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A review by annathebooksiread
The Revolt by Clara Dupont-Monod
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
“..the sea is demented; on all sides, the gusts’ cold blades. The storm has closed its fists.”
Set in 1173, and mainly viewed through the eyes of Richard Lionheart, this historical novel follows the rebellion to overthrow Henry Plantagent, orchestrated by his wife Eleanor Aquitaine and her three sons.
This book packs a punch. Firstly, my passion is always in learning more about the world and this was an area of history I know very little about but that from reading this book want to rectify.
I found that the plot kept me on my toes and drew me in with the writer’s astounding ability to utilize every single word in the most beautiful of ways. I like to annotate and I found myself wanting to highlight every single page; the writing is powerful, passionate and brought to life these ancient characters who lived in a world that in so many ways seems most distant to us now but with lessons learnt that are still very much relevant to the world in which we live in today.
At its heart, this book is one that speaks of the love and adoration of a mother conflicted with feelings of detachment and unravelling breaks in loyalty and trust.
As I often do when I meet new historical characters, I want to explore them more and my focus lay on the mighty Eleanor. I found her role in the rebellion, as the instigator, to be in conflict with the role of women within society at the time and there is an exciting move away from the norm in that respect. She broke the mould in many ways and it is due to Dupont-Monod’s strength in psychology with a deep knowledge of Medieval history that this character has been brought to life through the lyrical translation that keeps hold of the beautiful language in which it was originally written.
This is a must-read if your interest, like me, is in historical fiction.
Set in 1173, and mainly viewed through the eyes of Richard Lionheart, this historical novel follows the rebellion to overthrow Henry Plantagent, orchestrated by his wife Eleanor Aquitaine and her three sons.
This book packs a punch. Firstly, my passion is always in learning more about the world and this was an area of history I know very little about but that from reading this book want to rectify.
I found that the plot kept me on my toes and drew me in with the writer’s astounding ability to utilize every single word in the most beautiful of ways. I like to annotate and I found myself wanting to highlight every single page; the writing is powerful, passionate and brought to life these ancient characters who lived in a world that in so many ways seems most distant to us now but with lessons learnt that are still very much relevant to the world in which we live in today.
At its heart, this book is one that speaks of the love and adoration of a mother conflicted with feelings of detachment and unravelling breaks in loyalty and trust.
As I often do when I meet new historical characters, I want to explore them more and my focus lay on the mighty Eleanor. I found her role in the rebellion, as the instigator, to be in conflict with the role of women within society at the time and there is an exciting move away from the norm in that respect. She broke the mould in many ways and it is due to Dupont-Monod’s strength in psychology with a deep knowledge of Medieval history that this character has been brought to life through the lyrical translation that keeps hold of the beautiful language in which it was originally written.
This is a must-read if your interest, like me, is in historical fiction.