You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.14 AVERAGE
3.14 AVERAGE
An odd incestuous version of Gone with the Wind, set in historical England. Disturbing.
It was entertaining enough and I loved the attention to historical detail, but eventually the MC was so abhorrent and selfish I just couldn’t get through it. I probably will not be finishing the series.
I couldn't even finish this book. At first I gobbled it up but towards the last hundred pages were painful to read. This makes me afraid to read anymore from this author.
Beatrice is a badass bitch. She's witty and beautiful and knows how to manipulate everyone around her --- until things turn south. You will love and hate her, she is not only the heroine but also the villainess and truly that is what makes this unique .
Within the first page I could tell this was a well written book that would keep me hooked through the whole thing. However the end did not leave me satisfied... I don't know how the next two books will make up for the lack of a certain favorite character.
Within the first page I could tell this was a well written book that would keep me hooked through the whole thing. However the end did not leave me satisfied... I don't know how the next two books will make up for the lack of a certain favorite character.
Hovered between three and four stars on this book. I literally keep changing it back and forth. It is beautifully written, and the story drew me in to the point where I didn't want to put it down... but the story often left me with a bad feeling. It is not a happy book, and while the ending was inevitable it still left me a bit unsatisfied. The incest storyline is cringeworthy, but I think that it was the main character Beatrice's attitude about the whole situation that made me most uncomfortable. At first I admired her drive - that she knew what she wanted and would stop at nothing to achieve it... but even as she saw her dreams crumbling around her she still could not stop, she kept on to the point of insanity. I went from respecting her drivenness to just disliking her and wanting her to hit rock bottom already, because it was painful to read.
For this same reason I liked the book. I liked the book because it made me FEEL things, it kept me interested... Philippa Gregory weaves a beautiful tapestry with her words. I had strong feelings throughout the whole book, but since the the entire story left me with a rather depressed, dirty vibe I have a hard time giving it a higher rating. I liked it enough that I'd be interested in reading the other two books in the trilogy. I'm DEFINITELY interested in reading other books by the author, because she is a great storyteller.
For this same reason I liked the book. I liked the book because it made me FEEL things, it kept me interested... Philippa Gregory weaves a beautiful tapestry with her words. I had strong feelings throughout the whole book, but since the the entire story left me with a rather depressed, dirty vibe I have a hard time giving it a higher rating. I liked it enough that I'd be interested in reading the other two books in the trilogy. I'm DEFINITELY interested in reading other books by the author, because she is a great storyteller.
I'm not the greatest fan of literature set in this period; I have a strong dislike for its emphasis on the importance of being married. For a modern reader, there's more to life than marriage.
That being said, and perhaps because of it, I truly enjoy the character of Beatrice Lacey. She is complex and often difficult to root for, but her motivations are wonderfully articulated and, even if you don't agree with her behaviour, you fully understand why she is doing what she does.
That being said, and perhaps because of it, I truly enjoy the character of Beatrice Lacey. She is complex and often difficult to root for, but her motivations are wonderfully articulated and, even if you don't agree with her behaviour, you fully understand why she is doing what she does.
She gets everything she deserves in the end, wouldn’t read again and probably won’t read the sequels.
Could not finish this book. Not because of the writing, but because reading it has made me an angry, angry person. I've read 60% of the book just to see if the main character has something horrible happen to her. I have to delete this eBook, and go outside and sit in the sun.
After enjoying Gregory’s The Constant Princess, I decided to go back and read her works in chronological order. While many of her later works are based on the lives of true historical figures, the characters in this first book of a trilogy are original.
From the time she could sit alone on a horse, young Beatrice Lacey has grown to love and learned everything there is to know about the land of her father’s estate, Wideacre. To her young and naïve eyes, her father is grooming her to someday run the estate, and it is a shock when she realizes that she, just as all other ladies of Quality, must eventually marry and leave the estate. This is the story of the severe and unbelievable lengths Beatrice goes to in order to secure her place at Wideacre forever, only to bring about its eventual ruin.
This is Gregory’s first work, and she clearly has some talent in writing. However, by far the biggest flaw in this book is that most of the characters, the heroine(?) in particular, are extremely unlikable and have few redeeming qualities. Beatrice, although ambitious and perhaps admirable initially, I soon felt only contempt for. Harry and Celia are both blind and weak. The treatment of the one character the reader can sympathize with, Dr. MacAndrew, is painfully dreadful. I’ve grown fond of Ms. Gregory, so despite its flaws, I’ll finish the series.
From the time she could sit alone on a horse, young Beatrice Lacey has grown to love and learned everything there is to know about the land of her father’s estate, Wideacre. To her young and naïve eyes, her father is grooming her to someday run the estate, and it is a shock when she realizes that she, just as all other ladies of Quality, must eventually marry and leave the estate. This is the story of the severe and unbelievable lengths Beatrice goes to in order to secure her place at Wideacre forever, only to bring about its eventual ruin.
This is Gregory’s first work, and she clearly has some talent in writing. However, by far the biggest flaw in this book is that most of the characters, the heroine(?) in particular, are extremely unlikable and have few redeeming qualities. Beatrice, although ambitious and perhaps admirable initially, I soon felt only contempt for. Harry and Celia are both blind and weak. The treatment of the one character the reader can sympathize with, Dr. MacAndrew, is painfully dreadful. I’ve grown fond of Ms. Gregory, so despite its flaws, I’ll finish the series.
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes