Brendan’s Alternate Tagline for Thomas More:
Little bit of saint, little bit of sinner.
Quick synopsis:
A look at the life of St. Thomas More.
Fact for Non-History People:
Thomas More is the patron saint of lawmakers and politicians. They need all the help then can get (zinger!).
Fact for History Nerds:
Utopia literally translates to “no place” which is part of the joke.
My Take on Thomas More:
I am, admittedly, a big fan of St. Thomas More. To be clear, not the burning people at the stake. That was messed up. He was pretty dang funny, though. He also is a shining example of someone who held to his principles even at the cost of his own life.
However, when it comes to history, I have learned you need to be willing to hold multiple ideas at the same time. A well-meaning and learned man could also let his ideals lead to some dark places.
Joanne Paul’s Thomas More: A Life is an excellent example of how to present all sides of a complex character. Her prologue was an immediate challenge to the reader. Practically speaking, Thomas More died for nothing. Nothing concrete or tangible, that is. No law or war turned out differently because of his death. However, we are still talking about him 500 years later. Perhaps thumbing your nose at tyranny is about the unseen impacts. Having a few solid one-liners at your execution probably helps, too.
Paul’s approach was unexpected to me. With so many interesting characters, it is easy to write a thousand page book trying to get every person a full backstory. Paul keeps the spotlight on More throughout. Henry VIII (reminder: he sucked), Erasmus, St. John Fisher, and even dearest daughter Meg are present but only in how they relate to More himself. It is a wonderful narrative which knows who the focus is and never wavers.
I could spend one hundred paragraphs trying to summarize how Paul covers More’s humanity, hilarity, zealousness, stubbornness, and grace. You are much better off just reading this book. I highly recommend it.
(This book was provided as an advance copy by Pegasus Books.)
Verdict:
I really loved this one, and you will, too. Buy it here!
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