The Italian woman [Unknown Binding]

Jean Plaidy (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 1976

When Catherine de' Medici was forced to marry Henry of Orleans, her's was not the only heart broken. Jeanne of Navarre once dreamed of marrying this same prince, but like Catherine, she must bend to the will of King Francis's political needs. And so both Catherine and Jeanne's lives are set on unwanted paths, destined to cross in affairs of state, love and faith, driving them to become deadly political rivals. Years later, Jeanne is happily married to the dashing but politically inept Antoine de Bourbon, whilst the widowed Catherine continues to be loved by few and feared by many - including her children. But she is now the powerful mother of kings, who will do anything to see her beloved second son, Henry, rule France. As civil war ravages the country and Jeanne fights for the Huguenot cause, Catherine advances along her unholy road, making enemies at every turn...

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jean Plaidy, one of the preeminent authors of historical fiction for most of the twentieth century, is the pen name of the prolific English author Eleanor Hibbert, also know as Victoria Holt. Jean Plaidy's novels had sold more than 14 million copies worldwide by the time of her deah in 1993. For further information about our Jean Plaidy reissues and mailing list, please visit www.randomhouse.co.uk/minisites/jeanplaidy --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Unknown Binding: 299 pages
• Publisher: Berkley Pub. Corp (1976)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425032620
• ISBN-13: 978-0425032626
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,120,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars True or false -- Medici Makes Fine Reading, June 28, 2002

By 

R. Tiedemann "Sunnye" (Bellevue, NE USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Italian Woman (Hardcover)

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)

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Whatever happened to "show, don't tell"?, August 25, 2011

By 

S. Chiger (New York, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Italian Woman (Paperback)

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.

7 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I immensely anjoyed reading this novel., August 14, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Italian Woman (Hardcover)

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.