I, Elizabeth : A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Like I was watching as a ghost
Review: The story of Elizabeth from a young age until almost her death, I, Elizabeth, is told in first person story form. Instead of just plain history, history is told through the eyes of the woman who commanded it all. Well written (even if it was rather long) and descriptive, the story makes you admire Elizabeth while being exasperated with her at the same time as she goes through the major events in her life (such as Mary Queen of Scots, defeat of the Spanish Armada, and her love for Robin Dudley, original her Master of the Horse.) Wonderful character development!

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely exquisite, poetic and moving piece of work
Review: The synapsis has already been written, but let me say that I have read this book cover-to-cover more than 5 times now, and I doubt I will ever tire of it. The story is moving, but it is told poetically and lyrically, and the characters make the reader interested in their stories. A very fine piece of historical literature, indeed.

Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL
Review: This is a fantastic book. Last fall my husband and I went to London. Prior to our trip we both decided to do some studying on the history of England - particularly of the various Kings and Queens - so we had some knowledge during our trip. I have always been fascinated with Henry VIII and how horrible a person he actually was, but during my research I've realized that ELIZABETH is actually the most interesting character in English history (of course in my opinion). This book, although fiction, is so dead-on with how I envision her. This book details her life with such clarity and so convincingly that I felt as if I was at court with her! If you have even a mild interest in English monarchs start with Elizabeth. She was an extremely astute, wise woman and this book clearly shows how her life was lived. Fantastic!

Rating:
Summary: fascinating, but over long
Review: This was a very interesting read. However, the pace seemed to drag a little for me towards the end in regards to the wars etc. But apart from that, I loved the self deprecating humour (especially as she got older and was dismayed at how her body was sagging!) and the historical facts, which were very interesting. I look forward to reading more about this time period, but from Mary, Queen of Scots' perspective.

Rating:
Summary: A let-down
Review: When I picked up I, Elizabeth, I was excited to have found a book that would present Queen Elizabeth's entire life. From the start I was annoyed with the weak and lust-led protrayal of Elizabeth. In the entire book, there were barely a handful of likeable characters, and Elizabeth was not one of them. Characters were never well developed and hardly ever memorable. The writing style was drawn out and boring. The plot was simply the same conflict over and over, with little variation other than a few names. The only thing that saved the book from being a complete failure was the amazing history it was based on, and the incredible amount of research put into it. In the end, it was still very disappointing.