Review: Catherine de Medici by Leonie Frieda

Genre:Non-fiction/Biography
Dewey No 923.144
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2003
456p


Orphaned in infancy, imprisoned in childhood, heiress to an ancient name and vast fortune, Catherine de Medici grew up to become one of the most important figures in European history. Three of her sons became kings of France, including the eldest who married Mary, Queen of Scots. It is a story of incest, vicious religious wars, assassination, poison, the occult and in Catherine's own words.........

'passion, hatred and vengeance'.

The opening paragraph of the prologue is an example of how easy to read Leonie Frieda's narrative is .......

" On the late afternoon of Friday, 30 June 1559 a long splinter of wood from a jousting lance pierced the eye and brain of King Henri II of France. The poisonous wound bloated his face, slowly robbing him of sight, speech and reason, and after ten days of suffering he died...."

......and is the moment that would change Catherine's life from that of a Queen Consort living in the shadow of her husband's long-time mistress Diane de Poitiers, to Regent of France. Her eldest son died soon after his father leaving a 10-year-old as king and Catherine at the helm of a country torn apart by civil and religious conflicts.

While one can't overlook the part she played in the of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre it's not so well known that from the beginning of her regency she attempted to implement a policy of religious toleration but was unable to reconcile the fanaticism of both Catholics and Protestants. The mere fact of her being a hated Italian gave both sides a target and a scapegoat .

Catherine's achilles heel would prove to be her children. Everything she did was for them and to keep the throne of France securely in Valois hands. Unfortunately they were rather a pathetic brood.......unhealthy and constantly at each other's throats , their behaviour and sexual deviancy alienated the court and did little to gain popular support . Catherine would see three sons become king before she died .......her death spared her from the murder of her favourite son, Henri III and the knowledge that the Valois dynasty was no more.

It took me a while to read this book because it is so much more than a biography . Leonie Frieda provides a fascinating and detailed account of a complex time and to understand these events and sort out the participants takes slow reading at times. I enjoyed it very much and would recommend to anyone wanting a balanced and well researched study of this remarkable and much-maligned woman.

Includes illustrations, maps, family trees, a list of principal characters, authors note , source notes, bibliography and index.



Review: Courtesan by Diane Haeger

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance
Publisher: Three Rivers Press, 1993
565p

A Right Royal Romance!

The court of Francois 1 of France is full of lust, intrigue and bawdy bon temps - a different world from the quiet country life Diane de Poitiers led with her elderly husband. Now a widow, the elegant Diane is called back to court, where the King's obvious interest marks her as an enemy to the King's 'favourite', Anne d'Heilly and the court is soon electrified by rumours of their confrontations. As Anne calls on her most venomous tricks to drive Diane a way, Diane finds an ally in the one member of court with no allegiance to the King's mistress: his teenage second son, Henri.

Neglected by his father and disliked by his brothers, Prince Henri expects little from his life. But as his friendship with Diane deepens into infatuation and then a romance that scandalizes the court, the Prince begins to discover hope for a future with Diane. Fate and his father have other plans - including a political marriage with Catherine de Medici.

I bought this book at a recent Book Fair and not having read anything of Diane Haeger's I was looking forward to reading what gives the impression of being a good solid historical novel. I can only say now that I'm happy I paid a mere $2 for it.

The relationship between Henri and Diane is one of history's great love stories. The young man who would become Henri II and the woman who was almost 20 years his senior would remain devoted to each other until Henri's premature death in a jousting match when he was 40.

However fascinating that may be , I found the first part of the book dragged on and on and I was hard put to continue. Throughout, the focus is on the romance - repetitive love scenes and endless avowals of undying devotion became very boring.
I didn't like the way the author whitewashed Diane - she was a remarkable woman but no one survived in those times, particularly amongst court intrigue with its plotting and backstabbing, without having their wits about them. The way Diane is portrayed is too good to be true and I couldn't relate to her at all . If I felt a connection to anyone it was the young Catherine de Medici .

Overall I was disappointed and I think I already have a more balanced perspective of this relationship from other books I've read .

French Historicals Oh La La Challenge
Royal Mistress Challenge

Review: My Lady Judge by Cora Harrison

Title: My Lady Judge
Author: Cora Harrison
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: MacMillan, 2007

310p

 Ireland, the Burren, 1509...........visit this wild and windswept north western corner of County Clare today and much would be the same as it was then. The strange limestone formations, ancient dolmens and celtic crosses, the great cliffs with giant waves crashing on the rocks below and the ruins of tiny stone cottages which dot the landscape. An amazing place.

In 1509 , far across the sea in England the young Henry VIII had succeeded to his father's throne but here on the Burren the people still lived peacefully by the ancient Brehon laws of their ancestors. A law which focused on confession, negotiation and reparation and relied heavily on the consensus and cooperation of the community, despising the barbaric English law with its cruel punishments.
Many of the Brehon laws were passed on verbally but later in the 16th century a group of scholars would record and preserve them for posterity. A fascinating glimpse into these laws is can be found at the beginning of each chapter ...........excerpt chapter 15 ( Cain Lananna - The Law of Marriage)

Imscarad, divorce is permitted for many reasons. In the following cases the woman may retain her coibche, bride price:
1. If the man leaves her for another woman
2. If the man is impotent or homosexual
3. if he is so fat as to be incapable of intercourse
4. If the man relates secrets of the marriage bed in the alehouse.

A most enlightened society where woman were accorded a great deal more respect than was found elsewhere!
Mara , the central character of the story is an independent,  divorced woman ( on the grounds of the loose alehouse tongue) . She is the Brehon of the Burren, an investigating magistrate, a judge and lawgiver........trained from her childhood and following in her father's footsteps she is an important and well respected member of her community who also runs a law school where she teaches and prepares young students for a career in law.

On the eve of the May Day festival the people of the Burren celebrated. lighting fires and singing and dancing through the night on Mullaghmore mountain, then returning home in the grey dawn to the safety of their own homes.

But one man did not come back the steeply spiralled path - his body lay exposed to the ravens and the wolves, and no one spoke of him or told what they had seen.

When Mara begins the investigation she is met with a wall of silence .........noone liked the dead man, there were many who were happy to hear of his demise and all would close ranks to protect the one they imagine has committed the crime. It will take all her skill and powers of deduction to find the answers.

A delightful little book that I really enjoyed ........it is the first of a series that will feature Mara so I must look out for more. It will appeal to any lover of historical fiction, particularly if you like a little mystery with your history, with a well constructed plot, fascinating historical details and a charming leading lady.

Royal Reviews Historical Fiction Challenge

Year of the Historical 2010 Challenge.

Review: The Italian Woman by Jean Plaidy

Title: The Italian Woman
Author: Jean Plaidy
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Arrow, 2006

First published: 1952

387p

The second in Jean Plaidy's trilogy of the life of Catherine d' Medici this book is the story of two women whose lives were destined to cross in affairs of state, love and faith, driving them to become deadly enemies.

After years of being shamed and neglected by her husband's devotion to his mistress,  Queen Catherine suddenly finds herself a widow and in a powerful position as the mother of a young and sickly king and his siblings. Her favourite is her third son Henry and her desire to see him on the throne will motivate many a devious scheme.  She will also stop at nothing in order to bring about the downfall of another young woman she so dislikes.

Jeanne is a princess of France, the cousin of Catherine's husband Henry II , and on the death of her father Queen of Navarre. She marries for love into the Protestant Bourbon family and in time becomes a member of the Reformed Faith and a staunch supporter of the Huguenot cause.

The story moves between the two women and their personal conflict mirrors the political and religious struggles happening in the  country. France is vulnerable with the power of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I of England on one side and Catholic Philip of Spain on the other, each of them with an eye on the main chance.

Jean Plaidy breathes life into the people and events of history with a wonderful mix of historical detail , excitement and romance that makes them able to be enjoyed by any reader. It's 30 years since I first read her books and they still capture my attention without in any way feeling dated. 

There is a helpful family tree in the front and an author's note at the back with a list of reference titles.

Historical Tapestry ABC Historical Fiction Challenge

I is for Italian.