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Books : Innocent Traitor
Rating: 
- Sadly disappointed
History is my favorite subject and this author came highly recommended.
This is the first book I have read by her and was extremely disappointed.
It lacked a true atmosphere of the time,that this was set in.
I really could not picture any exacutioner, living during Mary's reign, thinking the thoughts that this author had written.
The terminology was all wrong, the dialogue sounded 1970's.
The characters all appeared wishy washy.
It is far more a type of Barbara Cartland for the history lover, than any serious attempt to understand or explain how these events really played out.
It is an easy light read, ideal for train travel or just before going to sleep.
The Tudor/War of the Roses have been far better written as stories by Rosemay Hawley Jarman, amoungest others, who REALLY make you smell the candle wax and hear the rustle of cloth of gold.
This book is not, in my opinion, true history at all. Just another story book.
Rating:
- Suspenseful even with a well-known ending
Alison Weir is a respected historian who is often recommended as an antidote to inaccurate representations in historical fiction as written by other authors. This is her first novel, and what a novel it is. I was entranced from the first line, and even though I knew how it was going to end, I still hoped that there would be a change at some point near the end. That's the sign of a good writer - someone who can write so compellingly and with such suspense that you hope they can even change historical facts for you.
Lady Jane Grey was a pawn in the ambition of her parents and of the Duke of Northumberland, almost from the moment she was born. Never forgiven for the cardinal sin of being born female, she was beaten and tortured into becoming a "lady" suitable for marriage to a monarch. When that ceased to be an option she was beaten into a marriage and a reign she never wanted, protesting even as the crown was being put on her head. These are facts that are known by most who have even read cursory information about this young lady. What is amazing is the way Alison Weir makes it seem like new information. The chorus of different voices in the telling of Jane's tale is exemplary and clever. I kept turning pages wanting to see what spin the next narrator would put on the story.
This novel did what historical fiction should do - it made me want to seek out the non-fiction bases for the story and do more reading. Anything that inspires further study can only be praised.
Rating: - An Excellent Book into a Intresting Woman
Having known very little about the main character this book is based on, Lady Jane Grey, it was a refreshing and intresting read. I've been a fan of Philippa Gregory's book's but this surpasses them by leaps and bounds.
The characters are very much three dimension each with flaws. A previous reviewer had made the comment that Jane was too perfect, which I didn't find. To me she was flawed in the fact that she was too dogmatic in her views on religion, but this in itself was, at least to me, a form of rebelion against her parents. It was their disappointment in Jane and their ambition for power that ultimately led to her downfall.
The author has obviously done her homework and research and by intertwining known facts with certain key points in history that Jane 'Could' have witnessed, it brings it live.
I also began to fell for Queen Mary I, who even though knew that in order to give the country security of her marriage to Philip of Spain, and therefor give a heir to the throne, Jane had to die, Mary gave Jane many chances to live. First by trying to get her to convert and then to see if she was with child.
By the time that Jane's execution was drawing close, I found I could no longer read this book at bed time. I found myself getting very emotional at the scene.
All in all, an excellent book and I can't wait for the next one, which is sitting in my to-read pile.
Rating:
- good but nothing special
Ok so I really liked the whole concept of this story, as soon as I got the book I thought it was some thing special. I enjoyed the layout of being able to see the events taking place from various perspectives. But I feel the book and the protagonist is weak. I felt that at points Jane was too perfect and that it seemed like Alison weir had forgotten she was just a girl of 16 who would have had other hopes beyond religion and studies although I have not researched Jane so I would not know but I simply could not see her as a human. I did however enjoy her mother who seemed like a much more interesting and well developed character. I also disliked Jane's "wedding night" I felt the whole scene was unnecessary and very depressing, at points it became unbearable to read which really put me off finishing the rest of the book. I feel the problem with this book is that Jane lacked faults, she did not seem to me to be a real person who did actually live, she seemed more like a saint and I felt I simply could not relate to this character. I also felt some chapters were rather boring and I found myself skipping a few pages.
Rating: - First Class Historical Fiction
Alison Weir is a much read and much respected historian with a string of non fiction books to her name. She is widely known for her biographical books about British Royalty. She lives in Surrey with her two children, John and Kate.
Innocent Traitor is the first novel that Alison Weir has written and I am not sure whether it was a conscious effort on her part or a brave move to write about one of the lesser known characters of English history. Whatever the reason the author has brilliantly captured the feel of the Tudor period. A time when the country was in turmoil following the death of Henry VIII.
Lady Jane Grey was the victim of scheming and dominant parents who used her like a pawn in a game of chess. Although of royal blood Lady Jane was used by many of the powerful men of the time who were solely interested in feathering their own nests. The throne of England was there to be taken by those who dared to chance their arm on installing a young girl whose claim to the English throne fell far behind that of the rightful heirs. A young girl who was to pay the ultimate price allowing herself to be manipulated, albeit against her better judgment. For some of the most powerful men in the kingdom, virtually anything was preferable to Mary, with her strict catholic religion that would bring the country close to open civil war.
- Sadly disappointedHistory is my favorite subject and this author came highly recommended.
This is the first book I have read by her and was extremely disappointed.
It lacked a true atmosphere of the time,that this was set in.
I really could not picture any exacutioner, living during Mary's reign, thinking the thoughts that this author had written.
The terminology was all wrong, the dialogue sounded 1970's.
The characters all appeared wishy washy.
It is far more a type of Barbara Cartland for the history lover, than any serious attempt to understand or explain how these events really played out.
It is an easy light read, ideal for train travel or just before going to sleep.
The Tudor/War of the Roses have been far better written as stories by Rosemay Hawley Jarman, amoungest others, who REALLY make you smell the candle wax and hear the rustle of cloth of gold.
This book is not, in my opinion, true history at all. Just another story book.
Rating:
- Suspenseful even with a well-known endingAlison Weir is a respected historian who is often recommended as an antidote to inaccurate representations in historical fiction as written by other authors. This is her first novel, and what a novel it is. I was entranced from the first line, and even though I knew how it was going to end, I still hoped that there would be a change at some point near the end. That's the sign of a good writer - someone who can write so compellingly and with such suspense that you hope they can even change historical facts for you.
Lady Jane Grey was a pawn in the ambition of her parents and of the Duke of Northumberland, almost from the moment she was born. Never forgiven for the cardinal sin of being born female, she was beaten and tortured into becoming a "lady" suitable for marriage to a monarch. When that ceased to be an option she was beaten into a marriage and a reign she never wanted, protesting even as the crown was being put on her head. These are facts that are known by most who have even read cursory information about this young lady. What is amazing is the way Alison Weir makes it seem like new information. The chorus of different voices in the telling of Jane's tale is exemplary and clever. I kept turning pages wanting to see what spin the next narrator would put on the story.
This novel did what historical fiction should do - it made me want to seek out the non-fiction bases for the story and do more reading. Anything that inspires further study can only be praised.
Rating:
- An Excellent Book into a Intresting WomanHaving known very little about the main character this book is based on, Lady Jane Grey, it was a refreshing and intresting read. I've been a fan of Philippa Gregory's book's but this surpasses them by leaps and bounds.
The characters are very much three dimension each with flaws. A previous reviewer had made the comment that Jane was too perfect, which I didn't find. To me she was flawed in the fact that she was too dogmatic in her views on religion, but this in itself was, at least to me, a form of rebelion against her parents. It was their disappointment in Jane and their ambition for power that ultimately led to her downfall.
The author has obviously done her homework and research and by intertwining known facts with certain key points in history that Jane 'Could' have witnessed, it brings it live.
I also began to fell for Queen Mary I, who even though knew that in order to give the country security of her marriage to Philip of Spain, and therefor give a heir to the throne, Jane had to die, Mary gave Jane many chances to live. First by trying to get her to convert and then to see if she was with child.
By the time that Jane's execution was drawing close, I found I could no longer read this book at bed time. I found myself getting very emotional at the scene.
All in all, an excellent book and I can't wait for the next one, which is sitting in my to-read pile.
Rating:
- good but nothing specialOk so I really liked the whole concept of this story, as soon as I got the book I thought it was some thing special. I enjoyed the layout of being able to see the events taking place from various perspectives. But I feel the book and the protagonist is weak. I felt that at points Jane was too perfect and that it seemed like Alison weir had forgotten she was just a girl of 16 who would have had other hopes beyond religion and studies although I have not researched Jane so I would not know but I simply could not see her as a human. I did however enjoy her mother who seemed like a much more interesting and well developed character. I also disliked Jane's "wedding night" I felt the whole scene was unnecessary and very depressing, at points it became unbearable to read which really put me off finishing the rest of the book. I feel the problem with this book is that Jane lacked faults, she did not seem to me to be a real person who did actually live, she seemed more like a saint and I felt I simply could not relate to this character. I also felt some chapters were rather boring and I found myself skipping a few pages.
Rating:
- First Class Historical FictionAlison Weir is a much read and much respected historian with a string of non fiction books to her name. She is widely known for her biographical books about British Royalty. She lives in Surrey with her two children, John and Kate.
Innocent Traitor is the first novel that Alison Weir has written and I am not sure whether it was a conscious effort on her part or a brave move to write about one of the lesser known characters of English history. Whatever the reason the author has brilliantly captured the feel of the Tudor period. A time when the country was in turmoil following the death of Henry VIII.
Lady Jane Grey was the victim of scheming and dominant parents who used her like a pawn in a game of chess. Although of royal blood Lady Jane was used by many of the powerful men of the time who were solely interested in feathering their own nests. The throne of England was there to be taken by those who dared to chance their arm on installing a young girl whose claim to the English throne fell far behind that of the rightful heirs. A young girl who was to pay the ultimate price allowing herself to be manipulated, albeit against her better judgment. For some of the most powerful men in the kingdom, virtually anything was preferable to Mary, with her strict catholic religion that would bring the country close to open civil war.