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24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A laser-like focus on one of the most pivotal years of Eleanor's life!, August 10, 2010
This review is from: The Secret Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Paperback)
Eleanor of Aquitaine was an amazing queen who reigned over two kingdoms, first France and later England. She lived to a grand old age, dying in her early eighties. Most of the previous books based on her life try to capture the entirety of it, and decades' worth of events fill the pages. Cecelia Holland takes a different approach in her latest novel, `The Secret Eleanor', narrowing her focus to one of the pivotal years in Eleanor's life. In the opening pages, Eleanor meets Henry, son of the Count of Anjou, and instantly falls in love (or is it her great lust for his power?) with him. They meet secretly, and plan to marry as soon as Eleanor can get out of her current marriage to the King of France. One of their assignations lands Eleanor in an uncomfortable situation, and she must use all of her cunning and the aid of her sister, Petronilla, to hide the secret from her enemies. For the most part, the book focuses on the two sisters, Eleanor and Petronilla. There is such a sharp contrast between them. Petronilla, crushed by her husband's rejection of her, begins shy and demure, but events force her out of her shell and remind her that a failed marriage doesn't mean she's useless. Meanwhile, Eleanor is the picture of confidence and seductive power. She's used to getting what she wants, when she wants it. People bend over backwards to please her. When necessity forces Eleanor out of the limelight for a time, she's shocked to realize that she could easily be replaced by another woman. The jolt to Eleanor's confidence shatters her ability to trust even those closest to her. We also see a bit of what life is like for those on the fringe of the royal court in the lives of a troubadour and his wife. They may sing for the nobility, but they are not of that class, and it's fun to see how this changes their outlook and actions. I enjoyed this microscopic look at a brief period of Eleanor's life. Holland captured the power and allure of the legendary Queen while still capturing the flaws in her character. She also skillfully brings many of the minor characters in Eleanor's circle to life, creating lively individuals from figures who are little more than footnotes to history.
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"She wondered if being weak in this world were not worse than sin.", August 2, 2010
This review is from: The Secret Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Paperback)
Holland's novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine focuses on the meeting of Eleanor and Henry, second son of the Count of Anjou, while Eleanor is still wife to the pious Louis VII of France. A beautiful woman with great appetite and brilliant political instincts, Eleanor finds in the decade younger Henry what is so lacking in her union with Louis, a marriage that has produced only two daughters in fifteen years. Suddenly, a new course is opened to Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine, fed by the spark of her volatile attraction to Henry, as dreams become plans and Henry plots to rule not only Normandy and Anjou, but England and Aquitaine, with Louis's queen at his side. Of course, political expediency intrudes, Holland setting the stage in 1151 for conflict and intrigue as Eleanor convinces Louis to agree to an annulment that he might wed another and bear sons. And while Henry begins his quest for the throne of England in earnest after the untimely death of his father, Eleanor is bedeviled by a more serious dilemma, one that threatens her bright future at Henry's side. It is to her sister, Petronilla, that Eleanor turns in confidence, terrified of betrayal in the treacherous months between the release from Louis and Henry's embrace. Eleanor's beauty and acumen are hidden in the dusty halls of Louis's court. Without the aid of her sister, perhaps Eleanor would be doomed to a smaller role. But while the men near the king of France scheme to advance their own agendas, Eleanor begins only one of the many skirmishes that will define her life on the world stage, a woman equal in ambition to any man and often just as ruthless. But this is Eleanor in love, passionate, determined and filled with the glow of passion. The author captures the political tension surrounding Louis's throne, Henry's greedy ambitions and Eleanor's aptitude for politics, even in the darkest days of her struggle to be with Henry. A woman who must survive by her wiles in a man's world, Eleanor is an extraordinary historical figure, as gifted as any man while burdened by the usual court prejudices against females. Before she can become Henry's fertile queen, she must outwit those in the French court who would see her remain at her husband's side or tucked away in a convent. Only the queen's women know her most intimate secrets, and the inscrutable Petronilla, but success hinges on the unraveling threads of loyalty. Great secrets beget treachery; this novel illustrates how easily a queen's plans may be turned to ashes. Luan Gaines/2010.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Horribly boring and micro look into Eleanor of Aquitane's life, August 30, 2010
This review is from: The Secret Eleanor: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Paperback)
This has been the year of Eleanor of Aquitane novels. No less than three novels have been published this year about the famous queen, so I was hoping that Cecelia Holland's The Secret Eleanor would stand out from the crowd. Eleanor is such a fascinating woman, but all of this year's Eleanor novels I've read so far have turned out to be boring. I had high hopes for The Secret Eleanor. I thought it could stand out from the pack, but it didn't. It just stayed flat. In fact, I didn't even finish the book. Yeah, I pretty much never leave books unfinished, so that's pretty bad. First, The Secret Eleanor focuses on the events within just one year of the eventful Queen's life. Eleanor is struggling since she cannot bear King Louis of France a male heir, and Eleanor and Louis are considering getting an annulment. But Eleanor has a secret, she has a burning desire for the young Henry, son of the Count d'Anjou with a strong claim to the British throne. After an unfortunate decision, Eleanor becomes pregnant with Henry's child, putting the pending annulment and her possible marriage to Henry in jeopardy. That's basically the entire book. While there is some discussion of French, British and Aquitane politics, much of the book is spent hiding Eleanor's pregnancy and waiting for her to have the baby. That's it. There are a few subplots that Holland tried to weave into the story, such as the musicians Claire and Thomas and Henry's struggle against his brother Geoffrey, but they either didn't go anywhere or didn't seem to have much of an impact on the overall plot. Not only was it confusing and jarring to suddenly swap between first-person viewpoints, but there was so much that could have and should have been cut out. Perhaps Holland could have talked about more events in Eleanor's life? While I wouldn't discourage readers from picking this book up, just be warned that it's very simple, linear and not much happens -oh, and there's a quite a bit of romance too.
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