Chris Bohjalian's "Hour of the Witch: A Spellbinding Tale of Mystery and Magic"

Teresa: Very interesting novel that touches on the early beliefs of those who came from England to start a new country. Fascinating story.

United States on Dec 04, 2023

Marissa Curtis: The story is good. You do get immersed in the time period and the emotions of the character. It did feel pretty draggy at times and I wanted it to speed up and get to the point.

United States on Nov 03, 2023

Kate M: I wasn’t initially interested in reading this book because of the topic. I’ll say this, Chris Bohjalian never disappoints. I was so quickly drawn into the story of Mary Deerfield that I finished the book over the weekend. Bohjalian is a master teller of tales and I will continue to read whatever story he chooses to share, thanks to the magic of his writing.

United States on Oct 23, 2023

Carol S: Mary was at the mercy of Puritanical religious men who believed more in evil than justice. Tortured brutally by her husband Thomas, she bravely tried to end her marriage but was forced to stay with him and continued
to endure punishment. When she was convicted of witchcraft and sentenced to death, she realized that a true friendship could alter history.

United States on Oct 12, 2023

D. A: This book purports to deal with serious subjects through the medium of fiction. Such as the abuse of women (much in the current news, eg, the #metoo movement); distortion of faith by men determined to maintain a superiority; inequalities within the legal system. Unfortunately it is written by an author who doesn't trust his readers to join the dots without having their hand firmly guided, as a result I felt so patronised that at a third of the way through this turgid, poorly imagined self-indulgence I finally gave up and went to the bookshelves for something that didn't bore me into losing the will to live. The characters are badly drawn, the dialogue is bad enough without including a smattering of "doest", "seemest" and "thee" in a vain attempt to suggest authenticity (incidentally, as a Yorkshire man, I still use "thee" fairly regularly in day-to-day conversation). I rarely regret buying a book, but this is without any merit.

United Kingdom on Feb 19, 2023

lefG: A well written and active book on historical fiction. Situated in puritan Boston around 1660's. The characters were well developed and the ending, although not particularly surprising, left me wondering. I did find a few gaps in the story which mainly takes place in a courtroom although it didn't bore me...to the contrary.

I must emphasise one negative point .... the book states that the first Protestant martyr to be executed under the reign of Mary Tudor..John Rogers..was put to the stake and all his family wife and children too...I've looked in all sources and he died whilst his family watched...they were not put to the stake. It was mentioned quite a few times...and I think it's a real faux pas ...one thing Is to fictionalize and quite another to distort facts...IMHO.

All in all a recommendable read.

Spain on Nov 15, 2022

Zangiku: This is a fine, rollicking read until about 3/4 in, when the story starts to unravel in strange ways and gradually becomes unconvincing. A major character disappears from the discussion. The ending comes off all four walls and quite ruined an otherwise excellent reading experience.

I grew up in Essex County, Massachusetts, where 19 witches were hanged in 1692, and I did lots of research on it in my younger days. The author has done good research and has created an educational story as well as believable characters who think & behave as Boston Puritans would have done, so far as we know. I was looking forward to a satisfying conclusion but was disappointed.

There is also a problem with the spoken language. He has chosen to use thou/thee forms but there are many grammatical errors. The MS needed a careful read by a scholar or linguist before going to press. Such a waste after so much work!

The heroine was sympathetic and the atmosphere excellent, and this could have been a perfect book. But alas.

Japan on Jul 22, 2022

Gill: The story is a little slow to get going but is overall a great read, especially if you enjoy witches, witch lore and women's rights stories

Canada on Apr 23, 2022

John B. Sinclair: I read mostly non-fiction history but like a break with a novel. I have read a number of Chris Bohjalian’s novels and have enjoyed each one. As with Hour of the Witch, his novels are intense and suspenseful. I find myself putting aside other responsibilities to finish his books.

Set in 1662 Boston, a city still in its infancy, Bohjalian establishes a somber atmosphere and convincing period dialogue. Mary Deerfield seeks a divorce against her cruel husband and finds herself accused of many sordid activities, including witchcraft. Of course, in this day and age, one wonders how could so many people believed in such ludicrous and bizarre fantasies. Of course, given today’s political climate (perhaps the book was subtly meant as a metaphor?), I can easily imagine future generations looking back to 2021 and wondering the same about us! The reader watches with horror as to how Mary is treated in the courtroom and by others in the community. Fortunately, she has family and others for support.

Bohjalian’s prose is lean and tight. Rarely were there passages where my attention flagged. I proverbially held my breath during some of the courtroom scenes, tense as they...

United States on Aug 25, 2021

Michelle: Loved this book.Lots of twists and turns.Really enjoyed reading this book.

Canada on Jul 05, 2021