book data
832 ratings, 3.44 average rating, 70 reviews
(more data...)
edit
published
July 2nd 2003
(first published 1989)
by Touchstone
binding
Paperback, 624 pages
setting
Unknown
isbn
0743249305
(isbn13: 9780743249300)
description
The Wideacre estate is bankrupt. The villagers are living in poverty and Wideacre Hall is a smoke-blackened ruin. But, in the Dower House, two childre...more
Sign in to Goodreads to see your friends' reviews of this book.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
friend reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1330)
All ratings
|
5 stars (151)
|
4 stars (268)
|
3 stars (248)
|
2 stars (121)
|
1 star (47)
|
avg 3.44
Read in January, 2008
Wow, what is this...a trilogy about incest? At least one of the characters was a reluctant participant for this second book in the trilogy. This family has more bad karma than Oedipus. All the aristocratic decadence makes you want to cheer for the French Revolution and the guillotine. Whopping story, though, in a pervy kind of way.
Like this review?
yes
(3 people liked it)
add a comment
Read in January, 2007
recommends it for:
No One
The Favored Child. It was the 2nd book in a trilogy. I have since read the 1st book- Widacre and the 3rd- Meridon. Ok...so the 1st and 2nd books were very annoying because you just HATE everyone in it. They basically make the same mistakes over and over proving that they are all idiots....who love incest apparently...anyway, the 3rd book was a little better b/c it was different than the first two and actually came to a resolution that wasn't totally idiotic as previous generations....plus no inc...more
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in February, 2008
2nd in the trilogy. Doesn't quite grab you like the first one. Seems like the brother is one of those pups that should have been drowned at birth.
Waiting to see what he does to screw up the protatagonists impending marriage.
Well, Richard is just completely insane, isn't he. And, as for Julia, I just kept screaming, "tell somebody, just tell somebody." Frustrating book to read.
Waiting to see what he does to screw up the protatagonists impending marriage.
Well, Richard is just completely insane, isn't he. And, as for Julia, I just kept screaming, "tell somebody, just tell somebody." Frustrating book to read.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in August, 2008
It's bad.
It's painful to read.
I think Gregory enjoys torturing her characters a little TOO much.
I read pretty well until about page 450 or so, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I skimmed the rest. I HAD to see what happened but I didn't want to actually READ it.
It's painful to read.
I think Gregory enjoys torturing her characters a little TOO much.
I read pretty well until about page 450 or so, but I just couldn't take it anymore. I skimmed the rest. I HAD to see what happened but I didn't want to actually READ it.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
Fans of Wideacres
Themes continue from Wideacres...
The fun is in the main character's discovery of what you already know from Wideacres.
The fun is in the main character's discovery of what you already know from Wideacres.
Like this review?
yes
(1 person liked it)
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
The story of Wideacre continues with the next generation of the Lacey family, Julia and Richard. After reading the first book in the trilogy, and barely getting through it, I was skeptical about whether or not I would like this book. Luckily for me, I enjoyed this story and found myself drawn into the Lacey saga. I appreciated how Gregory brought back and incorporated some of the characters from Wideacre into the story. And because Gregory references 'Wideacre' throughout the story, readers d...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
This is book 2 in a 3 part trilogy. Wideacre was the original book which started with Beatrice and her brother Harry. The Favored Child picks up with Beatrice's children Julia and Richard. I have read a lot of books but I've never read a book that I hated a character so much. Everytime Richard's name was even mentioned I wanted to slap him.
No spoilers if you have read book 1.
In Book 1, Beatrice makes sure that both her children are joint heirs for Acre. The children don't know it, b...more
No spoilers if you have read book 1.
In Book 1, Beatrice makes sure that both her children are joint heirs for Acre. The children don't know it, b...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
historical fiction fans
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in August, 2008
The Favored Child was a much easier read than the previous novel in the series, Wideacre, and luckily it's one of those series that you can actually skip the first and still know what's going on. Since the trilogy is done a generation a book and summarizes well enough what happened in the previous volume, some that have interest in this series might be best hopping in with this volume.
The biggest difference between this and Wideacre is the ...more
The biggest difference between this and Wideacre is the ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in December, 2007
recommends it for:
Gregory fans, highbrow historical bodice rippers fans
Hee-hee. Loved it. So it's "garbage." Big deal. It's really well-written, although maybe not as well as Wideacre, the first in the trilogy (Meridon is next). The story of the Lacey squires of Wideacre continues, and it's just as dark and compelling as it ever was.
This one looks at what became of the incestuous children of Wideacre, and the narrator is Julia, whom we know to be Beatrice and Harry's daughter although she has never been told. She is an intriguing if frustrating main cha...more
This one looks at what became of the incestuous children of Wideacre, and the narrator is Julia, whom we know to be Beatrice and Harry's daughter although she has never been told. She is an intriguing if frustrating main cha...more
Like this review?
yes
2 comments
The pages of this book are haunted by a dark sense of forboding which has the reader on edge wondering how it will resolve itself. It is a very dark book, occasionally glossed over with a veneer of beautiful English country-side.
Like so many forms of media, our heroine is ignorant to the true nature of the novel's antagonist, not seeing him as such until the end of the pages, regardless of it being the conclusion the reader reaches in the first few sentances. This bothered me at first, I was ...more
Like so many forms of media, our heroine is ignorant to the true nature of the novel's antagonist, not seeing him as such until the end of the pages, regardless of it being the conclusion the reader reaches in the first few sentances. This bothered me at first, I was ...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2008
Ahhhh...book 2 of the Wideacre series...and lo and behold...I hated this one just as much as the first one! Amazing how charachters in a book can just get you to hate the book.
The charachter Richard, was just wretched...and the sister Julia honestly wasn't much better..she was "nice", but in a stupid sort of way.
So...I didn't like this book...maybe if you are into incestual relationships it might interest you, but it just made me skip full chapters and sections as I don't wa...more
The charachter Richard, was just wretched...and the sister Julia honestly wasn't much better..she was "nice", but in a stupid sort of way.
So...I didn't like this book...maybe if you are into incestual relationships it might interest you, but it just made me skip full chapters and sections as I don't wa...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
It builds on the first book and while the storyline is stronger. I was disapointed in some of the choices that are made. My heart was breaking for Julia in the end of the book and by 2/3 of the way through I couldn't put it down.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Going to pick this up from the library today. If it is anything like Wideacre, I will love it!
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in May, 2007
The second in her Wideacre Trilogy series and just not so good. I've tried to get into the 3rd one and just can't. Hate not to read it, but who has time to read a 'not GOOD' book! Not me! As much as I love Phillippa Gregory's other books, this trilogy didn't do a thing for me. Can't recommend it to anyone. The incestuous content might be intriguing for some mildly warped minds (such as mine is, actually) but it just got to be a bit much and having the 'incestuous tendencies' actually carrie...more
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in October, 2000
3/4ths of this book was fairly good. I remember absolutely loving the part set in Bath, which is one of my favorite cities in England.
However, the ending was so icky, it ruined the entire book for me. I have absolutely zero interest in reading the rest of the trilogy. (I picked up this, #2, at a library booksale without realizing it was a part of a trilogy.) I also have been too scared to read The Other Boleyn Girl because...more
However, the ending was so icky, it ruined the entire book for me. I have absolutely zero interest in reading the rest of the trilogy. (I picked up this, #2, at a library booksale without realizing it was a part of a trilogy.) I also have been too scared to read The Other Boleyn Girl because...more
Like this review?
yes
3 comments
Read in January, 2009
Not to say it was poorly written, because as always Gregory grabbed me with her words, but it was yet again truly frustrating to read as a modern day woman. I suppose I can't blame the author for that in historical fiction though. I just wanted to shake the main character and maybe slap her in the face a few times.
I was also about five seconds away from feeling like I was basically just rereading the first book in the trilogy since the second generation basically just echoes the first.
I was also about five seconds away from feeling like I was basically just rereading the first book in the trilogy since the second generation basically just echoes the first.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
The this second installment of the Wideacre trilogy the main characters seem to each represent a different side of the the original heroine, Beatrice Lacey.
In Favored Child her daughter/niece, Julia Lacey, is the lovely, generous side of Beatrice. Her brother/cousin, Richard, is the evil, greedy side of Beatrice. In fact Richard outstrips Beatrice in his murderous, evilness and you'll find yourself praying for his death throughout the book.
In Favored Child her daughter/niece, Julia Lacey, is the lovely, generous side of Beatrice. Her brother/cousin, Richard, is the evil, greedy side of Beatrice. In fact Richard outstrips Beatrice in his murderous, evilness and you'll find yourself praying for his death throughout the book.
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
Read in September, 2008
recommended to Carrie by:
Annerecommends it for: none
Part II of the Wild Acre Trilogy. Not a big fan (the incest bothers me) - but i am committed to the series as they came highly recommended.
However, I enjoyed the author's more recent historical fiction, especially The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Quees's fool.
Author: Phillippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 1989
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 614
Date Read- 8/26/08 to 9/2/08
However, I enjoyed the author's more recent historical fiction, especially The Constant Princess, The Other Boleyn Girl and The Quees's fool.
Author: Phillippa Gregory
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Copyright: 1989
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 614
Date Read- 8/26/08 to 9/2/08
Like this review?
yes
add a comment
to-read
(on 415 people's shelves)
historical-fiction (on 43 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 34 people's shelves)
own (on 5 people's shelves)
to-buy (on 4 people's shelves)
fiction (on 3 people's shelves)
series (on 2 people's shelves)
philippa-gregory (on 2 people's shelves)
guilty-pleasures (on 2 people's shelves)
wishlist (on 2 people's shelves)
More shelves...
historical-fiction (on 43 people's shelves)
currently-reading (on 34 people's shelves)
own (on 5 people's shelves)
to-buy (on 4 people's shelves)
fiction (on 3 people's shelves)
series (on 2 people's shelves)
philippa-gregory (on 2 people's shelves)
guilty-pleasures (on 2 people's shelves)
wishlist (on 2 people's shelves)
More shelves...
