|
Thus, this is a relatively old work as things go these days. In those days, though, marriage was often a business and she got a pretty good deal. Does it work. And then, John of Gaunt, third son of the King, entered her life. A major challenge facing the author, Anya Seton, is that rather little is known of Katherine Swynford. As she says (Page x): "Of her, little is known, except when her life touched the Duke and there are few details of that." She notes that although this is fiction, she has tried to ground it in authentic history of the time. The original copyright on this book is dated 1954. The story outlines her rather brief life with Swynford, birth of two of her children, and her effort to run the estate.
There follows the tale of rebellion, the loss of Katherine's daughter by her husband, her flight from John out of a sense of having violated morality.Returning to Kettlethorpe, she once more ran the estate; her children by John moved in with her.Then, an almost unbelievably happy ending (and this appears to comport with the historical record).Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. Their home, the Swynford "estate" at Kettlethorpe, was run down--hardly like the Court from which she had come. Fifty years old, with a lot of life left in this volume. Released from a nunnery to the Court of the King of England, young Katherine de Roet becomes a member of that august circle. Nonetheless, it still reads well and does not have a dated, stale sense to it. After Swynford's death in battle (with poison added in, a plot device that I did not find convincing), Katherine and John became lovers and she bore him four children during John's rather empty marriage to his second wife--Constance of Castile.
If you understand that there is little known about Katherine, this book--as well as Alison Weir's "Katherine Swynford"--is remarkable for creating a real live human being out of a few scraps of information.That said, what a story in this book, as detailed by Seton. A knight, Hugh Swynford, described in this book as a rough character, ends up marrying her--although she did not want this to be the case. She was notorious as John's mistress. A truly good read.
I started reading Anya Seton's books when I was a teenager and fell in love with her talent for historical fiction. They are always the right choice to spend some time with a good book. She is quite possibly my all time favorite author, and I do A LOT of reading. Whether she's writing about England or the US, her books never fail you. I have several of her books, older hardcover editions. Nice to know they're worth something.
I bought this book based off of the recommended list of an Amazon.com user, and I do not regret it. This book is delightful. I feel it accurately portrays the day-to-day life of the time period, as well as a wonderful interpretation of this historical love story. The trials and sorrows of Katherine provides a wonderful story you can escape in.
I enjoyed this book. It was a very passionate love story and I was compelled. I did need my dictionary handy to understand a few words but it was great.
Hence we definitely do gain an insight into the lives of royalty and nobility as well as the ordinary people of the England of that time. John is haunted by malevolent slander of being a changeling while he determines to revenge himself on those behind this false charge. The author meticulously researched her sources, and even for minor characters, used where she could, those mentioned in the chronicles. One may have to reread parts, but if you focus you will find this a rewarding historical page turner, and understand why after 55 years it is still a best loved classic of historical literature. A detailed and rich novel, with the author showing a flair for the English language and a deep understanding of medieval English history. We also get to meet characters such as John Chaucer (married to Katherine's sister) and the mystic Nun, St Julian. After the deaths of Blanche and Hugh, so begins the passionate liaison between the flame haired beauty Katherine, and the charismatic Duke of Lancaster and player in the power of England's politics of the time. She gains the friendship and gives her loyalty to Blanche, John of Gaunt's first wife.
But instead of marrying his love Katherine john married the Spanish princess Constance of CastileOnly years later did the lovers meet again after much pain and turmoil and spend three years of marriage before John of Gaunt's death. While her older sister Phillipa gained a position in the royal court, Katherine through her beauty and charm, beguiled the powerful nobleman John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster, father of Henry IV, and ancestor of most of today's royal family, through his eventual marriage to Katherine, his long time paramour. Colourful wording, and a balance between passionate scenes and descriptive tracing of the events of the life of the incredibly interesting and beautiful Katherine Swynford. Katherine of course was dogged by the charge of the time often levelled against beautiful and passionate women, of harlotry. Katherine Swynford was born from a humble background, the daughter of a herald. Katherine is first pressured into marriage to the boorish and brutish knight, Hugh Swynford. Covers events such as the Black Death, and the rebellion of the time led by Wat Tyler, during the reign of the boy king Richard II. A great work of literature, well worth the effort
|
