The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory

The Virgin's Lover

Advantages: Good historical detail
Disadvantages: Poor characterisation, weak plot

tell her what to do, and lets him manipulate her into doing what suits him best. The other female character, Amy Dudley, is not better. She is basically a wimp - she is no match for Robert Dudley, who comes across as ambitious, intelligent and ruthless. She is content to sit in the country dreaming about a farm they could have together. She spends her time doing nothing more than waiting for him to write to her. As Robert Dudley is also unlikeable, it's difficult to get too involved in the book as it's hard to care about any of the characters. But not impossible. Both Elizabeth and Amy show flashes of spirit - Elizabeth in framing Robert, and Amy when she argues with him. I therefore kept hoping that either of them would develop into characters with a bit more interest. Sadly, neither did. But an argument could be made that Gregory was ...

ali_morag 15.06.2007 · Read full review
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Review of The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory

The Virgin's Lover - a very good read

Advantages: Intriguing, enthralling and unputdownable ...
Disadvantages: ... you may miss work and loose friends over your obsession with this book !

and essential to the book. Elizabeth seems strong on some decisions but weak and indecisive on affairs of the heart - maybe the reason she never married. She was a queen in an extremely male dominated world and so I think her reliance on her advisors is expected and correct for the time. Compared to other women of the time, she is strong willed and defiant. I couldn't put the book down until I absolutely had to be doing something else (feeding the family, meeting friends, going to work !!!) and was texting friends with my progress and to get their feedback. All in all, a great read and Philippa Gregory is permanently on my Amazon wish list ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory HarperCollins (27 April 2005) ISBN 0007147317 ...

trinity_bleu 17.07.2006 · Read full review
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Review of The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory

THIS QUEEN'S A BIT OF A DRAG

Advantages: Tells a little known tale about QE One
Disadvantages: Could have been a novella

I bought this book, The Virgin's Lover, from Waterstones in Inverness because I read The Other Boleyn Girl by the same author and really enjoyed it. It retails at £6.99 but I purchased it as part of their 3 for 2 deals. Has anyone else noticed that the price of a standard paperback has now crept up to £7.99? Written by Philippa Gregory, I expected much from this book. I won't give away too much but the story centres on the much-gossiped-about relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and her Master of Horse, Lord Robert Dudley, earl of Leicester while the sub-plot involves the small inconvenience of Dudley's wife, Lady Amy Dudley. According to this tale, based on fact, Elizabeth and Robert were childhood friends and, as adults, are madly in love. They want to marry and, thanks to her father King Henry VIII's establishment ...

astrababe 15.05.2006 · Read full review
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Review of The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory