). just b/c i'm curious, did you find some personal correspondence that would corroborate that interpretation? i'd be very interested in reviewing this book at some point in the future!<br /><br />jeannie<br /><a href="http://charactertherapist.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">the character therapist</a>Jeannie Campbell, LMFThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13958943404601029395noreply@blogger.com