Eleanor the Queen: A Novel of Eleanor of Aquitaine

admin — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000

I have to say... I feel a little duped. There is nothing in the book's presentation to suggest that Eleanor the Queen is a reprint of a 1950s novel by Norah Lofts. Apparently Lofts was a prolific and best-selling author known for her "authentic use of period detail." I hadn’t heard of her, but I don’t follow the historical novel market, I just read them. I did not, however, finish reading this. I forced myself to finish Part One of four, but I just could not go on.

Eleanor of Aquitaine was a remarkable woman. She was born in approximately 1122, and became the sole heir to her father’s vast property when he died in 1137. To protect her and her land, she was married to Prince Louis VII of France, who soon became king. When he rode to the Crusades, Eleanor went with him, bringing a coterie of other women with her. She was admired and compared to the Amazons. But the marriage became strained and ultimately ended. (And that’s just Part One—Eleanor went on to do a lot.)

Research tells me that Eleanor was intelligent, strategic, and ambitious. Norah Lofts tells me that Eleanor sat around waiting for things to change, twiddling her thumbs. She tells me Eleanor is intelligent, but somehow this "politically savvy" young woman didn’t know how big her land was until her uncle showed her on a map. Like in so much mediocre fiction, the writer makes statements about the character, setting her up to be admired, only to have the character's actions completely undermine those statements.

People always argue about historical fiction’s (lack of) accuracy. A scenario set in the tenth century is patchy enough that it’s possible to build an excellent story while sticking to the few known facts. Either Lofts did not have good information, or she ignored the facts completely.

Worst of all, the book is incredibly poorly written. The dialogue is hackneyed, the characters are just names and voices, downright boring passages drag on forever, and interesting events aren’t developed. The style is reminiscent of books written between 1700 and 1900, but it rings false, and is just an irritant. The narrative is aware of its own grandeur, wallowing in description without letting people or their actions speak for themselves.

I was so astounded by how poorly written Eleanor the Queen is that I began doing more research into the book and its writer. It was confirmed that Norah Lofts still has a devoted fan base. It was also confirmed that her facts are just wrong, totally contradicting that line on the back cover about her use of period detail. When I discovered that Lofts was born in 1904, I forced myself to rein in a bit. Older books do have a different style. That style doesn’t always appeal to modern readers, including me. But then I saw that Eleanor the Queen was written in the 1950s. It ain’t that old.

Margaret Mitchell wrote Gone with the Wind in 1936 and it blew my socks off; there’s no excuse for Norah Lofts.

This book would never make it out of a writing workshop.

Written by: Richenda Gould, June 22nd 2010

The Lute Player: A Novel of Richard the Lionhearted

admin — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 17:04:00 +0000

By Norah Lofts

Touchstone Books

Like an exquisite medieval tapestry, The Lute Player, a novel of Richard the Lionhearted, has a bit of historical truth and a good measure of romantic fiction. There is historical evidence of the existence of Richard, Berengaria, Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and the leading power figures of the day. However, the lute player, Blondel, is mentioned only in legends. The true reason for Richard’s indifference to his wife is subject to the author’s imagination.

With well-crafted writing, Norah Lofts takes the reader to the time of the Third Crusades, to the medieval castles of Europe and to the sun-drenched landscapes of Palestine. This is the tale of Richard Plantagenet, son of Henry II, King of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. The story of this legendary soldier of the Crusades and future king is told from the prospective of three very different individuals: Blondel, the lute player and Richard’s close companion during the Third Crusade, Anna Apieta, the illegitimate half-sister of Berengaria, princess of Navarre and Richard’s wife, and Eleanor of Aquitaine.

This is a tale of love. Berengaria falls in love with Richard at first sight of him during a tournament at her father’s castle in Navarre. She will not consider marriage to any other suitor. After much pleading with her father, a suicide attempt, and many delays, Berengaria succeeds in her plan to become Richard’s bride. But the marriage is ill-fated.

Blondel, the lute player to Berengaria and the King of Navarre, longingly loves the beautiful princess. He becomes lute player to Richard. Upon Berengaria’s request to watch over Richard and as an escape from the life as the royal ladies’ minstrel, Blondel joins Richard on the quest to liberate the Holy Land from the infidels. Anna Apieta, the physically deformed illegitimate daughter of Sancho, King of Navarre, loves Blondel but knows that it is a love that can never be fulfilled.

It is a tale of betrayal. Richard is determined in his pursuit to march triumphantly into Jerusalem. He is betrayed by his allies, Philip of France and Leopold of Austria. While on campaign in Palestine, Richard is betrayed by his brother, John, who is left to rule England during the king’s absence.

The main characters in this novel evolve, the seemingly acquiescent become resolute and the tenacious become weak. The exceptions are Richard and Anna. The conclusion of this novel is very poignant. “But you come in the end to the place where your heart is, that is, if you set your heart in an attainable place. And it occurred to me that of them all I [Anna Apieta] was the only one who had done that.”

Written by: Maryann Gromisch, January 30th 2010