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Roselynde Chronicles, Roberta Gellis

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LoisAnn
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Roselynde Chronicles, Roberta Gellis

Post by LoisAnn » Sun January 11th, 2009, 3:23 am

I just finished Joanna, by Roberta Gellis - the 3rd book in her "Roselynde Chronicles." I started this book on New Year's Day and cannot remember the last time I spent 10 days on any one book!

I am at a point (age) in my life when I no longer stand on the principle of finishing any book I start ... so it's saying something that I did finish it. Guess the main problem with this one is that all too often I was relieved to get to the end of a chapter so I could put the book down and do something else - like rearrange my sock drawer!

I read the first three books of this series back to back: (Roselynde, Alinor & Joanna). And, maybe if I had spaced the books out a little, they would not have been as tiring - but that's exactly what they became - tiring, wearying, tedious, etc. And, I can say with no regret that I am quite through w/ the series.

I enjoyed the characters and the plots and I believe Gellis does an admirable job of portraying King Richard / King John medieval England. I also enjoyed reading books where the central character is a strong woman. High marks on all these factors. Dialog, character development, descriptive writing all very good.

My problem is that in all three books, Gellis feels the need to unduly create conflict between the main characters based on miscommunication, misperceptions, statements blown out of proportion, etc., etc. What we end up with are lots of pages of internal thinking and reflection and mental wringing of hands and then resultant mistakes which just starts the whole process over again. I was reminded more than once of the old childhood game of "he loves me; he loves me not." I wanted to scream, "Good grief, just talk to him/her!"

As only one of many examples throughout all three books, Joanna gets it into her head that her husband has been unfaithful to her (with no real substance in the storyline to support her belief). We get a page or two of her thinking and ill-conceived logic. So, naturally she feels slighted and sulls up. This makes her husband think she no longer cares about him and we get a page or two of his angst. They circle around each other for a few days before all finds a way of getting straighted out.

Also, I believe Roberta Gellis is a bit hard on King John. I know he had his faults, but she paints him as the devil incarnate and that got a little tiring also. She was also very harsh in her portrayal of Queen Isabella.

I'm passing all three books on to my daughter; although I was tempted to de-recommend them. I finally decided to send them on to her based on the good qualities of the books that I have already mentioned. (Let's admit it - as mothers, we are always eager for our daughters to read books about strong, empowered women.) ;) For the most part they are very readable and decent historical fiction. However, that said, I will not be surprised if she gets bored and sets them aside for something else. It certainly nearly happened to me!

Recommendation: Good for an airplane trip, beach read or if you have nothing else to read.

Rating: 7 out of 10.
I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage. ~ Charles de Secondat

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Sun January 11th, 2009, 10:18 am

[quote=""LoisAnn""]I

As only one of many examples throughout all three books, Joanna gets it into her head that her husband has been unfaithful to her (with no real substance in the storyline to support her belief). We get a page or two of her thinking and ill-conceived logic. So, naturally she feels slighted and sulls up. This makes her husband think she no longer cares about him and we get a page or two of his angst. They circle around each other for a few days before all finds a way of getting straighted out.

Also, I believe Roberta Gellis is a bit hard on King John. I know he had his faults, but she paints him as the devil incarnate and that got a little tiring also. She was also very harsh in her portrayal of Queen Isabella.

Rating: 7 out of 10. [/quote]

I enjoyed your review LoisAnn - thanks!
I so agree with your above comment re Gellis's main flaw. In fact with The Roselynde Chronicles - the first four anyway - she actually manages to keep this internal twittering under better control than in some of her others where it absolutely runs amok and the reader either loses the will to live or very rapidly learns to skim read.
However, her understanding of the period and her character development and dialogue are fabulous when she doesn't bog herself down in above mentioned tediousness. Alinor remains one of my favourite romances of all time, and Ian de Vipont one of my all time favourite heroes. I stick with Gellis for her good moments. That fire of London scene in Joanna is edge of the seat.
I don't think she was harsh on King John at all. Having researched him myself, I think she's bang on the money!
Les proz e les vassals
Souvent entre piez de chevals
Kar ja li coard n’I chasront

'The Brave and the valiant
Are always to be found between the hooves of horses
For never will cowards fall down there.'

Histoire de Guillaume le Mareschal

www.elizabethchadwick.com

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Aneca
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Post by Aneca » Sun January 11th, 2009, 11:16 am

I really should reread these soon. All I can say is that the last one I read had none of those misunderstandings. It was A Tapestry of Dreams.

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Misfit
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Post by Misfit » Sun January 11th, 2009, 12:18 pm

Good review. I enjoyed the Roselynde books, but they definitely started to go sideways after Joanna - I did enjoy that one for the history but the misunderstandings between her and Geoffrey were way over the top.
she actually manages to keep this internal twittering under better control than in some of her others where it absolutely runs amok and the reader either loses the will to live or very rapidly learns to skim read.
However, her understanding of the period and her character development and dialogue are fabulous when she doesn't bog herself down in above mentioned tediousness.
LOL, that is so true at times, but you still have to love her for the history she brings to her books. You either love Gellis or you hate her, I don't think there's much in-between.

LoisAnn
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Post by LoisAnn » Mon January 12th, 2009, 2:32 am

[quote=""Aneca""]I really should reread these soon. All I can say is that the last one I read had none of those misunderstandings. It was A Tapestry of Dreams.[/quote]

LindyMc & I have Tapestry of Dreams on our TBR list ... I'm delighted that Roberta has not written in a bunch of mindless wanderings and "forced" conflicts.

She does so much that is right that I would hate to give up on her as an author.
I've never known any trouble that an hour's reading didn't assuage. ~ Charles de Secondat

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diamondlil
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Post by diamondlil » Mon January 12th, 2009, 7:54 am

Aneca has posted a review of A Tapestry of Dreams over at Historical Tapestry if anyone is interested.
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There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it.

Edith Wharton

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