The Crown (Joanna Stafford) - Nancy Bilyeau
Reading start: 2015-03-06
Reading finish: 2015-03-31
Hi, I started this tonight and without having any expectations. So far it's been interesting but what really got me was how Joanna resembles Antigone (probably my favourite Greek heroine) in both her stance about the king's edicts and her purpose in coming to Smithfields.
I'm excited that you are reading this with me...well, it will be with me when I get it started in the next few days. I'm finishing CJ Sansom's Heartstone, and then I will begin this. I have the 3rd book in the Joanna Stafford series coming in the mail for review, so I need to get caught up!
Funny, I had never heard the name Antigone until recently, and now it seems to be popping up everywhere.
Ah, I reviewed Ali Smith's The Story of Antigone on BL recently. It's a re-telling of the original story by Sophocles. Where else has it popped up?
That must be one that I saw. It was the name of the daughter of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, in The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham.
Oh, I see. I'm looking forward to finding out if Joanna's story follows the line of Antigone or whether those two circumstances I mentioned are the only similarities.
I've started it, and discovered that Joanna and I already have something in common. "I'd become the center of attention, something I always hated."
So, the beginning was ok, setting out her mission in going to London. But ever since it's been rather grating on me. There is a lot of historical name_dropping just for the sake of it. It doesn't add a lot to the story.
I must still be in the interesting part, though you're right about the name dropping. You don't hear Ursula Pole mentioned too often! The author seems to have a detailed understanding of the Stafford family.
I'm not feeling the love for this book. At all. Would you mind if I pulled out?
Too many books and too little time to stick with ones you don't like. Thanks for giving it a try! I hope I like it more than you have because I'm supposed to be reading the two that follow it.
I hope it works well for you. It did sound promising but it's a book that needs someone who appreciates all the references to historical figures.
Well, I'm glad you joined me & hope you'll try some of the future reads as well :-)
For sure, I'll be back. I do like history, just not this book.
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