BrokenTune

Hm.

I'm just over 10% into the book and I have a lot of questions. 

It's not clear yet what the story will be but we are somewhere in England in the year 1491, and we are following a village priest, Father John  Reve, whose young assistant seems to have found a body in the river. 

So, there is a whole lot of Cadfael feel to this (I'm referring to the series, I've not yet read the books. I really should, tho.)

Apart from the very purply prose, there have been a number of things that have struck me as odd so far, but since I am really, really not at home in neither the time period not the religious life at the time (1491), I am not entirely sure what to make of the book so far. 

Things that made me go "eh?":

- The priest referring to parts of his dress as "skirts that flowed behind me like a bridal gown". (First person narrator...)

- There is woman churchwarden (Janet). Were women churchwardens in 1491?

- A dean, who seems hell-bent on finding a murderer, even tho there is no body, no suspicion of any wrong-doing, and so far no mention of any suspicious circumstances.

- A young wife comes to confession and the priest advises her that "It's mere superstition to think that God is punishing us." Erm, ... I thought original sin was one of the pillars of medieval teachings.

I have a strong feeling that this might be style over substance kind of book. I really hope it isn't.