Customer Reviews

The Confession of Piers Gaveston

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The Confession of Piers Gaveston is one of those novels that stands out from the commonplace of historical novels that do little more than dramatize historical people and events. This book is as faithful as needs be to the events of Edward II's reign as far as we know them, but in this case that is an added value, not what is wonderful about it. This novel stands outside history to present a complex and insightful look into the mind of a perceptive, intelligent, and much misunderstood man and a much misunderstood love affair. It is a book about how a person can strive for and long for real love and acceptance while doing everything he can to make that impossible.

Don't let the rather unfortunate cover image fool you. This is a serious though highly entertaining novel that confronts the desperate realities in Gaveston's life and depicts Edward as a childish, possessive, and even threatening monarch, his single-minded passion leading both men to their destruction.

This novel is a supreme example of the importance of the Indie publishing movement, demonstrating that the "old war horse" publishers and their pure profit motive deprives readers of high-quality novels that marketing divisions predict will not sell in the gazillions. Thanks to Indie publishing, books like The Confession of Piers Gaveston see the light of day. Purdy's sophistication and sensitivity, along with her frankness, make this novel a must read not only for people who are gay or lesbian but also the rest of us who thirst for insight and understanding into the universals of love and desire.

Piers Gaveston was a soldier, a champion jouster, and a witty conversationalist. According to his own fictional account in this novel by Brandy Purdy, he was also a pagan and a male prostitute who viewed his long-standing affair with King Edward II as merely another means to make a living.

The Confession of Piers Gaveston is a skillfully written debut novel which reveals some very ugly aspects of the British monarchy in the fourteenth century. I am not speaking of King Edward's gay love affair with the narrator, Piers Gaveston, but of Edward's obsessive and histrionic personality. He was certainly not the first or the last ruler to allow his lusts to cloud his judgment, but he may have been one of the most disinterested and incompetent kings in England's history. Some of the scenes in the novel seem almost unbelievably melodramatic - such as Edward abandoning his bride on their wedding day for his male lover's company and actually giving him the jewelry that had been a wedding gift from the queen's father - but these are all documented historical events! Brandy Purdy's depiction of them is insightful and accurate, outrageous though it may seem that a king would behave that way.

Piers Gaveston makes a lively and personable narrator for this tale, and Purdy has given him a lyrical, compelling, and sometimes playful voice. She has created in Piers a believable man of many talents who nonetheless is only credited with one - his ability to seduce almost anyone with his good looks and wit. During the novel, Piers bitterly reflects on how his prowess on the battlefield and intelligence in statecraft go unappreciated by his detractors and his friends alike, as he is considered merely a pretty bauble to be used to sate the king's lust. Meanwhile, the man on the throne of England clearly is incapable of the job he has inherited. As Piers so aptly puts it: "Edward is the King of England and if he cannot find one misplaced shoe which he knows is somewhere in a single locked room then no wonder his subjects have no confidence in him!"

It is inevitable that this book will be compared to Susan Higginbotham's novel, The Traitor's Wife, which also depicts Edward's reign. Brandy Purdy's novel focuses on a narrower time period, includes a smaller cast, but still provides a chilling glimpse of the events which follow Piers Gaveston's death. All in all, I wish I had read The Confessions of Piers Gaveston before the other one, because I felt this novel clearly introduces and characterizes the King's three most serious adversaries: Pembroke, Lancaster, and Warwick, whom I confused in the other, longer novel. However, both books are very worth reading and highly enjoyable for anyone interested in this dark era of England's history and a king who makes King Henry VIII seem temperate and reasonable by comparison!

I thought I was buying a biography so the fault is entirely mine. Clearly it's NOT. If the author's intent was to give the reader empathy towards her subject, she missed entirely. I didn't like him and I'm a gay man myself. But the Piers here is basically an over indulged whore. How much is fiction and how much is reality? I'm yet to find out. But I don't like Piers at all even though he proclaims undying love for Edward, King of England. It's a good entertaining read, but I'd rather have read a biography based on fact. Was he really so bitchy, defensive and self-indulgent? Hopefully not..perhaps this fictional Piers is based more upon the Authors gay friends than the real man. I'll endeavour to find out.

The book was... ok. It was a little indulgent I thought. I mean, Piers Gaveston is our narrator and he seems to have no faults. I think the author intended for him to appear beautiful and witty and faultless, but he really kind of came over as vain, superfluous, and kind of dumb. Oh, and a really big slut. It wasn't horrible, really, sort of amusing and distracting for a short read, but definitely not a history textbook or even a truly gripping historical fiction.

It seems - if the reviews on both her novels are a guide - that Brandy Purdy's work tends to provoke strong reactions; readers either really like or hate them, there are few who are indifferent. I'm on the whole in the first camp. When I first read this novel, I was so completely immersed in it that had I reviewed it immediately upon finishing, I would have given it five stars. However, on reflection, there were a number of issues with it that nagged at me, and which prevent me from giving it that extra star.

Purdy's Gaveston writes an account of his life, at a time when everything has turned to complete disaster. It is an interesting exercise - it is a consciously self-serving point of view, and I read the character's perspective on past events as being coloured by more recent ones. The way it is written certainly forced me to think: do I trust this character's account, or is there more to it?

What I liked:
Purdy is very good at vivid descriptions and there were passages I reread several times out of sheer enjoyment of her prose. Scenes that have stuck with me include the depiction of the teenage Prince and companion as they slowly fall for each other, and the love scene after Edward's disastrous coronation. Equally refreshing is the depiction of Gaveston showing genuine affection and kindness to his young wife, Margaret de Clare, and his two daughters. There are some flashes of the snarky wit for which the real Gaveston was famous (though I'd have liked to have seen more of it). There is also an extraordinarily powerful passage where Gaveston describes his desperation to be loved for the man he is, not for his looks or other superficial reasons, and how he feels trapped into playing a role of his own making.

Although I have some reservations about it, I found the portrayal of Gaveston as a victim of childhood abuse (and how that influences his behaviour as a man) in the main quite poignant, and his perspective and narration frequently engaging. It is a seductive read, and one which I found difficult to put down. The inevitable denouement is incredibly moving. Purdy certainly doesn't hold back in detailing the more sordid or unpalatable aspects of human behaviour - while I wouldn't describe the novel as overly graphic, there are certainly incidents that some readers might find confronting.

What bothered me:
While I don't pretend to exhaustive knowledge on this period, and I accept that not as much is known about Gaveston as later historical figures, the notion of Rent Boy!Gaveston did not sit all that well; I certainly felt his over-the-top promiscuity was emphasised to a repetitive extreme (at one stage I found myself thinking, "He sleeps around. I GET IT!") and the suggestion that his promiscuity and/or bisexuality was `caused' by his childhood abuse seemed a bit troubling.

If I recall correctly, Gaveston's family was of the Gascon nobility, so the likelihood of him having to endure a poverty-stricken, itinerant childhood (including at one point being dumped with an unscrupulous innkeeper uncle who is the first to sell him into prostitution) seems remote at best. While this premise kind of worked in the context of the story, some effort was required in suspending disbelief. I would have liked to have seen much more about his prowess as a jouster and soldier, something for which the real Gaveston is remembered - we are told about this, but never really shown it.

There is also an element of cliché in the portrayals particularly of the adult Edward II as well as Gaveston - they come across as rather too camp at times (Gaveston "simpers" at Isabella, or flirts outrageously with his male enemies, for example), and the characterisations are often unsubtle. Edward was an ineffectual king, yes, but I would have liked to see more depth to him than the shallow, possessive, spoilt brat ruled by his you-know-what depicted here. He does not emerge as a very sympathetic character, which is fine, provided he is given some complexity, and that unfortunately is not really the case here. Their relationship most of the time appears, to use a modern buzz-word, incredibly dysfunctional, with the long-suffering Piers enduring rather than welcoming Edward's advances, and at time borders on abusive. Perhaps that is a deliberate choice, to show how Gaveston's perspective has become jaundiced now that he is facing ruin and probable death. On the other hand, and perhaps I'm just a closet romantic, I would have preferred an account where Edward and Gaveston are portrayed as two men of their time who just happen to love each other. (Also - Edward inviting Piers to call him "Nedikins"? Seriously? Perhaps he really did; nonetheless, it didn't ring true.)

I also felt the depiction of Gaveston as a Goddess-worshipping pagan was unnecessary (as well as having no foundation in fact) and added little if anything to the plot. I also didn't find the fictional character of his loyal old nurse Agnes all that engaging - she reminded me of Juliet's Nurse, another character of which I am not particularly fond! - and Dragon was just, well, _there_. They really didn't add a great deal to the narrative.

As with Purdy's Jane Rochford novel, I would have appreciated an Author's Note at the end, setting out why she chose to write Gaveston and Edward this way, any liberties taken, and what sources she used for her research. For example, the burning of his mother Claramonde is a complete myth, and while it was important to the storyline, this sort of thing should be drawn to the reader's attention. Further, I'm always interested in the rationale behind an author's writing choices and suggestions for further reading. Also, maps would have been really useful, to get a mental picture of where the protagonists were at particular times.

Notwithstanding its flaws, this is a great effort from a first time author. For a novel dealing with some extraordinary events and people, it is remarkably short - only 181 pages - and I felt that some more detail, and more work on characterisation would have made it even better. It won't appeal to everyone, and for that reason I'd recommend borrowing it from the library at first instance, but it's worth giving it a try. It got me tracking down other novels and non-fiction about Edward II, so that can only be a good thing! (On a superficial note - I'm glad to see it finally has a decent cover, too.)

I have been a long time fan of British Royals - from centuries ago to present day. I was not terribly familiar with Piers Gaveston until I ready Ms. Purdy's book. It brought a whole new area of royal life and love into my world.

I found Ms. Purdy to be a terrific author. She researched her subject very well prior to telling her tale. I look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

When I first picked up this book, the cover took me aback a little because it is not a typical book cover. However, from the very first page, I was hooked. This is one of the best books I have ever read, bar none. Why? Simply because the prose is rich and bountiful and the story is fascinating. The characters are so compelling, I was hard pressed to put the book down.

Recently, I interviewed the author and asked her about the cover. She told me that getting suitable cover art for this book was extremely difficult.

The publisher wanted to put a church or a castle, which had already been used on another author's book, so Ms Purdy was forced to provide something herself which caused a three month publication delay while she tried to find an artist or art student to design a cover.

Brandy confessed that she is not entirely happy with the present cover, but prefers not to comment on it publicly. And I urge you to look beyond in order to discover the true treasure buried within.

The Confession of Piers Gaveston is the tale of a true person who died in the early 14th century. He was a very close companion to King Edward II. So close, in fact, rumors still abound that they were actual lovers. Piers Gaveston literally rises from the ashes into the highest realm of the English empire because his good looks, arrogance, flamboyant personality, and outrageous behavior attract the interest of the King. Subsequently, he is showered with gifts which include land grants, titles, and jewels. All this attention increases the ire of other nobles towards Gaveston resulting in years of disrespect, hatred, and painful accusations of Gaveston.

The novel is written in the format of a journal. It begins in Gaveston's childhood with an impassioned retelling of the burning of his mother who was convicted as a witch. As a young child, alone, he must resort to prostitution to earn his way. But Piers is craft and he is a survivor. He gains acclaim as a soldier fighting in King Edward I's army. Because of his reputation as a tough, successful soldier, he is assigned to become a companion to the lazy and weak Prince Edward as companion. A strong bond is formed, one that soon leads into Prince Edward seducing Piers. For Edward, the attraction is much more - Piers becomes his obsession, an ill-fated burden for Gaveston to carry.

From the very first sentence, Purdy managed to make me sit up and take a close look at the words on each page. Her prose is one of the most brilliant I have come across. Every scene, every word engaged me. The first person narration of Piers Gaveston was not only powerful, it evoked strong emotions throughout. Her "tell it like it is" style of writing brings the reader deep into the main character's frame of mind, portraying him as both loveable and abhorrent. The scenes of homosexuality are written vividly but tastefully in an openly honest manner.

Brandy Purdy is an up and coming author one must watch carefully in the future for I have no doubt she will become a favorite for many readers of historical fiction.

Brandy Purdy's first novel is a doozie! For those many fans of historical fiction who would love to read a more personal account of King Edward II's affair with Piers Gaveston, this may be the book you have been wanting to read. Told from the standpoint of a fictional diary kept by the scandalous Gaveston, Ms. Purdy's tale of an intimate, illicit, illegal love affair between a king and his best friend smoothly unfolds the wrinkled pages of history. Brandy uses just enough dialect from the 1300's to make the story realistic, but her deft use of the language never slows the plot. Gaveston tells his personal story with compassion, leaving the interpretation of the overall scandal to the reader. Other books, such as Susan Higginbotham's The Traitor's Wife, tell the same story through the eyes of other characters involved, but this one comes directly from the gay paramour's mouth.

The cover, although indicative of the book's substance, does not impress me with its rather cartoonish, painted characters, but the overall cover design is professional in its appearance. There are a few too many errors of punctuation for my taste, too, but not enough to mar my enjoyment of the novel. Brandy Purdy should be proud of her first book. She has presented a fresh look at an old story with competence and professionalism of a high order, particularly for a new, unknown author.

I have wanted this book since I took the "look inside" option the first time. Brandy Purdy's writing is beautiful and this is really a "novel" idea for a novel. Her dialogue is so fun and Gaveston such a real, well-rounded and true character. She is historically accurate on every point of the novel and I found myself wishing she had included a bibliography section with it. I would highly recommend it. It only took me 1 1/2 days to read.

I nearly did not buy this book after being offput by its ridiculous, cheap-looking cover. I'm glad that my curiousity abut this piece of history won out. Purdy's novel is engrossing from the first page. Even readers familiar with the tale of Edward II and Piers Gaveston will find this book to be compelling. A satisfying, thought-provoting look at one of history's lesser known figures and love story.