Customer Reviews

Wideacre Trilogy Box Set: Wideacre, The Favored Child, Meridon

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have to start out by saying that I didn't like this trilogy as much as I liked the 5 novels centering around Henry VIII's court and his daughters, but that is an unfair comparison I suppose. The fact that those novels are, at least loosely, "based on a true story" is probably what made them so rivoting for me. That being said, the plot of these 3 novels is every bit as involved and suspenseful. The only thing I did not like as much about these novels was the wordy descriptions of the countryside and the lay of the land on Wideacre. As I read through these books, I started to say in my head, "Ok! I get it! Wideacre is the most beautiful place on earth and very magical regardless of the season..blah blah blah. Can we get on with the actual plot please?!". I hate to admit this, but there were times when I actually would skip an entire paragraph or two once I was tired of hearing about the same stream and crop of trees for the 10th time. Don't get me wrong, I understand the value of describing the environment in detail so that you can really feel that you are "there", but the same environment many, many times over becomes tedious after a while.

That was the only thing negative that I have to say about these 3 books. I suppose that is a personal preference rather than an actual negative aspect of the writing, though.

Once you get past that, the plots are very dramatic and the women who are the centers of these stories are each very unique and very interesting in their own way. The common theme between this trilogy and her Tudor novels is the struggle of women to control their own destiny. If you liked that about those books, you will probably like these. I still highly recommend these novels, just try not to compare them to the Tudor novels. It's not really fair, in my opinion =).

I read this trilogy probably for the same reason most of you are considering buying it: because I had read another Phillipa Gregory book (in my case, 'The Other Boleyn Girl,' and once I read a book I really like, I try to read other books by that same author.

With that said, I'll issue a word of warning. The Wideacre books are not like Gregory's books on the Tudor era. Set in England during the Georgian period, the trilogy centers around the Lacey family and their property, which is called 'Wideacre.' Gregory tried to create a very strong female protagonist, Beatrice, a girl who is frustrated by her gender limitations during this time period and uses her wits and wiles to make up for female limitations.

Beatrice is not, though, a sympathetic character. In the beginning, most people would empathize with Beatrice and feel her frustrations. But as the series continues, the drastic actions (up to, and including, the act of incest) loses the reader's sympathy.

The descriptions of the lengths Beatrice will go to in order to secure her land, Wideacre, ended up being just plain disturbing to me. By the end of 'The Favoured Child,' the second book, I no longer had any interest in Beatrice's trials and tribulations...in fact, I was hoping she failed miserably, but didn't want to read further to find out.

I think it's wonderful when an author can change style and subject matter with ease, so I applaud Ms. Gregory for her range, but I also think it's good for readers to know when some of their books differ so completely from others (that's why we have Amazon, I suppose!).

If you enjoyed Ms. Gregory's Tudor books, stick to those. If you have the stomach for something grittier, give these a try and maybe you'll enjoy them more than I did. Happy reading!

These really have to be read as a trilogy. Not, read half of the first, get disgusted, and say all three books are awful. I ALMOST put down the first one when the incest just got to be too much, but having nothing better to do that day, finished reading it anyway. Some of those scenes- wow, they are gross. I was leary about starting the second book.

But the first book really sets up the other two, and the incest is much milder in the second book, and non-existent in the third. I liked each book much better than the next, and ended up reading the trilogy in about 4 days. I'm giving a 5 star, not because I think this is some great literature, but because they held my interest, and were definate page-turners. The characters were painted with a broad brush, but after reading The Other Boleyn Girl, I found them no more distasteful than Gregory's portrayal of Anne Boleyn. There's incest in that one two, just that in Wideacre, we're given a blow by blow description. Meridon, the last book of the trilogy, is as good as The Queens Fool, my favorite Gregory book.

I second and third those opinions. I LOVE Gregory's historical fiction and will continue to read all of her novels in that genre but I have no interest in continuing with this trilogy after finishing Wideacre. I have never wanted a main character to die so badly in all my life. I have never waited so long through such torturous endless descriptions of incest, murder, starvation, sado masochism, lust for land and conceit to get to the end. I should have put the book down the first time she shagged her brother. Disgusting.

...was a good editor. The Wideacre trilogy (her debut, as far as I know) is what happens when a writer studies too many 18th century novels. She sees absolutely nothing wrong with writing 600 page novels full of descriptions of nature and repetitive explanations of feelings, punctuated every hundred pages or so by some shocking event.

The characters--as other reviewers have written--are well developed, but there is NO ONE in this entire trilogy to relate to. Absolutely no one. Above all, I found myself experiencing frustration to the point of acid reflux. As soon as you start to like a character, she goes and does something absolutely dumb. It's ironic that there is a running theme of growth and healthy land and so on throughout the book, when the heroines are all bent on destruction, either of themselves, of their relationships, or of the land. I would believe that Gregory was deliberately being ironic, if she didn't insist on dragging us through the mud for 1800 pages.

The melodrama I don't mind. It's the whole reason why Philippa Gregory is sold at the airport; she's a trashy writer (and I mean that in the best way... a page turner). But honestly, can't there be a moment's rest?!

Finally: Wideacre = Gone With the Wind. Beatrice Lacey = Scarlett O'Hara. Wideacre Estate = Tara. Celia = Melanie. The parallels are kind of ridiculous, to the point of verging on plagiarism.

This series is a little dark Wideacre especially but it was a good read. I couldn't put the books down and I'm just finishing Meridon. I think Meridon is the best in the series but I'm not quite done. The author has had a knack for destroying the leading lady in the other two books so we'll wait and see.

My wife and I both read and loved Philippa Gregory's The Other Boleyn Girl and thought we would enjoy anything she had written....WRONG.I must confess we only read a few chapters in the first book of this three book series. Thats all it took to see where the story was leading. I guess incest is just not something I am interested in reading about.My wife keeps telling me to throw the books away as she does not want anyone to see them and think we read them. Philippa is so much better than this.I wasted my money on these three. jim

I agree with those who said the "herone" of Wideacre was disgusting and beyond redemption. She made Scarlett O'Hara look like an angel. I enjoyed the Boleyn books, but Wideacre was just horrific. I don't know if I'll be able to move on to the other two.

I was dubious about this series, because it gave the appearance of being a historical romance (which I typically despise). There were a few love/sex scenes, but these were used well to magnify the horrors perpetuated on Wideacre. I loved reading about the peasant riots! Gregory took a complicated history and explained it very simply: living conditions were horrible for the common person because of the nobility and the church. Meridon, the most romantic of the three books, briefly explores the world of travelers - though Gregory never defines them as anything other than "Gypsies."

I wasn't perturbed by the writing style; however, some readers may prefer books written in the active voice - they should be wary of this book!

These novels are some of the best I have ever read. I have read all of Philippa Gregory's novels and have loved them all but this triolgy is her best work. I strongly recommend thest novels to anyone who enjoys stories that are exciting and are page turners to the last.