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9:16 pm
I’ve been thinking of reading some of her books, but I was wondering just how accurate her novels are. From reading her interviews, it seems like she takes some liberties, but points out what’s true and what isn’t in Author’s Notes.
10:55 am
January 3, 2012
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Queen of England said
I’ve been thinking of reading some of her books, but I was wondering just how accurate her novels are. From reading her interviews, it seems like she takes some liberties, but points out what’s true and what isn’t in Author’s Notes.
All fictional writers take liberties, some more than others. The annoying part to that is when the fictional authors claim that what they have written is true, and one writer does that frequently, causing much gnashing of teeth and books flying through the air or being used for other purposes.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
11:01 am
Boleyn said
All fictional writers take liberties, some more than others. The annoying part to that is when the fictional authors claim that what they have written is true, and one writer does that frequently, causing much gnashing of teeth and books flying through the air or being used for other purposes.
Which is exactly why I don’t like Philippa Gregory. But anyway, yeah, I’m aware of that. I’m just wondering what sort of liberties Weir takes with her books.
12:19 pm
November 18, 2010
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It’s been a few years since I read any Weir but IIRC, she’s not too outlandish as SWMNBN. Weir certainly doesn’t hate Anne or Elizabeth as much.
It's always bunnies.
2:33 pm
January 3, 2012
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Anyanka said
It’s been a few years since I read any Weir but IIRC, she’s not too outlandish as SWMNBN. Weir certainly doesn’t hate Anne or Elizabeth as much.
Yes I completely agree with you there… SWMNBN certainly has a lot of venom where Anne and Elizabeth are concerned. Yes I’m guilty of reading her “Last Tudor” book, and it seemed to me to be all out for villifying Elizabeth and painting her as a black widow.. Strangely her last book “3 sisters and 3 queens” isn’t a lot better, in fact I got so fed up with it I threw it out of the bedroom window, it’s still in the garden.
I do enjoy Alison Weir’s books she is a good storywriter and I feel that she does research her chosen subject very well, which in turn makes an excellent and entertaining book.
One of the jacket quotes on her book “Innocent traitor” states that the reader cried at the end, and I did as well.
I feel that SWMNBN does do her research, but already has a preconcieved idea of what her subject is like, and when the facts don’t fit her ideal she bends those facts to fit what she truly believes.
I will never NEVER get over her radio interview, and I don’t think dinosaur will either he still has the teethmarks to prove it.. 
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
6:06 pm
Boleyn said
Yes I completely agree with you there… SWMNBN certainly has a lot of venom where Anne and Elizabeth are concerned. Yes I’m guilty of reading her “Last Tudor” book, and it seemed to me to be all out for villifying Elizabeth and painting her as a black widow.. Strangely her last book “3 sisters and 3 queens” isn’t a lot better, in fact I got so fed up with it I threw it out of the bedroom window, it’s still in the garden.
I do enjoy Alison Weir’s books she is a good storywriter and I feel that she does research her chosen subject very well, which in turn makes an excellent and entertaining book.
One of the jacket quotes on her book “Innocent traitor” states that the reader cried at the end, and I did as well.
I feel that SWMNBN does do her research, but already has a preconcieved idea of what her subject is like, and when the facts don’t fit her ideal she bends those facts to fit what she truly believes.
I will never NEVER get over her radio interview, and I don’t think dinosaur will either he still has the teethmarks to prove it..
I’m actually reading The Last Tudor now just because I was feeling in a Jane Grey mood recently (I also bought My Lady Jane), and I seriously don’t get what SWMNBN has against Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. I’d understand if she wanted to bring out their negative traits a little more into the spotlight, but really! She didn’t have to completely ruin them, and it’s especially damaging when people take her stories as facts. Her writing isn’t the best either, so I don’t even like her that much as a novelist.
1:31 am
November 18, 2010
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I liked My Lady Jane. And also The Innocent Traitor. I’ll probably buy her Henry’s queens novels.
I have mixed feeling about Weir’s biographies.Very light and easy to read but I now need more depth. Certainly I’d recommend her for the casual Tudor interest reader.
Which books have you read about Jane Grey?
I have just finished “Crown of Blood” By Nicola Tallis(ie=UTF8&qid=1508027163&sr=1-1&keywords=nicola+tallis).
Eric Ives Lady Jane Grey gives a compelling argument for why Jane was legally queen (psc=1&refRID=8HSJDNZHEWBVRZ9N1QZN)
Leander de Lisle The sisters who would be queen is a good study of Jane and her siblings(ie=UTF8&qid=1508027387&sr=1-4-fkmr0&keywords=liander+di+lisle)
It's always bunnies.
1:35 am
November 18, 2010
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Queen of England said
I’m actually reading The Last Tudor now just because I was feeling in a Jane Grey mood recently (I also bought My Lady Jane), and I seriously don’t get what SWMNBN has against Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I. I’d understand if she wanted to bring out their negative traits a little more into the spotlight, but really! She didn’t have to completely ruin them, and it’s especially damaging when people take her stories as facts. Her writing isn’t the best either, so I don’t even like her that much as a novelist.
I loved her Wildacre books as a teen but her Tudor books…I read one..It was so bad I can’t even remember the name.
I watched “The Other Boleyn Girl” because it was on Netflix…It’s was better than I’d expected…I wrote a review somewhere here…I’ll link to it when I find it.
It's always bunnies.
1:39 am
November 18, 2010
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Boleyn said
Yes I completely agree with you there… SWMNBN certainly has a lot of venom where Anne and Elizabeth are concerned. Yes I’m guilty of reading her “Last Tudor” book, and it seemed to me to be all out for villifying Elizabeth and painting her as a black widow.. Strangely her last book “3 sisters and 3 queens” isn’t a lot better, in fact I got so fed up with it I threw it out of the bedroom window, it’s still in the garden.
I do enjoy Alison Weir’s books she is a good storywriter and I feel that she does research her chosen subject very well, which in turn makes an excellent and entertaining book.
One of the jacket quotes on her book “Innocent traitor” states that the reader cried at the end, and I did as well.
I feel that SWMNBN does do her research, but already has a preconcieved idea of what her subject is like, and when the facts don’t fit her ideal she bends those facts to fit what she truly believes.
I will never NEVER get over her radio interview, and I don’t think dinosaur will either he still has the teethmarks to prove it..
SWMNBN pisses me off because every so often she has to remind us she has a PhD.
Well, yes she does. It’s in English Literature….not history. And certainly not in Tudor History.
I trust Claire Ridgeway and Clare Cherry much more than her for in depth research.
It's always bunnies.
1:48 am
November 18, 2010
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Anyanka said
I loved her Wildacre books as a teen but her Tudor books…I read one..It was so bad I can’t even remember the name.
I watched “The Other Boleyn Girl” because it was on Netflix…It’s was better than I’d expected…I wrote a review somewhere here…I’ll link to it when I find it.
Missed the edit window..
It's always bunnies.
5:04 am
Anyanka I’ll definitely check out those books you linked. I think I read your review once, and I didn’t like the film either, but I did think Natalie Portman did a good job as Anne. As for Wideacre, I actually finished reading it a few days ago. Honestly, it kind of reminded me of a worse version of Wuthering Heights. I didn’t like any of the characters except for maybe John and Celia, and I still wonder if Beatrice was even meant to be likeable or not.
Also, what is it with SWMNBN and incest? I wouldn’t have minded if it was just for this book and even marrying your cousin wasn’t entirely illegal either even back then (and it still isn’t in some countries), but then we have Beatrice x Henry, implications of Anne x George, Richard III x Elizabeth of York… It’s a little ridiculous if you ask me. Never mind the historical inaccuracy when it comes to her Plantaganet and Tudor novels.
11:57 am
January 3, 2012
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Queen of England said
Anyanka I’ll definitely check out those books you linked. I think I read your review once, and I didn’t like the film either, but I did think Natalie Portman did a good job as Anne. As for Wideacre, I actually finished reading it a few days ago. Honestly, it kind of reminded me of a worse version of Wuthering Heights. I didn’t like any of the characters except for maybe John and Celia, and I still wonder if Beatrice was even meant to be likeable or not.Also, what is it with SWMNBN and incest? I wouldn’t have minded if it was just for this book and even marrying your cousin wasn’t entirely illegal either even back then (and it still isn’t in some countries), but then we have Beatrice x Henry, implications of Anne x George, Richard III x Elizabeth of York… It’s a little ridiculous if you ask me. Never mind the historical inaccuracy when it comes to her Plantaganet and Tudor novels.
I think the second version of “The Other Boleyn Girl” was a little better than the first version. Jodi May in the first version was just bloody awful, Jarred Harris as Henry didn’t work, and there was no warmth or connection with any of the cast.. That squeeky gate sound every so often got on my nerves, however the very last bit where you saw Mary and her kids at the scaffold and she said “I was happy being a nobody” is something I could see Mary B saying. The real Mary B was perhaps the luckiest Boleyn, as she escaped the destructive web of Henry. She may not have had a lot of money (I believe the real Mary had to beg Cromwell to get her stipend or money from her father, as Thomas B had all but disowned her after her marriage to Stafford) but she was happy, she was with a man who loved her for her, not because of who she was.
The Second film did at least have some connection and warmth between the cast, and they bounced off each other very well, I certainly like the way Elizabeth B was portrayed as the voice of reason in some small way. Natalie Portman did her best portraying Anne, but I still felt she lacked something, and completely lost the plot towards the end of the film. Eric Bana as Henry wasn’t too bad, but again like Natalie lacked something. At least there wasn’t a rusty gate in the film…
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
12:32 pm
January 3, 2012
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Anyanka said
SWMNBN pisses me off because every so often she has to remind us she has a PhD.
Well, yes she does. It’s in English Literature….not history. And certainly not in Tudor History.
I trust Claire Ridgeway and Clare Cherry much more than her for in depth research.
Completely agree again, both Claire’s are extemely through when it comes to researching no stone is left unturned.
SWMNBN is not a historian and never will be, even though she bleats that she is, even if she went on to get a Ph.D in history she will still not be an historian. The reason for that is she simply isn’t prepared to accept facts, she has made up her mind that Anne is a wh*re, a witch with 3 nipples and 6 fingers, Elizabeth is the by product of incest between Anne and George and that George is a homosexual etc.. The facts are very clear but she doesn’t care her opinions are the truth and it’s other people who are wrong, and so are the people who wrote what happened back then.
Grrr SWMNBN gets right up my bugle…
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
1:37 pm
November 18, 2010
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Queen of England said
Also, what is it with SWMNBN and incest? I wouldn’t have minded if it was just for this book and even marrying your cousin wasn’t entirely illegal either even back then (and it still isn’t in some countries),
I have no idea. I mean, Ferdinand of Aragon married his grand-niece and the pope was happy to grant a dispensation. Cranmer issued one to Henry to marry Jane since she and Anne* were second cousins.
I wonder of she’s kicking herself for not writing “Fifty Shades of Grey”?
* Jane, Anne and her Howard relatives shared a great-grand-mother in Elizabeth Cheney
It's always bunnies.
7:41 pm
January 3, 2012
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There were a lot of these advunculate marriages, and the Pope was only to happy to grant a dispensation, for the right money. The Hapburg line was so inbred it was that, that which killed them off in the end.
History is littered with advunculate marriages, it just seems to me that some people seem to think this is something new… Ancient Egyptians believed in keeping their royal blood within the family . King Tut as we all know married his sister, and they had 2 stillborn children. After the death of King Tut his wife/sister married her uncle Ay Tut’s successor. Khufu (the great Pyramid fame) was married to 2 of his own daughters.
Semper Fidelis, quod sum quod
6:29 pm
February 24, 2010
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When I first started on this journey, many years ago, I started with novels, then gradually worked my way to history books. When I found Weir’s books, I read them all. She writes in a way that puts nonacademics at ease. However, as I progressed, I learned that a good historian always gives good references. Weir does not. Sometimes she doesn’t give any. I like to check my references.
Her fiction books are captivating, but she leaves her historian credentials by the wayside and throws in all the ugly stuff about her characters. She’s not as bad as PG, but I still have trouble reading her books.
Claire and Clare, write factually about history. Excellent authors.
I don’t know if you guys have read Adrienne Dillard’s books, or Sandra Vasoli’s books, but I highly recommend them. These two authors tell beautiful stories that are based on facts, not rumors. Also there is Sarah Morris who wrote Le Temps Viendra: A Novel of Anne Boleyn Volume I and II. Those are all novels and they all stick as close to the truth as possible.
PS. The books Anyanka mentioned are very good.
