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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Back when I was at uni I used to gobble up Philippa Gregory books like they were bottles of WKD. Sat here in lockdown Britain in 2020, I picked this from my bookshelf (I have no idea when or where I bought it, it must have been here for ages) thinking it would be a good escape from the current situation.
While stories of people dying from "the sweat" and Henry 8th running around England trying to escape getting ill was perhaps not the best place for my brain to escape to, this was a really great read. I had no idea about Margaret Pole and her family so it was also a great education for me. I love how well researched Philippa Gregory's fiction always is, I know I can trust her to be educating me rather than painting a completely false picture of how life was. And she's still an amazing storyteller; I really cared about the people in the story, got angry and sad along with Margaret.
It's a long old book, so I recommend it for people sat with time on their hands!
While stories of people dying from "the sweat" and Henry 8th running around England trying to escape getting ill was perhaps not the best place for my brain to escape to, this was a really great read. I had no idea about Margaret Pole and her family so it was also a great education for me. I love how well researched Philippa Gregory's fiction always is, I know I can trust her to be educating me rather than painting a completely false picture of how life was. And she's still an amazing storyteller; I really cared about the people in the story, got angry and sad along with Margaret.
It's a long old book, so I recommend it for people sat with time on their hands!
Disregarded Figure Brought to Light
I always hoped that Philippa Gregory would write a book about Margaret Pole, because she witnessed so much in her life and is quite fascinating as a historical figure. This book paints her as the typical Philippa Gregory lead female - quietly strong and formidable. If you're a stickler for historical accuracy in your fiction, be aware that Gregory writes heavily based on speculations that are often considered controversial, such as that the Tudors rather than Richard III were responsible for the death of the princes in the Tower. Overall, though, it's a fast-paced account of Henry VIII's deterioration from a fresh and previously disregarded perspective. One of Gregory's best in my opinion.
I always hoped that Philippa Gregory would write a book about Margaret Pole, because she witnessed so much in her life and is quite fascinating as a historical figure. This book paints her as the typical Philippa Gregory lead female - quietly strong and formidable. If you're a stickler for historical accuracy in your fiction, be aware that Gregory writes heavily based on speculations that are often considered controversial, such as that the Tudors rather than Richard III were responsible for the death of the princes in the Tower. Overall, though, it's a fast-paced account of Henry VIII's deterioration from a fresh and previously disregarded perspective. One of Gregory's best in my opinion.
dark
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This was a really enjoyable read, it showed how one woman's life was dictated by the Tudors and how her name controlled her destiny. It also shows the impact Henry VIII had on so many people's lives
One of the better books in the series. You might not like Margaret Pole as a person but you can't deny that she threaded her way through the minefield of the Tudor court with great skill.
The book was published in 2014, so Gregory could not have known much, if anything at all, about Donald Trump. And yet, reading the book in 2017, after we've suffered seven months of his shenanigans, I can't help but see a parallel between Henry VIII's narcissism and misogyny, and that of Donald Trump.
I'm grateful for our robust democratic institutions. When Trump awakens at three in the morning, full of bile against God knows who, he can only send a nasty tweet. Otherwise he, like Henry VIII, would be raiding monasteries for their gold, spying on enemies, torturing suspects, and condemning perceived enemies to their deaths. Think about it, Paul Ryan. And you too, Mitch McConnell.
The book was published in 2014, so Gregory could not have known much, if anything at all, about Donald Trump. And yet, reading the book in 2017, after we've suffered seven months of his shenanigans, I can't help but see a parallel between Henry VIII's narcissism and misogyny, and that of Donald Trump.
I'm grateful for our robust democratic institutions. When Trump awakens at three in the morning, full of bile against God knows who, he can only send a nasty tweet. Otherwise he, like Henry VIII, would be raiding monasteries for their gold, spying on enemies, torturing suspects, and condemning perceived enemies to their deaths. Think about it, Paul Ryan. And you too, Mitch McConnell.
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So, usual Philippa Gregory issues aside (repetitious writing, showing-not-telling, obsessive fixations, historical inaccuracies) aside, I think this is one of the better Tudor/Plantagenet novels.
Margaret Pole is the main protag of this one, and we go on and on about Mouldwarps and the curse of Elizabeth Woodville and Elizabeth York re: the bloodline for the killer(s) of the Princes in the Tower. I liked the focus on someone who managed to survive a longer time before some sociopath got around to killing her family.
Narrator (of course) was A+ (why I keep going through these books). It was entertaining, good for an airplane read, not great for, say, owning.
Margaret Pole is the main protag of this one, and we go on and on about Mouldwarps and the curse of Elizabeth Woodville and Elizabeth York re: the bloodline for the killer(s) of the Princes in the Tower. I liked the focus on someone who managed to survive a longer time before some sociopath got around to killing her family.
Narrator (of course) was A+ (why I keep going through these books). It was entertaining, good for an airplane read, not great for, say, owning.
As for all of Philippa's books, I enjoyed it immensely. With the pandemic going on it has been difficult to be motivated to read but I'm glad to have finish another one of these great novels. I enjoy these time pieces and always find it interesting