yamim

This is just plain silly. I had no preconceptions about Philippa Gregory when I started it, and I initially thought it was a serious historical novel, until it turned into (literally) bodice-ripping trash. The whole thing was so completely implausible. I don't have a problem with such a loathsome main character -- it's quite a challenge writing a book whose "heroine" is so unpleasant -- but did all the other characters have to be quite so stupid and blind? It also seemed to me that in reality, Beatrice would never had had so much freedom and responsibility in that milieu at that time, and simply wouldn't have been able to get away with most of her evil deeds. Suggestions that it is somehow "feminist" because Beatrice is battling agains society's unfairness to women are seriously misguided; she exploits everyone, male and female.[return][return]The story just got increasingly ridiculous, and the prose more purple. But I've given it 2 stars, because despite all that I've said, I finished it :-) And then I abandoned it on a train!

2022-10-01 09:12