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ldv's review against another edition
3.0
A nice mystery set in France in the late 1800s. There's enough historical detail to create the scenes, but not so much to bog down the story. It's actually interesting to read about the characters using photography and telegrams and refer to speaking tubes and electricity as recent innovations.
The story is about a dull lawyer who ends up with a crazy case that requires him to do some crazy stunts as a detective, while balancing his home life and his mistress. The story is not too intense or complex, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew for adults -- even cliff-hanger chapter endings that make you keep reading when you planned to stop and go to sleep.
A good book to read on a lazy Sunday, on the beach or in front of a warm fire.
The story is about a dull lawyer who ends up with a crazy case that requires him to do some crazy stunts as a detective, while balancing his home life and his mistress. The story is not too intense or complex, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew for adults -- even cliff-hanger chapter endings that make you keep reading when you planned to stop and go to sleep.
A good book to read on a lazy Sunday, on the beach or in front of a warm fire.
exurbanis's review against another edition
4.0
Some of you may be familiar with the infamous Dreyfus affair but before this month in 2014, I would have sworn I had never heard of it. Of course, since then, I’ve seen countless casual references to it so it was probably around me all the time.
Wikipedia says: “The Dreyfus affair (French: l’affaire Dreyfus) was a political scandal that divided France from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The affair is often seen as a modern and universal symbol of injustice, and remains one of the most striking examples of a complex miscarriage of justice, where a major role was played by the press and public opinion.” I might add that it seems a prime case of anti-Semitism as well.
The mystery in the event is: if Dreyfus didn’t do it, who did? Kate Taylor has written a fictional account of the affair, although from what I’ve learned since, it seems to paint a very accurate picture of the situation. It was a very enjoyable way to take in history! 4 stars
Wikipedia says: “The Dreyfus affair (French: l’affaire Dreyfus) was a political scandal that divided France from 1894 until its resolution in 1906. The affair is often seen as a modern and universal symbol of injustice, and remains one of the most striking examples of a complex miscarriage of justice, where a major role was played by the press and public opinion.” I might add that it seems a prime case of anti-Semitism as well.
The mystery in the event is: if Dreyfus didn’t do it, who did? Kate Taylor has written a fictional account of the affair, although from what I’ve learned since, it seems to paint a very accurate picture of the situation. It was a very enjoyable way to take in history! 4 stars
classictragedy8's review against another edition
4.0
More of a 3.5. There are many things I liked about this book. For one I liked how this book to me did not feel like historical fiction. It didn't spend time telling you about history. It seemed to be just contemporary book just happening to take place in late 1800's. I also like how the end was brought together with detail concluding something in the mystery. What I did like was how the "bad guy" was extremely predicable. I could see it right from around the middle or before in the book. I don't think that this book is that amazing but I do believe it deserves to be more wide read than it is. I would recommend it if you like historical novels, mystery and are looking for a light read.
chantale's review against another edition
1.0
This book is very character driven. The plot and action are slow. The last 100 pages or so picks up. Some of the detective work and much of the middle of the book could have been shortened. I book did interest me to read find out about the Alfred Dreyfus and the Dreyfus Affair, which the book loosely fictionalizes.
ldv's review
3.0
A nice mystery set in France in the late 1800s. There's enough historical detail to create the scenes, but not so much to bog down the story. It's actually interesting to read about the characters using photography and telegrams and refer to speaking tubes and electricity as recent innovations.
The story is about a dull lawyer who ends up with a crazy case that requires him to do some crazy stunts as a detective, while balancing his home life and his mistress. The story is not too intense or complex, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew for adults -- even cliff-hanger chapter endings that make you keep reading when you planned to stop and go to sleep.
A good book to read on a lazy Sunday, on the beach or in front of a warm fire.
The story is about a dull lawyer who ends up with a crazy case that requires him to do some crazy stunts as a detective, while balancing his home life and his mistress. The story is not too intense or complex, and it reminds me of Nancy Drew for adults -- even cliff-hanger chapter endings that make you keep reading when you planned to stop and go to sleep.
A good book to read on a lazy Sunday, on the beach or in front of a warm fire.
mariecg2001's review
4.0
Based on a real case that had a big impact on France, this book tells the story of a lawyer who finds himself in an undercover mission, trying to prove the innocence of Dreyfus who is accused of treason.
Before meeting "Mr Dreyfus' good friend", Dubon's life was simple: he had his law practice and he met his wife for dinner after a visit to his mistress. But now, all bets are off, he's late for dinner, his mistress is ready to trade him for another and he's running around the city trying to avoid people he knows. And what about his new choice of clothes?
I have always loved historical novels, and this one did not disappoint me.
Before meeting "Mr Dreyfus' good friend", Dubon's life was simple: he had his law practice and he met his wife for dinner after a visit to his mistress. But now, all bets are off, he's late for dinner, his mistress is ready to trade him for another and he's running around the city trying to avoid people he knows. And what about his new choice of clothes?
I have always loved historical novels, and this one did not disappoint me.
canadianbookworm's review
4.0
This novel is set in nineteenth-century Paris and revolves around the Dreyfuss Affair. Admittedly, I didn't actually know that much about this before I read the book, so besides getting entertained, I also learned a lot.
The main character here is François Dubon, a lawyer who married into a family above his own social status. Both of his brothers-in-law are in the military, one as a Major and one as a Captain. Dubon was involved with the Communards in his youth, but that information is only known to his wife and a close friend. His early career as a lawyer included working to get Communards accepted back into society without restrictions, through an amnesty. He left that job, taking over his father's practice when he married.
Dubon also has a mistress, Madeleine, that he sees most weekdays between five and seven.
When a mysterious widow arrives at his office and asks him to work at identifying the true spy in an effort to get Dreyfuss an appeal, he finds himself agreeing, against his better judgment. His actions disrupt his personal life, put him into dangerous situations, and send the whole country talking.
The history is interesting. The character of Dubon is a complex one, with mixed motives. The story is a good one. All in all, a fascinating read.
The main character here is François Dubon, a lawyer who married into a family above his own social status. Both of his brothers-in-law are in the military, one as a Major and one as a Captain. Dubon was involved with the Communards in his youth, but that information is only known to his wife and a close friend. His early career as a lawyer included working to get Communards accepted back into society without restrictions, through an amnesty. He left that job, taking over his father's practice when he married.
Dubon also has a mistress, Madeleine, that he sees most weekdays between five and seven.
When a mysterious widow arrives at his office and asks him to work at identifying the true spy in an effort to get Dreyfuss an appeal, he finds himself agreeing, against his better judgment. His actions disrupt his personal life, put him into dangerous situations, and send the whole country talking.
The history is interesting. The character of Dubon is a complex one, with mixed motives. The story is a good one. All in all, a fascinating read.
jooniperd's review
3.0
Released today, A Man in Uniform is, according to the description offered by the publisher, Doubleday Canada:
The Dreyfus Affair caused a deep rift between intellectuals not only in French society, but in all of Europe and the United States. It unleashed racial violence and led to the publication of history’s most famous call for justice, J’accuse, addressed to the President of France by [a:Emil Zola|4422974|Emil Zola|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] (in January 1898). Zola became, in the words of Anatole France, “the conscience of mankind”.
The scandal involved not only political and military scandals but also murder, deceit, corruption and treachery. Using the documented truth of the Dreyfus Affair as the launching point for her second novel, Taylor becomes a master weaver, braiding the intricacies of historical fact with her own imagination and linear storytelling. Taylor also punches up an already bountiful chain of events through the introduction of femme fatales, seduction and villainy. Characters, both real and invented, co-mingle in her mostly solid novel.
I have had a hard time creating a review for this work because, while so many elements work ~ the plot, the historical context and facts, the characters ~ I was very let down by the use of coincidence and convenience. Taylor is a gifted writer and a talented, award-winning Canadian journalist. Through research, I discovered her initial manuscript “went through three significantly different drafts that involved major plot changes… Draft number two had serious tweaking…Draft number three involved a major rewrite then a major set of cuts” before the manuscript was considered ready for publication. Learning these details made me wonder what elements were sacrificed from a story that could have achieved literary perfection to make the novel more broadly appealing?
The novel is very well-paced and enjoyable; I debated calling it a fun read; it definitely makes for a perfect “summer read”. While looking at other reviews for A Man in Uniform, the terms “a romp” and “rollicking” were encountered again and again. The novel definitely engages the reader and seems to have all of the components of a very good historical, literary mystery. For me, the novel is hard to categorize by genre. I have read many reviews that refer to the book as a ‘hardboiled mystery’, but to my understanding, these types of stories are distinguished by an unsentimental portrayal of crime, violence, and sex. I think there is a lot of emotion in Taylor’s novel so I am a bit dismissive of that particular classification. In the end, though, I don’t think this matters. The novel is good and I am hopeful it will be embraced and enjoyed by readers. Kate Taylor is a very good writer and the story is strong. My only issue, really, has to do with how “neat” the story was; how conveniently it climaxed and resolved.
I recommend A Man in Uniform and rate it 3.5 (out of 5) stars.
"A seductive new novel from the author of the award-winning bestseller [b:Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen|1002174|Madame Proust and the Kosher Kitchen|Kate Taylor|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1180130483s/1002174.jpg|987664]. Taylor returns, again to France and too a divisive time within the country.I read this novel quickly, over one weekend. I feel Taylor has created a compelling story using an historical event that divided the nation of France. The Dreyfus Affair began in 1894. Captain Alfred Dreyfus, an innocent Jewish Officer in the French Army, was convicted on false evidence, manufactured with military approval, for a crime of high treason. He was stripped of his rank, publicly degraded and deported to the penal colony of Devil’s Island to serve a sentence of life imprisonment in total isolation and under inhumane conditions. The fight to prove his innocence lasted 12 years.
At the height of the Belle Epoque, the bourgeois lawyer François Dubon lives a well-ordered life. He spends his days at his office, his evenings with his aristocratic wife — and his afternoons with his generous mistress. But this complacent existence is shattered when a mysterious widow pays him a call. She insists only Dubon can rescue her innocent friend, an army captain by the name of Dreyfus who has been convicted of spying. Against his better judgment, Dubon is drawn into a case that will forever alter his life.”
The Dreyfus Affair caused a deep rift between intellectuals not only in French society, but in all of Europe and the United States. It unleashed racial violence and led to the publication of history’s most famous call for justice, J’accuse, addressed to the President of France by [a:Emil Zola|4422974|Emil Zola|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] (in January 1898). Zola became, in the words of Anatole France, “the conscience of mankind”.
The scandal involved not only political and military scandals but also murder, deceit, corruption and treachery. Using the documented truth of the Dreyfus Affair as the launching point for her second novel, Taylor becomes a master weaver, braiding the intricacies of historical fact with her own imagination and linear storytelling. Taylor also punches up an already bountiful chain of events through the introduction of femme fatales, seduction and villainy. Characters, both real and invented, co-mingle in her mostly solid novel.
I have had a hard time creating a review for this work because, while so many elements work ~ the plot, the historical context and facts, the characters ~ I was very let down by the use of coincidence and convenience. Taylor is a gifted writer and a talented, award-winning Canadian journalist. Through research, I discovered her initial manuscript “went through three significantly different drafts that involved major plot changes… Draft number two had serious tweaking…Draft number three involved a major rewrite then a major set of cuts” before the manuscript was considered ready for publication. Learning these details made me wonder what elements were sacrificed from a story that could have achieved literary perfection to make the novel more broadly appealing?
The novel is very well-paced and enjoyable; I debated calling it a fun read; it definitely makes for a perfect “summer read”. While looking at other reviews for A Man in Uniform, the terms “a romp” and “rollicking” were encountered again and again. The novel definitely engages the reader and seems to have all of the components of a very good historical, literary mystery. For me, the novel is hard to categorize by genre. I have read many reviews that refer to the book as a ‘hardboiled mystery’, but to my understanding, these types of stories are distinguished by an unsentimental portrayal of crime, violence, and sex. I think there is a lot of emotion in Taylor’s novel so I am a bit dismissive of that particular classification. In the end, though, I don’t think this matters. The novel is good and I am hopeful it will be embraced and enjoyed by readers. Kate Taylor is a very good writer and the story is strong. My only issue, really, has to do with how “neat” the story was; how conveniently it climaxed and resolved.
I recommend A Man in Uniform and rate it 3.5 (out of 5) stars.
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