PG to write about Eleanor of Aquitaine?

boswellbaxter · Post by **boswellbaxter** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:23 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]From what I've read, I'd have to disagree. Her Anne Boleyn was a woman who wouldn't stop at incest or murder to get the crown, but went to pieces when it looked like she might have to head up a regency. Elizabeth I - a frivolous, man-mad puppet manipulated by her advisors. Elizabeth Woodville - wouldn't have got anywhere without her witchcraft.

She claims to rehabilitate those women perceived as weaker, but actually reinforces the prejudices about them. She protested about male historians calling Catherine Howard a silly slut, then portrayed her as...exactly that. Her Mary Queen of Scots was supposed to be a heroine for a modern Scotland, or something, but seemed to me more like a vapid, oversexed beauty queen. The only historical woman I can think of who has emerged from one of her books with more dignity than she started with is Anne of Cleves.

Admittedly, I haven't read all of her books.

Judging by her track record, her Eleanor of Aquitaine would:
1. Have an obsession with either Melusine or someone totally inappropriate, like Pope Joan, and repeatedly refer to it.
2. Commit incest with Raymond, Geoffrey and anyone else she can find.
3. Do spells. Explain to us all how she'd never have worn two crowns if she wasn't such a great witch.

If she actually goes in a completely different direction, great, but I doubt it.[/quote]

Good points, though I'm still curious to see what she makes of E of A. I

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:30 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]2. Commit incest with Raymond, Geoffrey and anyone else she can find.
[/quote] Richard, perhaps? After all, he was her favorite son.

Ick! Did I just write that?!

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:32 pm

[quote=""boswellbaxter""]Good points, though I'm still curious to see what she makes of E of A. [/quote]

Library first for me.

Other than that, I've stopped reading PG's books because I don't like the first person present tense POV clumsily interspersed with chunks in third person when there's no other way to tell the story. Eleanor's imprisonment poses a real problem for a novelist who will only write in first person. I don't want to read sixteen years of her scrying in a bowl full of water, or something.

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:34 pm

[quote=""Michy""]Richard, perhaps? After all, he was her favorite son.

Ick! Did I just write that?!

[/quote]

Michy, it would not surprise me.

Misfit · Post by **Misfit** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:43 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]Library first for me.

Other than that, I've stopped reading PG's books because I don't like the first person present tense POV clumsily interspersed with chunks in third person when there's no other way to tell the story. Eleanor's imprisonment poses a real problem for a novelist who will only write in first person. I don't want to read sixteen years of her scrying in a bowl full of water, or something.[/quote]

Good point, Eleanor's story was bad enough from Weir's focus on Eleanor in every scene, first person would be booooooooooooooooooooooring.

Vanessa · Post by **Vanessa** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:46 pm

[quote=""LoveHistory""]Which everyone is she talking about? There are plenty of people who don't want her to write about Eleanor.

By the way is she British or American?[/quote]

I think she was born in Africa but moved to England when she was very young.

Michy · Post by **Michy** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:49 pm

I wonder who her American novel is about? Given the time period, the Kennedys, perhaps? Hopefully fictional characters..... Given the comments I read about her works here (I've never actually read any of her books) I think I'd rather have her disparage her own fictional characters than people who really lived. Although it sounds like she writes exclusively about real people.

Nefret · Post by **Nefret** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 9:57 pm

[quote=""Michy""]Richard, perhaps? After all, he was her favorite son.

Ick! Did I just write that?!

[/quote]

That just makes me more worried.

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 10:00 pm

[quote=""Michy""]I wonder who her American novel is about? Given the time period, the Kennedys, perhaps? Hopefully fictional characters..... Given the comments I read about her works here (I've never actually read any of her books) I think I'd rather have her disparage her own fictional characters than people who really lived. Although it sounds like she writes exclusively about real people.[/quote]

Her early books were about fictional characters and this sounds like it's been in a drawer for a bit, so maybe it would be too.

rockygirl · Post by **rockygirl** » Tue October 26th, 2010, 10:37 pm

[quote=""Miss Moppet""]It couldn't be worse than The Captive Queen.

Could it?[/quote]

I'm on Chapter 3. I was hoping it would get better, much better, but I'm guessing from your comment that it won't.