Customer Reviews

The Italian Woman

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is the second book in Plaidy's trilogy about Catherine Medici. In it, Medici's love and ambitions for her children as well as her quest for revenge against those who had humiliated her for so long forms the skeleton of the story. Her husband is dead and Catherine is Queen Regent. Her son Francis, now King of France and husband of Mary Queen of Scots, is sickly. Catherine yearns for her second son, Henry, to gain the throne.

Passion, intrigue and murder -- what else would one expect from the infamous Borgias of Rome? Plaidy's style is entertaining and literate. She weaves history into stories with intricate plots. Characters who were once real people strut upon the literary stage expressing their feelings and frustrations, loves and hates. The reader experiences sights and sounds of a world long past, with voices of people who may or may not have spoken as Plaidy reports.

It really doesn't matter how much is fiction and how much is fact. The book is fine, mesmerizing reading.

Sunnye Tiedemann (aka Ruth F. Tiedemann)

I know Jean Plaidy is considered a doyenne of historical fiction, thanks to her immaculate research and attention to detail. And I hate when a historical novel gets the facts wrong. But historical accuracy alone does not a gripping novel make. I felt that Plaidy forgot the cardinal rule of good writing: Show, don't tell. Instead we got lots and lots of telling--in sometimes clunky syntax to boot. The end result was that I felt I'd learned a lot about Catherine de Medici, her children and her court, but my senses and emotions were never involved.

A superb novel, one of my favourite book I have ever read. Jean Plaidy is able to convert history into an interesting book which people can get absorbed in without a problem. Its an easy book to read with treachery, murder and romance. It has a wide range of vocabulary and I have learnt many new words from reading this book. I recommmend this book for anyone over 14 years old.