Tudor History Lovers discussion

Just getting a jump start on the folder in case anyone wants to open discussions early.

missed the vote, but looking forward to reading this wonderful story again in good company

How is everyone else going with this book?

I'm up to page 90 and so far it isn't engaging me. Can't quite get a grip on John Dee the person as he appears in this book. All the others seem somewhat shallow and the epitome of every Tudor cliche. I think it might hit the wall soon :-(.

Is it just me?

I wish I could help you, but I have no interest in John Dee or E1 so this is the only Tudor GR I am not participating in. I have heard though that it is a bit dry...

I downloaded a sample and it didn't grab me. I'm going to try again after I've finished with The Lady in the Tower.

This is my first group read and it looks like I'm going solo...lol.

I'd only heard good things about this book so I'm a bit surprised not to be liking it. The authors narrative style is okay (I mean, he can string sentences together which keep me reading) but I'm just finding the characterization so shallow and cliched, and there have been several anachronisms which have pulled me out of the story enough to have to go check them up :-(.

My other gripe is that I'm not getting any insights into or finding out more about John Dee. If anything my idea of him is getting more confused. At this stage in the novel I can't quite work out what it is he does or thinks because he seems to be all over the place.

To me there is nothing wrong with this book that more thorough research and a good editor couldn't fix. The author definitely needed to do more research and get a better feel for the times he is writing about. The language and the mindset is all wrong and he seems to be relying on cliches from other historical novels or movies (we've all read seen them before!) to flesh out the narrative.

'Tis a pity because I was really interested in this book and really wanted to like it :-(.

I've heard good things about it, too. I'm so sorry that you're 'going solo'... I wanted to read it but my library doesn't have it and I made a silly rule for myself that I would buy any books this year :S

Also sorry that you're not liking it :(

Shame you aren't liking it, Jemidar.

Jen, simmer down it's a fantastic rule. Plus you could have bought it last year ;p

LOL I'm simmered, no worries :P
And yes, I suppose I could have...

LOL, see? You should have gone on a major book buying binge in December and gotten this book for the GR. ;p

I'm still hanging in there with this one :-). It's picked up pace and the style is very readable but the content hasn't improved much. Still shallow and poorly researched :-(.

Actually, it's so over the top in places with the caricatures and cliches that it's actually quite funny in a farcical sort of way. My favourite bit so far was when the Duchess of Northumberland (John Dudley's wife and the mother of Jane's husband Guildford) had a very undignified tantrum in front of the council members when Jane refused to make Guildford King and called Jane (the Queen!) 'Little Miss High and Mighty' before storming out. Seriously funny ;-D.

Oh well, almost halfway through. It's going pretty slowly because I have to space it out with other reading because I just can't do too much at once. But it is very entertaining in short spurts...lol.

That's great that you're sticking with it! Have you made any progress with it since your last post?

Yes, I finally finished it the other day. It only took me one month and two days to complete! Overall it didn't improve, and by the end I was finding it quite tedious so I was rather pleased to get it finished. I probably would've chucked it in except for the reading challenge.

However, lots of others here on Goodreads seemed to like it, so I'm not sure what happened with me!