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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I absolutely love anything to do with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, two of my favourite royals! When I had first started watching the show, I was enthralled, and knew that I had to read the book afterwards. This book focuses on Queen Victoria, as she goes from a young adult to queen, with the book going into detail on how she despised her mother's companion, Sir John Conroy, and how she came about to love her prime minister, Lord Melbourne. Throughout the first half of the book, we learn of the queen's desire to be Lord M's companion, along with the crises that ensued because of it. We then read about King Leopold wanting to have Victoria meet Prince Albert, her first-cousin via her mother's side. At first, Victoria loathes Albert, and wants nothing to do with him. However, as the book goes on, we learn that her love grows fonder for him, and she is entranced with his beauty and intelligence. This book actually mirrors the first few episodes of the series to a tee, which was wonderful to read, as I was able to actually visualize what the characters looked like as I was reading. The author did a wonderful job of capturing Queen Victoria for the woman that she was, complete with her innermost feelings regarding Lord M, and the various other individuals that became an integral part of her life. I would most definitely consider this to be an accurate representation of Queen Victoria's early reign, and would recommend it to anyone wanting to know more information about her.
Since I disagree with a great many of my friends on this book, I will be blunt: Victoria is a frothy, lightweight read.
That does not mean it is bad. The prose is competent if nothing spectacular, the protagonists are likable, the portrait of some intimate friendships enjoyable to read. I even don’t mind the Victoria/Melbourne pairing too much – deeply inaccurate though it is, I can appreciate a good mentor/protégé romance, though I wish Goodwin had provided an author’s note explaining why she chose to take their relationship in this fictional direction. Reading the book is enjoyable – in a pleasant, inoffensive, low stakes kind of way where you don’t have to think too hard about it. I should note also that it closely matches the first season of Goodwin’s show, and having watched that I recognised scenes that matched line for line.
But a masterpiece this is not. In terms of presenting a portrait of the real Victoria, it only provides a surface impression – it does not go into depth about a great deal of the years it covers, tending to gloss over anything heavy and political. Where political events are incorporated, they are extremely simplified and the book avoids discussing anything grim or serious for longer than half a second. It instead shows us a very narrow and superficial slice of Victoria’s life, and reads like more of a historical romance than a historical fiction; an idyll where obstacles are minor and there’s no doubt of a happy ending. I would hardly describe it as ‘detailed’ or ‘compelling’, and the style of writing doesn’t elevate this fictional froth into anything dazzling either.
All in all, I would say that this is a pleasant, enjoyable read, but overrated.
5 out of 10
That does not mean it is bad. The prose is competent if nothing spectacular, the protagonists are likable, the portrait of some intimate friendships enjoyable to read. I even don’t mind the Victoria/Melbourne pairing too much – deeply inaccurate though it is, I can appreciate a good mentor/protégé romance, though I wish Goodwin had provided an author’s note explaining why she chose to take their relationship in this fictional direction. Reading the book is enjoyable – in a pleasant, inoffensive, low stakes kind of way where you don’t have to think too hard about it. I should note also that it closely matches the first season of Goodwin’s show, and having watched that I recognised scenes that matched line for line.
But a masterpiece this is not. In terms of presenting a portrait of the real Victoria, it only provides a surface impression – it does not go into depth about a great deal of the years it covers, tending to gloss over anything heavy and political. Where political events are incorporated, they are extremely simplified and the book avoids discussing anything grim or serious for longer than half a second. It instead shows us a very narrow and superficial slice of Victoria’s life, and reads like more of a historical romance than a historical fiction; an idyll where obstacles are minor and there’s no doubt of a happy ending. I would hardly describe it as ‘detailed’ or ‘compelling’, and the style of writing doesn’t elevate this fictional froth into anything dazzling either.
All in all, I would say that this is a pleasant, enjoyable read, but overrated.
5 out of 10
This novel reads just like the PBS show. It seems they were written simultaneously. Enjoyable read.
This was entertaining and a quick read but I can’t help but feel every book I’ve read on Queen Victoria paints her in a less-than-flattering light. Although, no one in this book comes out looking particularly good at the end.
I feel this book would have benefitted greatly from an Author’s Note explaining how much was fact vs fiction and why some of the fiction was portrayed as it was.
I feel this book would have benefitted greatly from an Author’s Note explaining how much was fact vs fiction and why some of the fiction was portrayed as it was.
I rarely give out five stars anymore but this book was astounding! I found that the style of Goodwin was easy and evocative. Her take on the young Queen Victoria was both insightful and entertaining. It was lovely to see the story progress from the days before the ascension to the day where the Queen chose her husband. The characters were so real and vibrant from Queen Victoria to her precious Lord M and all those in between.
I know that this covers the first bit of the ITV drama "Victoria" but I am hoping that Goodwin writes a sequel outlining Victoria and Alberts early days.
I know that this covers the first bit of the ITV drama "Victoria" but I am hoping that Goodwin writes a sequel outlining Victoria and Alberts early days.
que leitura mais gostosa! aquela que você lê enquanto toma um chazinho ou cafezinho. a história segue a história da rainha vitória desde o momento que ela se torna rainha até que pede alberto em noivado, embora alberto só entre em cena nas últimas 80 páginas. queria ver mais dele….
por mais que o livro tenha 400 paginas, ainda leria mais dele porque se lê rápido, mas não acho que funciona em ler tudo de uma vez. é tudo muito do mesmo na rotina da rainha. foi escrito pela roteirista da série victoria (que eu amo!!!) e acho que seria uma ótima série de livros sobre a rainha. uma trilogia seria de muito bom grado, deixou com gosto de quero mais!
por mais que o livro tenha 400 paginas, ainda leria mais dele porque se lê rápido, mas não acho que funciona em ler tudo de uma vez. é tudo muito do mesmo na rotina da rainha. foi escrito pela roteirista da série victoria (que eu amo!!!) e acho que seria uma ótima série de livros sobre a rainha. uma trilogia seria de muito bom grado, deixou com gosto de quero mais!
Recommendation: Watch the Masterpiece series of Victoria (still ongoing at the moment, and only about halfway through the episodes).
Get the delicious voice of Rufus Sewell in your head (surely I'm not the only one thinking this, right?).
Then, after two or three episodes, dig into this novelization, which can now probably be found at most libraries.
This book follows the PBS series extremely closely, and indeed was written at the same time the show was being put together. I don't know that I would have enjoyed it quite so much without the visuals and the voices being fresh in my mind from the TV show. It's straightforward, easy reading, but not particularly thought-provoking.
The book doesn't have the downstairs storylines that the show does (the servant characters are mentioned and have a little dialogue, but you don't get their back stories). Instead, as the title suggests, this book is centered squarely on the young queen.
Get the delicious voice of Rufus Sewell in your head (surely I'm not the only one thinking this, right?).
Then, after two or three episodes, dig into this novelization, which can now probably be found at most libraries.
This book follows the PBS series extremely closely, and indeed was written at the same time the show was being put together. I don't know that I would have enjoyed it quite so much without the visuals and the voices being fresh in my mind from the TV show. It's straightforward, easy reading, but not particularly thought-provoking.
The book doesn't have the downstairs storylines that the show does (the servant characters are mentioned and have a little dialogue, but you don't get their back stories). Instead, as the title suggests, this book is centered squarely on the young queen.
If you've seen Victoria the TV series. It's pretty much this book. It's still good though
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes