Scan barcode
firefox's review
2.0
I'm currently studying Lear so I expected this book to be a nice change of pace. Learwife - as you can probably guess - is based on King Lear's wife. Canonically, the woman is "absent" in the whole play. I expected much more as we have nothing to base our views on when it comes to the Queen. However, this was disappointing. She felt hollow and the story truly lacked any appeal even though King Lear is such a fascinating play about politics and betrayal. Maybe if it was based on one of the daughters, it would have been a hit.
awhittz's review against another edition
3.0
I love King Lear, and love the idea of giving a voice and a story to his absent wife. It’s very poetically written, with some lines that Shakey himself might be proud of, but over 300 pages it felt a little bit much and slightly repetitive. Good, but maybe better as a short story.
robin0_0's review against another edition
3.0
Beautifully written but I struggled a lot with staying interested to be honest. Maybe because I haven't actually read the original Shakespeare material this was based on? I truly didn't know it was based King Lear until I read some GoodReads reviews woops...
I didn't really like the main character that much which made it hard to be invested. The last quarter of the book got really good and I think the ending really did the story justice. I think I'll have to reread this in a couple of years to fully grasp this book :)
I didn't really like the main character that much which made it hard to be invested. The last quarter of the book got really good and I think the ending really did the story justice. I think I'll have to reread this in a couple of years to fully grasp this book :)
charlottethebookharlot's review
4.0
The novel tells the story of the King Lear's wife; a woman who was written out of history.
I enjoyed the lyrical prose and the emotive story that the Queen, tells. It was a gentle pace that told the of her life at court before her banishment and I waited with baited breath when at the books conclusion all was revealed. A truly captivating story that had me gripped.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review
I enjoyed the lyrical prose and the emotive story that the Queen, tells. It was a gentle pace that told the of her life at court before her banishment and I waited with baited breath when at the books conclusion all was revealed. A truly captivating story that had me gripped.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review
sabrinaslivingliterature's review against another edition
2.0
DNF, the story is plodding and I did not enjoy the voice of the protagonist and the constant self pity
cerilouisereads's review
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Death
Moderate: Animal death, Miscarriage, and Infertility
Minor: Religious bigotry
bobthebookerer's review
5.0
Learwife is a richly layered, complex (and sometimes dense) book that beautifully charts the inner life of King Lear's wife- a queen, a mother, an outcast.
This book's main success is being able to so vividly create a life for this woman who- although unnamed for most of the book- feels like an incredibly detailed and realistic person, rather than a background character in a play. She fills multiple roles in the book, alternatively a spurned wife, a clever politician and a woman navigating the many strictures placed upon women in her time.
It reminded me a lot of Carol Ann Duffy's poetry collection 'The World's Wife' breathing life into a fictional woman in a way that is haunting and profound.
The language of this book is at times so dense it feels hard to swim through, but that is also its appeal- the rich tapestry of the language charts both the clouded thoughts of a 'mad' woman dealing with grief and panic, but also offering rare moments of lucidity where the clouds clear and this queen outwits and outmanoeuvres everyone around her, proving she can still hold her own in court.
I found myself highlighting passage after passage as I read this book, because turns of phrase were so startling and clever. Thorp is able to capture a cleverly Anglo-Saxon and old English speech pattern in a way that doesn't feel clumsy- for example kingly over regal, or compound nouns as adjectives.
I finished the book not knowing how I felt about it, but I have found myself thinking about it a lot since, and I can't wait for more people to read it too.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book's main success is being able to so vividly create a life for this woman who- although unnamed for most of the book- feels like an incredibly detailed and realistic person, rather than a background character in a play. She fills multiple roles in the book, alternatively a spurned wife, a clever politician and a woman navigating the many strictures placed upon women in her time.
It reminded me a lot of Carol Ann Duffy's poetry collection 'The World's Wife' breathing life into a fictional woman in a way that is haunting and profound.
The language of this book is at times so dense it feels hard to swim through, but that is also its appeal- the rich tapestry of the language charts both the clouded thoughts of a 'mad' woman dealing with grief and panic, but also offering rare moments of lucidity where the clouds clear and this queen outwits and outmanoeuvres everyone around her, proving she can still hold her own in court.
I found myself highlighting passage after passage as I read this book, because turns of phrase were so startling and clever. Thorp is able to capture a cleverly Anglo-Saxon and old English speech pattern in a way that doesn't feel clumsy- for example kingly over regal, or compound nouns as adjectives.
I finished the book not knowing how I felt about it, but I have found myself thinking about it a lot since, and I can't wait for more people to read it too.
I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
sofie_153's review against another edition
4.25
Absolutely sparkling prose and an abundance of rich language. Unfortunately sometimes a bit too rich, which made it so, SO slowpaced, it actually became a chore to get through some chapters.
jessife's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
whatyoutolkienabout's review
Review: Leahwife by J.R. Thorp
I know it can be classed as pretentious but I have always had a love for Shakespeare and the Renaissance period in general, so much so my MA was focused slowly on Renaissance Literary Studies. So needless to say when I became aware of a book that deals with a character within a Shakespeare play who is noticeable more by her absence I was intrigued and more than a little excited!
Exiled to a nunnery years ago, written out of history with her name forgotten Lear’s Queen hears word that changes everything. Care-bent King Lear is dead, betrayed by those closet to him and driven mad. His three daughters also broken in battle. But his Queen, well she survived and now she can tell her story.
Though grief and rage threaten to crack the very earth beneath her open, she knows she must seek answers to everything that has come to pass. What caused her to be sent away in such shame and disgrace to begin with? What of her oldest friend and ally, Kent? Most importantly what will become of her now in this place of pious women? She knows to find any peace she must reckon with her past and make a terrible choice. A choice that her destiny and the fate of the entire abbey rests upon.
Needless to say it was a gamble on J.R Thorps part but my goodness did it pay off, in my opinion. A powerful novel with an easy and beautiful style that lends itself partly to the time it is set and partly to the modern reader Learwife was a joy from start to finish. The characters are, on the whole, well balanced and created and most importantly likable. The nameless (at least for the majority of the time) heroine is not above employing tactics of the courts including manipulation where necessary to complete her goal.
Thorp manages to give a unforgettable and unique voice to a woman who has been absent for decades. A simply wonderful novel that deals with loss, renewal and how history can connect to the present.
I honestly could hardly put this down so much so I finished it within a couple of days. I will most definitely be rereading.
Thank you to Netgelley and the Author for giving me and Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.
I know it can be classed as pretentious but I have always had a love for Shakespeare and the Renaissance period in general, so much so my MA was focused slowly on Renaissance Literary Studies. So needless to say when I became aware of a book that deals with a character within a Shakespeare play who is noticeable more by her absence I was intrigued and more than a little excited!
Exiled to a nunnery years ago, written out of history with her name forgotten Lear’s Queen hears word that changes everything. Care-bent King Lear is dead, betrayed by those closet to him and driven mad. His three daughters also broken in battle. But his Queen, well she survived and now she can tell her story.
Though grief and rage threaten to crack the very earth beneath her open, she knows she must seek answers to everything that has come to pass. What caused her to be sent away in such shame and disgrace to begin with? What of her oldest friend and ally, Kent? Most importantly what will become of her now in this place of pious women? She knows to find any peace she must reckon with her past and make a terrible choice. A choice that her destiny and the fate of the entire abbey rests upon.
Needless to say it was a gamble on J.R Thorps part but my goodness did it pay off, in my opinion. A powerful novel with an easy and beautiful style that lends itself partly to the time it is set and partly to the modern reader Learwife was a joy from start to finish. The characters are, on the whole, well balanced and created and most importantly likable. The nameless (at least for the majority of the time) heroine is not above employing tactics of the courts including manipulation where necessary to complete her goal.
Thorp manages to give a unforgettable and unique voice to a woman who has been absent for decades. A simply wonderful novel that deals with loss, renewal and how history can connect to the present.
I honestly could hardly put this down so much so I finished it within a couple of days. I will most definitely be rereading.
Thank you to Netgelley and the Author for giving me and Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for a fair and honest review.