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Great Maria by Cecelia Holland

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Margaret
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Post by Margaret » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 6:55 am

Sharz, you've put your finger on Holland's strength. She is really exceptional in the way she can immerse the reader in another time and place without a single off note. One of her novels even takes place in the future on another planet, and I believed that one, utterly, too! She must really enjoy research, because from all I can tell, she gets the settings and history right, and she must have an extraordinary ability to project herself into another culture and feel it, as though she herself belonged to it.
Browse over 5000 historical novel listings (probably well over 5000 by now, but I haven't re-counted lately) and over 700 reviews at www.HistoricalNovels.info

annis
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Post by annis » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 6:58 pm

I recently re-read Great Maria for the first time in years, and was struck again by how good it is. Holland absolutely inhabits the persona of Maria, and it's difficult to believe that she is a fictional character.

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 9:02 pm

[quote=""annis""]I recently re-read Great Maria for the first time in years, and was struck again by how good it is. Holland absolutely inhabits the persona of Maria, and it's difficult to believe that she is a fictional character.[/quote]

Me too. I feel the novel has really stood the test of time. It's one of my 'hall of fame' titles.
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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Susan
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Post by Susan » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 10:08 pm

[quote=""EC2""]Me too. I feel the novel has really stood the test of time. It's one of my 'hall of fame' titles.[/quote]

EC, I ran across your "hall of fame" titles once and I thought I saved them but I didn't. Where can I find them? Thanks!
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 10:12 pm

[quote=""Susan""]EC, I ran across your "hall of fame" titles once and I thought I saved them but I didn't. Where can I find them? Thanks![/quote]

I think it was probably on my blog here? http://livingthehistoryelizabethchadwic ... r-for.html

Edited to say Great Maria isn't on that particular list as I already put a Cecelia Holland on it, but my hall of fame is longer than just that list.
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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Susan
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Post by Susan » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 10:34 pm

[quote=""EC2""]I think it was probably on my blog here? http://livingthehistoryelizabethchadwic ... r-for.html

Edited to say Great Maria isn't on that particular list as I already put a Cecelia Holland on it, but my hall of fame is longer than just that list.[/quote]

Your blog may have been it, but somehow I think I also read a list of yours in a newspaper. The Telegraph?
~Susan~
~Unofficial Royalty~
Royal news updated daily, information and discussion about royalty past and present
http://www.unofficialroyalty.com/

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EC2
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Post by EC2 » Sat January 22nd, 2011, 10:42 pm

[quote=""Susan""]Your blog may have been it, but somehow I think I also read a list of yours in a newspaper. The Telegraph?[/quote]

Oh cripes yes, I'd forgotten about that one. I can't remember what I said apart from Brian Wainwright's Alianor Audeley and Philippa G's A Respectable Trade. They wanted mostly in print works and spread across the spectrum of HF.
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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Beau Castlebard
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Location: Springfield MO

Post by Beau Castlebard » Sun January 23rd, 2011, 6:50 pm

[quote=""annis""]I recently re-read Great Maria for the first time in years, and was struck again by how good it is. Holland absolutely inhabits the persona of Maria, and it's difficult to believe that she is a fictional character.[/quote]

As have I and i can but echo what Annis said. I can add that I wikipedia'd her.

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