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bethmitcham's review
2.0
This dragged for me. I read Walter Scott for adventures and heroics, but this book is about a weak man tempted into foulness, aided by a rotten servant, and not helped by a useless wife and her annoying ex. I never cheered for anyone. It's a mismatch between expectation and reality -- the book does what it wanted to, but that's not what I wanted.
lnatal's review
4.0
Free download available at eBooks@Adelaide.
Due to the Scottish Independence Referendum, which occurred in Sept. 18, I decided to read a couple of books written by two great Scottish writers: The Master of Ballantrae (see my review here) by Robert L. Stevenson and the present book.
The love affair between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is very well-known and has been described in several books.
However the role played by Amy Robsart, Dudley's wife, into this plot was never put in a first plan, on the contrary.
The Kenilworth Castle - Dudley's castle to which the tittle refers played an important historical role, from the Siege of Kenilworth in 1266 to the scene of the removal of Edward II from the English throne.
Even if this book has some historical inaccuracies, such as the circumstances of Amy Robsart's death as well as the real date of her death (Sept. 8, 1560), Scott manages quite well to write a masterpiece on this historical period.
Two TV series were made based on this book: Kenilworth (1957– ) and Kenilworth (1967– ) with Jeremy Brett, John Bryans, John Fraser.
4* Rob Roy
3* The Heart of Mid-Lothian
4* Ivanhoe
3* Waverley
4* The Fair Maid of Perth
4* The Bride of Lammermoor
$* Kenilworth
TR The Monastery
TR The Pirate
TR The Waverly Novels: Anne of Geierstein
TR The Two Drovers
TR The Antiquary
TR The Lady of the Lake
TR The Talisman
Due to the Scottish Independence Referendum, which occurred in Sept. 18, I decided to read a couple of books written by two great Scottish writers: The Master of Ballantrae (see my review here) by Robert L. Stevenson and the present book.
The love affair between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, is very well-known and has been described in several books.
However the role played by Amy Robsart, Dudley's wife, into this plot was never put in a first plan, on the contrary.
The Kenilworth Castle - Dudley's castle to which the tittle refers played an important historical role, from the Siege of Kenilworth in 1266 to the scene of the removal of Edward II from the English throne.
Even if this book has some historical inaccuracies, such as the circumstances of Amy Robsart's death as well as the real date of her death (Sept. 8, 1560), Scott manages quite well to write a masterpiece on this historical period.
Two TV series were made based on this book: Kenilworth (1957– ) and Kenilworth (1967– ) with Jeremy Brett, John Bryans, John Fraser.
4* Rob Roy
3* The Heart of Mid-Lothian
4* Ivanhoe
3* Waverley
4* The Fair Maid of Perth
4* The Bride of Lammermoor
$* Kenilworth
TR The Monastery
TR The Pirate
TR The Waverly Novels: Anne of Geierstein
TR The Two Drovers
TR The Antiquary
TR The Lady of the Lake
TR The Talisman
karingforbooks's review
4.0
It is almost entirely inaccurate in details beyond Elizabeth, Robin and Amy. That said, it’s a well written, amusing tale about a love triangle that did exist and a death that is still unsolved today. I liked the lens through which it was written, even if it is inaccurate in the extreme.
hughesie's review
1.5
I was expecting there to be a lot of 'forsooth' and so on, but it really did start to drag after a while.
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