The Wise Woman

Miss Moppet · Post by **Miss Moppet** » Fri August 28th, 2009, 12:05 am

[quote=""cw gortner""]

I admire PG's skill, tenacity and success, but, for me, her claim to be revisionist and feminist doesn't show, not when she portrays openly ambitious and sexual women, like Anne Boleyn, as amoral, or as in the case of Elizabeth Woodville, as a witch. This is not revisionist, in my opinion: it's tried-and-true stereotype. Women as sluts, as witches, as scheming temptresses. Honestly, what's new there?

[/quote]

exactly! someone finally said it!

I was reading the part in TOQ where Mary is explaining that when she says 'no' to Bothwell, she means 'yes' and thinking: some feminist heroine!

SCW · Post by **SCW** » Thu October 28th, 2010, 10:59 am

I was enjoying this novel (even though I found Alys very unlikable) until the childbirth scene
Wax On Wax Off!

LoobyG · Post by **LoobyG** » Thu October 28th, 2010, 11:07 am

It's been a while since I read it, but I think that point in the book is exactly where I stopped reading it. Too distasteful for me

SCW · Post by **SCW** » Mon November 1st, 2010, 10:37 am

Exactly, after that chapter it was hard to take the book or the characters seriously. Although I did take to the Wideacre Trilogy (In my teens)
I find that her books can be really enjoyable or a waste of time.

wendy · Post by **wendy** » Mon November 1st, 2010, 7:00 pm

[quote=""aessea1001""]Just wondering, has anyone read this one? I recently bought it, (although I had to special-order it from my local Barnes&Noble), and I've read the first 50-something pages...I have to say it's pretty good so far. Maybe this book's not very common in the States, (I'm guessing/assuming?) but I'm wondering nonetheless.

[/quote]

You aroused my interest so I have just ordered the book! Thanks for the inspiration - I'll get back to you when I've read it.

EC2 · Post by **EC2** » Mon November 1st, 2010, 7:49 pm

I know I'm in the minority here, but I loved this one and it's one of my favourite Gregory reads. I read it as a historical supernatural and was slightly creeped out.

wendy · Post by **wendy** » Fri November 5th, 2010, 8:40 pm

[quote=""wendy""]You aroused my interest so I have just ordered the book! Thanks for the inspiration - I'll get back to you when I've read it.[/quote]

I've started the book and am finding it quite enjoyable. Not been grossed out so far! How about you?

wendy · Post by **wendy** » Thu November 25th, 2010, 1:55 pm

[quote=""wendy""]I've started the book and am finding it quite enjoyable. Not been grossed out so far! How about you?[/quote]

Finished the book. Enjoyed it - but not as much as TOBG.
I found the ending disappointing.

SCW · Post by **SCW** » Wed December 15th, 2010, 9:44 am

I bought it thinking it would be a enthralling read of witchcraft, midwifes and the Tudor reformation. It began that way, but then it ended up being a sordid tale of threesomes, avarice and wax!
Spoilers Below!
One thing that I remembered being annoyed about was that all the female characters ended up dying while the male ones lived!
A better book about medieval midwives is The Love Knot!

wendy · Post by **wendy** » Wed December 15th, 2010, 1:27 pm

[quote=""SCW""]I bought it thinking it would be a enthralling read of witchcraft, midwifes and the Tudor reformation. It began that way, but then it ended up being a sordid tale of threesomes, avarice and wax!
Spoilers Below!
One thing that I remembered being annoyed about was that all the female characters ended up dying while the male ones lived!
A better book about medieval midwives is The Love Knot![/quote]

That was the big disappointment for me. After all Alys had gone through I couldn't imagine she would surrender so easily. Maybe PG just needed a quick finish for the book?