The Scandal of the Season

Cameron Stewart's crisp narration leads us into the social whirl of 1711 London and the world of Alexander Pope, a striving poet. His observations on society resulted in "The Rape of the Lock," a poem that launched his literary success. Gee's book is meticulously researched--from its details on the Catholic-Jacobite controversies to the historical personages of the time. While the writing reflects a period awash in banter and wit, the slowness of the story might frustrate some historical fiction lovers as much as it pleases others. Cameron Stewart's reading is successful except when he flies into a distracting falsetto as he delivers the dialogue of the female characters. S.W. (c) AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

May 14, 2007
H
unchbacked satirist poet Alexander Pope finds inspiration in the foibles of 18th-century London's young, rich and arrogant in Gee's shrewd debut, an erudite period piece filled with outrageous flirtation, social maneuvering and contests of wit. The low-born Pope is permitted entry to London's upper echelons after some of his poems gain a gilded readership, and his literary ambitions and adventures in the city with childhood friends Martha and Teresa Blount are offset by the passionate but clandestine romance between the beautiful Arabella Fermor (who happens to be related to the Blounts), and the haughty Lord Petre, whose involvement in a plot to assassinate the queen lands him in a tight spot. The stories intersect when Pope immortalizes the lovers' high-class intrigue in a scalding poem. The novel is sprinkled with literary cameos and jokes English lit majors will appreciate, while crackling verbal one-upmanship and crude double entendres should keep the hoi polloi turning pages. The main disappointment is that Pope's much talked about poems never appear in full. But that's a small blemish, and Gee's take on the Paris Hilton–like figures who pranced through London 300 years ago manages to be simultaneously tabloid bawdy and academy proper.

January 15, 2008
The title of this racy period piece is both a promise and a disappointment. Drawing on Alexander Pope's celebrated "The Rape of the Lock" and further examining the poet's literary yearnings early in his career, this debut novel explores social flaws and class warfare in 18th-century London. Despite the ribald characters, arch wit, and political intrigue, this isn't necessarily easy for the casual listener, though a more literary audience could appreciate it. Gee may bring Pope's poem to life on the page, but that's a tricky feat that might require some footnoting not available in audio format. Read by Cameron Stewart, "Scandal" is recommended only for a select clientele.Joyce Kessel, Villa Maria Coll., Buffalo, NY

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