The Resurrectionist by James Bradley

http://www.bookcrossing.com/journal/6370747

This is a very well written novel but that is the only good thing I have to say! It is about Resurrectionists in London in the 1800’s and although I knew what the subject matter was beforehand I had no idea it would be so unpleasant. It was a Richard and Judy summer read recommendation which is how it came to be on my reading list. I like to broaden my horizons with the books I read but this one contained some of the most unpleasant descriptive passages I have read in recent years. It was certainly an insight for me into the sinister goings on in the London of that period. There is not much of a plot to hold one’s interest but it did make me think about the characters that are vividly described and wondering how they could live with themselves. Gabriel Swift the protagonist starts out training as an anatomist but soon slips into a life of violence and corruption as a body snatcher. The ending I actually felt was philosophical in the way that it made sense of all that had gone before. Worth reading if you can cope with the gory details, not good bedtime reading if you are susceptible to nightmares though.