The Virgin's Lover (Boleyn)
by Philippa Gregory
|
List Price: Our Price: $3.42 You Save: $12.58 (79%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of The Virgin's Lover (Boleyn)
Book Review: Unlovely Romance
Summary: 3 Stars
I read Phillipa Gregory's first two Tudor books, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool, and I was very happy with them. I read them so quickly that I was surprised by it. I came into The Virgin's Lover expecting to read it as quickly as the last two.
I did, but not with the same relish I did the other two books. In her first two I was really caught up with the inner workings of court and the inner workings of people's minds. In this one I felt a little....let down. Though I got to understand where her characters were coming from they were very repeatitive and a bit boring to me.
Elizabeth is nothing how I'm used to seeing her. She's so much like the women I seriously cannot stand, rather than the bold, decisive, forward woman I've grown to admire. Gregory has her acting like a high school girl over a 25 year old woman. She can't make up her mind in anything. If all the men of her era thought women couldn't do anything without them, she played right into that without even trying hard. She's Queen of England and needs men to tell her to get dressed! Ugh! If you're looking for Elizabeth the girl, instead of Elizabeth the Queen, then you're welcomed to this.
Robert Dudley. A boarish man. If this is the height of Tudor manhood then thank God I'm a woman of the current era because this....no. He claims to love Elizabeth, but uses her. He treats his wife like dirt, and Elizabeth says nothing, nor even takes this as a warning sign. He's suddenly sorry when his wife dies, but doesn't care long enough because he's still trying to be King.
Amy Dudley. I first felt her to be whiney, but realized that women were bred to be docile, subservient things to overly stupid men(sometimes.) When she finally says something it's too little, too late. I was glad that she did finally get some courage and told Robert where to stick his lance, but she wavers too much for it to stick. Love or no love, men aren't worth heart break for. But alas, she was a victim of the times.
William Cecil is about the only main character who really is pretty neutral in this. Until the end where he feels that Amy Dudley must be gotten rid of. Sad tarnish on a good record. He's about the only man I liked, but I was really only given two main men and Dudley was far from it.
I still give this a 3 out of 5 because it's hard for me to hate a book, and I rarely dislike books unless it's really just that bad. The romance in the book was soap opera-ish. If you really think that sort of thing is good then you'll love this; if you think love should be more than soft touches, swooning and blushing then this romance isn't for you.
Book Review: More like 4 1/2 stars....
Summary: 4 Stars
With the death of Queen Mary, Elizabeth is now the heir to the throne of England. She is not beloved by all, however. As a Protestant, Elizabeth is opposed by the Church and her people are split by their faith. Elizabeth needs a confidant, someone she can rely on when all seems chaotic around her. Robert Dudley seeks to be that man, despite his marriage to Amy Robsart Dudley. England is teetering on the brink of war, both internally and externally. Elizabeth's love for Robert could destroy England forever....
Philippa Gregory immerses the reader in a time long past. The rich pageantry of Elizabeth's reign springs to vivid life in this lush tale. The meticulous attention to detail can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, such as when the war is being described, but the sheer imagery of this tale is startling. THE VIRGIN'S LOVER is a tale to be savored as it provokes as many questions as it answers.
Elizabeth herself is a tortured character, sometimes controlled and focused and at other times a silly girl in love. She is sharply contrasted with Amy, a woman I wanted to like but yet couldn't. Amy's staunch faith both in her Church and her marriage is admirable to a degree, but her blindness to Robert's faults made me want to reach in the pages and slap some sense into her.
Robert is a total cad. Is he driven truly by love for Elizabeth or does he only want the power she can grant him? At times, I sensed that he still felt a smidgeon of the love he once shared with Amy. Regardless, his dismissal of her wants and needs is inexcusable. The power of the court was obviously a very heady thing and Philippa Gregory clearly shows this throughout THE VIRGIN'S LOVER.
What sheer genius by Philippa Gregory to evoke such strong reactions about her characters! Ms. Gregory provides her own twist to the history of Elizabeth's reign while keeping the reader completely enthralled. Having not read the prior books leading up to Elizabeth's ascension to power, I still felt the magic of the time period. After reading THE VIRGIN'S LOVER, it is a guarantee that I will read THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and THE QUEEN'S FOOL to see how these books tie in.
COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES
Book Review: An interesting take on England's most famous monarch
Summary: 4 Stars
I loved Philippa Gregory's "The Other Boleyn Girl" and I was afraid that her other books wouldn't measure up to it, but "The Virgin's Lover" comes pretty close. The story is set during the early days of Queen Elizabeth I's reign. England is facing very difficult times: the treasury is empty, no bishop is willing to perform the young queen's coronation ceremony, and several countries are threatening to throw Elizabeth off her throne. The queen's advisors are all pressuring her to marry as quickly as possible to secure her own safety as well as the safety of the country. Unfortunately, Elizabeth has fallen head over heels in love with Sir Robert Dudley, her Master of Horse. Not only does Robert have a traitorous family history, but he also has a wife waiting for him at home, making him completely unsuitable and unavailable for marriage. As Elizabeth and Robert grow closer, rumors about their adulterous relationship circulate throughout the kingdom. Robert's wife, Amy, is forced to deal with vicious gossip about her husband while he and Elizabeth desperately try to figure out a way to be together.
Of course, Robert has ulterior motives of his own. Although he truly cares about Elizabeth, his primary concern is for his own well-being. Gregory's novel portrays Robert Dudley as a conniving, manipulating cad who has the queen wrapped around his little finger. Elizabeth is no angel, either: in addition to her lack of concern for Amy, she also has a wicked temper and is completely indecisive when it comes to making decisions that affect the entire kingdom. "The Virgin's Lover" definitely does not paint the early years of Elizabeth's reign in a positive light, which is something that will probably anger some readers: after all, Elizabeth is probably the most popular monarch that England has ever had. However, none of that really matters in this case because this is an EXCELLENT book! I really enjoy Gregory's writing style, which is part historical fact, part historical fiction, and part classic romance novel. "The Virgin's Lover" is enthralling from beginning to end. I still think "The Other Boleyn Girl" is better, but you should definitely read both of these fabulous books!
Book Review: Interesting But A Bit Stiff
Summary: 3 Stars
This is the third Philippa Gregory novel I have read. I started with The Other Boleyn Girl and then the Boleyn Inheritance and I really enjoyed both books.
I was a bit disappointed by this novel, the writing style is very different from the other two Gregory novels I've read. I found it to be somewhat stiff and reserved with out a lot of emotional insights from the characters themselves.
This is the story of Queen Elizabeth I and her love affair with Robert Dudley. Robert Dudley is a married man, his wife Amy is a simple person, who is happy to live a simple life with the husband she adores. Unfortunately, he is not of a similar mind and prefers to let his greed and ambition drive him away from her to the court of Queen Elizabeth. He and Elizabeth have been friends since childhood and have endured similar hardships. Theirs is a passionate affair.
There is a lot of history woven into this account, which I didn't find fascinating, I'm sorry to say I thought it was a bit boring. I'm not crazy about history when it comes to warring countries and there was quite a lot of that here, which I understand is important to the historical context of this story. I actually read 100 pages of this book and considered giving it up, I'm glad I didn't but this wasn't as moving or exciting as the other Gregory novels I've read.
I did enjoy the history regarding England and the difficulties of the common man with regard to religious freedom and the punishment for disagreeing with the reining monarchy. I also thought the fact that priests would marry during the Protestant rein and then set aside their wives while the Catholics were in power was fascinating.
Again I thought it was interesting but a bit on the stiff side.
I will continue to look for more Philippa Gregory novels.
Book Review: Well-written But ...
Summary: 3 Stars
I have fallen in love with Phillipa Gregory's books ~~ "The Queen's Fool" and "The Other Boleyn Girl" ~~ so it was with anticipation that I settled down for this book and found out that it wasn't nearly as good as the other two in the series. I was highly disappointed. I love her writing style, and that hasn't changed at all. Maybe I am just disappointed in the way she portrayed Elizabeth, Dudley and Dudley's wife. It was just a big soap opera (which it was) and this time, none of the characters were full developed like in previous books.
Elizabeth is portrayed as a wishy washy woman controlled by Dudley and Cecil, her trusted advisor. Amy Dudley, a woman who is definitely wronged by her husband for sure, is such a boring character ~~ all she ever did was weep as she went from house to house. She never showed any spunk or spine in fighting for her man. What started out to be a woman to feel sorry for ended up a woman you just wish would go away (basically, that's how every other character felt in this novel!). Elizabeth is a big disappointment ~~ in "The Queen's Fool" she was a flirtative woman, but strong. Now? She is portrayed as a woman who doesn't know what she wants.
Dudley and Cecil are the only characters in this book that are worthy of mention ~~ two ambitious men ~~ one for himself and the other for his country. Their clashes and their thoughts are typical of men in power. The conflict between the two of them made this book a lot more bearable.
I would not dismiss this book as easily as I write this review. It's very compelling to read. It is well-written. It's a fast read. It's just not Gregory's best book by far. I would read it to continue on with the Tudor series. Hopefully, the next one "The Boleyn Inheritance" is much better.
4-10-07