The Welsh trilogy

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Sat November 1st, 2008, 6:33 pm

Thanks for stopping by again, Sharon!

What I found hard to comprehend was not that Llewelyn forgave Joanna for her adultery, but that he forgave her for the way she manipulated Gruffyeld (sp? sorry, I haven't got the book in front of me) into threatening his father so that Llewelyn had no choice but to imprison him. It struck me as a calculated and rather cold-blooded act, unlike the adultery, and at that point I'm afraid I lost sympathy for Joanna and never really gained it back. I don't mean this as a criticism of the novel, because I understood that Joanna was motivated largely by her concern for her own son, and later she did seem to feel some regret for what she had done, but it still left a bad taste in my mouth as far as she was concerned. Did you ever find Joanna hard to like?

rex icelingas · Post by **rex icelingas** » Sun March 29th, 2009, 7:29 pm

This trilogy introduced me to the marvellous Sharon Penman

I know the History behind it so well but was still glued to her words and every twist.All the characters are interesting and multi dimensional we see there reasons behind everything they do,I would even recommend this be read in schools its so good.
I enjoyed Here be Dragons the most,Llewelyn ap Iorweth is my faviroute of the later Twysogion y Gymru

Maybe one day Sharon may return to Wales and do maybe Owain Glyndwr? or Rhys ap Gruffudd?

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Sun March 29th, 2009, 8:08 pm

[quote=""EC2""]Haven't found the letter yet, but here's an url to a sketch of Joanna's tombstone. It's also interesting that the page says her mother is possibly Agatha de Ferrers. The de Ferrers' were earls of Derby.
http://freespace.virgin.net/doug.thomps ... wales.html[/quote]

I remember seeing the tomb on one of my trips to Wales. The card by the coffin explained that it had been used as a horse trough for several years! W

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Sun March 29th, 2009, 8:10 pm

[quote=""rex icelingas""]This trilogy introduced me to the marvellous Sharon Penman

I know the History behind it so well but was still glued to her words and every twist.All the characters are interesting and multi dimensional we see there reasons behind everything they do,I would even recommend this be read in schools its so good.
I enjoyed Here be Dragons the most,Llewelyn ap Iorweth is my faviroute of the later Twysogion y Gymru

Maybe one day Sharon may return to Wales and do maybe Owain Glyndwr? or Rhys ap Gruffudd?[/quote]

I believe Sharon mentioned on her blog (she has a regular one now off her website) that once Lionheart is completed and then her novel on Balian of Ibelin, she will be looking to Owain Glyndwr, so that's good news for fans who love the Welsh slant. She sometimes drops by this list too!

wealcere · Post by **wealcere** » Mon March 30th, 2009, 5:37 pm

[quote=""EC2""]I believe Sharon mentioned on her blog (she has a regular one now off her website) that once Lionheart is completed and then her novel on Balian of Ibelin, she will be looking to Owain Glyndwr, so that's good news for fans who love the Welsh slant. She sometimes drops by this list too!

[/quote]

Thanks for the forwarning EC......not Glyndwr!
I'm an Englishman with a right strong accent living in deepest darkest depths of Wales, if thats not bad enough. The last thing I need is Mrs Penmans, Glndwr, on the bookshelves around here. I might have to do a lot of bulk buying, and get even more practice in with my longbows.
I'm just about to start the Welsh Trilogy next, nearly finished Azincourt.
Can it compare to the Sunne? Stupid question really.

SarahWoodbury · Post by **SarahWoodbury** » Mon March 30th, 2009, 10:40 pm

And what did Isabella think, to marry Dafydd ap Llywelyn, knowing that her father-in-law had killed her father?

I find the story of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to be the saddest and most compelling of the three. I want him to have lived!

rex icelingas · Post by **rex icelingas** » Tue March 31st, 2009, 6:50 am

If anyone gets the chance to visit the Conwy Valley,look for a place called Trefriw
At the back is some of the finest scenery in Britain and the Church of Llanrychwyn where Llewelyn and Joan would climb to (a personal faviroute of theres)
When Joan could no longer manage the journey he built Trefriw Parish Church

Id love to see Sharon write of Glyndwr she would do the story justice,I would wager that 99% of Welshmen know of Glyndwrs name but nothing about him

Rhys ap Gruffudd would certainly be good for the Penman treatment due to her previous work with Henry II,the Big King and the little King who after years of conflict earn each others respect and possible friendship

Gwenllian ferch Gruffudd ap Cynan may be another good story worth pursuing

Certainly I cant blame writers using Wales,Politically its a fascinating time as well its often strained relationship with the English Crown-the Big Brother,Little Brother kind of thing

Carla · Post by **Carla** » Tue March 31st, 2009, 4:19 pm

I would love to see Sharon Penman do Owain Glyndwr too!

Ash · Post by **Ash** » Wed April 1st, 2009, 12:50 am

[quote=""SarahWoodbury""]And what did Isabella think, to marry Dafydd ap Llywelyn, knowing that her father-in-law had killed her father?

I find the story of Llywelyn ap Gruffydd to be the saddest and most compelling of the three. I want him to have lived![/quote]

I agree; and what happened to his wife and children was heartbreaking.

SarahWoodbury · Post by **SarahWoodbury** » Wed April 1st, 2009, 8:32 pm

'History is written by the victor' and I'm sure that was all Edward I was interested in. He must have been quite a guy--taking on the Welsh and then the Scots, though the Scots have the huge expense of defeating the Welsh and Edward's death to thank for their own survival until Culloden.

I read somewhere that Dafydd, Llywelyn's brother, was the first man to officially be hung, drawn, and quartered (and then dragged through the streets of Shrewsbury). I'm reading Bernard Cornwall's Agincourt right now and am reminded again of the capacity of one man's inhumanity to another.