Customer Reviews

The Traitor's Wife: A Novel of the Reign of Edward II

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(11)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

Eleanor de Clare, niece to Edward II, marries Hugh le Despenser when the book opens in 1306. Hugh was quite the character - a pirate, knight, knave or confidant of the king at one time or another. Adopting the consensus of most historians, The Traitor's Wife portrays his relationship with Edward II as a homosexual one. It even suggests there may have been sexual relations between Eleanor and the king, which some historians also believe.

This love triangle is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to scandals during Edward's reign. In fact, this one doesn't even begin until after the death of Piers Gaveston, also alleged to have had homosexual relations with the king. And then there's the scheming of Roger Mortimer and Queen Isabella, who want to reign - and do for a short while - in all but name.

Even after Hugh le Despenser, and a short time later, Edward II, die, Eleanor's life is anything but uneventful. She marries William la Zouche, the man responsible for capturing Hugh. Then she manages to get herself accused of marrying two different men at the same time. As the author later explains in the afterword, the explanation of this event is fictional. But historical records indicate that John de Grey, a knight, challenged the marriage because he believed Eleanor to have been married to him.

In short, the book is jam-packed with scandal - impeccably researched, which makes for some juicy reading. Moreover, the characters are likeable - perhaps except for Mortimer - even when they're misbehaving.

If you like action-packed medieval drama supported by accurate historical details, you'll love this book. Highly recommended.

I was very interested in reading this book to get a different take on Hugh Despenser and was willing to suspend disbelief. However, even the author can't save him from his notorious deeds. The best she can do for him is make him a loving husband and father who somehow manages to hide from his naive and adoring wife both his physical relationship with Edward II and outright theft of lands and treasure. Eleanor hardly raises an eyebrow even when he wrangles with her own sisters over their rightful inheritence (and wins, of course, with the king on his side). In order to get the reader to have some empathy for Eleanor, it's necessary to keep her in the dark about Hugh's bad behavior, which just makes Eleanor seem witless and unreliable. The way she could be fooled about his true self simply because he was a considerate spouse is unbelievable in a "we didn't know what the Nazis were doing" kind of way. The very modern English used detracts further from the believabilty of the story. Despenser is a tough character to work with if you are determined to have a novel with a sympathetic person at its center. The book might have worked better if Eleanor was not written as a naif but as an active participant in Hugh's activities, which she probably was, since she's long been viewed as a spy planted in Queen Isabella's household. There are many pages devoted to the stories of Despenser's children; the family actually managed to work its way back into royal favor in years to come. That might have been another angle to take - the sons dealing with the legacy of a notorious father. But Hugh as husband of the year? I'm just not buying it.

King Edward I invaded Scotland, setting off the events more or less chronicled in the fictional book and movie, Braveheart. Edward's son was far less of a war hawk than his dad. His misadventures became the root of many problems that cropped up in the English king's court during the early 1300's. In essence, Edward II was the Bill Clinton of England: you either hated him for his sexual dalliances or you ignored them and respected him for his better qualities. This book is a fictionalized account of the story, as seen through the eyes of the king's niece, Eleanor le Despenser, who was also married to a pirate who shared his bed with both of them. Susan Higginbotham explains the whole, sordid, convoluted history with a conversational style that keeps the action flowing and the reader turning the page. This is quite an impressive first novel.

I really wanted to like The Traitor's Wife. It promised to have all the things I look for in a good historical novel--a tight plot, good writing, and historical accuracy. Unfortunately, I was disappointed.

First, I found it really difficult to identify with the main character, Eleanor. I understand the idea of the "innocent abroad," but I found it really hard to believe that anyone could be as ignorant as Eleanor was in this novel of what was going on with her husband. Instead, I felt as though she came off as rather dumb.

In addition, I found it hard to identify with any of the characters, all of whom seemed like cardboard cut-outs instead of flesh-and-blood people. I really failed to see why Eleanor was so attracted to her husband Hugh, or why she fell in love with him from the very first moment she met him. The hallmark of a good novel for me is creating believable characters. I understand Higginbotham's reason for wanting to display the Despensers in a sympathetic light, but ultimately, I'm not a believer.

The author also seems very fond of the "tell, don't show" method of writing. Things happen, but the author never illustrates them, instead having one of her characters mention what happened in a passing comment. There's very little tension and no romance. I'm not sure about the historical accuracy of the book, but I felt that the characters seemed a bit too modern in their speech sometimes. And the entire novel is written in a sophomoric style of wring; I know of middle schoolers who can write better than Higginbotham. In short, this is sadly not a book I'd recommend. The new cover is lovely, though.

Susan Higginbotham has taken a very complex time and done a magnificent job in describing it! I love good, fact-based historical fiction, and Susan has done a marvelous job of research and then writing the story of the times of Edward I, Edward II, the De Spencers, et al in such a way that you will NOT want to put this book down! A truly fine job of writing and I hope that we can look forward to more great work from this fine author. Jerry Belew, Llano Texas

I have always considered myself relatively easy to please when it comes to medieval fiction- the subject that I am specializing at university. Unfortunately, 'The Traitor's Wife' left a lot to be desired.

I tried really hard to enjoy this book, and even as I read these other reviews I am left to wonder if I truly was reading the same book as everyone else. In reality, while the story was truly fascinating and the research impeccable, I found myself laughing throughout the course of reading the book at the characters who were- quite simply- ridiculous. The dialogue was rather amateurish for a published author and halfway through the book (I apologize for the following spoiler), a scene pretty much consisted of (with a bit of a contemporary twist, of course) "Honey, I slept with your uncle." "Oh its okay sweetie, I already figured that out months ago...btw so did I."

What?? There were cliché scenes like this littered throughout the novel, so much so that about 50 pages in I found it really difficult to take any of the characters all that seriously. The author tried to provide a sympathetic portrait of Hugh le Despenser; despite her efforts I couldn't help but find her stances quite hard to believe.

Another thing that bothered me (though I may be the only one- I am a fanatic for detail) is, despite the terrific research aimed at the actual events surrounding the novel, there is really very little detail about medieval life in general. I may be wrong however I think throughout the whole novel the characters may have been in a church only once. There seemed to be a tolerance towards the more libertine aspects of the books that I am certain really did not exist in the first half of the 14th century.

A final problem that I had with the book (and one that I noticed in the author's other books) is the biases that the author hold. Perhaps I am used to Sharon Kay Penman's great ability to tell the story and really give each character a chance to give his/her 'side of the story'. In most any book you read, of course, there will be a hero, most likely the main character, and a villain. The sorry thing about this novel is the fact that these particular characters are so extreme in their- for lack of better terms- heroics and villainy. Despite the fact that she was a naive idiot and not all that great of a person, Eleanor is the epitome of human kindness and even gives of an aura of 'oh! woe is me!'. Mortimer and Isabella on the other hand are pure villains. Their actions are one sided and are unsympathetic. Certainly while I personally dislike both of these characters, I do feel that their portrayals could have been a little more well-rounded.

So there you have it. Would I recommend this book to others? That is a difficult question. Though I think the book could have been handled differently and most certainly revised so that it was easier to read, I think that I would recommend it to someone who is interested in the facts of the time period. If you feels that you can read this book objectively and look at the big picture while reading this idealistic take on the events, go for it! I hate to say it but as I said before, some parts of this book can only be described as laughable and ridiculous... therefore, should you choose to read this book it might be prudent to also purchase some earplugs for your roommates.

I love English historical fiction having raed all of Plaidy and Gregory's works but was very excited to read a different author's take on the much maligned Edward II. I was not disappointed. As a retired drama teacher I have time to travel and read so I took "The Traitor's Wife" with me on our latest RV adventure. I could not stop reading, my husband was lucky to get fed. Telling us about Edward and his many relatives from the point of view of his beloved niece, Eleanor, was brilliant. Even though the book was quite long, I was never bored and felt that the author had tirelessly researched her subjects and yet she made everyone come beautifully to life. This novel has something for everyone, romance, intrigue, torture and a side of English royalty (Edward II in particular) we haven't seen. I highly recommend this novel to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

As a history teacher, it is FANTASTIC to find a historical novel of such power and accuracy. I found the characters fascinating, complex and engrossing. I really cared what happened to them, even the villians. Each of the major characters has a depth that is rarely found in accurate historical novels. Eleanor is naive and still a source of strength. Her devotion to both King and husband is admirable even when she is clearly fooled by their faults. I really enjoyed this novel and can't wait for another Higginbotham work.

Susan Higginbotham's big and beautiful novel traces the story of Eleanor de Clare (born 1292), granddaughter and niece of kings, who was married to one of the most notorious men in medieval England - Hugh le Despenser, pirate and extortionist, and almost certainly the lover of Eleanor's uncle, King Edward II. Eleanor was heavily involved in the fascinating events of these supremely turbulent times.

What I loved about the novel most is how rounded and sympathetic the characters are - the author must have put a huge amount of work into the character development, and it really shows. These people are living, breathing creations you can feel great affection for, as the author clearly does. I've read a lot of novels on Edward II, who's one of my favourite people in history, and I'm so sick of the way he's often portrayed, as a weakling, a coward, a pervert. Sounds ridiculous, I know, but I really felt like crying with gratitude when I saw how sympathetically he's portrayed here. Edward's numerous faults and mistakes are not glossed over, but become part of a real, vivid individual you can believe in. The same for Hugh and Eleanor - Hugh's appalling behaviour, though reprehensible, at least becomes understandable here, and Eleanor comes across as a real tough cookie, who survived imprisonment, disgrace, the hideous death of her husband, the loss of several children, and numerous other tragic events. You really find yourself rooting for her, and hoping that things will turn out well for her.

Despite my love for Edward, I think my favourite part of the novel is the later part, after 1330, when Eleanor and Hugh's children take centre stage. I've never seen a novel which features the younger Despensers as characters, and it was great. Susan's enormous affection for them comes out on every page, and I found myself longing for more! (Hint, hint! :)

Unlike other historical novels I've read, where the authors seem to think that describing the setting in enormous detail and having cardboard cutouts walk through it is somehow meant to be compelling, here the characters are firmly at the forefront. Exactly what I like in a novel.

For readers unfamiliar with the characters, there's a list at the beginning which will be helpful to keep them all straight in your head. It could be confusing as so many of the characters have the same names (almost all the women in England at this time seemed to be called Eleanor, Margaret or Joan) but Susan manages to keep them all clear. Another feature I especially liked was after the end of the novel, where a few pages describe what happened to the surviving characters, historically.

This novel, like the historical times it describes, has everything you could wish for: love, hatred, passion, jealousy, loyalty, betrayal, revenge, hideous executions....! For anyone interested in medieval history, I recommend this novel highly. For anyone not interested in medieval history: you will be, after you've read this!

I read this book and couldn't put it down and for that I am greatly indebted to the authoress. I found it to be literate and the characters interesting and a worthy investment of money I always hesitate to spend on fiction I buy online as I am far more likely to find myself turned off by the bad plots of so many novels. But this one did not dissappoint.

I was going to rate this book a 5 until a previous reviewer reminded me of what nagged in my mind as I read; the characters in this book were all too good, too nice, to accord with what I've read about members of the medieval English aristocracy. Aside from Queen Isabelle and her lover these were all the sorts of people you'd love to have to tea. I didn't feel this detracted too greatly from the story though; I recently read a novel where the characters had a tougher edge but the plot was so pedantic I couldn't even finish that one. I won't say the title here.

To me, the only weakness of this novel was the Kings flings with both Eleanor and her husband. I don't dispute that this happened as there has always been speculation these affairs did, its the way they happened which I don't feel is handled in a plausible way. First of all, Eleanor's husband Hugh de Despenser is a heterosexual man - according to the way the story is told - who sleeps with the king to get ahead (this is believable, human greed and ambition being what is is), he assumes the

role of the passive partner (not something you would expect from a heterosxual man but Edward was the KING and there is that greed and ambition again), but then comes to enjoy it? A heterosexual man comes to enjoy being the passive sexual partner in a homosexual relationship? I suppose anything is possible but this did not strike me as being credible. And the way Eleanor basically drops her gown and does it with the king as a way of "sharing" in this relationship also is hard to swallow given the way her character is written.

Speaking of Eleanor's character, I feel the novel would have been stronger had she been written as more of a witchy vamp instead of a well-meaning tool of her husband. She may have been the latter but remember, she was a granddaughter of the formidable Edward I. I believe in reality she was probably a more shrewd and avaricious woman than here depicted. Writers of historical fiction have this aversion to creating hero and heroine's who are less than saintly. I suppose they feel this would turn readers off and they may be right. But my gripes with the novel are minor. I loved it and would recommend to anyone.