Another Fabulous Gregory Novel!

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	• The Virgin's Lover Philippa Gregory, 2004 - 448 pages average customer review:based on 163 reviews view larger image
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Another Fabulous Gregory Novel!

Phillipa Gregory really scored with this one!! This Elizabethean era novel depicts some of the more important and influential men in Queen Elizabeth's life and the effects they had on her (personally and politically). Her portrayal of Elizabeth is simply astounding--she shows a more vulnerable, young and naive side (that surely existed).

Simply marvelous!!!

More like 4 1/2 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

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Interesting But A Bit Stiff

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.

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Read the book, don't listen

I had enjoyed a Phillipa Gregory book set in World War II, so I picked up this book on CD to listen to in the car, without having read her other books. I assume I was supposed to sympathize with Amy Dudley, but I found her to be such an annoying, wimpy nag I fast-forwarded through many of her exceedingly repetitious speeches. With a print page it's much easier to skip. I found myself rooting for William Cecil, the only one who seemed to have any sense. Entertaining, but flawed. Makes me want to look further into the matter.

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

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