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tara_pikachu's review against another edition
3.0
there are some interesting sections but the rest are bogged down by so much information that i wasn’t able to get into it fully.
suzemo's review
3.0
Full disclosure: TV made me read this book.
I sometimes follow Genevieve Valentine's blog, and I really enjoyed her reviews of Reign's costuming, which then turned into just reviews of Reign. It's a delightfully, utterly trashy historical drama about Mary, Queen of Scots and her time at the French court (at least that's how far I've gotten, with the two seasons). My favorite character on the show is Catherine de'Medici, so a book to learn more about her seemed like it might be a bit fun.
I completely recognize that the show is only very, very, very, very loosely based on history. So loosely that I'm sure they just picked out 5 names and went along with it. Either way, I was up for learning about a queen who governed a larger area than even Elizabeth I, and is rarely taught about or spoken of.
Because I'm new to this spot in history, I cannot judge the veracity of the author's claims or take on that time in history, events that unfolded, the reason behind said events or the actions of the people at the time, but I did learn a whole lot more than I knew earlier, and I really enjoyed the book.
The book was narrated by someone I've listened to before, so I'm already comfortable with her reading, but I still think she did a solid job with the material.
I sometimes follow Genevieve Valentine's blog, and I really enjoyed her reviews of Reign's costuming, which then turned into just reviews of Reign. It's a delightfully, utterly trashy historical drama about Mary, Queen of Scots and her time at the French court (at least that's how far I've gotten, with the two seasons). My favorite character on the show is Catherine de'Medici, so a book to learn more about her seemed like it might be a bit fun.
I completely recognize that the show is only very, very, very, very loosely based on history. So loosely that I'm sure they just picked out 5 names and went along with it. Either way, I was up for learning about a queen who governed a larger area than even Elizabeth I, and is rarely taught about or spoken of.
Because I'm new to this spot in history, I cannot judge the veracity of the author's claims or take on that time in history, events that unfolded, the reason behind said events or the actions of the people at the time, but I did learn a whole lot more than I knew earlier, and I really enjoyed the book.
The book was narrated by someone I've listened to before, so I'm already comfortable with her reading, but I still think she did a solid job with the material.
pocketvolcano's review against another edition
5.0
I adored this book. Nancy Goldstone has a wonderful way of bringing people and situations to life and makes the text lively and humorous at times. She gave me a new perspective on Catherine de' Medici (she was not quite the Machiavellian ruler others have made her out to be) and brought to life the story of Marguerite de Valois, a strong woman and early feminist. I would recommend this to anyone interested in French history, female monarchs or the wars between the Catholics and Huguenots. Excellent work!
tinywiddendream's review
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
This non-fiction book was written wonderfully -- not only informative, but also an easy read!
emmedash's review
3.0
I'd have given a fourth star but for the author's persistent habit of attributing emotions and motives to her subjects even when they were quite unknowable.