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Sunday, January 11, 2009
title: The Virgin's Lover
author: Philippa Gregory
published: 2004
genre: historical fiction
pages: 438
first line: All the bells in Norfolk were ringing for Elizabeth, pounding the peal into Amy's head, first the treble bell screaming out like a mad woman, and then the whole agonizing, jangling sob till the great bell boomed a warning that the whole discordant carillon was about to shriek again.
rated: 5 out of 5
Elizabeth is made queen, and her long time friend Robert Dudley, is at her side day and night. Lord Robert has risen from scandal and now wants nothing more than to be part of the Queen's court. He leaves his own wife, Amy, with relatives, while he seduces the Queen. Elizabeth cannot resist Robert, and the two begin a scandalous love affair.
The Queen's advisor, Cecil, helps her to run the Kingdom, advising the Queen to marry a prince, join alliances and keep England safe. Meanwhile all of England knows about the Queen and her lover. Cecil tells the Queen that she needs to send Robert away, and back to his wife. Elizabeth is torn between what is right for her country and the love she has for Robert.
Roberts wife, Amy, is heartbroken over her husbands love affair with the Queen. To the point where she just prays to God that she will die soon so she won't suffer alone anymore. She feels she cannot live without Robert. When he comes to tell her that he wants a divorce, Amy refuses to give him one. Robert threatens to divorce her anyway then send her to a convent by force if she won't grant him a divorce. He thinks if he can divorce his wife, then the Queen will marry him and he will be King of England.
This book had me hooked from page one. I found it hard to put down. This is the book I was up late at night reading, gladly losing sleep just to get one more page read.
Philippa Gregory writes historical fiction like nobody's business. I've also read The Constant Princess and enjoyed that one too.
I've read some mixed reviews about this one, but as for myself, I really liked it.
This won't be my last Philippa Gregory novel.
I loved the storyline and the writing was great. I disliked Robert of course, and the Queens behavior while she was with him was hard to believe. She was willing to give everything up for him. Robert was no good! He was having affairs, treated his wife horribly, was power hungry and was a liar. Yet the Queen was obsessed with him.
I felt bad for Amy. She became an outcast because of Robert. She had nowhere to go, and no one wanted to take her in, because they didn't want to risk offending Robert. Everyone knew he was the Queens favorite and might end up being King consort. And until the end Amy still prayed that Robert would come back to her, she was willing to forgive him.
I liked Cecil, I felt he was the only one the Queen could trust. He had the most sense, and he wanted Robert gone. In the end, he knew what he had to do to make sure Robert would have another scandal brought down on him so he could never marry the Queen.
But even Cecil knew that Elizabeth could not rule without Dudley at her side. At this stage in her life-so young and surrounded by so many dangers-she had to have a friend. And although Cecil was willing to be at her side night and day, Elizabeth wanted a confidant: heart and soul. Only a man besottedly in love with her could satisfy Elizabeth's hunger for reassurance; only a man publicly betraying his wife every moment of every day could satify Elizabeth's ravenous vanity.
If you're in the mood for drama, romance and a good scandal, I recommend reading The Virgin's Lover.
"Mine," he said certainly and his mouth came down on hers and he kissed her deeply.
She did not resist for one moment. Her terror and then the feel of safety with him were as potent as a love potion. He could smell the sweat of her fear and the new scent of her arousal, and he went from her lips to her neck and down to the top of her gown, where her breasts pressed tight against the laced bodice as she panted lightly. He rubbed his face against her neck, and she felt the roughness of his chin and the eager licking of his tongue and she laughed and caught her breath all at once.
The story of Queen Elizabeth I has inspired several films. My favorite is
Elizabeth which came out in 1998.
Cate Blanchett plays the Queen and Joseph Fiennes plays Dudley. I think the film is perfectly cast.
Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty. The daughter of Henry VIII, she was born a princess, but her mother, Anne Boleyn, was executed three years after her birth, and Elizabeth was declared illegitimate. Her brother, Edward VI, cut her out of the succession. His will, however, was set aside, and in 1558 Elizabeth succeeded her half-sister, the Catholic Mary, during whose reign she had been imprisoned for nearly a year on suspicion of supporting Protestant rebels.
read more about Elizabeth I at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England
and here: http://www.tudorhistory.org/elizabeth/index.html
