Customer Reviews

The Lady and the Poet

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

 

 

If you don't like romance stories, stop reading this review now: this book simply isn't for you. On the other hand, it's a kind of classic romance: the true story of what was, at the time, a scandalous relationship between young Ann More and troublesome and reckless John Donne, her uncle's secretary. This isn't Philippa Gregory material, where crowns are at stake, but rather the story of a young woman who is willing to throw off the conventions of her time and marry for love.

It would be very hard to match the caliber of Donne's own prose or poetry, and Haran makes a mistake in trying, with some over-stretched metaphors and similes and occasional relapses into purple prose. But she conjures up an image of what kind of young woman Ann More must have been to be so willing to rebel against her family, friends and everyone around her and run off with a man with a bad reputation who even she, as Haran presents her, doesn't always trust. Yes, that leads Haran to ascribe to other kinds of unconventional behavior, but I didn't find that as unconvincing as other reviewers: for her to be willing to kick over the traces when everyone around her was encouraging her to repudiate Donne, she must have had an unusually wide streak of independence and determination in her personality; Haran has drawn on that in building up a picture of who Ann might have been, given her time and her circumstances. (I enjoyed the picture of what an Elizabethan household of the time might have been like, for instance.)

It's enjoyable to read about someone in Tudor England who wasn't a queen, princess or lady in waiting, and this is at heart a solid if undemanding work of historical fiction that doesn't aspire to be anything more than a fictional retelling of a great romance of English literature. Recommended to fans of those kinds of novels; rated 3.5 stars and rounded up.

Who was the woman who inspired late Elizabethan poet John Donne to write his greatest love poetry?

The woman for whose love he sacrificed his career and retreated to the country?

The woman whose death he mourned his entire life?

Maeve Haran's 'The Lady and the Poet' is a fictionalized account of the romance between poet John Donne and Ann More, niece of Donne's benefactor, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal.

Few facts are known about the historical Ann, but Haran's creation is a bright, lively young woman well worthy of the poet's love.

The fictive Ann is learned and wise at fourteen and sure enough of her love for John at seventeen to renounce family and fortune to remain at his side.

Haran's lovers are nice people; their physical attraction is real, and their love story is both carefully wrought and believable.

At the time the couple met, Donne was acting as secretary to Ann's uncle by marriage, the Lord Keeper of the Seal. His risque poetry was the talk of the Inns of Court and his Catholic background made many suspicious of him. He was clever, witty, and carried within him a yet untapped depth. Ann was 'up from the country' where she had been reared and well educated by doting grandparents. A bright, shining young girl on the cusp of womanhood, she and the 'forbidden' Donne were instantly aware of each other.

Haran's novel is carefully written and a delight to read. Her characters come alive. The plotting is well done and her command of historical fact is never a burden to the reader.

Five stars. "The Lady and the Poet" should appeal to those who enjoy historical fiction and those who appreciate a well turned phrase.

Or does it? Ann More comes to London to stay with her aunt and hopefully gain a position in the household of the aging Queen Elizabeth, although Ann's forthright nature is a bit of a hindrance and a slightly disgraced Ann is relegated to assisting in her aunt's household. Ann soon catches the eye of her uncle's secretary and erstwhile poet, John Donne, but she'll have none of him - at first. When the two eventually recognize the love they share they have an uphill battle as Ann must marry when and where her father commands and John is entirely unsuitable for the well-to-do More family. Can true love survive and the lovers surmount the odds against them?

Outside of that I really don't want to go much further. If you know Donne's history you know what happens and if you don't I don't want to spoil it for you. While not the fastest paced book ever written, I found this to be an enjoyable read despite Ann seeming a bit too forthright and modern for the period. Why, oh why are our historic heroines always able to travel anywhere alone unattended, speak out as they please with no consequences, have a great education from an overly doting male relative as well as being able to leap tall buildings with a single bound? Well maybe not the last but you get the picture. A good light read.

Ann More, fourth daughter of George More, and her sisters are brought up by their grandparents in 16th century England (near Guildford in Surrey) after their mother dies. Their father and his second wife, together with their brother live nearby.

Ann, who is fourteen when this story opens, hopes for a better fate than her sisters: married off by her father in the interests of family alliances. Ann has been educated by her grandfather, and this education has made her restless for more than the traditional role of women. After her sister Bett's wedding, Ann learns that her father is planning a marriage for her but in the meantime she is to live in London where, hopefully, she will be a lady at the court of the ageing Queen Elizabeth I.

In London, Ann lives at the home of her uncle Sir Thomas Egerton, the Lord Keeper of the Great Seal. Here she encounters John Donne, her uncle's secretary. Thus begins the love story which is the subject of this novel. And what a twisted, star-crossed tale it is!

John Donne, darkly attractive young poet of a Catholic background is in no way considered a suitable match by Ann's father George More. My interest in this novel derives from an interest in the life and achievements of John Donne. While some aspects of the characterisations of Ann and John did not work perfectly for me, the novel adds a dimension to John Donne's life as well as giving a sense of who Ann might have been.

Yes, it is a romance. But a romance that involves one of our greatest metaphysical poets (and quotes some of his poetry) is definitely worth considering.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

This love story seemed a difficult read for me at first with the English style language but soon I lost myself in the love story. I am not very interested in history but found myself researching the characters in this book after I read it to learn more. I longed to go back to this book which is not the case for some books I read. A great love story and for me an added bonus of some historical knowledge as well.

Maeve Haran's novel The Lady and the Poet chronicles the romance and ultimate marriage of British poet John Donne and Ann More, whose father is a third generation knight in the employ of Queen Elizabeth. He has in mind a much more prestigious match for his daughter than a poet who is the son of an ironmonger, but Ann has romantic sensibilities and strong opinions, and John Donne is who she wants. Haran's novel is told from the point of view of Ann More, giving voice to a lady who is historically silent. The novel is ultimately a historical romance that describes how the poet and his lady fell in love and managed to marry, despite her father's wishes.

One of my gauges of whether I loved a novel or not is my ability to put it down. I never had much trouble putting this one down. I wasn't on the edge of my seat for John Donne or Lady Ann. Of course, I knew how it would end, but that doesn't always prevent me from flipping madly to see how it ended up that way. On the other hand, it was a well-researched, historically accurate description of life late in Queen Elizabeth's reign. I enjoyed some of those historical details. I enjoyed learning more about the Donnes, and historical evidence does support the notion that their marriage was a love match. I did mark a couple of passages that I enjoyed. In one, George More, Ann's father, is admonishing Ann to stay away from Donne by describing his verse:

"[T]here is one whose company I would fain you shun, since it befits not an innocent maiden. Master John Donne. Your uncle thinks highly of him yet I came across some verse of his being handed round the Inns of Court and laughed over by its inmates like naughty schoolboys. It seemed to be both lewd, and, even worse, satirical." (104)

I'm not sorry I read it because of the insight it gave me into the life of John Donne, whose poetry I teach my British Literature students. However, it never really grabbed and convinced me I needed to keep turning pages.

When the handsome John Donne was appointed chief secretary to Sir Thomas Egerton, Lord Keeper of the Great Seal, he was a well-educated man of the world, never dreaming that a young woman named Ann More, twelve years his junior, would become the great love of his life. But that's exactly what happened. Neither of them could deny their feelings for one another, and while Ann's father began to look for a suitable and noble husband for his daughter, she found herself irrevocably drawn to the dark and witty John Donne. When she was 17, Ann secretly married the very poor 29 year old Donne despite the fact he was a Catholic whose many family members were put to death for their faith, and she came from a staunch Church of England family.

When her father and uncle learned of the marriage they were furious and imprisoned Donne while they attempted to dispute the marriage as illegal. But Donne proved the marriage was indeed lawful and he was soon released from gaol. They lived a solitary life in the country in Pyrford, Surrey. They struggled financially as Donne worked as a lawyer while Sir Francis Wolly housed his wife and children.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of forbidden love. Written in first person narrative, the reader is given insight into the thoughts and emotions of a 17 year old Ann More as she struggles against societal restrictions to pursue the path of her heart. She gave up her wealth, her status, and every comfort in order to be with him. She bore him twelve children in 15 years, but died giving birth to the last one.

Maeve Haran has produced a well-researched, historically accurate description of life during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Although the story is not a gripping one, it does engage the reader through it's lovely prose and poignant story line. It is a fabulous way to learn more about not only the historical era, but as an insight into the fascinating lives of the great poet and his courageous wife.

The Blighted Troth: A Historical Novel of New France

This was a very pleasant story and I enjoyed it despite its complete lack of excitement. It is just a love story. The lady is Lady Ann More, daughter to one ambitious George More who desires to marry her off to the man with the greatest title to his name. The poet is Master John Donne who holds no favor in her father's eyes. The two fall in love quite by accident. In the court of Elizabeth I, (Do not be fooled.. The Queen only has one brief appearance. This is not about Elizabeth.) the lady and the poet meet. Their meeting is not favorable for either one at first, but over time they come to grow a friendship that eventually leads to something more and forbidden.

Thru Ann, readers get an in depth look at life of young lady during Elizabeth's reign. There is sickness, death in childbirth, fear over expressing religion different from the queen's, scandalous affairs, gambling debts, blackmail, and arranged marriages. The latter is one that Ann is trying wholeheartedly to avoid. Her father is most intent of marrying her off to a rather insolent Master Manners. (That really is his name!) As everyone around her is preaching that a woman's place is in the home and that she must be a dutiful daughter and marry the man of her father's bidding, a rebellious streak arrises in Ann. She will stop at nothing to be with the man she loves, the scandalous John Donne. However, deep inside, she is worrying over his supposed affair with a countess. A battle with the chicken pox leaves her feeling fearless tho and she aims to take action into her own hands and that is all I am going to reveal.

Very plesant story, but tho it made me smile, it never made me laugh outright. And whereas it would make me go "Oh, dear..." it never made me want to cry in sympathy. The romance was sweet, but not heart thumping. Basically, it didn't move me. The prose was lovely, but at times there was too much of it. Four stars.