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Bezig met laden... Good King Harry (2006)door Denise Giardina
Bezig met laden...
Meld je aan bij LibraryThing om erachter te komen of je dit boek goed zult vinden. Op dit moment geen Discussie gesprekken over dit boek. Fictional biography of Henry V of England from boyhood in Wales until the time of his dying--through the three reigns: Richard II, Henry IV [his father] and his own. I guess Shakespeare's portrayal [and the Kenneth Branagh movie] have ruined other concepts for me. I was disappointed; the novel started out promisingly enough, but most of the middle section, the annoying maudlin romance with Welsh shepherdess, Merryn, and its conclusion was artificial and contrived. The last part of the novel did improve somewhat after he was declared king upon his father's death. It covered his war in France--Agincourt was well done--and his unhappy marriage to Katherine and political maneuverings. Merryn hovered like a specter over the whole novel and pretty much spoiled it for me. It was too hard to believe this Henry was real; he was too perfect--and--a pacifist. Did the author use him as a mouthpiece for her own feelings? He was also oblivious to social class, which sounded wrong in that era. I couldn't connect with anyone in the novel. I felt as though only the barest outline of Henry's story were based on history: that much more than half was strictly fiction. I wish the author had included an Author's note; perhaps she shied away from one, not wanting to admit most of the story was made up. The novel was a pedestrian effort. ( ) This is an interesting historical novel about England's Henry V and the battle of Agincourt. The author appears to have Christian pacifist leanings and infuses some of this sentiment into Henry's thinking. I wasn't sure how historically accurate this was. There certainly were pacifist ideas inherent in medieval Christianity, but whether they influenced Henry V or not, I wouldn't know. Still it made for very interesting reading. geen besprekingen | voeg een bespreking toe
Set against the sweeping backdrop of medieval England, Good King Harry brilliantly brings to life one of the most fascinating, conflicted monarchs in history: Henry V. Evoking the sights and sounds of fifteenth-century London, acclaimed author Denise Giardina artfully illuminates the double-edged sword of power--and the momentous events that unfold in the making of a king. . . . A contemplative soul imbued with a compassion and mental agility beyond his years, young Harry, Prince of Wales--the future King Henry V--is marked early as the object of his father's scorn. For in the eyes of Lord Bolingbroke, his son is but a weak link in the House of Lancaster with a dangerous loyalty to the rebellious Welsh that must be broken. As Harry reaches maturity, the battle within his heart grows fierce. Torn between the sensitivities of his soul and the uncompromising king he must become, Harry embarks on an odyssey rife with political agendas, sexual intrigue, and military combat--ultimately transforming into the accomplished monarch a volatile England so urgently demands. Geen bibliotheekbeschrijvingen gevonden. |
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Google Books — Bezig met laden... GenresDewey Decimale Classificatie (DDC)813.54Literature English (North America) American fiction 20th Century 1945-1999LC-classificatieWaarderingGemiddelde:
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