Take a photo of a barcode or cover
whatsshwereading 's review for:
The White Princess
by Philippa Gregory
At some point in the book, a forever insecure Henry VII tells Elizabeth - "When I think of the fortune that was spent on your education, Elizabeth, I am really amazed at how little you know."
That pretty much sums up Elizabeth of York's character. Elizabeth of York was a beautiful princess, instrumental in ending the Wars of Roses in England. A gentle Princess loved by all husband, Henry VII included.
In PG's historical fiction, Elizabeth is painted as a woman who was in love with another,and had to marry Henry for political reasons. You'd think the book would show a woman torn between loyalties - for her family, the Yorks and her husband's family, the Tudors, struggling to hold her own, trying to win the Tudors' trust. Yeah, no. She is stupid, so very stupid. That is when she is not sulking.
It helps little to read a book whose narrator seems to be clueless, asks pointless questions, and behaves like a five year old on a tantrum-spree. Henry VII, on the other hand, is a victim of female chauvinism (Of course, since he won the throne by right of conquest, his manner towards Elizabeth has to be most singularly cruel. Not to mention that he is utterly a Mamma's boy.) Perhaps PG intended for him to come across as a King driven to maniacal deeds because of deep-rooted insecurities. Again, no. He just appears to have bi-polar disorder. His "sainted" mother is a very stereotypical monster-in-law. I mean mum-in-law.
Having recently visited Westminster Abbey and seeing their (Henry & Elizabeth) graves, I was all the more interested in reading this book. Such a disappointment. Except for the initial and the concluding chapters, reading this book was about as interesting as reading a brochure at a doctor's.
That pretty much sums up Elizabeth of York's character. Elizabeth of York was a beautiful princess, instrumental in ending the Wars of Roses in England. A gentle Princess loved by all husband, Henry VII included.
In PG's historical fiction, Elizabeth is painted as a woman who was in love with another,and had to marry Henry for political reasons. You'd think the book would show a woman torn between loyalties - for her family, the Yorks and her husband's family, the Tudors, struggling to hold her own, trying to win the Tudors' trust. Yeah, no. She is stupid, so very stupid. That is when she is not sulking.
It helps little to read a book whose narrator seems to be clueless, asks pointless questions, and behaves like a five year old on a tantrum-spree. Henry VII, on the other hand, is a victim of female chauvinism (Of course, since he won the throne by right of conquest, his manner towards Elizabeth has to be most singularly cruel. Not to mention that he is utterly a Mamma's boy.) Perhaps PG intended for him to come across as a King driven to maniacal deeds because of deep-rooted insecurities. Again, no. He just appears to have bi-polar disorder. His "sainted" mother is a very stereotypical monster-in-law. I mean mum-in-law.
Having recently visited Westminster Abbey and seeing their (Henry & Elizabeth) graves, I was all the more interested in reading this book. Such a disappointment. Except for the initial and the concluding chapters, reading this book was about as interesting as reading a brochure at a doctor's.