Even avid followers of the Tudor saga may find this a bit of tough going. Weir is a talented writer, and this historical novel about Lady Jane Grey, reluctant Queen of England for nine days, is undoubtedly well-researched.
But it is slow. My lord, it is slow.
Grey was only 15 when, through the machinations of her ambitious parents, she was put forth as successor to Edward, only son of Henry VIII, an alternative to the Catholic Princess Mary. And at times, it seems Weir is intent on guiding us through each and every day of those 15 years, and of the eight months between Grey's abdication and her execution.
Part of the problem is that the young Lady Jane -- at least, in Weir's characterization -- is a self-righteous little prig. While she was undeniably ill-used by those in power, it's hard to develop much sympathy for her. Another part is Weir's use of rotating narrators, probably necessitated by the fact that it's got to be nearly impossible to produce a readable book narrated largely from the point of view of a pre-teen girl.
There are only two ways, really, to tell the story -- as a brief footnote to the history of the Tudor dynasty, or as a microscopic examination of the political machinations of a group of power-hungry men who would stop at nothing to seize and retain their power. Weir has chosen the latter, and it makes a long, hard haul for the reader.
But it is slow. My lord, it is slow.
Grey was only 15 when, through the machinations of her ambitious parents, she was put forth as successor to Edward, only son of Henry VIII, an alternative to the Catholic Princess Mary. And at times, it seems Weir is intent on guiding us through each and every day of those 15 years, and of the eight months between Grey's abdication and her execution.
Part of the problem is that the young Lady Jane -- at least, in Weir's characterization -- is a self-righteous little prig. While she was undeniably ill-used by those in power, it's hard to develop much sympathy for her. Another part is Weir's use of rotating narrators, probably necessitated by the fact that it's got to be nearly impossible to produce a readable book narrated largely from the point of view of a pre-teen girl.
There are only two ways, really, to tell the story -- as a brief footnote to the history of the Tudor dynasty, or as a microscopic examination of the political machinations of a group of power-hungry men who would stop at nothing to seize and retain their power. Weir has chosen the latter, and it makes a long, hard haul for the reader.
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