Katherine
Chicago Review Press - Chicago Review Press
Release date: 2004-05-01
Paperback
Author: Anya Seton
General & Literary Fiction, Historical fiction, Modern fiction, Romance, History, 20th Century American Novel And Short Story, Fiction, Fiction - Romance, Fiction / Historical, Fiction / Romance / Historical, Romance - Historical, Historical - General, Romance - General, Duke of Lancaster, John, Katharine,, duchess of Lancaster, of Gaunt,, Romance & Sagas
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Katherine
Date undefinedMany people adored this book, as evidenced by all the 5 star reviews, but I was not one of them. It took a real effort of will to trudge through this drawn-out emotionally dry and dusty tale. The writing style reads very much like a romance novel from the 1950's or 60's with characters who seem over-simplified and shallow, rather like how you might tell a story to a small child (except for excruciating detail in just about every other way- down to what each and every serf and shepherd are wearing). I never really understood what drew Katherine and John together because they aren't written as especially engaging or likable characters. They are both good-looking. And he is rich. And she is pious. So if that's what appeals to you in a novel, this may be something that sets your heart on fire. If you are hoping for more, look elsewhere.
Katherine
Date undefinedDon't let the fact that this book is 50 years old dissuade you--it's one of the best historical novels I've ever read. It tells the tale of John, Duke of Lancaster, and his third wife Katherine, during the 14th century. Factual details about Katherine's life are scarce, but John, sometimes known as John of Gaunt, was a key player in England at the time. His place in history is ambiguous--he was always suspected of wanting the throne for himself, and indeed his son eventually ended up capturing it.
Seton, not unexpectedly, gives us a picture of a gorgeous, skilled, intelligent man, who pledged loyalty to his King and kept the promise. Katherine is a beautiful, gracious woman, who suffers through many years of being scorned by the Court because of her "irregular" relationship with John and her status as a commoner. But it all turns out fine in the end, of course.
Seton writes well, and manages to convey a sense of the English spoken at the time while still making it totally understandable. The history is accurate in broad outline. Interestingly, Katherine was Chaucer's sister-in-law, and it's possible Chaucer used her as a model for his own work. But most importantly, this book is a great read. As I began, I suddenly had a sneaking suspicion that I'd read this book as a teenager--a very long time ago! But I kept reading anyway--it's that good.
Katherine
Date undefinedSince this was written in the fifties you don't get the raunch that love stories nowadays have, but it was good none the less. The story, for me, began too slow and ended too fast, with so much time passing inbetween that you had to be caught up with nearly every chapter, or every "part" so that sometimes you were left confused and wondering. That was why I gave it four stars. The writing is great, however, very discriptive and enjoyable. The characters themselves are very in depth and realistic, and the time spent with each one is appropriate. I did love the ending, with Katherine finally marrying her long time lover, and discovering the fate of her daughter who had disappeared years ago, something I correctly predicted before it happened. I'll recommend this book to all my friends, and to anyone who reads this review.
