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3.88 AVERAGE
3.88 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Slow beginning, picked up in the middle, although by the end I was ready to be finished. To date, this is my least favorite I have read.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book! It moved a bit slowly at the end, I kept anticipating the next marriage and the next step, but it was very well written. I'm sad this series is now complete!
This took me a little while to get through, more because of the length and narrative style than anything. While I appreciate learning about Tudor England, I couldn't help but feel this was more a history lesson veiled in fiction. The character voices are all fairly similar, and even after 600+ pages of reading, I never had a sense of who Margaret is. Yes, she's a Plantagenet, yes, she is royal by birth, yes, she has property, connections, etc, but what about her as an individual makes her great? I suppose I just never understood her as a person, like everything is written at arm's length.
What also struck me was how major events are related with pretty tepid emotion. The "life goes on" mentality, even when the Pope's being held captive and who knows what is on the horizon. There are moments of clarity where events are related with wonderful, biting emotion, and I feel, judging by other reviews, that people wish Gregory would return to her earlier style of writing. I have an inkling that, perhaps, she set out to complete this daunting series and became a bit disenchanted with it. Write to relate a story and get work done, but missing passion. (She's lovely, by the way. Read her interviews on here and elsewhere-- she definitely knows what she's doing, and is very much a professional.)
Oh, and the curse isn't really a huge part of the story. Even when it's brought up, it's more of a wiggly-finger "oOoOoo the cuuurse, don't talk about it or you'll be accused of treeeason." Curse or no, there are many people vying for power, and that's enough for some major sh*t to go down.
I did learn so much about the Tudors and this part of English history, though, and for that I'm thankful. Of course, you have to do some cross-referencing to make sure you're not becoming tangled in fiction, but it's worth the Google.
On the whole, if you're willing to forgive liberties taken with history as we think we know it, and want to dedicate yourself to a longer (fictional) look at the Tudors, you very well might enjoy yourself.
What also struck me was how major events are related with pretty tepid emotion. The "life goes on" mentality, even when the Pope's being held captive and who knows what is on the horizon. There are moments of clarity where events are related with wonderful, biting emotion, and I feel, judging by other reviews, that people wish Gregory would return to her earlier style of writing. I have an inkling that, perhaps, she set out to complete this daunting series and became a bit disenchanted with it. Write to relate a story and get work done, but missing passion. (She's lovely, by the way. Read her interviews on here and elsewhere-- she definitely knows what she's doing, and is very much a professional.)
Oh, and the curse isn't really a huge part of the story. Even when it's brought up, it's more of a wiggly-finger "oOoOoo the cuuurse, don't talk about it or you'll be accused of treeeason." Curse or no, there are many people vying for power, and that's enough for some major sh*t to go down.
I did learn so much about the Tudors and this part of English history, though, and for that I'm thankful. Of course, you have to do some cross-referencing to make sure you're not becoming tangled in fiction, but it's worth the Google.
On the whole, if you're willing to forgive liberties taken with history as we think we know it, and want to dedicate yourself to a longer (fictional) look at the Tudors, you very well might enjoy yourself.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Uma das razões que me leva a não me cansar de Philippa Gregory e dos seus livros sobre a guerra dos primos é que esta autora consegue cunhar cada um dos livros com uma marca própria. Cada mulher retratada tem uma personalidade diferente das anteriores, mantendo apenas em comum o facto de serem fortes, bem construidas e, acima de tudo, resultado de uma pesquisa histórica fabulosa.
A Maldição do Rei não foge a estas regras e leva-nos pela corte dos Tudor, no dia a seguir aos últimos acontecimentos d'A Princesa Branca, permitindo-nos acompanhar a vida de Margarida Pole enquanto Henrique VIII se torna num rei louco, capaz das maiores atrocidades.
(desconfio que, naquela época, o melhor mesmo era ser camponês. à partida não estaríamos na mira do Rei e não estaríamos na calha para a forca)
A Maldição do Rei deixa-nos atrofiados. Margarida faz de tudo para sobreviver - ela e os seus filhos - e, ainda assim, aos 73 anos, é brutalmente assassinada na Torre por ordem do Rei. A escrita de Philippa Gregory envolve-nos de tal modo que conseguimos sentir de perto a angustia de Margarida pela morte dos seus familiares e amigos, da sua rainha e a raiva por ver um louco a governar o pais que ama.
Para quem, como eu, é fã de romances históricos, este é mais um livro de leitura obrigatória.
A Maldição do Rei não foge a estas regras e leva-nos pela corte dos Tudor, no dia a seguir aos últimos acontecimentos d'A Princesa Branca, permitindo-nos acompanhar a vida de Margarida Pole enquanto Henrique VIII se torna num rei louco, capaz das maiores atrocidades.
(desconfio que, naquela época, o melhor mesmo era ser camponês. à partida não estaríamos na mira do Rei e não estaríamos na calha para a forca)
A Maldição do Rei deixa-nos atrofiados. Margarida faz de tudo para sobreviver - ela e os seus filhos - e, ainda assim, aos 73 anos, é brutalmente assassinada na Torre por ordem do Rei. A escrita de Philippa Gregory envolve-nos de tal modo que conseguimos sentir de perto a angustia de Margarida pela morte dos seus familiares e amigos, da sua rainha e a raiva por ver um louco a governar o pais que ama.
Para quem, como eu, é fã de romances históricos, este é mais um livro de leitura obrigatória.
I have never been so grateful to finish a book in my life.
"The King's Curse", set during the reign of Henry VIII, but told by Lady Margaret Pole, a Plantagenet and granddaughter of Warwick the Kingmaker, does a wonderful job of tying Philippa Gregory's two series together.
I've happily spent the past week or so trapped between the pages of this book, and a number of late nights spent guiltily promising myself "just one more chapter".
Frustratingly, my edition had a page missing at a crucial moment, so I'll have to check with someone if I've missed anything vital and write the missing pieces in myself. No major problem though.
I've happily spent the past week or so trapped between the pages of this book, and a number of late nights spent guiltily promising myself "just one more chapter".
Frustratingly, my edition had a page missing at a crucial moment, so I'll have to check with someone if I've missed anything vital and write the missing pieces in myself. No major problem though.