Book Review: Fleshmarket by Nicola Morgan

Fleshmarket does not contain cannablism. Only Jokes about Cannabism,

"Footsteps echoed through the towering corridors as the woman walked...followed by her silent family. No One could touch her. She touched none of them. She was different. Robbie, young as he was, felt it...had felt her pain as if it was his. It had burned him and left its mark. The mark was the empty space where his real mother had been. The place where she had left him.'

It is Edinburgh, 1828 and Robbie is haunted by the horror of his mother's death at the hands of the famous surgeon, Dr Robert Knox. The Operation was intended to save her life. Instead it brought her intolerable pain before it killed her. Now her family is torned apart, and living in appalling poverty. A desperate Robbie is intend on Revenge on Knox. But how far is he prepared to go - and what will he lose in the process?


This is a book I wanted to read since 5th Nov 2007 when I heard about, brought it 7 years later and read it almost 10 years later. It sounded cooler, I tried to buy when I heard about it, but I don't think I had enough money on me. The lady selling the books also seem confused that I would want that one also.

So this book is about Robbie who blames his family's poverty on real historian person Dr Robert Knox. The book goes during the birth of Modern Medicine, as in they didn't know about bacteria and inflections yet. Nor much about the Human body as no one was willing to have their body cut for science as religion says that you need your body to rot for God for some reason.

This book does have lot questioning of God, because of the time period and the list of bad things that have happened to our main character. It's a few pages of the book, and think is reflective of the time the book is set. The bodies rotting for god does come into play of the plot. If you recognize Doctor Know, then you probably guess how it relates. I didn't and strangely I never guess what a book called Fleshmarket set in 19th century would involved such a famous Edinburgh thing so I will leave you to discover it or already know.

I think a big problem is that Robbie is a bit desperate to blame Knox for his problems that it comes across as dumb. Yes, he 14 and hormonal, but there's several "error of my ways" moments that happen in this book. He also abandons his 8 yr old sister several times, making him unlikable.

Overall, I give this book 3.5/5 stars for bread barrow. I prefer Nicola Morgan's The Highwayman's Footsteps series better than this book. It was okay, I don't know if Young me would have liked it better. If more a fan of historian fiction involving real people then this might be the book for you.

A Non-Christmas Story

Haló babies. So since it petty safe to start talking about Christmas now that we are a week into December (in my opinion you should only start thinking about Christmas once December starts). However, we not going to be talking about Christmas. Just have a random start to a story. Except to say there a Christmas tree up in my house.

Story.

 I stare beyond the window. I gup. I don't why but a sudden feeling of dread has came over me as if something terrible has happened or was going to happen. I shake my head. The street below the window is empty. How had I got to the window. I must have wandered here whist I was thinking.

I had now completely forgot my train of thought.  Trains. Oh, yes. I was comprehending the best way to travel down to Manchester. It was an old uni's friend's wedding, May. We weren't exactly close, but once upon a time we had been. We still kept tabs on each other. Its just we ended up on other sides of the Kingdom after we're Graduated. She in London and me in Dundee. It was just one of those things. We went from seeing each other everyday, to never seeing each other. We never actually had any thing in common. So only small chat and discussion about what other people are doing now. She was still a good friend. Even now I'm sure could relab on her.

Also lots of other uni friends are going. It be a union of sorts. I wonder if Beth is going to the wedding, I know she invited. Maybe we could share our a car down. It probably cheaper if we all go down that way instead of the train. Its just so expensive now a days. Though, there is always that sort of vintage and nostalgia to it. Going home on weekends and Holidays to the parent's that slowly stopped being home the more time I spent at Uni. No, silly to waste money and time.

I message Beth and see.  A road trip is always fun.

***

"What's the Hotel called again?" Jim asks for the fifth time. 

"The Abigail" Beth replies frustrated. "God, I'm glad we didn't take the train. This is not just outside of Manchester."

"It probably is to May," I say from the back. May seem to have no sense of distance. She would always end up late for meetings and classes because of it.

"I don't know why I took her word for it," Beth says continuing her rant. We had been driving around for a least hour looking for this place. None of us were that happy about it. We had been literally been driving for hours. "I should have googled this place before hand. Just imagine we had came down tomorrow. We would miss the whole bloody thing."

She starts to go on about the nonsense of a morning wedding.  I ignore her, she complained about the Nine clock ceremony six times already. It good thing she and Jim are perfect for each other. He always forgets and she always repeats. They've always been couple before there were one. The one you knew would eventually be together in ten years. Though, I could have missed walking in on them. Actually, the last time I had physically seen May was at their wedding. 

"Just imagine asking a pregnant women to come this distance." I smirk, I had forgotten how much Beth says "Just imagine", it was basically her catchphrase. Beth was only ten weeks pregnant. May couldn't have possibly have known she would be with child when she had invited her.

"I was tempted not to come."

"Yes, but just imagine the wedding without your awkward dancing." Beth turns and glares at me. Her dancing style had always been a sore point. I smile back at her. 

"Honey, you're a wonderful dancer," Jim says. Beth turns back to the front saying nothing. 

I look out the window to see a dirty sign proclaiming "The Abigail Hotel". The letters are scratchy. Its in desperate need of repairing. The road it points to is dirt tacked and framed by trees.I can see the faint outline of white building as we drive by. Its the eeriest thing I've ever seen.

"Jim, you just miss the turning." I say, full of dread. If its in my voice, they're don't notice.

"Fuc..."

Its takes us half hour to get back to that turn. It wasn't long enough.

~

That's all for this week folks, I'm just too tired to write more.

Easter Procasination (with a side of Bible Bashing and Typewriter love)

Okay, nothing to really report. Been on Easter break ( if your American, SPRING BREAK!! WHOOP!) so no school to complain about. Been doing a lot of maths revision, should probably work on English or Biology considering I have a test for it after the holiday. I thought I might actually write a piece of fiction and post here instead. I know that what other people do with their blogs. Idea would be nice though; maybe I'll have one next week.

So tomorrow is Jesus' Deathday apparently. Fun. I don't really believe in Christianity (or any Abrahamic religion for that matter), but I will admit that the new testament is better than the old when it comes to my moral issues with the bible. I think its just a lot of prejudice humbug (I prefer Humbug to the modern bullshit).
However, Scotland is a Christian country so I have had the humbug shoved down my throat my whole life.  So I sometimes go to church and watch mocking videos on Youtube. Oh, and of course laugh at idiotic American Creationist. Anyone who tries to say Evolution is just a theory can go dance with our cousins the lions or any other sharp tooth animal.

Okay, kinda went of topic. I'm meant to be discussing Easter, not the modern idoits of this world. Basically, I have a lot of problems with the Easter Story and the way it portrayed in the Bible. Fun fact the New Testament's content was decided by some Roman Bastard (who was clearly Sexist), frankly he left out the most interesting Gospels. Fuck Mark and Luke; Mary Magdalene and Judas would seem more insightful than them. Some expects believe that Mary and Judas were made out to be sinners and villains out of envy, due their close relationship to Jesus, by the other Apostles such as Matthew. Yeah, I'm annoyed as much as curious of the lost of  Mary's and Judas' Gospels. I also think it makes more sense if Mary Magdalene was a Apostle. 12 guys seems rather unlikely, if you're going for peace among all mankind.

  Another Fun fact, Luke is not the Apostle, but just some random dude who was mates with Paul. Though, obviously none of the Apostles would have been alive when their gospels were wrote; I suppose its possible that their stories were past down.

To my main points, I don't get why Judas would commit the sin of killing himself when he did what Jesus asked him. I suppose it the similar as expecting someone to feel guilty about helping a dying relative leave the world faster. It also really annoys me when people say the Jews killed Jesus. It was quite clearly the Romans, the Catholic Church have some how managed to get people to forget this. As well as all those early Christians fed to lions. Its a shame that didn't put them off.

The main thing I get from Easter, is that Jesus died for our Chocolate.Actually, that some what comes from Christmas too.

Side-Note

I've been told that I'm now collecting Typewriters. My mother brought me a typewriter at £4 out of another charity shop today. Its a Hermes 301. So far have been able to find nothing about it on the Interweb, except that it from Switzerland. Its in working order, but I've not had a proper chance to type on it yet. I still like my Olympia better. I taken to calling it Gerard Arthur,  I feel that's a name a 40 year old would have. XD Maybe I call the new Benedict Cumberbatch, likely some Sherlock Holmes nonsense since that is currently my obsession. Oh, I'll call it Watson. My brain makes random leaps.

Is it sad that I'm naming my typewriters?