I’ve always loved this subject and the medieval setting (I prefer the 14th century outbreak and have read a few books about the subject over the years but none rate much above a 3. Maybe I’m looking for something that isn’t there, but I’m hoping to find an enthralling tale of the black plague still.
The ones I’ve read:
– Years of Wonder (set in the 17th century). This just wasn’t for me. I’m sure the prose was great and I was too young to appreciate it but I remember it being overtly sentimental rather than creepy and dramatic.
– Black Death (1 & 2) by Minette Walters. Finished these two books recently and it was fine, probably my favorite plague read. Still a bit overlong and the characters didn’t feel super fleshed out, and the plot meandered quite a bit. Also, almost no plague in it at all.
– The Doomsday Book. A certified Reddit darling, and not a bad book by any means. I enjoyed the parts that took place in the middle ages but the modern day stuff bored me to tears. There were a few loveable characters in this one but most were flat. It captured the morbid aspect well though.
– A Company of Liars. This remains one of the worst books I’ve read in recent years. Not sure who agreed to publish this but they must have been drunk.
– Time Travelers Guide to the 14th Century: not a book about the bubonic plague per se but I found it a nice read and liked the plague sections.
So do you guys maybe have any plague book suggestions preferably set in the 14 century?
by LyseniCatGoddess
5 Comments
Maybe try Between Two Fires by Christopher Buehlman
I don’t have any suggestions but the title of your post amused me because it reads as if you’re repeatedly being infected with the bubonic plague.
Daniel Defoe’s Journal of the Plague year is based on witnesses of the 1665 outbreak. It’s excellent.
It’s from a different era than the books you listed but you could try Red Eve by H. Rider Haggard.
The Great Mortality by John Kelly – all plague, all the time. Starts with the very first spread and how it affected each area as it moved it’s way across Asia and Europe