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Company of Liars
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
In this extraordinary novel, Karen Maitland delivers a dazzling reinterpretation of Chaucers Canterbury Talesan ingenious alchemy of history, mystery, and powerful human drama. The year is 1348. The Black Plague grips the country. In a world ruled by faith and fear, nine desperate strangers, brought together by chance, attempt to outrun the certain death that is running inexorably toward them. Each member of this motley company has a story to tell. From Camelot, the relic-seller who will become the groups leader, to Cygnus, the one-armed storyteller . . . from the strange, silent child called Narigorm to a painter and his pregnant wife, each has a secret. None is what they seem. And one among them conceals the darkest secret of allpropelling these liars to a destiny they never saw coming. Magical, heart-quickening, and raw, Company of Liars is a work of vaulting imagination from a powerful new voice in historical fiction. From the Hardcover edition.
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review
averil
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Mehso-so

Company of Liars is a cozy, entertaining, and immersive novel set during the English run of the Black Death. It has a great many twists that keep you hungering for more—

Unfortunately, I thought it was a straight historical fiction novel. It instead gets pretty fantastical and borderline paranormal towards the end in a way that totally took me out of the world I was coming to inhabit.

#historicalfiction #medieval #historicalfantasy #blackdeath

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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Time for the #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead discussion! There were no set discussion questions for this one, so I pulled out a few topics to discuss. Feel free to comment on this thread other worthy discussion topics - I know I missed some! Use the spoiler if it‘s a bit of a spoil for the story, please.

Any additional thoughts? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Thanks for participating!

Sargar114 Thank you for hosting and the discussion! This was a great read and I never would have otherwise found it ❤️ 2y
41 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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7. Narigorm deserves her own discussion topic! Her character adds to the dimension of uneasiness and mystery for the group and for Camelot. Yet, she‘s a child that many considered to be innocent. What do you think of her? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Sargar114 I found it interesting how the preface was the villagers talking about what to do with her and it was horrific…but then when you get the context it is less so. Spooky children are terrifying and she is no exception. This book wonderfully shows that even though she is “innocent” her understanding of human nature is limited and while technically these people lied, it doesn‘t necessarily make them bad. 2y
8 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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6. This work is based on Chaucer‘s Canterbury Tales. Have you read Canterbury Tales or even a portion of it? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Sargar114 I read them in high school so needless to say, it‘s been a long time. This makes me want to go back and read them to see how it compares. 2y
6 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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5. Pilgrimages and shrines play a role in this novel. During this period, it was very common to go on a pilgrimage to a shrine of a supposed saint (as we see in this novel, not all relics are in fact from “saints” recognized by the church). The Met Museum has a fascinating article on this…posted in comments.

Not really a question, but provides some more insight into the journey of some of our characters. #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

5 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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4. What are some recurring themes in this novel? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Sargar114 Mysoginism seemed to be a huge theme; ultimately very understandably. Hatred and intolerance in general seemed to be a pretty big theme. It seemed interested that the person who seemed the most tolerant or should be at least ended up being essentially the villain. 2y
4 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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3. The book‘s setting during the Plague adds to an atmosphere of danger and caution. Have you read any other books set during The Plague? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Sargar114 Not that I recall. I‘ve read fantasy novels that have the feel of this age but have much more fantastical elements. The plague gave this tale more of a purpose for me, a united reason they were traveling. With the exception of Camelot, they were all running from something. Camelot being our narrator made that more of a mysterious tale. 2y
julieclair I don‘t think I have. What a truly horrific time. 2y
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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2. The characters tell a personal story throughout the book. Which one struck you as the most interesting? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Sargar114 I found it interesting that all the stories were quite fantastical with the exception of Zophiel‘s which suggest that it too was a lie. As far as the most interesting, I think both of Cygnus‘ stories. 2y
julieclair I thought Cygnus‘ story was the most interesting. But as for the characters themselves, I thought Narigorm was the most interesting. 2y
3 likes2 comments
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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1. Camelot is our narrator on this journey and could be considered an unreliable narrator, given all of the secrets and mysteries in this book, including Camelot‘s own secrets! Were you surprised by Camelot‘s secret? #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead

Sargar114 This is one of the spoilers I caught…but I found it interesting that even on the reveal the author has a line expecting you as the reader to have caught it. I was not disappointed that I figured this one out and loved the reasoning about why she left. I‘m also impressed that there wasn‘t a pronouns used in the narration; everything in that regard was said by other characters. I couldn‘t even write this comment without a pronoun! 2y
julieclair I did figure it out about midway through the book. Particularly because of Camelot‘s knowledge of childbirth when Adela was having her baby. 2y
3 likes2 comments
review
Sargar114
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Pickpick

This is one of those slow paced novels that reads pretty fast. We‘re following a random group of strangers as they travel to escape the plague (among other things). Through their travels strange things start happening and mysteries revealed right up until the end. I surprised myself with how much I enjoyed this. Read for #literarycrew and quite happy I did as it is one I likely would not have picked up on my own.

Sargar114 Quote selected as it felt relevant these days…funny how modern a book about the time of the plague can be 🤨 2y
Librarybelle Great review! So glad you liked it! 2y
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Tomorrow (June 30th) is discussion day for this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! I will post a few questions, and jump into the discussion whenever you have an opportunity.

Sargar114 I‘m a little over halfway…my goal is to try and finish today. Very good so far though 🤞🤞🤞 2y
julieclair Looking forward to this discussion, although I may join in a bit late. Depends on how much reading time I can squeeze in today! 😉 2y
CarolineLovesToRead I‘m not quite done yet but hope to finish tonight or tomorrow 2y
39 likes5 comments
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LitsyEvents
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Repost
@Librarybelle

https://litsy.com/p/QWhJY2I2a0NP

We‘re a few days into this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! Discussion on June 30th!

Librarybelle Thanks for posting! 3y
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Sargar114
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Nothing like reading about The Plague when you‘re going through the modern day one. My how nothing changes #literarycrew

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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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We‘re a few days into this month‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead ! Discussion on June 30th!

BethM I can‘t get this one from the library :( 3y
Librarybelle No worries, @BethM ! I hope to have the next 3 month titles posted this weekend. 3y
66 likes2 comments
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LitsyEvents
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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repost for @Librarybelle:

I‘m late announcing June‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead , but this is a good one! A reinterpretation of Chaucer‘s Canterbury Tales…I read Company of Liars years ago and highly recommend it!

All are welcome to join! Tagging those who have asked to be tagged; if you would like to be tagged in periodic posts in June for this book, comment on the original post! Discussion is held on June 30th…I‘ll post questions on that day.

Librarybelle Thanks for reposting this! 3y
23 likes2 comments
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Librarybelle
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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I‘m really late announcing June‘s #LiteraryCrew #BuddyRead , but this is a good one! A reinterpretation of Chaucer‘s Canterbury Tales…I read Company of Liars years ago and highly recommend it!

All are welcome to join! Tagging those who have asked to be tagged for this one; if you would like me to tag you in periodic posts in June for this book, comment below! Discussion is held on June 30th…I‘ll post several questions on that day.

Librarybelle @Jerdencon @BethM - would you be interested in joining this month? 3y
Deblovestoread I'm going to sit this one out. Please tag me for July. You can keep me in your tag list if that's easier. 3y
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CarolineLovesToRead Thanks so much. I‘ve added it to my list 3y
Librarybelle Thanks for letting me know, @Kdgordon88 ! 3y
CoverToCoverGirl I‘ll pass for this month but please include me for July. 🦋 3y
julieclair This one looks fascinating! 3y
Librarybelle @julieclair I really liked it several years ago. I‘m interested to see if I think the same way the second time around 3y
Sargar114 If I can find a copy, I will join. I‘ll have to add this to my tbr even if I can‘t find it in time 😂 3y
Librarybelle @Sargar114 😂 Sounds good! 3y
megnews Just got my ebook from the library 3y
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review
ju.ca.no
Der Fluch der Gaukler: historischer Roman | Karen Maitland, Karin Knig
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Pickpick

Finished at 2am even though Kirby tried to stop me😴 A company of liars is a genre I usually don‘t read, but I have to say, I‘ve enjoyed it a lot! It was what I needed right now, nothing to heavy & a very intriguing story. 9 travellers flee from the Pest in 1348.They each have their own dark secrets to hide, which become more and more obvious. I was really drawn into the story, and wouldn‘t mind reading another book about the child Narigorm. 5/5🌟

kspenmoll What a beauty! 😻 4y
MySharonaK 😻❤️ 4y
61 likes2 comments
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ju.ca.no
Der Fluch der Gaukler: historischer Roman | Karen Maitland, Karin Knig
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Trying to finish my book tonight while Kirby is the cutest cuddlebug again💙
The book is still as exciting as in the beginning. More and more secrets are revealed, and I‘m sure a few more will still follow. 130 pages left - I can‘t go to bed before those are finished. Luckily I don‘t have to get up tomorrow morning😅

rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 4y
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ju.ca.no
Der Fluch der Gaukler: historischer Roman | Karen Maitland, Karin Knig
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Books and the rest of the day to myself, without anything planned - bliss💙 I‘m planning on spending the rest of the day reading - and will definitely start with finishing Maitland‘s book! It was hard to put down last night, and I‘m looking foward to see how the story will continue☺️

I wish you all a wonderful weekend, dear fellow Littens😘

Ncostell That sounds like a wonderful day! 4y
47 likes1 comment
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ju.ca.no
Der Fluch der Gaukler: historischer Roman | Karen Maitland, Karin Knig
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Kirby seems to enjoy my current read😂 I‘m only a few pages in but so far I find the early occurance of the plague in the 14th centuary quite interesting in comparison to current events😅

squirrelbrain Such a cutie! 😻 4y
rubyslippersreads 😻😻😻 4y
AmyG Omg ❤️ 4y
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KimM
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Vacation read! Cabos San Lucas 🌴🌵🌴

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Juliwyant
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Acquired a copy of this after seeing someone‘s review on Goodreads!!

erzascarletbookgasm Sounds interesting 5y
Librarybelle I really liked this one! 5y
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TheEllieMo
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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I didn‘t keep any kind of reading journal ten years ago. It was also a dark time for me and I wasn‘t reading much. So. I can‘t for definite say what I was reading in 2010. But this one, published in 2009, is the first book I ever logged on Goodreads. Close enough!😂

#BookYouReadIn2010 #AuldLangReads @OriginalCyn620 @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

OriginalCyn620 Close enough, indeed! 😊 5y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 5y
27 likes2 comments
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GinaKButler
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Just finished this for book club. It was just ok...general consensus was that there were no likable characters and way too long. Meh.

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quietlycuriouskate
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Pickpick

The Canterbury Tales comparison is a red herring but this is really good! Nine travellers are thrown together as they flee before the Plague. Each has a story to tell and a secret to hide. Some secrets are guessed easily enough but that didn't really matter. Camelot is an intelligent, compassionate MC as fear puts on its familiar robes (of misogyny, homophobia and anti-Semitism) and runs amok. It gets dark! Top marks to narrator David Thorpe too.

zsuzsanna_reads Is it scary? I own a copy, but I keep putting off reading it. 6y
quietlycuriouskate @zsuzsanna_reads Some bad stuff goes down and it gets a bit creepy in places but I wouldn't say it's scary. There's a plot point towards the end, though, that made me really tense! 6y
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posierope
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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⚡From Norse mythology? Thor. Marvel? Loki.
⚡Erm, I don't get asked very often, but it would be Oscar Wilde I expect. Most recently, Karen Maitland.
⚡Iceland or mainland China. Or NZ again, my home away from home.
⚡Four, arranged about me in a little nest.
⚡Hello @TheSpineView I stole this from you!!

#friyayintro @jesshowbooks

TheSpineView No worries!😊 6y
howjessicareads 👍🏻 for pillow nests. But mine involves 6. 🤪 6y
16 likes2 comments
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Dogearedcopy
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Pickpick

"COL" is a historical fiction tale set in 1348 during the 1st wave of The Black Plague in England. Nine travelers seek to stay ahead of the plague even as they are inexorably led by a rune caster to their respective fates. Well researched and representing the fears, superstitions, and the changing world, I was still hoping more for more storytelling from the characters and to TBH I'm not sold on the final chapter. Still a Pick for world-building.

KimM Sounds pretty cool 6y
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Dogearedcopy
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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And for some reason, I got it into my head to ignore my TBR stacks and reading challenges and read this instead! It's a historical fiction tale set in the Middle Ages as a band of travelers forms and tries to stay ahead of "morte bleue" (The Pestilence or Black Plague)... It's a blend of realism, superstition, and religion (cf Oliver Pötzsch, The Hangman's Daughter series.)

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Wan.der.love
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Pickpick

It takes a lot for a book to completely surprise me and this one definitely did. Throw back to Chaucer‘s “Canterbury Tales” - a band of travelers in 1300s England trying to escape the plague, each character with their own secrets and story to tell. It‘s dark and addicting. Insightful look at the lives and conditions of middle age England. The conclusion blew my mind.

tpixie I never finished Canterbury Tales in college. I‘ve always wanted to revisit it. Maybe I can companion them together 6y
Wan.der.love @tpixie Canterbury Tales is for sure a beast of a read - but I love Chaucer. Company of Liars is much more entertaining though!! (edited) 6y
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ju.ca.no
Der Fluch der Gaukler: historischer Roman | Karen Maitland, Karin Knig
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Yeah_I_Read If this is A Company of Liars it was really good 😊😊 7y
ju.ca.no Aah good to know!😊 yes I think this is indeed (edited) 7y
55 likes2 comments
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RealLifeReading
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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#emojinov day 16: 🤥
Liars are in good company with this lot! Have you read any of these?

[DELETED] 206653737 I‘ve read We Were Liars. It was, interesting. 7y
Lcsmcat I‘ve read The Patron Saint of Liars and The Liars‘ Club. (edited) 7y
Oryx We Were Liars, and Company of Liars, I both really liked. 7y
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LibrarianRyan I read Liar. It pulled you in but it sucked. You get to the end and are like I spent 6 hours reading that???? 7y
KatG I liked We Were Liars. 7y
brandymuses I love Liar & Spy! 7y
JenFischS The Liars Club was really good. 7y
97 likes1 stack add8 comments
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Yeah_I_Read
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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This is a really good book and perfect for October.

MamaGina Thanks for posting this! I had checked it out of the library but had to return it before I had a chance to read it🤓 7y
Yeah_I_Read @MamaGina no problem 😊 I really enjoyed this and love to share when I see good deals 7y
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Foxyfictionista
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Pickpick

🐺 🐺 🐺 🐺 This was a really good story. I wasn't sure exactly what to expect from it but I guess that was part of the fun. It had an interesting cast but I must admit that the twist in the last 4 or 5 pages threw me for a loop and made me question everything I had read. I don't think that a book has ever surprised me like that.

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Akira87
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Pickpick

Came accross on Audible and loving it. Can't belive I've not come accross this author sooner. #magic #england #karenmaitland #captivating #audiobook

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Sraexx
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Finally have hands free for a paperbook instead of a kindle, it's so nice! (I am usually wrangling children with one hand, reading with the other!)

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Book_Gnome
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Opening line:
"They say that if you wake with a shudder, a ghost has walked over your grave." #bookgnome #karenmaitland #companyofliars

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Book_Gnome
Company of Liars | Karen Maitland
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Give me some book recommendations with deceitful main characters that you loved to hate!