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kleonard's review against another edition
1.0
The premise--what happens to the nuns when Henry VIII closes the monasteries and abbeys--is a good one. But the book is dull and pedestrian, peopled by dim and shallowly created characters, narrated by a young woman who upon leaving her abbey goes on a Forrest Gump-like journey through the period's famous figures and places.
bec_wheels's review against another edition
2.0
This book was an ok read. I found the second half more interesting read but I felt like I had to persevere for the first half. I'm not sure I'd read again.
kstav's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
Frost in May really did a number on me in terms of a fascination with fictional nuns. This being set at the dissolution means there's simply not enough nuns for me.
jmatkinson1's review against another edition
5.0
Agnes Peppin is the daughter of a West Country butcher, her mother is related to a noble family. When Agnes becomes pregnant she gives birth and then, to reduce the embarrassment, she is placed in the Abbey of Shaftesbury to become a nun. Whilst Agnes adjusted to life in the cloister the outside world is changing and King Henry is ensuring that there are fewer monastic dwellings. Thrust into the world Agnes and her fellow sisters have to adapt to survive.
This is a very slow novel that builds gradually. The characters are beautifully drawn and Agnes herself is complex with surprise motivations at times. This is a completely different perspective on the time when Henry VIII made himself head of the Church and what became known as the Dissolution took place. Here the impact on both the people in the religious houses and also the communities around are explored. It is a really wonderful book that deserves to be savoured.
This is a very slow novel that builds gradually. The characters are beautifully drawn and Agnes herself is complex with surprise motivations at times. This is a completely different perspective on the time when Henry VIII made himself head of the Church and what became known as the Dissolution took place. Here the impact on both the people in the religious houses and also the communities around are explored. It is a really wonderful book that deserves to be savoured.
arachnophobia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
"Keep up, Agnes!" Liked this book for showing what Christ's Brides went through as Abbeys were demolished and nuns were forced to return to English life. I liked the religious questionings and the way Agnes' mind wandered. I also loved the returning to the line "I've got to see a man about a dog." Interesting how diversely natured the women characters were and how the main character kept refusing men's marriage proposals.
kennedyfio_'s review against another edition
3.0
A story that truly illuminates life of a “normal” woman in Tudor era (not the usual story of royalty) and her thoughts, actions, and goals.
Overall, it’s definitely a slower-paced novel, but the chapter breakups are almost perfectly dispersed and allowed me to set down the book after every chapter while still reading at least 30 pages in one sitting.
Loved the ending, and the novel made you feel like Agnes’s life was worth writing about.
Overall, it’s definitely a slower-paced novel, but the chapter breakups are almost perfectly dispersed and allowed me to set down the book after every chapter while still reading at least 30 pages in one sitting.
Loved the ending, and the novel made you feel like Agnes’s life was worth writing about.
phoenixfaie's review against another edition
5.0
I would like to thank Duckworth books for providing me with a copy of “The Butcher’s Daughter”
The Butcher’s Daughter is a fictional biographical tale of Agnes Peppin, a young woman who is banished to live out the rest of her life in Shaftesbury Abbey.
Despite this being a work of fiction, many of the characters did exist, set in the Tudor times we do get to read about many historical events, I found myself stopping every now and then to google certain locations.
Victoria clearly put so much research into this to create such a wonderful novel, the writing is rich and beautiful, it was so easy to picture everything as Agnes described it- the settings, the food, the less pleasant scenes such as the execution of Thomas Cromwell.
If you have a weak stomach then you might not like that.
There are mentions of self harm, this is due to a character who picks at the skin of her face until it bleeds- as there is such a broad spectrum of what is considered as self harm I thought it best to mention it.
I really enjoyed Agnes’ character, the woman she was at the end of the novel was a far cry from the Agnes she was when she first arrived at the Abbey, I found her open sexuality to be a joy to read- as she says, she has desires herself.
“We are expelled from Paradise!” moans Mother Monica “Cast out from the Garden of Eden”
I want to say, do not be so foolish. Instead I say:
“Why not have an apple?”
(Page 183)
There was definitely a purpose behind her words to Mother Monica there, maybe not out of malice, but it felt intentional.
If you have an interest in historical fiction then I would definitely recommend picking this up.
Educational, funny, risque, tragic, heartbreaking at how much loss someone can endure and still keep going, I was hooked from the moment I started reading I almost didn’t want it to end.
"There is so much to do, and so much that is more interesting, outside myself.
And I may later want something else, something quite, quite different. Nothing is for ever."
The Butcher’s Daughter is a fictional biographical tale of Agnes Peppin, a young woman who is banished to live out the rest of her life in Shaftesbury Abbey.
Despite this being a work of fiction, many of the characters did exist, set in the Tudor times we do get to read about many historical events, I found myself stopping every now and then to google certain locations.
Victoria clearly put so much research into this to create such a wonderful novel, the writing is rich and beautiful, it was so easy to picture everything as Agnes described it- the settings, the food, the less pleasant scenes such as the execution of Thomas Cromwell.
If you have a weak stomach then you might not like that.
There are mentions of self harm, this is due to a character who picks at the skin of her face until it bleeds- as there is such a broad spectrum of what is considered as self harm I thought it best to mention it.
I really enjoyed Agnes’ character, the woman she was at the end of the novel was a far cry from the Agnes she was when she first arrived at the Abbey, I found her open sexuality to be a joy to read- as she says, she has desires herself.
“We are expelled from Paradise!” moans Mother Monica “Cast out from the Garden of Eden”
I want to say, do not be so foolish. Instead I say:
“Why not have an apple?”
(Page 183)
There was definitely a purpose behind her words to Mother Monica there, maybe not out of malice, but it felt intentional.
If you have an interest in historical fiction then I would definitely recommend picking this up.
Educational, funny, risque, tragic, heartbreaking at how much loss someone can endure and still keep going, I was hooked from the moment I started reading I almost didn’t want it to end.
"There is so much to do, and so much that is more interesting, outside myself.
And I may later want something else, something quite, quite different. Nothing is for ever."
shelfofunread's review against another edition
3.0
Plenty of historical fiction has touched upon the political and moral fallout of Henry VIII’s decision to proclaim himself Head of the Church of England but few consider the impact on an individual life in the way that Victoria Glendinning’s The Butcher’s Daughter manages to.
Bringing the landscape of Tudor England to life in vivid prose, Glendinning’s novel focuses on Agnes Peppin, daughter of a West Country butcher, and a young woman whose life alters course with one act of teenage rebellion. Sent to live out her life as a nun in the convent at Shaftesbury Abbey, Agnes is soon wrapped up in the personal trials of a life of devotion. But times are changing. Commissioners are arriving at the abbey, smaller orders are being dissolved. And soon Agnes’ life will take another turn, and she will have to learn all over again how to live in the world.
For all of the political turmoil and the intricately woven picture of another age, The Butcher’s Daughter is, at its heart, a very personal story. Whilst Agnes’ life intersects with a number of historical figures, it remains very much her story – the tale of an ordinary woman living in extraordinary times and forced to make difficult, complicated decisions in order to survive. I didn’t always like Agnes, who is a complicated and somewhat difficult character at times, but I could always understand her – she felt like a real person and, as such, the dramas of her life makes for a fascinating read.
There’s a real authenticity of detail to the novel that reminded me of C S Sansom’s Shardlake series or Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell novels. This is Tudor England in all it’s vivid, messy, uncomfortable glory. From the small details about the daily lives of the nuns to the cold-hearted and calculating decisions being taken to curry political favour by altering swathes of lives, Glendinning has painted an evocative portrait of the period. I did occasionally wonder how feasible it would be for a woman in Agnes’ position to meet quite so many significant characters – one element towards the end of the novel did stretch the plausibility just a little too far for me – but, on the whole, the world and events of the novel feel authentic.
Written with elegance, this is a richly textured and multi-layered historical novel that is perfect for fans of Phillipa Gregory or Tracy Chevalier, as well as for anyone interested in the Tudor period. Evocative and thought-provoking, The Butcher’s Daughter isn’t the fastest of reads but its chronicle of one woman’s life in turbulent times is quietly gripping and will reward a reader’s patience.
NB: This is an edited version of a review that first appeared on my blog at theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Bringing the landscape of Tudor England to life in vivid prose, Glendinning’s novel focuses on Agnes Peppin, daughter of a West Country butcher, and a young woman whose life alters course with one act of teenage rebellion. Sent to live out her life as a nun in the convent at Shaftesbury Abbey, Agnes is soon wrapped up in the personal trials of a life of devotion. But times are changing. Commissioners are arriving at the abbey, smaller orders are being dissolved. And soon Agnes’ life will take another turn, and she will have to learn all over again how to live in the world.
For all of the political turmoil and the intricately woven picture of another age, The Butcher’s Daughter is, at its heart, a very personal story. Whilst Agnes’ life intersects with a number of historical figures, it remains very much her story – the tale of an ordinary woman living in extraordinary times and forced to make difficult, complicated decisions in order to survive. I didn’t always like Agnes, who is a complicated and somewhat difficult character at times, but I could always understand her – she felt like a real person and, as such, the dramas of her life makes for a fascinating read.
There’s a real authenticity of detail to the novel that reminded me of C S Sansom’s Shardlake series or Hilary Mantel’s Cromwell novels. This is Tudor England in all it’s vivid, messy, uncomfortable glory. From the small details about the daily lives of the nuns to the cold-hearted and calculating decisions being taken to curry political favour by altering swathes of lives, Glendinning has painted an evocative portrait of the period. I did occasionally wonder how feasible it would be for a woman in Agnes’ position to meet quite so many significant characters – one element towards the end of the novel did stretch the plausibility just a little too far for me – but, on the whole, the world and events of the novel feel authentic.
Written with elegance, this is a richly textured and multi-layered historical novel that is perfect for fans of Phillipa Gregory or Tracy Chevalier, as well as for anyone interested in the Tudor period. Evocative and thought-provoking, The Butcher’s Daughter isn’t the fastest of reads but its chronicle of one woman’s life in turbulent times is quietly gripping and will reward a reader’s patience.
NB: This is an edited version of a review that first appeared on my blog at theshelfofunreadbooks.wordpress.com. My thanks go to the publisher for providing a copy of the book in return for an honest and unbiased review.
abookishtype's review against another edition
2.0
Victoria Glendinning’s The Butcher’s Daughter explores a theme I hadn’t considered before—or even really addressed—in historical discussions of Henry VIII’s dissolution of abbeys and monasteries after he threw off the Catholic Church and established the church of England. I realize this sounds dry, but exploring what happened to women and men who suddenly had no place to stay or way to make a living after the dissolution turned out to be rich territory for historical fiction...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.
rimbluebooks's review
3.0
3.5 stars
"I received a copy of this book as one of 5 winners of a giveaway held on twitter by Duckworth" but my thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
When first started reading this book It was really dense and slow but the historical events and the destiny of Shaftsbery kept me reading. I didn't conect with Agnes then until things started to take shapes and I grasped the story line that unfortunatly didn't happen until the turn of the events nevertheless I couldn't stop reading about Agnes' journey through the world and struggle to find her true path and that was worth the read.
I really came to identify with Agnes and feel like she's writing not just about herself but about me specificly. (The last 20 pages won my heart)
"I received a copy of this book as one of 5 winners of a giveaway held on twitter by Duckworth" but my thoughts and opinions are completely my own.
When first started reading this book It was really dense and slow but the historical events and the destiny of Shaftsbery kept me reading. I didn't conect with Agnes then until things started to take shapes and I grasped the story line that unfortunatly didn't happen until the turn of the events nevertheless I couldn't stop reading about Agnes' journey through the world and struggle to find her true path and that was worth the read.
I really came to identify with Agnes and feel like she's writing not just about herself but about me specificly. (The last 20 pages won my heart)