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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
I'm both a sucker for the Plantagenet rulers and an avid Yorkist, so this was right up my alley.
This is the first I've read of Gregory's work but I would read more. I love historical fiction and this book also has elements of magic realism which make it fun. I watched the Starz mini-series before reading this and, in this case, the book and "the movie" are pretty much on par. I will seek out the rest of the series.
One of the reasons why I picked up this book was because the last time I tried to figure out the story of the Cousin's War, all the Edwards and Richards and George's got tangled up in my head. That old English tradition of repeating names and affixing numbers to the end for idenitifcation was, in hindsight, quite silly. I thought these kings and queens were all about posterity.
However, The White Queen does an admirable job of catching one up to speed on the events of the war, even though it's mixed with a healthy dose of fiction.
Watching Elizabeth's character evolve from a sweet and genteel country girl to a queen starved by her own incessant ambition and baring her fangs at anyone who poses a threat to her family. From lamenting the necessity of war in the beginning of the book, she goes and starts one herself at the end. How power corrupts, I suppose.
I understand Gregory's decision to infuse her family with their own particular brand of magic, but I find myself wondering if it was all rather extraneous to the story. Elizabeth was a formidable character and so was her mother -- the pride they took in their supposed magical lineage was a nice touch, but to me, they never really seemed to need it. It functioned as somehting of a crutch, because these women were strong and fascinating without it.
Will I read the rest of this series? This is actually my first Philippa Gregory book. I think I might pick up the others, but will be in no rush to do so. I am pretty curious about the fates of the rest of the characters in the book, but I will have to decide whether or not researching about historical figures constitutes as spoilers.
However, The White Queen does an admirable job of catching one up to speed on the events of the war, even though it's mixed with a healthy dose of fiction.
Watching Elizabeth's character evolve from a sweet and genteel country girl to a queen starved by her own incessant ambition and baring her fangs at anyone who poses a threat to her family. From lamenting the necessity of war in the beginning of the book, she goes and starts one herself at the end. How power corrupts, I suppose.
I understand Gregory's decision to infuse her family with their own particular brand of magic, but I find myself wondering if it was all rather extraneous to the story. Elizabeth was a formidable character and so was her mother -- the pride they took in their supposed magical lineage was a nice touch, but to me, they never really seemed to need it. It functioned as somehting of a crutch, because these women were strong and fascinating without it.
Will I read the rest of this series? This is actually my first Philippa Gregory book. I think I might pick up the others, but will be in no rush to do so. I am pretty curious about the fates of the rest of the characters in the book, but I will have to decide whether or not researching about historical figures constitutes as spoilers.
Nothing Gregory has written compares to The Other Boleyn Girl. Perhaps with the rest of this series on the Plantagenets she'll recapture some of the magic of Boleyn. Or maybe my problem is the series itself...I just need to read the rest of the Tudor series and forget everything else.
Excellent! True Gregory style. I knew NOTHING of the War of the Roses and of course I want to know more (particularly regarding the lost princes). Off to buy book 2! Somehow I missed buying it when it first came out ;)
Enjoying this series about the War of the Roses a lot!
Now on to the Red Queen ...
Now on to the Red Queen ...
The Wars of the Roses make for the great basis of a tale. It was fascinating to read Gregory's take on what may or may not have happened during such a tumultuous time in the monarchy and country.
A heartbreaking story, wonderfully told. It is a mark of Gregory's prowess that I couldn't put this book down--I kept hoping that somehow, some way, the story would end differently. Of course the problem with historical fiction is that we all know the ending already; but a good book can make us *feel* our way through the events as though they are still within reach, within change. I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Along with the Red Queen, just not up to her usual standard.