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Queens of England #3
Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria
In this unforgettable novel of Queen Victoria, Jean Plaidy re-creates a remarkable life filled with romance, triumph, and tragedy.
At birth, Princess Victoria was fourth in line for the throne of England, the often-overlooked daughter of a prince who died shortly after her birth. She and her mother lived in genteel poverty for most of her childhood, exiled from court because of her mother’s dislike of her uncles, George IV and William IV. A strong, willful child, Victoria was determined not to be stifled by her powerful uncles or her unpopular, controlling mother. Then one morning, at the age of eighteen, Princess Victoria awoke to the news of her uncle William’s death. The almost-forgotten princess was now Queen of England. Even better, she was finally free of her mother’s iron hand and her uncles’ manipulations. Her first act as queen was to demand that she be given a room—and a bed—of her own.
Victoria’s marriage to her German cousin, Prince Albert, was a blissfully happy one that produced nine children. Albert was her constant companion and one of her most trusted advisors. Victoria’s grief after Prince Albert’s untimely death was so shattering that for the rest of her life—nearly forty years—she dressed only in black. She survived several assassination attempts, and during her reign England’s empire expanded around the globe until it touched every continent in the world.
Derided as a mere “girl queen” at her coronation, by the end of her sixty-four-year reign, Victoria embodied the glory of the British Empire. In this novel, written as a “memoir” by Victoria herself, she emerges as truthful, sentimental, and essentially human—both a lovable woman and a great queen.
At birth, Princess Victoria was fourth in line for the throne of England, the often-overlooked daughter of a prince who died shortly after her birth. She and her mother lived in genteel poverty for most of her childhood, exiled from court because of her mother’s dislike of her uncles, George IV and William IV. A strong, willful child, Victoria was determined not to be stifled by her powerful uncles or her unpopular, controlling mother. Then one morning, at the age of eighteen, Princess Victoria awoke to the news of her uncle William’s death. The almost-forgotten princess was now Queen of England. Even better, she was finally free of her mother’s iron hand and her uncles’ manipulations. Her first act as queen was to demand that she be given a room—and a bed—of her own.
Victoria’s marriage to her German cousin, Prince Albert, was a blissfully happy one that produced nine children. Albert was her constant companion and one of her most trusted advisors. Victoria’s grief after Prince Albert’s untimely death was so shattering that for the rest of her life—nearly forty years—she dressed only in black. She survived several assassination attempts, and during her reign England’s empire expanded around the globe until it touched every continent in the world.
Derided as a mere “girl queen” at her coronation, by the end of her sixty-four-year reign, Victoria embodied the glory of the British Empire. In this novel, written as a “memoir” by Victoria herself, she emerges as truthful, sentimental, and essentially human—both a lovable woman and a great queen.
564 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
192 people are currently reading
2221 people want to read
About the author
Jean Plaidy
211 books1,573 followersEleanor Alice Burford, Mrs. George Percival Hibbert was a British author of about 200 historical novels, most of them under the pen name Jean Plaidy which had sold 14 million copies by the time of her death. She chose to use various names because of the differences in subject matter between her books; the best-known, apart from Plaidy, are Victoria Holt (56 million) and Philippa Carr (3 million). Lesser known were the novels Hibbert published under her maiden name Eleanor Burford, or the pseudonyms of Elbur Ford, Kathleen Kellow and Ellalice Tate. Many of her readers under one penname never suspected her other identities.
-Wikipedia
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
April 3, 2013
I quite enjoyed the first part of this book, detailing Victoria's childhood and ascension to the throne. But after she married Prince Albert I found myself increasingly frustrated. The marriage of Victoria and Albert is one of history's most famous love stories, but it irked me the way Victoria (the book is written in the first person as a journal) idealized Albert, always believing him to be right and herself to be wrong. I cringed every time she called him "perfect" or "a saint." This may well be a historically correct reflection of Victoria's attitude - from what I've read elsewhere she did indeed let Albert's ideas and behavior rule her own, and his early death reinforced this by setting him up as a sort of martyr, the tragically lost hero without a flaw. Victoria was constantly asking herself, "What would Albert have done?"
This over-the-top adoration and admiration were grating not only because they made Victoria seem weak and unable to think for herself, but also because Albert was far from saintly, at least from a modern perspective. He was constantly criticizing Victoria's character and "teaching" her things in a patronizing manner. Worst of all was Albert's attitude toward the Crown Prince, Bertie. His treatment of the boy was cruel and abusive as he sought to "correct" the boy's character flaws, "for his own good." As for Victoria, she had occasional doubts about Albert's methods but quickly subdued these by reminding herself that "Albert was always right." Both Albert and Victoria (guided by Albert) refused to recognize any of Bertie's good qualities, which - as others in the book tried to tell his parents - were numerous, even if they were not academic. Poor Bertie! Again, this is probably quite accurate historically, but it just made Victoria's constantly calling Albert a "saint" all that more irritating.
The pacing of the book was good at the beginning, but after Albert's death it seemed to race through the remaining 40 years of Victoria's reign, often with entire years going by in a single paragraph, and often without any details of context for the historically significant events taking place. Big chunks of the second half of the book read simply as "Then this happened, and then this, and then this," with little plot or character development. Rarely was there any mention of a specific year's date, making it hard to keep track of how much time had passed between events.
Despite all of this, there was still something about this book that made me want to finish it rather than just giving up on it. But overall it was disappointing. Given Victoria's long and eventful reign, this could have been a dazzling book. Unfortunately, it fell short.
This over-the-top adoration and admiration were grating not only because they made Victoria seem weak and unable to think for herself, but also because Albert was far from saintly, at least from a modern perspective. He was constantly criticizing Victoria's character and "teaching" her things in a patronizing manner. Worst of all was Albert's attitude toward the Crown Prince, Bertie. His treatment of the boy was cruel and abusive as he sought to "correct" the boy's character flaws, "for his own good." As for Victoria, she had occasional doubts about Albert's methods but quickly subdued these by reminding herself that "Albert was always right." Both Albert and Victoria (guided by Albert) refused to recognize any of Bertie's good qualities, which - as others in the book tried to tell his parents - were numerous, even if they were not academic. Poor Bertie! Again, this is probably quite accurate historically, but it just made Victoria's constantly calling Albert a "saint" all that more irritating.
The pacing of the book was good at the beginning, but after Albert's death it seemed to race through the remaining 40 years of Victoria's reign, often with entire years going by in a single paragraph, and often without any details of context for the historically significant events taking place. Big chunks of the second half of the book read simply as "Then this happened, and then this, and then this," with little plot or character development. Rarely was there any mention of a specific year's date, making it hard to keep track of how much time had passed between events.
Despite all of this, there was still something about this book that made me want to finish it rather than just giving up on it. But overall it was disappointing. Given Victoria's long and eventful reign, this could have been a dazzling book. Unfortunately, it fell short.
June 23, 2019
Victoria Victorious / Jean Plaidy
3.75 stars
This is a fictional biography of Queen Victoria. She had an unhappy childhood, but she married someone she loved (Albert), they had 9 children, who all lived.
This is a long book. It’s only the second book I’ve read on Queen Victoria, the first was only a month ago, and also written by Plaidy, but that one only included her childhood (there are sequels to that, so I will continue, but with larger gaps in between). Most of what I’ve read about British royalty was from the Tudors and earlier on, so 300+ years earlier. Some differences that happened in between included Royals being able to choose their spouses, and I found it interesting how much travel they did to see each other after Victoria’s children moved away to other countries. England now also had a Prime Minister, so decisions were not made by the monarchy, though they were discussed between the PM and the monarchy.
It was interesting to learn about Queen Victoria, as well as the different world that England had become over 300 years. I’m not sure, historically, how her husband, Albert, is regarded, but I was not a big fan, given how he’s described in this book. Victoria loved him, but I didn’t like him much. I found her family life (both as a child, and as an adult) more interesting than the politics in the book.
3.75 stars
This is a fictional biography of Queen Victoria. She had an unhappy childhood, but she married someone she loved (Albert), they had 9 children, who all lived.
This is a long book. It’s only the second book I’ve read on Queen Victoria, the first was only a month ago, and also written by Plaidy, but that one only included her childhood (there are sequels to that, so I will continue, but with larger gaps in between). Most of what I’ve read about British royalty was from the Tudors and earlier on, so 300+ years earlier. Some differences that happened in between included Royals being able to choose their spouses, and I found it interesting how much travel they did to see each other after Victoria’s children moved away to other countries. England now also had a Prime Minister, so decisions were not made by the monarchy, though they were discussed between the PM and the monarchy.
It was interesting to learn about Queen Victoria, as well as the different world that England had become over 300 years. I’m not sure, historically, how her husband, Albert, is regarded, but I was not a big fan, given how he’s described in this book. Victoria loved him, but I didn’t like him much. I found her family life (both as a child, and as an adult) more interesting than the politics in the book.
April 15, 2013
So far I feel like there are two different Victorias: one pre-wedding and another post-wedding. I enjoyed the pre-wedding Victoria very much, she was smart and witty. The post-wedding one is boring and almost weak, always belittling herself in favour of her husband.
Her reaction to her pregnancies make me cringe everytime! Surely she knew how pregnancies came about!
As for the book itself, I'm finding it a bit difficult and maybe even desorganized. There's little indication of the year the chapters, or even the events in each chapter, refer too and that makes it hard to form a chronological point of view of things, which I think would be helpful in understanding the historical and political parts of the book.
************************************************
After finishing the book my opinion remains the same. Victoria was not what i was expecting, she was not as strong as i thought and she actually relied on men a lot, not only her husband but her ministers.
As for the book, it was poorly organized and very confusing.
I'm giving it two stars because I do like history and I learned a few things, otherwise it would be one star!
I'm not sure I'll be giving the author another chance!
Her reaction to her pregnancies make me cringe everytime! Surely she knew how pregnancies came about!
As for the book itself, I'm finding it a bit difficult and maybe even desorganized. There's little indication of the year the chapters, or even the events in each chapter, refer too and that makes it hard to form a chronological point of view of things, which I think would be helpful in understanding the historical and political parts of the book.
************************************************
After finishing the book my opinion remains the same. Victoria was not what i was expecting, she was not as strong as i thought and she actually relied on men a lot, not only her husband but her ministers.
As for the book, it was poorly organized and very confusing.
I'm giving it two stars because I do like history and I learned a few things, otherwise it would be one star!
I'm not sure I'll be giving the author another chance!
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March 1, 2019Jean Plaidy - "Victoria Victorious""
Току-що я дочетох.
И като ставим настрана удоволствието от самия факт, че за пръв път от месеци насам чета книга, която ще превеждам, книгата е чудесна. Отначало ми тръгна малко трудно, но това може би се дължеше донякъде и на факта, че четох първите й страници в сканиран вид, след като ги получих за пробен превод. След като ги "преодолях", четенето потръгна.
Авторката има много приятен стил, "спъвах" се само малко в началото, защото на моменти не ми беше ясно дали Виктория /от чието име се разказва историята/ разказва за неща, на които е била съвременница, или преразказва такива, които са й били разказани. След това обаче историята ме увлече. Много. Казах "приятен стил", но това описание не е достатъчно и може би дори звучи малко снизходително. А книгата ни най-малко не заслужава снизходително отношение. Тъкмо напротив - това е добре написана, увлекателна книга, която дава достатъчно сведения за събитията през погледа на Виктория, без - по мое мнение - да е излишно многословна.
Едно от най-хубавите неща в тази книга е, че тя показва Виктория не само като кралица. Историята ни "превежда" през целия й живот, през всички негови периоди и аспекти - детство, юношество, ранна младост, зряла възраст... почти до деня на смъртта й. И всеки неин образ е живо представен - детето, което от ранна възраст знае, че един ден ще седне на трона, потисканото от майка си момиче, което очаква осемнайсетия си рожден ден като някаква едва ли не вълшебна дата, която най-сетне ще го освободи от властната майка; влюбената предана съпруга; майката. И още, и още. Не знам колко време е писана книгата, но авторката е успяла чудесно и убедително да предаде всички тези "образи" на Виктория.
Хареса ми и това, че е отделено много място на описанието на политиката. Изненадах се, че ми беше толкова интересно, но е факт. Дори това беше описано увлекателно.
За голямата любов между Виктория и Албърт е писано и говорено много, така че това не ме учуди особено. Изненада ме друго - през цялото време се питах как е възможно двама толкова различни души да се обичат толкова много? Да не говорим, че и по принцип браковете по любов между кралски особи са били толкова редки... Но е факт, че нещата са стояли именно така.
Не знам защо винаги съм смятала, че кралица Виктория е била сдържана и студена жена. Тази книга обаче ми показа една друга жена - чувствителна, емоционална, способна на голяма обич и привързаност. Почувствах я близка, изпитах топлота към нея. И си дадох сметка колко малко съм знаела за нея всъщност.
Почти накрая ми се иска да кажа нещо и за авторката. В бележката накрая с изненада открих, че е изключително продуктивна - написала е почти двеста романа. Друго интересно откритие беше, че е писала под няколко псевдонима /името, което стои върху корицата на тази книга, също е псевдоним/ и че поне един от тях - Виктория Холт - ми е известен.
И съвсем накрая - не мога да се въздържа от сравнение с моята любима Филипа Грегъри, чиито книги превеждах години наред. Обичам и винаги ще обичам Филипа, но тази книга ми хареса повече от някои нейни. Може би и защото разказва за много по-късна епоха и ме "срещна" отблизо с исторически личности, за които знаех твърде малко.
Е, "запознах" се с Виктория. От утре започвам превода и съм сигурна, че ми предстоят няколко изключително приятни месеца
Току-що я дочетох.
И като ставим настрана удоволствието от самия факт, че за пръв път от месеци насам чета книга, която ще превеждам, книгата е чудесна. Отначало ми тръгна малко трудно, но това може би се дължеше донякъде и на факта, че четох първите й страници в сканиран вид, след като ги получих за пробен превод. След като ги "преодолях", четенето потръгна.
Авторката има много приятен стил, "спъвах" се само малко в началото, защото на моменти не ми беше ясно дали Виктория /от чието име се разказва историята/ разказва за неща, на които е била съвременница, или преразказва такива, които са й били разказани. След това обаче историята ме увлече. Много. Казах "приятен стил", но това описание не е достатъчно и може би дори звучи малко снизходително. А книгата ни най-малко не заслужава снизходително отношение. Тъкмо напротив - това е добре написана, увлекателна книга, която дава достатъчно сведения за събитията през погледа на Виктория, без - по мое мнение - да е излишно многословна.
Едно от най-хубавите неща в тази книга е, че тя показва Виктория не само като кралица. Историята ни "превежда" през целия й живот, през всички негови периоди и аспекти - детство, юношество, ранна младост, зряла възраст... почти до деня на смъртта й. И всеки неин образ е живо представен - детето, което от ранна възраст знае, че един ден ще седне на трона, потисканото от майка си момиче, което очаква осемнайсетия си рожден ден като някаква едва ли не вълшебна дата, която най-сетне ще го освободи от властната майка; влюбената предана съпруга; майката. И още, и още. Не знам колко време е писана книгата, но авторката е успяла чудесно и убедително да предаде всички тези "образи" на Виктория.
Хареса ми и това, че е отделено много място на описанието на политиката. Изненадах се, че ми беше толкова интересно, но е факт. Дори това беше описано увлекателно.
За голямата любов между Виктория и Албърт е писано и говорено много, така че това не ме учуди особено. Изненада ме друго - през цялото време се питах как е възможно двама толкова различни души да се обичат толкова много? Да не говорим, че и по принцип браковете по любов между кралски особи са били толкова редки... Но е факт, че нещата са стояли именно така.
Не знам защо винаги съм смятала, че кралица Виктория е била сдържана и студена жена. Тази книга обаче ми показа една друга жена - чувствителна, емоционална, способна на голяма обич и привързаност. Почувствах я близка, изпитах топлота към нея. И си дадох сметка колко малко съм знаела за нея всъщност.
Почти накрая ми се иска да кажа нещо и за авторката. В бележката накрая с изненада открих, че е изключително продуктивна - написала е почти двеста романа. Друго интересно откритие беше, че е писала под няколко псевдонима /името, което стои върху корицата на тази книга, също е псевдоним/ и че поне един от тях - Виктория Холт - ми е известен.
И съвсем накрая - не мога да се въздържа от сравнение с моята любима Филипа Грегъри, чиито книги превеждах години наред. Обичам и винаги ще обичам Филипа, но тази книга ми хареса повече от някои нейни. Може би и защото разказва за много по-късна епоха и ме "срещна" отблизо с исторически личности, за които знаех твърде малко.
Е, "запознах" се с Виктория. От утре започвам превода и съм сигурна, че ми предстоят няколко изключително приятни месеца
November 24, 2014
It is very rare to find a writer who can fully engage the reader so that he/she feels that they are witness to a series of events as they are unfolding. Here Jean Plaidy tells a story of Queen Victoria's life in Victoria's own voice. Plaidy does it with such unerring skill that one can't help but wonder if Victoria herself had dictated this book to Plaidy.
Here we are given access to the full sweep of Victoria's life, from her birth in 1819 (grand-daughter to George III), her unhappy childhood with a greedy, selfish and controlling mother, her ascension to the throne in 1837, her marriage to her beloved Albert in February 1840, her 9 children, the death of Albert in 1861 which left Victoria bereft for the rest of her life, and the growth of Britain and her Empire during Victoria's long reign. Reading this book was a delightful and enlightening experience. If only all history could be explained to students in such a compelling and personal way as Plaidy has done so well here, perhaps more of them would be more eager to study it.
Here we are given access to the full sweep of Victoria's life, from her birth in 1819 (grand-daughter to George III), her unhappy childhood with a greedy, selfish and controlling mother, her ascension to the throne in 1837, her marriage to her beloved Albert in February 1840, her 9 children, the death of Albert in 1861 which left Victoria bereft for the rest of her life, and the growth of Britain and her Empire during Victoria's long reign. Reading this book was a delightful and enlightening experience. If only all history could be explained to students in such a compelling and personal way as Plaidy has done so well here, perhaps more of them would be more eager to study it.
January 18, 2025
Ревю:
“Кралица Виктория” от Джийн Плейди е исторически роман, който предлага завладяващ портрет на една от най-емблематичните монархини в британската история. Книгата е чст от поредица, посветена на видни исторически личности, и се отличава с детайлност, емоционална дълбочина и увлекателен разказ.
Сюжет:
Романът проследява живота на Виктория - от детството и като изолирана и свръхзащитена принцеса. до нейното издигане на трона и управлението и като кралица. Джийн Плейди изследва сложните отношения на Виктория с майка и, херцогинята на Кент, и влиянието на съветника и Джон Конрой, като и ключовите моменти в живота и, включително нейната любов и брак с принц Алберт.
Книгата също така хвърля светлина върху политическите и социалните промени по време на управлението на Виктория, като същевременно запазва личната перспектива, разкривайки чувствата, страховете и надежди на младата кралица.
Стил:
Джийн Плейди е известна с умението си да комбинира историческа точност с увлекателно повествование. Описанията на дворцовия живот. политическите интриги и сложните взаимноотношения са детайлни, но никога скучни. Стилът е достъпен и ангажиращ, което прави романа подходящ както за любителите на историята, така и за читателите, които търсят интригуваща лична драма.
Теми:
Основните теми в книгата включват:
- Изолацията и натискът на властта: Виктория е изобразена като младо момиче, което се бори с очакванията, поставени от нейната позиция.
- Любов и семейство: Централно място заема връзката и с принц Алберт - както любовта, така и предизвикателствата на брака им.
- Сила и идентичност: Разказът акцентира върху израстването на Виктория като жена и владетелка. която се бори да утвърди авторитета си в един мъжки свят.
Мнение:
Джийн Плейди успява да оживи Викторианската епоха и да представи Кралица Виктория като сложна и многопластова личност - не само владетел, но и жена с нейните радости, страхове и амбиции. Книгата е подходяща за всеки, който се интересува от исторически романи, особено от онези, които се изследват вътрешния свят на емблематични фигури.
Ако търсите роман, които да съчетава историческа достоверност с емоционална ангажираност, “Кралица Виктория” ще ви предложи всичко това.
“Кралица Виктория” от Джийн Плейди е исторически роман, който предлага завладяващ портрет на една от най-емблематичните монархини в британската история. Книгата е чст от поредица, посветена на видни исторически личности, и се отличава с детайлност, емоционална дълбочина и увлекателен разказ.
Сюжет:
Романът проследява живота на Виктория - от детството и като изолирана и свръхзащитена принцеса. до нейното издигане на трона и управлението и като кралица. Джийн Плейди изследва сложните отношения на Виктория с майка и, херцогинята на Кент, и влиянието на съветника и Джон Конрой, като и ключовите моменти в живота и, включително нейната любов и брак с принц Алберт.
Книгата също така хвърля светлина върху политическите и социалните промени по време на управлението на Виктория, като същевременно запазва личната перспектива, разкривайки чувствата, страховете и надежди на младата кралица.
Стил:
Джийн Плейди е известна с умението си да комбинира историческа точност с увлекателно повествование. Описанията на дворцовия живот. политическите интриги и сложните взаимноотношения са детайлни, но никога скучни. Стилът е достъпен и ангажиращ, което прави романа подходящ както за любителите на историята, така и за читателите, които търсят интригуваща лична драма.
Теми:
Основните теми в книгата включват:
- Изолацията и натискът на властта: Виктория е изобразена като младо момиче, което се бори с очакванията, поставени от нейната позиция.
- Любов и семейство: Централно място заема връзката и с принц Алберт - както любовта, така и предизвикателствата на брака им.
- Сила и идентичност: Разказът акцентира върху израстването на Виктория като жена и владетелка. която се бори да утвърди авторитета си в един мъжки свят.
Мнение:
Джийн Плейди успява да оживи Викторианската епоха и да представи Кралица Виктория като сложна и многопластова личност - не само владетел, но и жена с нейните радости, страхове и амбиции. Книгата е подходяща за всеки, който се интересува от исторически романи, особено от онези, които се изследват вътрешния свят на емблематични фигури.
Ако търсите роман, които да съчетава историческа достоверност с емоционална ангажираност, “Кралица Виктория” ще ви предложи всичко това.
May 10, 2011
Ok…i have to admit…i tried finishing Victoria Victorious by Jean Pliady
But I just couldn’t do it. It was soooo BORING!!! Victoria herself was just annoying, Albert was so perfect and always right and blah blah blah
in all honesty I felt like i was reading Twilight! Albert this, Albert that, oh Albert you’re sooo good, oh Albert you’re soooo handsome.
It was awful.
Happy Readings!
<3 The Book Worm
But I just couldn’t do it. It was soooo BORING!!! Victoria herself was just annoying, Albert was so perfect and always right and blah blah blah
in all honesty I felt like i was reading Twilight! Albert this, Albert that, oh Albert you’re sooo good, oh Albert you’re soooo handsome.
It was awful.
Happy Readings!
<3 The Book Worm
October 9, 2010
Overall, a very comprehensive, informative read about Queen Victoria from her birth to her death. As usual, Plaidy provides an accurate account of the Queen and her relationships with those around her.
In my opinion, Victoria's lack of a father figure while growing up, which, in turn, leads her to seek the fulfillment of her emotional needs from the men that she meets in her life, and in particular, her husband, Albert. Albert is very different from Victoria. Although very handsome, Albert is a humorless man, with the highest of moral standards, who seeks to be regarded in his own right. However, he finds himself not only cast in Victoria's shadow, but viewed as an outsider by the English people since he is of German descent. Interestingly, Tsarina Alexandra would face similar criticism from the Russian people when they sought someone on whom to blame their problems.
We find that Victoria's mothering skills need much to be desired, and it's interesting to see how her deference to Albert in regard to the rearing of those children impacts how the children grow-up and the type of people that they become. Victoria's prime ministers are also featured in much of the book, and again, each of these men exhibit paternal characteristics to Victoria that makes her more of a follower, in my opinion, than a strong leader. It's only until later in the book that Victoria begins to grasp her role as ruler, and the reader finds that she is able to contribute to the decision making process.
There is so much more detail that this almost 600 page read provides about Victoria, but I would encourage you to read it for your herself to gain a very good understanding of Victoria. Plaidy's narrative tone, although told from the perspective of Victoria, sounds similar to the other women about which she writes so that I instantly found myself hearing Plaidy tell the story and not necessarily Victoria. It's not a bad thing, but again, something that I observed about Plaidy's writing style.
In my opinion, Victoria's lack of a father figure while growing up, which, in turn, leads her to seek the fulfillment of her emotional needs from the men that she meets in her life, and in particular, her husband, Albert. Albert is very different from Victoria. Although very handsome, Albert is a humorless man, with the highest of moral standards, who seeks to be regarded in his own right. However, he finds himself not only cast in Victoria's shadow, but viewed as an outsider by the English people since he is of German descent. Interestingly, Tsarina Alexandra would face similar criticism from the Russian people when they sought someone on whom to blame their problems.
We find that Victoria's mothering skills need much to be desired, and it's interesting to see how her deference to Albert in regard to the rearing of those children impacts how the children grow-up and the type of people that they become. Victoria's prime ministers are also featured in much of the book, and again, each of these men exhibit paternal characteristics to Victoria that makes her more of a follower, in my opinion, than a strong leader. It's only until later in the book that Victoria begins to grasp her role as ruler, and the reader finds that she is able to contribute to the decision making process.
There is so much more detail that this almost 600 page read provides about Victoria, but I would encourage you to read it for your herself to gain a very good understanding of Victoria. Plaidy's narrative tone, although told from the perspective of Victoria, sounds similar to the other women about which she writes so that I instantly found myself hearing Plaidy tell the story and not necessarily Victoria. It's not a bad thing, but again, something that I observed about Plaidy's writing style.
September 19, 2011
Plaidy's novels are never earth-shattering for me but they are great comfort-reads. I especially like to listen to the audiobook while I take walks or drive to and from work. Like her other novels in the Queens of England series, this one is a biographical novel that follows Queen Victoria from her birth to her death. It is long and drawn-out, and it contains natural lulls much like human lives do- but I've learned that this is par for the course when it comes to Plaidy.
I really enjoyed reading about this time period because I tend to read about earlier eras. Though Plaidy's novels are not completely historically accurate (they tend to lean toward older, out-of-date, or more popular interpretations of historical characters), I really appreciate how she tries to stick to what we know about the characters' personalities. It would be so easy to change one or two events or quotes by the characters in order to make them more likeable to the reader. But they wouldn't be themselves then, now would they!?!?
I am annoyed by Victoria's personality once she meets Albert. She loses herself in him and she gives in to his ultra-conservative demands. She treats her eldest son, Bertie (later King Edward VII) unfairly simply because he is not like his father. She is also quite jealous of her eldest daughter who is favored by Albert. These are just a few examples of qualities that the real Victoria possessed that were less than stellar. I also despised her politics but I enjoyed reading the book anyway because I think Plaidy remained true to the spirit of Queen Victoria, which is valid in itself.
I recommend this book to people just getting into his fic. All of Plaidy's novels are a good place to start for his fic newbs. I wish I'd read them before diving in head-first to the newer novels. It's always great to experience the classics within the genre before you get to the newfangled publications (which also have their place!)
I really enjoyed reading about this time period because I tend to read about earlier eras. Though Plaidy's novels are not completely historically accurate (they tend to lean toward older, out-of-date, or more popular interpretations of historical characters), I really appreciate how she tries to stick to what we know about the characters' personalities. It would be so easy to change one or two events or quotes by the characters in order to make them more likeable to the reader. But they wouldn't be themselves then, now would they!?!?
I am annoyed by Victoria's personality once she meets Albert. She loses herself in him and she gives in to his ultra-conservative demands. She treats her eldest son, Bertie (later King Edward VII) unfairly simply because he is not like his father. She is also quite jealous of her eldest daughter who is favored by Albert. These are just a few examples of qualities that the real Victoria possessed that were less than stellar. I also despised her politics but I enjoyed reading the book anyway because I think Plaidy remained true to the spirit of Queen Victoria, which is valid in itself.
I recommend this book to people just getting into his fic. All of Plaidy's novels are a good place to start for his fic newbs. I wish I'd read them before diving in head-first to the newer novels. It's always great to experience the classics within the genre before you get to the newfangled publications (which also have their place!)
October 15, 2018
Victoria Victorious is a well-written account of Queen Victoria's life, from her birth to her death. Written and dramatised in first person point-of-view, I found that it infused soul and energy into her fascinating life.
If only they could have made history books this interesting when I went to school!
If only they could have made history books this interesting when I went to school!
November 10, 2019
Though I've never found Jean Plaidy's/Victoria Holt's/other aliases' writings very poignant or deep, one can not come to the end of a 541 page novel and be unmoved. This was the story of Queen Victoria from early childhood until just weeks before her death at 81 and, while some sentiments may have been somewhat construed, it read much like the filling out of a detailed timeline, leading me to believe she obtained much of her information from writings from the Queen. The story was a little unbalanced as the first 40 years of her life were told in 410 pages and the last 41 were spelled out in just over 100.
I somewhat liked the Young Victoria of the novel's early chapters. She was lighthearted and friendly; yet everything was always so peachy with everyone she dealt with that I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. There were lots of sensitive crying men who doted on her (enter construes). That didn't seem super believable.
I found myself wishing there would have been a timeline included or dated chapters. It was difficult to imagine things happening in the timeline of the rest of history without stopping to look things up.
Once Victoria and Albert were married, I found that I began liking her less and less as time went on. I can't imagine speaking so meanly about my children. Even though I definitely do put my husband before my children and they know that relationship is most important, I could never say the things or treat my child the way they did toward Bertie. It's no wonder he struggled as an adult and I was happy to read he was so free and loving with his own children. I loved it when she said, "Remember your childhood!" and he said, "Oh yes, Mama, I do remember it well."
I didn't care much for Albert throughout the book and found it irritating when Victoria would say he could do no wrong---especially in the case of Bertie's upbringing where he is clearly overbearing and mean. She mentions at the end that she maybe saw him as too angelic---but then condemns herself for thinking badly of her dearly departed. I think she battled with being proper as opposed to being real.
Once Albert passed away, I had a difficult time liking her. It's not that I didn't want to be sympathetic but she seems to be hypocritical and pampered. I was annoyed that she even mentioned Alexandra didn't seek her permission for her parents to visit her on her sick bed. I was frustrated that she continued to blame Bertie for Albert's death and that she made Beatrice feel guilty if she wanted to venture away from home. She seemed very childish to me and it was difficult to respect her.
Though I think I probably found more negatives than positives, not all was bad. I do think she was a loyal friend and a loving mother, in her own way. She was loyal to her people and seemed genuinely affected when she'd fallen out of favor as she desired to be in their good graces. I loved that she employed servants from other cultures and learned from them. I was also applauding her left and right for standing up to an overbearing mother. Good for her.
One thing I learned from the book was the practice the Germans had of purposefully scarring one another's faces in Mensur. Ew.
All in all, I'm glad I read the book. I'll keep it in my collection as I'm sure I'll want to read it again in the future.
I somewhat liked the Young Victoria of the novel's early chapters. She was lighthearted and friendly; yet everything was always so peachy with everyone she dealt with that I kept waiting for the shoe to drop. There were lots of sensitive crying men who doted on her (enter construes). That didn't seem super believable.
I found myself wishing there would have been a timeline included or dated chapters. It was difficult to imagine things happening in the timeline of the rest of history without stopping to look things up.
Once Victoria and Albert were married, I found that I began liking her less and less as time went on. I can't imagine speaking so meanly about my children. Even though I definitely do put my husband before my children and they know that relationship is most important, I could never say the things or treat my child the way they did toward Bertie. It's no wonder he struggled as an adult and I was happy to read he was so free and loving with his own children. I loved it when she said, "Remember your childhood!" and he said, "Oh yes, Mama, I do remember it well."
I didn't care much for Albert throughout the book and found it irritating when Victoria would say he could do no wrong---especially in the case of Bertie's upbringing where he is clearly overbearing and mean. She mentions at the end that she maybe saw him as too angelic---but then condemns herself for thinking badly of her dearly departed. I think she battled with being proper as opposed to being real.
Once Albert passed away, I had a difficult time liking her. It's not that I didn't want to be sympathetic but she seems to be hypocritical and pampered. I was annoyed that she even mentioned Alexandra didn't seek her permission for her parents to visit her on her sick bed. I was frustrated that she continued to blame Bertie for Albert's death and that she made Beatrice feel guilty if she wanted to venture away from home. She seemed very childish to me and it was difficult to respect her.
Though I think I probably found more negatives than positives, not all was bad. I do think she was a loyal friend and a loving mother, in her own way. She was loyal to her people and seemed genuinely affected when she'd fallen out of favor as she desired to be in their good graces. I loved that she employed servants from other cultures and learned from them. I was also applauding her left and right for standing up to an overbearing mother. Good for her.
One thing I learned from the book was the practice the Germans had of purposefully scarring one another's faces in Mensur. Ew.
All in all, I'm glad I read the book. I'll keep it in my collection as I'm sure I'll want to read it again in the future.
January 2, 2020
This is one of the best of Jean Plaidy and really brings Queen Victoria to life and creates a quite personable picture of the British monarchy. Told from Victoria's perspective, the story starts with her secluded childhood and ends with her Diamond Jubilee.
January 6, 2010
Was surprised to read this in the first person. Felt as though looking through Victoria's eyes of her life as she viewed it. Although one-sided in the "her" story form, it shows a young girl coming of age and having to deal with being a woman in a MAN's world. The difficulty being a Queen and no role model to emulate this "job". Even the Queen has to deal with the independence of children and their decisions not always being what she wants. I even through a tantrum when things don't go my way!!!!!
As loving most things historical and adding the love of autobiographical, this went right up my alley.
As loving most things historical and adding the love of autobiographical, this went right up my alley.
May 19, 2022
The way “Victoria Victorious” began, I thought I’d end up rating it five stars. Victoria’s childhood years are interesting and entertaining. Ms Plaidy does usually create quality child characters, as she has done here.
As Victoria grows older, though, the narrative becomes less engaging. After Albert’s death, it goes from dull to plain boring, often reading like a dry history book or a series of newspaper reports.
Although I’ve yet to read the four-book Victoria series that Ms Plaidy wrote in third person, it’s obvious that she’s attempted to rewrite that quartet in first person and cram them into this one volume. This is what the novels in the Queens of England series are – first-person retellings of books the author has previously written as part of one third-person series or another.
In several novels I’ve read by this author, she tries to pack in an extensive period at the expense of a good story and larger-than-life characters. She would’ve been much better off ending with Albert’s death, perhaps following on with a one-page epilogue (or not), therefore leaving ample space to develop scenes and characters.
As it is, the years are so jam-packed that the passage of time is often unclear. Early on, I was picturing Victoria aged eleven, yet a few paragraphs later I’m told she’s thirteen. This kind of thing disrupts the narrative flow, as the reader has to adjust to the abrupt change.
This gets much worse later on the book when years fly by in order to fit the title character’s whole life in. Rarely is the reader clear when a week, month, or year(s) has passed, as no breaks between the paragraphs indicate that time has moved on. Ms Plaidy is not good at structuring chapters in her novels, and this is a prime example of that trait.
Another reason why the second half of the book is too dry and boring is through the author’s need to name-check as many people as possible who came into contact with Victoria. For instance, during one (or maybe two) paragraph, Victoria mentions how a Russian archduke visits her. He is described but never “seen”. No dialogue is used at all. No scene is dramatized to “show” the archduke to the reader. Therefore, why include this at all? It’s a waste of words, doing nothing to move the story forwards.
Same happened with other famous personages of Victoria’s time, most notably Florence Nightingale and Charles Dickens. In each case, Victoria gives a short summary of them coming to meet her, yet the reader “sees” nothing. No drama, no dialogue, just dry description and reported speech. Neither Dickens nor Nightingale have any relevance to the story, so why include these short but pointless scenes?
Like with many historical novels I’ve read, the author puts so much effort in getting the history elements correct that essential creative writing skills are neglected. Main problem being too much “telling” and not enough “showing”. Don’t tell the reader that “Conyngham looked bewildered” or “Lord Melbourne looked unhappy” – show their emotions with action, or body language, or a facial expression.
Things like Victoria’s daughter Alice’s impressions of Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt is blatant telling: “She quite clearly liked him.”
Whenever an author uses “clearly”, the reader sees or senses nothing, like when Victoria states that Bertie’s tutor “was clearly pleased by the appointment.” It’s not clear to the reader. Why not show his excitement?
Also, when Bertie gets a new tutor, Victoria “could see that Albert was getting irritated” and in the same scene we’re twice told that “Albert looked exasperated” and “'He is quite childish,’ said Albert in exasperation.” It’s repetitive as well as doing nothing to show the reader Albert’s body language and actions.
Reported speech is another on Ms Palidy’s traits: “Lord Melbourne said that it was customary to give the monarch's consort £50,000 a year, and he would ask the Parliament to agree to this.” Why couldn’t this dry statement have been dramatized?
This book has arguably more reported speech than in any other I’ve read by Ms Plaidy. She probably used this much to ensure she could cram Victoria’s whole life into the pages.
As mentioned, once Albert dies, the novel reads more and more like a history book or newspaper report:
“The future king, said the Press, is given to gambling, horse-racing, and other activities… not concerned with matters of state. His income was clearly too large. There were other causes on which the money could be better spent. There had been a time when Mr. Gladstone had induced the Prince to take up some charitable work and he had become a member of the Royal Commission on the Housing of the Working Classes.”
I wouldn’t have a problem with the above quote if this was a work of non-fiction, but the point is that this is a novel, and as such it should read like one. Like with the brief inclusion of characters such as Dickens who have no relevance to the plot whatsoever, the author is determined to cover every important event that touched Victoria’s life, including matters that the queen had no personal involvement in:
“The administrator of Rhodesia was a Dr. Jameson who had carried out a very daring plan to overthrow Kruger. It was a foolhardy thing to do but very brave. Stealing into the Transvaal at night, with a few hundred mounted police, he had tried to foster a revolt against Kruger. His force was small; Kruger was powerful; and in a very short time Jameson and his men were overpowered.”
Rather than report on events in another country, why not focus on Victoria’s relationships with her family? Her children and grandchildren are mostly described, rather than dramatized, and Victoria tells us what they’re like and what they said, rather than showing the reader in a vivid scene with dialogue and action.
Sometimes, when there is dialogue, there’s no sense of place. Victoria starts talking with someone, yet the reader hasn’t a clue where the conversation is taking place. I tend to picture Victoria sitting on a throne, though it’s probable in most cases she wasn’t. This is ill-thought-out writing.
“Victoria Victorious” had the potential to be a great family novel. It starts out that way, but tragically it becomes the author’s mission to present a dry biography, focusing on political events abroad, rather than the more interesting relationships between Victoria and her family.
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English and French history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing. A novel like this one should be revised about 20 times, yet this at best feels like a fifth draft and a book that can’t decide if it’s a novel or a non-fiction history book. If not for the early part of this book, I wouldn't be rating it as much as three stars.
As Victoria grows older, though, the narrative becomes less engaging. After Albert’s death, it goes from dull to plain boring, often reading like a dry history book or a series of newspaper reports.
Although I’ve yet to read the four-book Victoria series that Ms Plaidy wrote in third person, it’s obvious that she’s attempted to rewrite that quartet in first person and cram them into this one volume. This is what the novels in the Queens of England series are – first-person retellings of books the author has previously written as part of one third-person series or another.
In several novels I’ve read by this author, she tries to pack in an extensive period at the expense of a good story and larger-than-life characters. She would’ve been much better off ending with Albert’s death, perhaps following on with a one-page epilogue (or not), therefore leaving ample space to develop scenes and characters.
As it is, the years are so jam-packed that the passage of time is often unclear. Early on, I was picturing Victoria aged eleven, yet a few paragraphs later I’m told she’s thirteen. This kind of thing disrupts the narrative flow, as the reader has to adjust to the abrupt change.
This gets much worse later on the book when years fly by in order to fit the title character’s whole life in. Rarely is the reader clear when a week, month, or year(s) has passed, as no breaks between the paragraphs indicate that time has moved on. Ms Plaidy is not good at structuring chapters in her novels, and this is a prime example of that trait.
Another reason why the second half of the book is too dry and boring is through the author’s need to name-check as many people as possible who came into contact with Victoria. For instance, during one (or maybe two) paragraph, Victoria mentions how a Russian archduke visits her. He is described but never “seen”. No dialogue is used at all. No scene is dramatized to “show” the archduke to the reader. Therefore, why include this at all? It’s a waste of words, doing nothing to move the story forwards.
Same happened with other famous personages of Victoria’s time, most notably Florence Nightingale and Charles Dickens. In each case, Victoria gives a short summary of them coming to meet her, yet the reader “sees” nothing. No drama, no dialogue, just dry description and reported speech. Neither Dickens nor Nightingale have any relevance to the story, so why include these short but pointless scenes?
Like with many historical novels I’ve read, the author puts so much effort in getting the history elements correct that essential creative writing skills are neglected. Main problem being too much “telling” and not enough “showing”. Don’t tell the reader that “Conyngham looked bewildered” or “Lord Melbourne looked unhappy” – show their emotions with action, or body language, or a facial expression.
Things like Victoria’s daughter Alice’s impressions of Louis of Hesse-Darmstadt is blatant telling: “She quite clearly liked him.”
Whenever an author uses “clearly”, the reader sees or senses nothing, like when Victoria states that Bertie’s tutor “was clearly pleased by the appointment.” It’s not clear to the reader. Why not show his excitement?
Also, when Bertie gets a new tutor, Victoria “could see that Albert was getting irritated” and in the same scene we’re twice told that “Albert looked exasperated” and “'He is quite childish,’ said Albert in exasperation.” It’s repetitive as well as doing nothing to show the reader Albert’s body language and actions.
Reported speech is another on Ms Palidy’s traits: “Lord Melbourne said that it was customary to give the monarch's consort £50,000 a year, and he would ask the Parliament to agree to this.” Why couldn’t this dry statement have been dramatized?
This book has arguably more reported speech than in any other I’ve read by Ms Plaidy. She probably used this much to ensure she could cram Victoria’s whole life into the pages.
As mentioned, once Albert dies, the novel reads more and more like a history book or newspaper report:
“The future king, said the Press, is given to gambling, horse-racing, and other activities… not concerned with matters of state. His income was clearly too large. There were other causes on which the money could be better spent. There had been a time when Mr. Gladstone had induced the Prince to take up some charitable work and he had become a member of the Royal Commission on the Housing of the Working Classes.”
I wouldn’t have a problem with the above quote if this was a work of non-fiction, but the point is that this is a novel, and as such it should read like one. Like with the brief inclusion of characters such as Dickens who have no relevance to the plot whatsoever, the author is determined to cover every important event that touched Victoria’s life, including matters that the queen had no personal involvement in:
“The administrator of Rhodesia was a Dr. Jameson who had carried out a very daring plan to overthrow Kruger. It was a foolhardy thing to do but very brave. Stealing into the Transvaal at night, with a few hundred mounted police, he had tried to foster a revolt against Kruger. His force was small; Kruger was powerful; and in a very short time Jameson and his men were overpowered.”
Rather than report on events in another country, why not focus on Victoria’s relationships with her family? Her children and grandchildren are mostly described, rather than dramatized, and Victoria tells us what they’re like and what they said, rather than showing the reader in a vivid scene with dialogue and action.
Sometimes, when there is dialogue, there’s no sense of place. Victoria starts talking with someone, yet the reader hasn’t a clue where the conversation is taking place. I tend to picture Victoria sitting on a throne, though it’s probable in most cases she wasn’t. This is ill-thought-out writing.
“Victoria Victorious” had the potential to be a great family novel. It starts out that way, but tragically it becomes the author’s mission to present a dry biography, focusing on political events abroad, rather than the more interesting relationships between Victoria and her family.
Something about Jean Plaidy’s books keep me coming back for more. Perhaps it’s her obvious love for English and French history, which I share, that draws me back. I wish she’d focused less on turning out as greater quantity of novels as possible and concentrated more on quality writing. A novel like this one should be revised about 20 times, yet this at best feels like a fifth draft and a book that can’t decide if it’s a novel or a non-fiction history book. If not for the early part of this book, I wouldn't be rating it as much as three stars.
August 24, 2020
One of the greatest queens in western history... or one of the greatest consorts? Jean Plaidy tackles the monumental Queen Victoria in this book whom I firmly believe is only as popular as she is because she happened to rule over the Industrial Revolution. While Plaidy covers a complex figure, readers get more of a sense that Victoria's true power was squashed by a larger than life prince consort.
Victoria comes to the throne as an eighteen year old, young, full of life and ready to live it. She is easily led by attractive and witty people; although, her strength is that she stays loyal to them no matter what. This is never more apparent than when she marries her cousin Albert. Throughout their marriage, Albert patronizes Victoria. Every now and then, she questions his behavior, only to reprimand herself for what she perceives as her unjustness towards him. The truth, as presented in this novel, is that he treated her like a child, easily preferred their eldest daughter to everyone else, and physically and emotionally abused their eldest son. Deep down, Victoria knows this is all wrong, but she can't bring herself to correct her husband.
It's truly sad to see a powerful woman who stared death in the face an unprecedented seven times, saw uncountable sadness, expanded the British empire through her children and grandchildren, and was kind to servants often be put in her place by the men she allows to rule her. You get a sense that she truly could have been awesome, if she had a little more confidence in her own rule.
That said, Victoria is still a compelling character, though I was begging for it to end at the 400 page mark because her ceaseless adulation of Albert was boring me into an early grave.
Victoria comes to the throne as an eighteen year old, young, full of life and ready to live it. She is easily led by attractive and witty people; although, her strength is that she stays loyal to them no matter what. This is never more apparent than when she marries her cousin Albert. Throughout their marriage, Albert patronizes Victoria. Every now and then, she questions his behavior, only to reprimand herself for what she perceives as her unjustness towards him. The truth, as presented in this novel, is that he treated her like a child, easily preferred their eldest daughter to everyone else, and physically and emotionally abused their eldest son. Deep down, Victoria knows this is all wrong, but she can't bring herself to correct her husband.
It's truly sad to see a powerful woman who stared death in the face an unprecedented seven times, saw uncountable sadness, expanded the British empire through her children and grandchildren, and was kind to servants often be put in her place by the men she allows to rule her. You get a sense that she truly could have been awesome, if she had a little more confidence in her own rule.
That said, Victoria is still a compelling character, though I was begging for it to end at the 400 page mark because her ceaseless adulation of Albert was boring me into an early grave.
August 22, 2025
Книгата изобщо не ме впечатли. Оставям три звезди, защото само по себе си повествованието не е лошо, НО в книгата няма нито една посочена дата или година, нито едно описано историческо или външнополитическо събитие. И това за една от трите най-уважавани и силни владетелки на Англия, за жената, която английската империя се разраства неимоверно, и за която се добавя титлата императрица на Индия. Роднините и членовете на семейството в началото на книгата не са никак добре описани и през повечето време се чудех кой кой е. Цялото повествование е съсредоточено само в домакинството, научаваме кой е министър-председател по това време и как Виктория не го харесвала първоначално, но нито едно събитие не е обстойно описано, дори опитите за покушение срещу Виктория.
По отношение на динамиката й с Албърт - разбирам, че и двамата са се обичали безкрайно много, но докато чете книгата, у читателя остава едно усещане, че Виктория е била безгласна буква в собствения си брак. Това е особено видимо, когато става въпрос за възпитанието на децата им. Албърт е продукт на немската идея за "перфектния тевтонски войник", който е възпитаван строго, а в същото време очеизвадно предпочита дъщеря си пред сина си. И Виктория, кралицата, се съгласява с всичко това.
Очаквах повече, дори и за жанра historical fiction. На последно място - името Adelaide бих превела като Аделейд, както се произнася на английски, а не като Аделаиде, както е оставено в превода.
По отношение на динамиката й с Албърт - разбирам, че и двамата са се обичали безкрайно много, но докато чете книгата, у читателя остава едно усещане, че Виктория е била безгласна буква в собствения си брак. Това е особено видимо, когато става въпрос за възпитанието на децата им. Албърт е продукт на немската идея за "перфектния тевтонски войник", който е възпитаван строго, а в същото време очеизвадно предпочита дъщеря си пред сина си. И Виктория, кралицата, се съгласява с всичко това.
Очаквах повече, дори и за жанра historical fiction. На последно място - името Adelaide бих превела като Аделейд, както се произнася на английски, а не като Аделаиде, както е оставено в превода.
August 5, 2024
This monster has cured me of ever reading Jean Plaidy, Victoria Holt, or any of her other pen names, ever again.
Plaidy makes the mistake of telling this in first person. This is all supposedly from Queen Victoria's diaries. Just from reading real biographies about Victotia and people around her, she was the last person to know what was going on. She spent almost all of her life being led about by the nose. The only control she seemed to have in her life was her mourning for Prince Albert.
This gets dreadfully dull. She was the first English monarch to be just a figurehead, weilding no power. This means her life was filled with fuck-all to do. She was bullied by her precious Prince Albert, who I just wanted to punch in the head repeatedly.
There is a little bit about the assassination attempt on her, but not much. Also not much about horses, even though they were everywhere in Vicky's day.
There are so many good biographies out there of Vicky's family that this book is like a deformed bastard cousin.
Plaidy makes the mistake of telling this in first person. This is all supposedly from Queen Victoria's diaries. Just from reading real biographies about Victotia and people around her, she was the last person to know what was going on. She spent almost all of her life being led about by the nose. The only control she seemed to have in her life was her mourning for Prince Albert.
This gets dreadfully dull. She was the first English monarch to be just a figurehead, weilding no power. This means her life was filled with fuck-all to do. She was bullied by her precious Prince Albert, who I just wanted to punch in the head repeatedly.
There is a little bit about the assassination attempt on her, but not much. Also not much about horses, even though they were everywhere in Vicky's day.
There are so many good biographies out there of Vicky's family that this book is like a deformed bastard cousin.
March 19, 2019
What an excellent book! I dearly love historical fiction, especially that which is rooted squarely in *actual history. Especially since getting into the PBS series “Victoria” I’ve been on a bit of a kick learning about her, and this book was an excellent choice. The author does a wonderful job of bringing out Queen Victoria’s voice; I wish I knew more about just how much of the novel is based of the queen’s own writings and how much was improvised (for example: the word “odious” is used a LOT. Was that because it was the author’s favorite word? Or Queen Victoria’s? Hahaha) I enjoyed this book not only because it was riveting but also because it was educational, and it provided some great insight to the events of the time period that spanned Victoria’s life — a very important period in history.
February 23, 2022
Victoria is the Last of the British rulers that really grabs my interest. This book follows her 69+ years rule of England. From forgotten princess to marriage of her best friend and cousin she lived an anxious life. Dependent on the love of Albert but also aware that she held the power over the kingdom and was unwilling to share with him.
Her love for her husband came before her children. Causing a rift between her oldest son and herself.
Lovely read. You can really relate to all the characters.
Her love for her husband came before her children. Causing a rift between her oldest son and herself.
Lovely read. You can really relate to all the characters.
April 24, 2023
Entry-level historical fiction. If you've read a biography before about Queen Victoria, this will be unsatisfying. Major events in her life might yield a paragraph or two. For me, the book lacks depth but I appreciate that someone new to historical fiction (or perhaps at least less obsessed with history than I) might be drawn in. It was an easy, quick read that didn't demand a lot of focus (the kind of book I leave in the car and read while I'm waiting for a kid's practice to end) but I'm glad I only paid $0.49 for it, used.
February 2, 2017
This novelization of the life of England’s Queen Victoria should have stopped after her marriage to Albert. The first person narration started with her as a young girl of eleven (I think), and her silly, girly voice changed as she aged… but not enough. She sounded the same at 20 as she did at 60, and that was downright annoying. And bone-numbingly boring.
March 15, 2018
I just couldn't get into this book. mostly there is a lot of exposition in explaining who is who or what politics are happening. the characters are u nlikeable and as it is in victoria's voice, there is no development of the other characters. compared to the current television series, there is no charm here.
September 1, 2018
It was OK as a narrative from Victoria's perspective. However, I took a bit of issue with how she was portrayed in regards to her "personality changed" when she married Albert. Maybe it's accurate or maybe it's a product of a less progressive way of thinking than today. Regardless, it was still interesting.
October 24, 2018
An Enjoyable Historical Novel
I thought this was an in-depth story of Queen Victoria, through her early life, to her Coronation at a very early age, and her 60 plus year reign. I now am much more familiar with this time in history and it was very enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical novels.
I thought this was an in-depth story of Queen Victoria, through her early life, to her Coronation at a very early age, and her 60 plus year reign. I now am much more familiar with this time in history and it was very enjoyable. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in historical novels.
May 25, 2020
I loved this book, I have read true biographies of Queen Victoria, but what I liked about this one was it concentrated on Victoria as a girl and a woman, with all of the issues we all have, plus the added one of being the queen of England. The author wrote this as though Victoria herself is describing the events in her life as they happen. Lovely read.
April 13, 2024
The novel is an engaging exploration of Queen Victoria's life, skillfully capturing the nuances of her character. While some may find the type of of character progression here disappointing, the novel stays true to historical accuracy, portraying Victoria's conservative nature and deference to her husband with authenticity.
May 30, 2021
I enjoyed the book but I didn't like the fact that Queen Victoria allowed her husband to think for her. Even after the death of Albert, he continued in her mind. He was always right. Maybe that was the mind set of that day and age.
October 19, 2017
Excellent personal perspective of the woman inside the grand monarch
March 5, 2018
a Good history of Queen Victoria told in an accessible way.
September 28, 2018
Delightful read
A good narration of 60 years of British monarchical history. The friendship and conflicts between the crown and the prime ministers were nicely presented.
A good narration of 60 years of British monarchical history. The friendship and conflicts between the crown and the prime ministers were nicely presented.
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