Farthing: Difference between revisions
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'''Farthing''' is a 2006 [[ | '''Farthing''' is a 2006 [[alternate history]] novel by [[Jo Walton]]. | ||
{{spoiler}} | |||
The | The novel is an [[English murder mystery]], in particular a country-house mystery, akin to those of [[Agatha Christie]], but set in an alternate 1940s England. In this timeline, England made peace with Hitler rather than continuing World War II. Germany is involved only in a one-front war with Russia, and has overrun the European Continent: Jews are being persecuted and murdered throughout Europe. In England, a creeping accommodation with fascism and anti-Semitism has overrun the country. Jews are perhaps more tolerated in Great Britain than in Europe, but their position is not strong. | ||
The story is told primarily from two perspectives: Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Carmichael, and [[Lucy Kahn]], | The story follows the "Farthing set", the wealthy right-wing group of associates who negotiated the peace with Hitler. The man who was centrally responsible for the negotiated peace is murdered, and the circumstances appear to point toward Jews and revolutionaries, but Scotland Yard's detective feels the story is a little too pat. The murdered man is clearly based on Oswald Moseley, an historical British Nazi sympathizer. | ||
The story is told primarily from two perspectives: Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Carmichael, who is homosexual, and [[Lucy Kahn]], spoiled daughter of the Farthing set, who has married a Jewish man, to her family's dismay. A variety of characters are gay, Lesbian, or bisexual. Amusingly enough, the Farthing set calls gay people "Athenian" and bisexual people "Macedonian". Lucy Kahn turns out to have hidden depths, and an admirable ability to stand up to her family's values and expectations. | |||
==Recommended== | ==Recommended== | ||
A strong female protagonist confronts | A strong female protagonist confronts anti-Semitism, classism, fear, and oppression in an alternate history. | ||
==Reviews and commentary== | ==Reviews and commentary== | ||
* [http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10380 IROSF 2007] review by David Soyka | * [http://www.irosf.com/q/zine/article/10380 IROSF 2007] review by David Soyka | ||
* [http://www.librarything.com/topic/53934 group SF read discussion of ''Farthing''], LibraryThing | |||
[[Category:Works of alternate history]] | [[Category:Works of alternate history]] | ||
[[Category:2006 publications]] | [[Category:2006 publications]] | ||
[[Category:Novels]] | [[Category:Novels]] | ||
[[Category:Works featuring queer characters]] | |||
Latest revision as of 13:09, 16 August 2009
Farthing is a 2006 alternate history novel by Jo Walton.
The novel is an English murder mystery, in particular a country-house mystery, akin to those of Agatha Christie, but set in an alternate 1940s England. In this timeline, England made peace with Hitler rather than continuing World War II. Germany is involved only in a one-front war with Russia, and has overrun the European Continent: Jews are being persecuted and murdered throughout Europe. In England, a creeping accommodation with fascism and anti-Semitism has overrun the country. Jews are perhaps more tolerated in Great Britain than in Europe, but their position is not strong.
The story follows the "Farthing set", the wealthy right-wing group of associates who negotiated the peace with Hitler. The man who was centrally responsible for the negotiated peace is murdered, and the circumstances appear to point toward Jews and revolutionaries, but Scotland Yard's detective feels the story is a little too pat. The murdered man is clearly based on Oswald Moseley, an historical British Nazi sympathizer.
The story is told primarily from two perspectives: Scotland Yard Inspector Peter Carmichael, who is homosexual, and Lucy Kahn, spoiled daughter of the Farthing set, who has married a Jewish man, to her family's dismay. A variety of characters are gay, Lesbian, or bisexual. Amusingly enough, the Farthing set calls gay people "Athenian" and bisexual people "Macedonian". Lucy Kahn turns out to have hidden depths, and an admirable ability to stand up to her family's values and expectations.
Recommended
A strong female protagonist confronts anti-Semitism, classism, fear, and oppression in an alternate history.
Reviews and commentary
- IROSF 2007 review by David Soyka
- group SF read discussion of Farthing, LibraryThing