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hunkydory's review
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
hoserlauren's review
3.0
This book was ok. Eleanor of Aquitaine had a very interesting life, holding the titles of both Queen of France and Queen of England. How she came to acquire those titles is interesting, but there was a lot of filler in this book that was unnecessary, especially in the middle. When new characters came in to the picture, for some reason their entire history was told. A briefer background would have trimmed some of the waste in this book that slowed down the narrative. Instead of these figures' background, I would have liked to learn more about Eleanors' children since so many of them went on to be King, even for a short period of time.
I haven't read much about the British monarchy from this early so this was new for me and I liked it but it was a bit dry.
I haven't read much about the British monarchy from this early so this was new for me and I liked it but it was a bit dry.
rfrockwood's review
3.0
Enjoyable narrative, extremely detailed, more political than romantic. I think I would have liked it more if it was half its length.
michellemm85's review
3.0
3/6
Decent story, moved at a decent rate of speed to have spanned 70+ years. There were some points that I found tiresome and repetitive, so I ended up skimming the end of Eleanor’s marriage to Henry. I probably won’t re-read it though, there are authors I like more who wrote about the same time period.
Decent story, moved at a decent rate of speed to have spanned 70+ years. There were some points that I found tiresome and repetitive, so I ended up skimming the end of Eleanor’s marriage to Henry. I probably won’t re-read it though, there are authors I like more who wrote about the same time period.
wildwolverine's review
4.0
Before this novel, I knew the basics of Eleanor of Aquitaine. Coming away from this book, I have a better understanding of her life, but I'm also aware that I should take everything I read with a grain of salt. Eleanor was a powerful woman who has traveled all over Europe and the Middle East; she had several children and two husbands. There was nothing she didn't see or experience. She truly was remarkable, but Plaidy defines her life by the men she knew, which at time felt like a very limiting perspective. One can't help but wonder what Eleanor was truly like when she wasn't constantly mooning over someone else.
Plaidy portrays Eleanor as a conceited, headstrong, and confident woman. She wants nothing more than to rule Aquitaine and any other country she can get her hands on. Honestly, I liked this portrayal of her. She's not likable, but Eleanor has bigger concerns than being "likable". Perhaps she's aware of her limitations as a woman, but another strong trait of hers is that she idolizes the men in her life. First, it's her grandfather and father, then her uncle (whom Plaidy argues she slept with), then her second husband Henry II, and then her sons mostly notably Richard. The whole "sleeping with her relative" thing is tricky because, for a long time, people thought it was okay to marry their cousins, so it's not entirely out of the question that Eleanor slept with her uncle. That said, it's also not uncommon to accuse powerful women of incest to knock them down a peg (the same thing happens to Anne Boleyn, as she was accused of sleeping with her brother).
Eleanor lives through such a fascinating time in European history, and she saw so much. She traveled for the Crusades, as Queen of France and Queen of England. In her younger years, she is clearly carried away by her passions: her demands to have Toulouse restored to her nearly destroy her first husband, and her affairs get her in trouble with the pope more than once. As she aged, she proved she was an extremely competent ruler, as evidenced in how she worked to make sure her son Richard was adored by the English people and the fact that she was left in charge to govern both England and Aquitaine several times in her husband and son's absences.
Once Eleanor's sons are grown up, the narrative then focuses on their conquests and their struggles. Eleanor's efforts as the stand-in monarch or her time at Aquitaine where she presides over the Court of Love are glossed over, when I wish they could've been explored a little more. These moments in her life are what Eleanor is known for! Instead, readers are led to believe that the whole "court of love" was actually a product of Eleanor's grandfather and hardly something she cultivated and immortalized.
As competent as Eleanor was, Plaidy also puts her faults on display. Eleanor is narcissistic to the extreme. She pits her children against their father and sometimes even against each other. She enables their worst tendencies and rarely takes accountability for her actions. Although, she does admit that some of her actions were due to "youthful folly". Additionally, Plaidy is convinced that all of Eleanor's children worship her. I would surmise that's because she didn't spend a lot of time with them, especially her daughters, so they don't remember her faults very well.
I'm not saying these things to be critical of Eleanor but to acknowledge that she was not perfect. I appreciate Plaidy's narrative style that lays bear all of Eleanor's traits, both positive and negative. She feels like a whole person, albeit an imperfect one. So, would I recommend this book? Absolutely. Plaidy has an angle, as all historical fiction authors do. One should never wholeheartedly believe what they read. That said, Plaidy covers a lot of ground in this book, and it is always entertaining.
Plaidy portrays Eleanor as a conceited, headstrong, and confident woman. She wants nothing more than to rule Aquitaine and any other country she can get her hands on. Honestly, I liked this portrayal of her. She's not likable, but Eleanor has bigger concerns than being "likable". Perhaps she's aware of her limitations as a woman, but another strong trait of hers is that she idolizes the men in her life. First, it's her grandfather and father, then her uncle (whom Plaidy argues she slept with), then her second husband Henry II, and then her sons mostly notably Richard. The whole "sleeping with her relative" thing is tricky because, for a long time, people thought it was okay to marry their cousins, so it's not entirely out of the question that Eleanor slept with her uncle. That said, it's also not uncommon to accuse powerful women of incest to knock them down a peg (the same thing happens to Anne Boleyn, as she was accused of sleeping with her brother).
Eleanor lives through such a fascinating time in European history, and she saw so much. She traveled for the Crusades, as Queen of France and Queen of England. In her younger years, she is clearly carried away by her passions: her demands to have Toulouse restored to her nearly destroy her first husband, and her affairs get her in trouble with the pope more than once. As she aged, she proved she was an extremely competent ruler, as evidenced in how she worked to make sure her son Richard was adored by the English people and the fact that she was left in charge to govern both England and Aquitaine several times in her husband and son's absences.
Once Eleanor's sons are grown up, the narrative then focuses on their conquests and their struggles. Eleanor's efforts as the stand-in monarch or her time at Aquitaine where she presides over the Court of Love are glossed over, when I wish they could've been explored a little more. These moments in her life are what Eleanor is known for! Instead, readers are led to believe that the whole "court of love" was actually a product of Eleanor's grandfather and hardly something she cultivated and immortalized.
As competent as Eleanor was, Plaidy also puts her faults on display. Eleanor is narcissistic to the extreme. She pits her children against their father and sometimes even against each other. She enables their worst tendencies and rarely takes accountability for her actions. Although, she does admit that some of her actions were due to "youthful folly". Additionally, Plaidy is convinced that all of Eleanor's children worship her. I would surmise that's because she didn't spend a lot of time with them, especially her daughters, so they don't remember her faults very well.
I'm not saying these things to be critical of Eleanor but to acknowledge that she was not perfect. I appreciate Plaidy's narrative style that lays bear all of Eleanor's traits, both positive and negative. She feels like a whole person, albeit an imperfect one. So, would I recommend this book? Absolutely. Plaidy has an angle, as all historical fiction authors do. One should never wholeheartedly believe what they read. That said, Plaidy covers a lot of ground in this book, and it is always entertaining.
mimima's review
4.0
Jean Plaidy, and all of Hibbert's iterations, have been a touchstone author for me. One that I will return to often, picked up throughout my reading life, and have always enjoyed. I love Eleanor and remember reading this one in my early marriage, but it has been a long time. Always enjoyable and this was the perfect snow day (week, year...) read.
elysianfield's review against another edition
1.0
DNF page 118
Didn't remember how dry Playdy can be...
Didn't remember how dry Playdy can be...
linwearcamenel's review against another edition
5.0
I believe this is Jean Plaidy's best book, excellent attention to accuracy, believable characaters, and exciting story.
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