A Bit of Historical Romance (The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory)

Member Name: blonde_girl774

Product:	The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory
Date:	18/09/08 (160 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compelling Historical Tale.

Disadvantages: A Little Dull at Times.

As any of you will know that have read some of my previous book reviews I'm a huge fan of Philippa Gregory and her novels on the Tudor period. I've read all of her Tudor novels now and have to say that I'm disappointed that there's no more in the series really!

The Author

Philippa Gregory was born in Kenya and moved to England at an early age. She has quite a selection of novels under her belt, including both adult's and children's books as well as several travel publications. Her novels fall into one of four series which include The Wideacre Trilogy, Historical Novels, Modern Novels and The Tudor Court Novels. The Virgin's Lover was published back in April 2005 in the UK and is part of The Tudor Court series.

The Plot

The story begins in Autumn 1558 when Elizabeth I has taken the thrown of England following the death of the Queen Mary which left Elizabeth as the uncontested heir to the throne of England. It is based upon the first two years of her reign from 1558 and 1560 and tells the tale of how she became accustomed to life on the throne and the many events that occurred during these first two years.

The story not only follows Queen Elizabeth I but also Amy Dudley, wife to Robert Dudley who was the Queen's Master of Horse and according to historical accounts, her lover also. The novel follows each character and their relationship with Robert Dudley during those two years and sees the accounts of each of the two women, from very different perspectives of course.

It shows Elizabeth's weakness at the start and her ability to be very easily influenced by those around her. It shows Amy Dudley's quiet courage and compassion for a man that is blatantly having an affair before her very eyes too. The tale ends with a rather surprising twist which I won't spoil for you here in the plot description as it really is quite a turn if you're not suspecting it.

The Characters

The story is told from the perspective of a narrator who focuses very closely on the actions and thoughts of both Amy Dudley and Elizabeth I. As such we do gain an insight into the main characters of the tale but none of the tale is actually told from their perspective which was a little disappointing. Elizabeth I is arguably the main character and we see her as an easily influenced, quite weak individual that clearly has no real idea about Queen. Amy Dudley on the other hand seems to be a women of unfailing strength and belief in God at a time when religion was an ever changing topic. We encounter Robert Dudley, a man obsessed with the Queen or simply with the power that marriage to her could bring to him and finally William Cecil, Elizabeth's First Minister as well as her confidant and guide.

My Opinion

Unlike the other books in The Tudor Court series I found I could put this one down quite easily which was a little surprising. This was one of the final books I read in the series as it is actually based at the latest date in the series and so forms the end so to speak. Unlike the other books I did not feel the same sense of urgency to reach the end and discover what happened, nor did I find myself desperate to learn more about the characters or the events. I have to admit I was slightly disappointed by this book if I'm honest.

I'd also say that it's probably best to have read at least a couple of the other books in the series first to not only gain an insight into the characters somewhat, but also to understand a little about the historical background to the story. Although all major events are explained within this novel I found that I gained and understood a lot more by having already got background knowledge to the tale. However saying that if you were to pick up this book today with no prior knowledge I don't doubt that you would enjoy it either.

The character portrayal was quite good I felt although I do feel I bonded more with the characters in the other books when the story was actually told from their perspectives. When writing in the first person the story automatically becomes more personal and you feel as if you're gaining a real insight into those characters, it's almost like they are telling you their story and trusting you with it. However when it's told from the point of view of a narrator I never quite find the same bond or same level of intimacy with the characters.

The two female characters that were focused upon were very contrasting and Gregory did a good job of portraying this. On the one hand we have the immature and young Elizabeth who is easily swayed by her heart and happy to let a man control her country for her. She is presented as quite meek when it comes to ruling a country too. On the other hand we have Amy who is of a much lower stance than Elizabeth yet I can't help feeling that she would have done a better job as Queen, her goodness and sheer strength of character was so different.

I often find slight complaints with the pace of books, some seem to focus on just one or two events whereas others try to encompass huge periods of time that is just not possible. This book spans two years and managed to do so in a way that I felt I wasn't really missing anything major. Although it often only devoted a chapter to a particular season it seemed to easily detail everything that occured in that season withou the reader feeling that they'd been a bit short changed. On the other hand it didn't go into too much detail either.

As I'm not overly "in the know" regarding Tudor history I can't really comment on the accuracy of this tale. It is not known if Elizabeth and Robert were actually full blown lovers although it is certain that they loved each other from letters that were found. It is also not known if the twist that takes place at the end really occurred in such a fashion as several culprits for it have since been suggested. To be honest I enjoyed the series and the tale, whether or not they were one hundred percent accurate doesn't really bother me greatly.

I did enjoy this book although not quite to the same extent as the others in the series. It manages to give a mixture of crime, politics and romance which is quite refreshing within the same book. I did read it to the end and can't have imagined not doing so as I was keen to find out what finished. It's not one of those books that you'll find hard to put down but it is one that you'll have to finish. If you're a fan of The Tudor Period then I'd recommend this book but possibly start with one of the earlier ones in the series.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: An historical novel focusing on the start of Elizabeth I's reign.