ATTENTION: GRAPHIC SEX
THE DARLING STRUMPET
A Novel of Nell Gwynn,
Who Captured the Heart of England
and King Charles II
by
Gillian Bagwell
SUMMARY
(from Amazon)
A thrilling debut novel starring one of history's most famous and beloved courtesans.
From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.
Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.
From London's slums to its bawdy playhouses, The Darling Strumpet transports the reader to the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England, charting the meteoric rise of the dazzling Nell Gwynn, who captivates the heart of King Charles II-and becomes one of the century's most famous courtesans.
Witty and beautiful, Nell was born into poverty but is drawn into the enthralling world of the theater, where her saucy humor and sensuous charm earn her a place in the King's Company. As one of the first actresses in the newly-opened playhouses, she catapults to fame, winning the affection of legions of fans-and the heart of the most powerful man in all of England, the King himself. Surrendering herself to Charles, Nell will be forced to maneuver the ruthless and shifting allegiances of the royal court-and discover a world of decadence and passion she never imagined possible.
AUTHOR
Gillian Bagatelle's richly detailed historical novels bring to vivid life England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. "Venus in Winter," based on the first forty years of the life of the formidable four-times widowed dynast Bess of Hardwick, begins with Be's introduction to the court of Henry VIII just as the king weds Anne of Cleves. Bess quickly learns to navigate the treacherous waters, and survives the turbulent reigns of five Tudor monarchs to become of the most powerful women in the history of England Gillian uses her years of experience in theatre an actress, director, and producer to help authors give effective public readings, through workshops and private coaching.Her life-long fascination with British history and dedication to research infuse her novels with a compelling evocation of time and place, and provide fodder for her non-fiction writing, including articles on "Frost Fairs on the River Thames"REVIEW
SETTING: 17th CENTURY ENGLAND The cover caught my attention right off. Absolutely gorgeous. The author has evidently done a lot of research in the history of this period.
I was a little disappointed in the book in that it didn't seem anybody including England didn't love anyone. They just appeared apathetic.
Nell who is a poor oyster monger who lives with her hateful and unloving mothers. She decides to go where her sister is. This is a whorehouse where her sister sells her body. Nell is a bit quick witted and quite clever so she soon is selling oranges in the Theatre Royal
Nell also worked as an actress.. The details were quite interesting but there was something lacking. They just seemed like characters, not any reality about them. To me, even though book is fiction, you have to have that sense of reality for the book to keep your attention.
I enjoyed the details of Nell's life when she worked selling oranges and when she worked as an actress but I didn't feel that any of the characters came to life, not even Nell. There was quite a bit of graphic sex which was normal for this era and the subject of the novel. I felt that at times, the sex was just too much. I waned more than just the sex. I wanted to feel the characters. I wanted to be with them and care for them.
There were times that I just felt like "WHAT?" One other thing I thought was over done was Jack from the whorehouse.
I just didn't feel the love that everyone was supposed to have felt for Nell. I wanted more character and their interaction with different situations and other characters.
Perhaps if a little background of the politics and players during the reign of King Charles II I would have enjoyed the book more.
I enjoyed the details of Nell's life when she worked selling oranges and when she worked as an actress but I didn't feel that any of the characters came to life, not even Nell. There was quite a bit of graphic sex which was normal for this era and the subject of the novel. I felt that at times, the sex was just too much. I waned more than just the sex. I wanted to feel the characters. I wanted to be with them and care for them.
There were times that I just felt like "WHAT?" One other thing I thought was over done was Jack from the whorehouse.
I just didn't feel the love that everyone was supposed to have felt for Nell. I wanted more character and their interaction with different situations and other characters.
Perhaps if a little background of the politics and players during the reign of King Charles II I would have enjoyed the book more.
I was given a complimentary copy of THE DARLING STRUMPET from the author Gillian Bagwell and Manic Readers for my view of the book. No other compensation took place.
I would give this book 3 FLOWERS.
LINKS
www.manicreaders.com
bemiown@yahoo.com
http://bemiown.blogspot.com
www.gillianbagwell.com
www.penguin.com
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