Andrew
An informative and comprehensive history of crime, punishment, and fringe social status in 16th century Nuremberg that uses the city's long-serving executioner, Frantz Schmidt, as a through-line.
Harrington uses Schmidt's privately kept journal as a starting point for the history but significantly buttresses it with memoirs of the ministers and city officials Schmidt worked under, court records, census data, etc., to paint a vivid and likely accurate picture life in the city at that time.
Where it falls short in my opinion is in the central through-line of bringing Frantz Schmidt to life and providing an intimate look inside his mind through the text of his journal, which Harrington acknowledges is mainly just a list of the executions and punishments Schmidt performed with, at most, a few added details.
Harrington regularly appears to leap to assumptions about Schmidt's opinion on a case based on the fact that he described the crime instead of just the method of execution, that he wrote 3 sentences instead of 2, or that he never bothered to record a particular detail...and then uses those assumptions as foundational building blocks for Schmidt's personality.
Overall, good as a history of a fairly specific and niche window in time, less good as a convincing psychological profile of Meister Frantz Schmidt.
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My Rating Scale
5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.
4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.
3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.
2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.
1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.
An informative and comprehensive history of crime, punishment, and fringe social status in 16th century Nuremberg that uses the city's long-serving executioner, Frantz Schmidt, as a through-line.
Harrington uses Schmidt's privately kept journal as a starting point for the history but significantly buttresses it with memoirs of the ministers and city officials Schmidt worked under, court records, census data, etc., to paint a vivid and likely accurate picture life in the city at that time.
Where it falls short in my opinion is in the central through-line of bringing Frantz Schmidt to life and providing an intimate look inside his mind through the text of his journal, which Harrington acknowledges is mainly just a list of the executions and punishments Schmidt performed with, at most, a few added details.
Harrington regularly appears to leap to assumptions about Schmidt's opinion on a case based on the fact that he described the crime instead of just the method of execution, that he wrote 3 sentences instead of 2, or that he never bothered to record a particular detail...and then uses those assumptions as foundational building blocks for Schmidt's personality.
Overall, good as a history of a fairly specific and niche window in time, less good as a convincing psychological profile of Meister Frantz Schmidt.
_____
My Rating Scale
5 stars - An all-time classic, a book that fundamentally changed or enriched my life. Would recommend to any and all readers.
4 stars - An excellent book that stands out in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would recommend to anyone with even a passing interest in the genre or subject matter.
3 stars - A perfectly serviceable book that may be entertaining or informative but does not push the envelope or linger long in the memory. Would recommend to pre-existing fans of the genre or author.
2 stars - A book that falls short in one or more areas of writing style, characterization, making a point, etc. Would only recommend with reservations or would not recommend at all.
1 star - A book that has nothing to say, or says it so poorly it isn't worth reading. Would not recommend and would actively warn away from.