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Katherine: The classic historical romance

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Her first novel would be published in 1941 and it would be titled ‘My Theodosia,’ and it would establish her as a writer with something to say. This would lead to more books, although she would focus on any long-running series, largely opting for stand-alone self-contained titles. These would all fall under the historical fiction banner, although she herself preferred them being called ‘biographical fiction.’ One of the biggest things going for the book is John of Gaunt, Katherine's love interest. For those of you who have read Twilight, he is a rival of Edward's, at least in my mind. The best part is that John was a real person! This book takes you through Katherine's adventurous life. She starts off as a naive 15 year old from a convent and by the end of the book, her posterity is well on its way of becoming the future royalty of England. Andrew C. Kimmens; Martin Seymour-Smith, eds. (1996). World Authors, 1900-1950. H.W. Wilson. p.2374. First published in 1954, Katherine is a historical fiction classic, the retelling the affair between John of Gaunt – the Duke of Lancaster, son of Edward III, uncle of Richard II, father of Henry IV, grandfather of Henry V – and his children’s governess, Katherine Swynford. From this union sprung the Beauforts and, ultimately, the Tudor dynasty. This relationship is given a romantic gloss in Anya Seton’s retelling.

Katherine (Rediscovered Classics): Seton, Anya, Gregory Katherine (Rediscovered Classics): Seton, Anya, Gregory

It's a pretty serious concern when you can't actually find the romance or the history in a historical romance novel, right? Avalon was enjoyable, but I was definitely cringing about as often as I was smiling. I thought the characters simplistic, the writing way too melodramatic at times and the ending really tediously moralizing. While Seton definitely did make the Icelandic characters speak in a way that parrots the syntax of the sagas, she really needed to research more than the most superficial aspects of the societies she was setting the story in. Certain moments -- especially an instance of domestic violence in tenth-century Iceland being applauded and laughed about -- were disgustingly untrue to the historical milieu and really took me out of the story. That sh*t was grounds for divorce. It was an extremely serious, shameful offence that no one would condone, least of all the wife's father. He meets the beautiful and valiant Merewyn, in Cornwall, but is bewitched by the evil Queen Alfreda, who after Edgar's death has Edgar's older son Edward assassinated, and replaced by Alfreda's own son Ethelred. The first half of the book is dedicated to describing the romantic love that develops in a tortuous way between the two protagonists. Katherine is initially married off against her wish to a brutish husband, whose faults include poverty that results from mismanagement of his estates. Then Prince Charming, who is happily married to a charming and kind princess, comes along and delivers the poor girl from despair. Then the lovers find ways to carry on with their illicit love affair, always plagued by guilt towards their respective spouses. I find this portion too drawn out with too many happy coincidences, that is, too much of a Cinderella type of story. The bits about John’s childhood bête noire and his squire’s murder of Katherine’s husband are contrived. She died in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, [3] and was survived by two daughters, five grandchildren, and a great-grandchild. [4] She is interred at Putnam Cemetery in Greenwich.I love this time period. I realized that it is the same of that from "A Knight's Tale," and reading about Chaucer and other historical figures made this book all the better. It has also made me seriously regret not taking Euro History.

Katherine (Seton novel) - Wikipedia

This whole, magnificent epic is based on a true story. Either Katherine Swynford, her beloved John of Gaunt, or both (because she gave him 4 - 4 - kids as his mistress), gave rise to the royal lines that include Kings Henry IV, V, VI & VII, Richard III, Edward IV, a Queen of Scots, every sovereign of Scotland since ages ago (sorry, my google is down or I'd sound way smarter right now) and every sovereign of England in the last 400 years. Meanwhile, my branch of our family tree includes an overweight cat.The duchess was today dazzling as the southern May, having dressed to please her husband's taste, in full magnificence of jewels and ermine. Her silver-gilt hair was twined with pearls and she wore her gold and diamond coronet. She smelled of jasmine and Katherine adored her. The book is rich in descriptive detail – of food, clothing, furnishings, daily life – and has an interesting cast of secondary characters such as Geoffrey Chaucer. I also liked the way the closing scenes of the book contrast Katherine’s view of her newly elevated position with her first impressions of the Plantagenet court as a young girl.

Avalon by Anya Seton | Goodreads Avalon by Anya Seton | Goodreads

a b c d e f g Moser, Margaret (29 September 2006). "Love in the Time of 'Green Darkness' ". Austin Chronicle . Retrieved 8 July 2013.I’m giving this novel 3.5 stars. It is overall a meticulously researched and well-written historical romance set in 14th century England about Katherine Swynford, the third wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. Katherine is first pressured into marriage to the boorish and brutish knight, Hugh Swynford. She gains the friendship and gives her loyalty to Blanche, John of Gaunt's first wife. After the deaths of Blanche and Hugh, so begins the passionate liaison between the flame haired beauty Katherine, and the charismatic Duke of Lancaster and player in the power of England's politics of the time. John is haunted by malevolent slander of being a changeling while he determines to revenge himself on those behind this false charge. Katherine of course was dogged by the charge of the time often levelled against beautiful and passionate women, of harlotry. So, my main gripes about this book. There is a lot of melodrama, including a completely ridiculous sequence in which Katherine gives birth for the first time, utterly alone in her manor except for her mad mother-in-law who then tries to steal the baby only to be foiled by the dashing John of Gaunt, who turns up for some vague reason and saves the day. This is a wonderful historical fiction tale of the love of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. You are transported to 14th century filled with political intrigue, danger and romance. It is filled with history and was very well researched. a b c d "Anya Seton, author of historical novels". Chicago Sun-Times. 11 November 1990. Archived from the original on 10 June 2014 . Retrieved 8 July 2013. (subscription required)

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