Average Rating: 
Rating:  - A masterpiece
This is a brilliant novel, a true masterpiece. Maria McCann has taken the historical novel to a new height with the story of Jacob Cullen, a deeply flawed man, and his love for Feriss, the idealist. Set against the background of the English Civil War, we are plunged into the 17th Century from the first pages. We see war,... idealism and great chunks of daily life. But above all it is the story of Jacob who cannot control his inner demons of rage and jealousy. And it is a love story with all the stages of an obsessive love, infatuation, fulfulllment, obsession and betrayal. I was not able to put the book down and it has haunted me ever since. This is a remarkable achievement for a first time novelist. Maria McCann is an extraordinary writer. You simply must read this book.
Rating:  - An impressive though not fully assured debut
The critically acclaimed "As Meat Loves Salt (AMLS)" is an impressive debut by British novelist, Maria McCann. Due to the enormous amount of historical research that must have gone into its preparation, AMLS has been touted as a novel about the 17th Century English Civil War. Certainly, having a more than superficial knowledge of the Diggers movement and their mission to create a new society of free men would be helpful in understanding what makes our two protagonists tick, though it isn't strictly essential, for at the heart of AMLS is an unusual story of love and obsession between two men, the treatment of which should strike a responsive chord with modern readers of alternative literature, even among those without the least interest in English history. Jacob Cullen, a gentleman-turned-servant in a royalist estate, must be the most morally ambivalent protagonist of all time. The difference is, he knows it and we do too. He is given to bouts of murderous and lustful rage. His nemesis, Christopher Ferris, the graceful idealist soldier, is equally enigmatic. Though the less aggressive of the two, there is never any doubt that Christopher will be the one finally calling the shots. The premise for the love story, though fascinating, is difficult to execute without some loss of credibility. The thought of these two macho men hitting on each other as soon as they have a moment alone together becomes slightly ludicrous and even embarrassing. The reader must feel like poor Becs after she has cottoned on to the truth. This and the (underwhelming) event that triggered their break up left me strangely befuddled. The love story, though central, may be the shakiest part of the novel. The first part, set in the royalist estate, is full of interesting characters, adventure and intrigue. Pity it ended so abruptly. A more cogent plot could have developed from there. The middle portion, beginning with Jacob's rescue by Christopher after he flees the estate, is the risky bit. While it doesn't quite succeed, the love story solidly underpins the novel's centre. The concluding section, focussing on the building of the Diggers commune, could have been less rambling and more sharply written. McCann is a promising writer. She has both style and craft and knows how to tell a story. AMLS may not be the realised masterpiece some critics have made it to be but I'll be looking out for her follow up. For all its faults, AMLS is still one of the best reads this season.
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