51 of 52 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First Elizabeth a reading pleasure, January 25, 2002
This review is from: The First Elizabeth (Paperback)
The major difference in "The First Elizabeth" by Carolly Erickson and "The Life of Elizabeth I" by Alison Weir is stylistic. Both women are thoroughly versed in the life of their royal subject, and obviously enthusiastic about her as well.
Erickson's style, however, leans more toward novelistic narrative. She seems to be sitting with you, telling you a story about this great monarch with her infamous "virgin" status, her political adeptness, her fearsome temper, her penchant for swearing oaths that made one's blood freeze, and her ability to command deep love and adoration from her subjects.
This style is especially appealing for those for whom this biography is their first foray into Tudor biography. It introduces the major players in the queen's life thoroughly so that one is well acquainted with Robert Dudley, Cecil and Walsingham, as well as Mary I and the many other colorful characters that populated the Queen's life. You also get a real feel for the terror and uncertainty of Elizabeth's youth, when she lived in fear of death at the hands of her unstable, Catholic sister.
Erickson adroitly paints a stunning (and sometimes shocking) picture of life at court - and what a life it must have been. Living at the various castles Elizabeth moved between (they changed castles regularly so that the one previously used could be cleaned and "aired out") was far from our 21st century idea of luxury, and when you read about the trials and travails inherent in the Queen's annual "progresses", you'll never gripe about rush-hour traffic again!
Again, I would recommend this to anyone starting out to read about Elizabeth I, and to the reader already familiar with the life of the greatest queen of England. Those of the latter group might find that the author falls in love a bit too much with her subject (and who wouldn't, as this lady is one of the most fascinating people in history). In some places towards the end the flow of the narrative (going from event to event) isn't quite as seamless as it could be (you feel as though you are jumping from one to the other without a lead-in sentence/paragraph) but never mind that. Erickson does a marvelous job of painting a portrait of the life and times of Elizabeth and it's a most pleasurable learning experience and enjoyable read.
After finishing "Elizabeth I", the reader would do well to continue on with Weir's biography mentioned above. I started with Weir and am now committed to reading Erickson's extensive series on the Tudors, including "Great Harry", "Mistress Anne", etc.
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38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than the Movie, November 25, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: The First Elizabeth (Paperback)
The recent film "Elizabeth" may look stunning - intense faces, fabulous costumes, great interiors - but the plot and characterizations are generic and thin, a pseudo-historical mishmash that's nowhere near as interesting as the real story.
If you want the real scoop on the "Virgin Queen," her handsome maybe-lover Robert Dudley, the traitorous Duke of Norfolk, the foppish Duke of Anjou, the thrillingly intricate plots and counter-plots that filled Elizabeth's long reign, then read this book.
I can't imagine how Erickson organized so many colorful characters, vivid depictions of Elizabethan life, and complex religious/political struggles into such a compelling and readable narrative. I couldn't put it down!
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, excellent biography!, October 29, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: The First Elizabeth (Paperback)
I have never had the pleasure of saying that a biography was hard to put down, but this is. I first encountered this book in college while taking a British History course, and I was hooked. It has been eight years since I took that course, and I am on my fourth re-reading. Every time I notice a detail that I did not before. I am fascinated by the Tudors and especially Elizabeth I. Erickson's prose is so engaging and lively you will forget you are reading a historical biography. I have the film Elizabeth, but I was disappointed in the lapses and the fact that it only covers her first year as queen. Of course, it would be a very long movie if it covered her entire reign, but buy this book to discover more of the "real" Elizabeth. Great read!
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