The Virgin's Lover (Boleyn)
by Philippa Gregory
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Book Reviews of The Virgin's Lover (Boleyn)
Book Review: reveals the stirring, emotional struggle of the new Queen Elizabeth I; a forbidden love affair and remorseless treachery. BCM
Summary: 4 Stars
The Virgin's Lover is a really interesting take on the romantic entanglement between the devastatingly handsome, Robert Dudley and Queen Elizabeth I. I enjoyed this story because it showed me how naïve a young Queen can be; how her fallibility and her weakness against the lustful pulls of the flesh could lead to a loss of power and control.
As the new Queen comes to power, the married Robert Dudley comes racing to be at Elizabeth's side, as her favourite and as a passionate and all-consuming lover. By charming and seducing the Queen, Robert believes he will have control over the throne of England. Lady Dudley, Robert Dudley's wife, is such a wonderfully morose character until her husband is near, when she shines like a beacon of unrequited love and hope. You can not help but feel badly for her state of affairs.
The story has wonderful flow and the plot is well written and well timed. The characters and their personalities are very carefully carried through from one novel to another. I love Philippa's writing as she moulds and shapes the characters, developing and changing them because of their experiences and interactions. Some of the great highs and lows that the characters feel are often mirrored by my own emotions as I cheer for the victory of some and dearly wish for a humbling fall, for others.
I highly recommend this book!
(8 out of 10 Diamonds) - Thoroughly enjoyed it
© 2008-2009 Bobbie Crawford-McCoy (Book Reviews By Bobbie).
All rights reserved.
Book Review: An interesting perspective and an absorbing read
Summary: 4 Stars
The first three years of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Calais is lost. The Catholic Queen Mary is dead and the Protestant Elizabeth will not have "Popish idolatry" in the churches of England or her people pray to anyone but God.
Without dwelling heavily on religion or politics the author still manages to clarify exactly what was happening in the country and the political worries that the Queen and her advisor's had.
The Queen herself is portrayed as fun loving, proud and stubborn yet also unsure and worry ridden with a habit of pushing her cuticles back nervously and making her fingers sore. Very different to the strong, almost masculine Elizabeth that we've often been led to believe she was like. Marriage is discussed as a move to make England more secure and to these ends the Queen flirts with various prospective husbands yet promises herself to none.
Gregory also captures the tranquility of the countryside and the more simplified living of country folk as we follow Amy's story; Her pain and her pride as well as her loyalty and hope that Lord Dudley will come home to her and that the rumours from court of the frivolities and obvious passion between Elizabeth and her childhood friend Robert Dudley...Amy's husband...will subside.
I really liked this interpretation of what might have happened between Robert and his wife...and Robert and the Queen, especially as (explained in the Author's note at the end of the book) speculation into the death that occurs, was never resolved!
Book Review: Could have done a better job at the beginning of the book ~ Too confusing.
Summary: 2 Stars
My first Philippa Gregory book was "The Queen's Fool" which I throughly enjoyed. I could not waited to have time to sit and read! So as I was towards the end of "The Queen's Fool" I began to see what other books were available by this author. I bought "The Virgin's Lover" since to seemed to follow "The Queen's Fool". Within the first 36 pages, I was completely frustrated at the layout of the novel. TOO MUCH BOUNCING ABOUT WITH THE TIME FRAME. And the time frames within the book do not match those in "The Queen's Fool". For instance, in "The Queen's Fool" Queen Mary dies in Winter 1558 but in "The Virgin's Lover" The Queen dies in Autumn 1558. Another example is Lord Robert. In "The Queen's Fool" Lord Robert lives at St. James Palace (Autumn 1558) and presses Queen Mary to name an heir (Winter 1558). However, in "The Virgin's Lover" Lord Robert is low man in court with no where to go but to his wife's StepMother's.
I think part of the problem with this type of time framing is the use Seasons. Winter 1558....is this November December or January February? Because further in the book the use of Winter 1558-59 is used. The back and forth at the beginning of the book set me up to confusion a few later chapters into the book. I spent more time concentrating on keeping the time frame correct then actually enjoying the book which must be quite evident by now with me taking the time to write this review!
Book Review: A quandry of a book
Summary: 4 Stars
I have to admit that this was my first Gregory novel. I plan on reading the two other novels in this "trilogy" of sorts. When I first approached this particular novel, however, I was worried that it would read like other weighty historical novels, like Margaret George's Henry VIII. However, as I got further into the novel, it picked up speed.
Now, I do agree with many of the other reviewers regarding Dudley and Elizabeth. This novel offered an alternate view of Dudley and Elizabeth as star crossed lovers and truly worked over my conception of these two historical figures. Having read and reviewed Elizabeth and Mary, by Jane Dunn, I had an expectation as to how Elizabeth would be portrayed. I was shocked to see her caterwalling to any man that would listen. However, I was also shocked to see this portrayal of Dudley as super manipulative and only out for himself (although his rational is worked out very well). The ending comes as no suprise to any student of history, but it is unsettling in the least.
While some of the reviewers expressed disagreement with the ending and Elizabeth's attitude, I think that Gregory did a great job with the cliffhanger ending. Go back through the book when you are finished and rethink it. Do we really know Elizabeth's mind like we do Cecil's and Dudley's. Had she been planning this all along? It is a confounding book and it makes you rethink a lot of things you had assumed in reading.
Book Review: A Modern Day Romance Elizabeth...
Summary: 2 Stars
This work by Ms. Gregory ended up leaving me cold. The probelms were two-fold, actually.
1. I'm not sure exactly who the book is about. By the title of the book, one would presume the book is about Robert Dudley. However, the book at first appears to be about Dudley's first wife, Amy Dudley. Then it does appear to be about Robert Dudley. And then again...perhaps it's all about Elizabeth. Confusing focus of book. I'm still not entirely sure who the protagonist was.
2. I did not care for the character of Elizabeth, but not for the reasons listed here. Elizabeth was a flirt. And feckless. And not especially well-liked. She was indecisive. She was not a very nice person, in general. But, I doubt she played out her life like a dime store romance heroine. This book suffers from the same thing that "The Queen's Fool" did: modern day romance histrionics. Rather than playing to the romance crowd, Ms. Gregory should strive for genuine authenticity, IMO.
On top of everything else, this book begins to drag after the half way point. Amy is dejected. Dudley is ambious. And Elizabeth is selfish. And so it goes for pages. Okay. So we get it. Ms. Gregory doesn't have to play it out in real time.
"The Other Boleyn Girl", even though a bit of a stretch, was well written and well researched and the characters weren't over the top. I certainly hope that book wasn't a fluke!