Do You like book Salome (2008)?
I really, really enjoyed this book. I was surprised that I even found it interesting because historical/biblical novels are like the death ray to a reader like me. I loved the way the writer kept the flow and the wording in step with the times. I do understand that some people who are raving historians may find the story lacking in some areas but if you read it with an open mind and for the sheer enjoyment, you will find yourself flipping pages so easily that you won't realize you've come to the end of the book. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Salome and her family struggles. Her mother, a power hungry, persuasive spinster, was the least likeable character for me, even more so than Antipas! I guess, the ugliness of how ways and how she used everyone around her just dug deep into me as I read like a nail in the sole of your shoe. Antipas was also power hungry and self-absorbed but he was expected to be as a ruler in that time. Gundi, Joanna and Leander were shining lights in this story. I really loved how they all fit in well with Salome's indecisive, naïve nature and brought Salome into adulthood by showing her the err of her ways without being blatant. I loved this story and would recommend to anyone that likes to read historical/biblical novels...and people that like to read...period.- T.R. Horne, author of Breaking Mobius and Crazy Dirty Love, blogger at www.ragingbookreviews.wordpress.com
—T.R. Horne
I really loved the Red Tent and since then I have been interested in tales about women in the Bible. Granted my religious education is pretty much non-existant, so all I knew of Salome was that she had John the Baptist's head served up on the plate...and the quick version given by the Salome character in True Blood. My biggest impression previous to this book came from the rather graphic picture of a pretty woman looking at a head dripping blood on a platter in my CHILDREN'S Bible.So I came in to this story with very little contextual knowledge. I found the story ok, but a bit evenly paced. Most of the story is really about Salome wanting to win her mother back after her new marriage and desiring to become a priestess. I really did not buy her sudden request (to please her mom) to have John's head. As this is a typical YA novel (I think), I guess I cannot expect too much depth. (That isn't to say that there are not fabulous YA books!) Overall, the book was a fast read read, but not something that will really stick with me over time.
—Jes
After I read this historical novel about Salome, the girl who demanded the head of John the Baptist, I picked up the New Testament to read how the Biblical account compared with the novel. To my surprise, Salome is not mentioned by name, and the accounts (only two--in Matthew and Luke) are brief. Gormley did a lot of research into the history and cultures of the time to flesh out the Blblical bare bones of this story. Her Salome is a somewhat naive young girl who gradually comes to realize that her mother Herodias is not the best influence in her life, and that she can make her own decisions. Some chapters are told from John the Baptist's point of view, which was also interesting. The theme of repentence was woven into the story, and meant different things to different characters, including Salome. I enjoyed this story very much, partly because of the historical details, and partly because of its raising the question of what constitutes repentence, which gave me pause for thought.
—Krista the Krazy Kataloguer
