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flappermyrtle's review against another edition
3.0
This is a very strong book, well-written and dragging you into the turmoil of Henry, Eleanor and their sons. The descriptions of daily life were very interesting, making it very real, but the emotional reflections Eleanor has are even more realistic. So realistic, in fact, that it made me a bit depressed at times, halfway the novel feeling stuff was going so bad that I wasn't sure whether I wished to read on. I am glad I did, although eventually the musings on Henry becoming slightly annoying, though the plot around Eleanor's sons thickens.
The novel did not meet my expectations, for I thought it would be much lighter and, to be fair, more enjoyable, for at times it was truly hard to get through even more scandal and intrigue and people switching sides, and the episode with Becket was really getting on my nerves. All in all it is a very strong, decent historical fiction - yet not suited for getting your mind off things, for the story and its main characters will drag you into their lives, with terrible things happening most of the time.
The novel did not meet my expectations, for I thought it would be much lighter and, to be fair, more enjoyable, for at times it was truly hard to get through even more scandal and intrigue and people switching sides, and the episode with Becket was really getting on my nerves. All in all it is a very strong, decent historical fiction - yet not suited for getting your mind off things, for the story and its main characters will drag you into their lives, with terrible things happening most of the time.
ravensandlace's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Title: Captive Queen
Author: Alison Weir
Genre: Historical Fiction
Format: hardback from the library
Series: NA
Star Rating: 2 stars
tw: execution, sexism, cheating, parental death, rape, imprisonment, child marriage, homophobia, incest-ish relationships, spousal abuse, misogyny
Every so often, your favorite author writes a book you think is going to be good. You think you will learn a lot bout a royal family you don’t know much about. Instead, you find out that sometimes, you won’t like every book. You find out that sometimes, it might be best to not finish a book.
This book was not good at all. Literally, the entire book consisted of three things: Eleanor talking about how hot and sexual she and Henry are, Henry being an absolute rake and cheating constantly, or Henry being a sexist pig. That's all. It was so damn annoying to constantly read about how hot Eleanor was, how amazing the sex between her and Henry was. It got so old. I felt like I was reading about a couple of teenagers, not people in their late thirties.
There were some parts that were written that made it seem like we were supposed to feel sorry for Henry. Absolutely not. Henry was awful and it enraged me to see how we were supposed to sympathize with Henry. Like when his mistress died. Sure, it is very sad someone died but he expected everyone to be just as sad as him, including Eleanor. Or the way he treated Eleanor. We were supposed to think he was doing it for her own good, like putting her in prison. Yeah, no thank you.
Overall, this book was a complete waste of time. I wasted so many days attempting to persevere through this book because I don’t like not finishing books. I really need to change that. Maybe I’ll try to find another book about Eleanor to see if she is actually as insufferable as she was in this book or if she is actually redeemable. I would like to think she is redeemable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and War
tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition
2.0
‘I am a captive in this marriage.’
This novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), a Queen of both France and England is the subject of Alison Weir’s third historical novel. Ms Weir has previously written a biography of Eleanor (first published in 1999) and I was interested in how she would approach the same subject from a fictional perspective.
Eleanor of Aquitaine had a fascinating life. As the sole heir to the Duchy of Aquitaine, she was married to Louis in 1137 just before he became King Louis VII. She was divorced from Louis VII in 1152 on the dubious grounds of consanguinity (they had two daughters, but no sons) and shortly afterwards married Henry, son of Count Geoffrey of Anjou.
The novel opens in 1152, and is mostly focussed on Eleanor’s marriage to Henry. A marriage which, apparently, was based on mutual physical attraction and lust, as is amply demonstrated in the pages of the novel. Between them, Henry and Eleanor ruled over Anjou, Maine, Brittany, Normandy, England and Aquitaine and they had nine children: six sons and three daughters.
So what went wrong? Because despite all that they shared, Henry ended up keeping Eleanor in some form of captivity for seventeen years because she supported her sons (especially Young Henry and Richard) in defying his authority. Eleanor outlives Henry, sees her favourite son Richard (the Lionheart) rule and dies aged about 82 part way through the reign of her youngest son John.
A long and fascinating life to be sure, but I don’t think that this novel does it justice. The focus on interpersonal relationships largely excludes any deeper appreciation of the political realities or of Henry II’s troubled relationship with the church which lead to the murder of Thomas Becket. Eleanor may well have been headstrong and beautiful, but surely she wasn’t quite so naïve?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
This novel about Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), a Queen of both France and England is the subject of Alison Weir’s third historical novel. Ms Weir has previously written a biography of Eleanor (first published in 1999) and I was interested in how she would approach the same subject from a fictional perspective.
Eleanor of Aquitaine had a fascinating life. As the sole heir to the Duchy of Aquitaine, she was married to Louis in 1137 just before he became King Louis VII. She was divorced from Louis VII in 1152 on the dubious grounds of consanguinity (they had two daughters, but no sons) and shortly afterwards married Henry, son of Count Geoffrey of Anjou.
The novel opens in 1152, and is mostly focussed on Eleanor’s marriage to Henry. A marriage which, apparently, was based on mutual physical attraction and lust, as is amply demonstrated in the pages of the novel. Between them, Henry and Eleanor ruled over Anjou, Maine, Brittany, Normandy, England and Aquitaine and they had nine children: six sons and three daughters.
So what went wrong? Because despite all that they shared, Henry ended up keeping Eleanor in some form of captivity for seventeen years because she supported her sons (especially Young Henry and Richard) in defying his authority. Eleanor outlives Henry, sees her favourite son Richard (the Lionheart) rule and dies aged about 82 part way through the reign of her youngest son John.
A long and fascinating life to be sure, but I don’t think that this novel does it justice. The focus on interpersonal relationships largely excludes any deeper appreciation of the political realities or of Henry II’s troubled relationship with the church which lead to the murder of Thomas Becket. Eleanor may well have been headstrong and beautiful, but surely she wasn’t quite so naïve?
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
herbalmoon's review against another edition
1.0
I thought I'd read this book before, but nothing seems familiar thus far. Big Alison fan, so I hope this book is as good as the rest. (I just rated it three stars as a placeholder.)
=9 Dec=
And now I'm down to two stars, because this book is awfully sex-oriented for the few chapters I've read. It's kind of disgusting, actually.
=10 Dec=
Me: I'm going to read until Henri and Aliénor* are crowned.
Internet: You're in 1151, but the usurper Estienne du Blois** didn't die until 1154.
Me: Son of a bitch! The end of the chapter is good.
=9 Dec=
And now I'm down to two stars, because this book is awfully sex-oriented for the few chapters I've read. It's kind of disgusting, actually.
=10 Dec=
Me: I'm going to read until Henri and Aliénor* are crowned.
Internet: You're in 1151, but the usurper Estienne du Blois** didn't die until 1154.
Me: Son of a bitch! The end of the chapter is good.
lisaarnsdorf's review against another edition
5.0
Great book! Learned so much and keep thinking of things to explore further. But whoa, a lot of sex in this one!
elvenavari's review against another edition
3.0
Weir is one of the best historical fiction authors I’ve ever read. I love the life she gives these historical figures. That said, this is my least favorite of her books thus far. It’s not entirely her fault. I’ve noticed the further back in history I go, the less interested I am. The 1400s is usually my stopping point.
I was a little surprised by the amount of sex in the first half of the book, since Weir’s other novels have not been that straight forward. But the inclusion of it didn’t bother me. In fact, it was quite enlightening to see a woman of that time take control of herself and use it.
Honestly, my biggest complaint is that Weir seemed to include every little rumor that was ever presented about Eleanor. This got tiresome and I wish she had just chosen the top rumors to include.
I was a little surprised by the amount of sex in the first half of the book, since Weir’s other novels have not been that straight forward. But the inclusion of it didn’t bother me. In fact, it was quite enlightening to see a woman of that time take control of herself and use it.
Honestly, my biggest complaint is that Weir seemed to include every little rumor that was ever presented about Eleanor. This got tiresome and I wish she had just chosen the top rumors to include.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
2.0
Interesting enough to keep me reading, but it was never quite satisfying. Part of this is probably due to the fact that true stories don't always make the best novels, but I had a hard time developing real interest in the characters. The sense of history and the world of Eleanor was great, but the rest was more mediocre. By the time I reached that conclusion, I was so far into the book that I figured I should just finish it.
difficultwomanreads's review against another edition
2.0
I'm going to say right off the bat that I have mixed feelings on Alison Weir. On the one hand, her biographies range from good to "Hold on, what." Her credentials are... debatable. I can't really judge, as she's done a lot of her research... But lacks the degree, and that troubles me whenever I'm reading one of her non-fiction books. On a scale of Retha Warnicke to Antonia Fraser, she's somewhere in between. The bias always shows through--oh, gee, I wonder if she favors Anne Boleyn or Catherine of Aragon--and she tends to cash in on scandalous rumors, as seen in her book about the fall of Queen Anne. However, she can write, and I enjoyed "The Lady Elizabeth" as a guilty pleasure. She knows about the period, and makes sure to play to that cardinal rule of giving an author's note that explains the authenticity of the information. So she dodges that pet peeve.
I don't know why "Captive Queen" was so difficult to enjoy. After reading "The Lady Elizabeth", I wasn't expecting incredible accuracy or revolutionary storytelling. But this... It read like a bodice-ripper so much of the time. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a book snob, and am very open to bodice-rippers. However, I dislike it when books hide behind one image when they're actually another, which is what "Captive Queen" is guilty of. Another problem is that Eleanor of Aquitaine really deserves better than to spend most of her book worrying about her husband and whether or not they're having sex. Yes, she had affairs, and yes, she was sexually voracious. If you know anything about Eleanor, you're aware of that. However, Weir knows that there is more to her and she doesn't show it. It's not incredibly offensive, as it was in "The Borgia Bride"--it's irritating.
What about Eleanor's strategy, her confidence? What about her control in the relationship, rather than Henry's? There was something around an eleven year age difference between the two, in Eleanor's advantage. Surely she lent wisdom and had something of a controlling factor at first. Henry wasn't nearly as motivated to take the throne until he hooked up with Eleanor. Why didn't Weir exploit that? What could have been a novel about a defiant and courageous woman turns Eleanor into a sexy battered wife. (She also suffers from historical fiction heroine syndrome, again: so beautiful, even when she's in her sixties in an age without cosmetics or anti-aging remedies.)
I also felt that, in a third-person, multi-perspective novel, Weir could have spent less time on Eleanor's more mundane thoughts and Henry's sexual adventuries, and more on the development of their sons. Where was Richard's conflict, for instance, over his sexuality? We don't know.
It's not that the book is terrible. It's just... not enough, and far less than what the author is capable of.
I don't know why "Captive Queen" was so difficult to enjoy. After reading "The Lady Elizabeth", I wasn't expecting incredible accuracy or revolutionary storytelling. But this... It read like a bodice-ripper so much of the time. Don't get me wrong; I'm not a book snob, and am very open to bodice-rippers. However, I dislike it when books hide behind one image when they're actually another, which is what "Captive Queen" is guilty of. Another problem is that Eleanor of Aquitaine really deserves better than to spend most of her book worrying about her husband and whether or not they're having sex. Yes, she had affairs, and yes, she was sexually voracious. If you know anything about Eleanor, you're aware of that. However, Weir knows that there is more to her and she doesn't show it. It's not incredibly offensive, as it was in "The Borgia Bride"--it's irritating.
What about Eleanor's strategy, her confidence? What about her control in the relationship, rather than Henry's? There was something around an eleven year age difference between the two, in Eleanor's advantage. Surely she lent wisdom and had something of a controlling factor at first. Henry wasn't nearly as motivated to take the throne until he hooked up with Eleanor. Why didn't Weir exploit that? What could have been a novel about a defiant and courageous woman turns Eleanor into a sexy battered wife. (She also suffers from historical fiction heroine syndrome, again: so beautiful, even when she's in her sixties in an age without cosmetics or anti-aging remedies.)
I also felt that, in a third-person, multi-perspective novel, Weir could have spent less time on Eleanor's more mundane thoughts and Henry's sexual adventuries, and more on the development of their sons. Where was Richard's conflict, for instance, over his sexuality? We don't know.
It's not that the book is terrible. It's just... not enough, and far less than what the author is capable of.
jennp28's review against another edition
This was a good story but did get a little tiring at the end with Eleanor's endless repetitions of "why oh why" and "but I still love him and I don't know why" and "maybe we can get back together now". But, still, an interesting read and look into her life.
loreofthebooks's review against another edition
1.0
Gah! Another Weir novel read, and I was less than impressed with this one. I was left...not happy with it. But I'd just read [a: Elizabeth Chadwick|25765|Elizabeth Chadwick|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1458299787p2/25765.jpg]'s Eleanor series, so I suppose that colored my perceptions of this book.
Eleanor was a dynamic character and I felt like Weir skipped over so much or just alluded to it. I didn't care for the characters at all -- I was bored most of the time.
It just didn't click for me.
I know there was a lot going on in Eleanor's life, and I felt like just a short book like Weir's didn't do it justice. Not at all, and in the end I can only give it one star.
I didn't like it.
Eleanor was a dynamic character and I felt like Weir skipped over so much or just alluded to it. I didn't care for the characters at all -- I was bored most of the time.
It just didn't click for me.
I know there was a lot going on in Eleanor's life, and I felt like just a short book like Weir's didn't do it justice. Not at all, and in the end I can only give it one star.
I didn't like it.