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8th out of 199 books
—
546 voters
The Darling Strumpet: A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles II
by
Gillian Bagwell (Goodreads Author)
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...more
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...more
Paperback, 376 pages
Published
January 4th 2011
by Berkley Trade
Win a Copy of This Book
The Darling Strumpet: A Novel of Nell Gwynn, Who Captured the Heart of England and King Charles
by Gillian Bagwell (Goodreads Author)
by Gillian Bagwell (Goodreads Author)
Release
date: Jun 04, 2013
In anticipation of the release of Gillian Bagwell's newest novel, VENUS IN WINTER, on July 2nd, we are giving away 25 copies of her first novel, THE D…more
Giveaway dates:
Apr 30
- May 20, 2013
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Debut
In 1660, thirty year-old Charles II is restored as King. Nell Gwynn is the second daughter of Eleanor, a downtrodden and sometimes drunken and violent widow. With Nell's sister Rose already a prostitute at Madam Ross's since the age of thirteen, Nell joins the establishment at the tender age of ten to escape the drudgery of life as an oyster-collector and seller, and her unhappy and abusive mother.
With the Restoration comes the return of the theatres, and at age twelve Nell and Rose leave...more
This is one of the very few books I had to leave unfinished. The detailed descriptions of TEN-year-old Nell selling herself so she could buy herself some ribbons for her hair and something to eat just squicked me out. And then, she basically suffers a gang-rape at the hands of a group of boys who offered her money and then refused to pay.
Nell losing her virginity at such a young age may well be historically accurate. I know that girls were married young and that life was tough. But surely the au...more
Nell losing her virginity at such a young age may well be historically accurate. I know that girls were married young and that life was tough. But surely the au...more
I kept putting off reading this book for awhile because I had heard some mixed reviews about it and I wanted to make sure I was in the right mindset to read this one as I knew it had some scandalous scenes. Let me say, if you are one easily turned off by sex scenes in novels, you may not want to read this one – as they are aplenty.
The sex scenes are basically the first thing that you encounter in this book – from about page 4 right through the first half of the book – and they can be pretty desc...more
The sex scenes are basically the first thing that you encounter in this book – from about page 4 right through the first half of the book – and they can be pretty desc...more
I have rediscovered historical novels since I have been reviewing books here, so I was delighted when a blogging friend of mine Southhams Darling offered to send me a novel she had just finished reading and thought I would enjoy.
Considering this was a first novel I thought it was very ambitious of the author to not only pick Nell Gwynn as her protagonist but rather than just cover a particular period of her life she chose to tell her complete life story. By her own admission in the notes at the...more
Considering this was a first novel I thought it was very ambitious of the author to not only pick Nell Gwynn as her protagonist but rather than just cover a particular period of her life she chose to tell her complete life story. By her own admission in the notes at the...more
When I first saw mention of the upcoming release of The Darling Strumpet , a novel on Nell Gwynn, I knew immediately I had to read it. You see, she’s my favorite royal mistress and I try to read everything I can on her. Being a debut novel I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I need not have worried because author Gillian Bagwell blew me away!!
The Darling Strumpet recounts Nell’s impressive rise from the streets of London to the most coveted position in the land, that of mistress to King Charles II...more
The Darling Strumpet recounts Nell’s impressive rise from the streets of London to the most coveted position in the land, that of mistress to King Charles II...more
I cannot praise this book enough. Bagwell took on quite a challenge. It is very difficult, in my estimation, to write a novel that covers an entire lifetime, albeit a short one like Nell Gwynn's. It's strange because I didn't perceive that I was becoming attached to the characters within the story until something happened to them and there I was, blubbering hysterically as if I knew them myself. I highly recommend this novel to not only lovers of historical novels but to anyone and everyone who...more
Having just visited Hampton Court Palace where an exhibit called “The Wild, the Beautiful and the Dammed” included a portrait of Nell Gynn and having always been fascinated by her story, Gillian Bagwell’s book coincidentally reached my hands at the London Historical Novel Society 2012 conference.
I made the mistake of reading it when I could not sleep one night and instead of putting me to sleep it really grabbed me and kept me awake. I usually prefer the kind of historical fiction written by Phi...more
I made the mistake of reading it when I could not sleep one night and instead of putting me to sleep it really grabbed me and kept me awake. I usually prefer the kind of historical fiction written by Phi...more
Gillian Bagwell. I knew her when. When she was a student at Berkeley High where I taught English and drama. Effervescent, talented. Lost track of her, reconnected via Facebook (where else?) discovered she’d spent her years successfully writing, directing, performing and has now become an international author of some note with her debut novel, The Darling Strumpet.
Even before opening it, I gave her book a couple of nominations for Writer Working 2011 awards--Cover--can’t imagine anyone’s going to...more
Even before opening it, I gave her book a couple of nominations for Writer Working 2011 awards--Cover--can’t imagine anyone’s going to...more
I had been eagerly waiting for this novel to come to the UK and I was not disappointed.
The story begins with young Nell, a vulnerable young girl who wants to escape her drunken and violent mother and be like her sister Rose.
She is taken in by Madam Ross and soon becomes aware that she can change her own luck entertaining the men of London. Nell admires the actors on stage at The King's Playhouse and takes a job as an orange seller, and quickly rising to star of the stage. She captures the atten...more
The story begins with young Nell, a vulnerable young girl who wants to escape her drunken and violent mother and be like her sister Rose.
She is taken in by Madam Ross and soon becomes aware that she can change her own luck entertaining the men of London. Nell admires the actors on stage at The King's Playhouse and takes a job as an orange seller, and quickly rising to star of the stage. She captures the atten...more
THE DARLING STRUMPET: NELL GWYNN, WHO CAPTURED THE HEART OF ENGLAND AND KING CHARLES II by Gillian Bagwell is a historical romance set in 1660 London. It is this author's debut novel and one to keep an eye on.It is written with history,depth,and details.The characters and plot are well designed,engaging and will have you wanting more. It has saucy humor,prostitution,actress,betrayal,sensuality,abuse,passion,trust,love,romance,ruthlessness,the tumultuous world of seventeenth-century England and o...more
Oliver Cromwell is dead and the beloved Charles II has returned to England to take up his crown. In the streets of London, a young Nell Gwynn runs away from her abusive mother and joins her sister in a brothel. Who would ever expect the paths of the King of England and a lowborn child prostitute to cross?
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I loved Nell and thought her life was described fairly honestly. There was no attempt to romanticize her career as a prostitute and mistress. She knew...more
I have very mixed feelings about this book. I loved Nell and thought her life was described fairly honestly. There was no attempt to romanticize her career as a prostitute and mistress. She knew...more
Full disclosure: I am a huge fan of Nell Gwynn, so basically any book with her at the center is alright by me. I think that Nell is such a rich and fascinating historical figure and The Darling Strumpet definitely did her justice. The most important thing for me, when I read a book focusing on Nell, is if the author properly catches the sense of humor, generosity and caring personality she was famous for. I think Ms. Bagwell has done so in spades. This book was just all around solid. The charact...more
This is a story for the ages and one that will surly reach down and touch the very heart of your soul. A story that will show you that a lady is not just a lady because of her attire, a courtesan who is so well loved by King and Country that she is Queen in all but name and station. A story of rags to riches that keeps Nell grounded, thankful and ever thoughtful of those less fortunate.
Nell Gwynn is a ragamuffin from the poorest of the poor, a child of abuse, lovelessness and poverty but yet a c...more
Nell Gwynn is a ragamuffin from the poorest of the poor, a child of abuse, lovelessness and poverty but yet a c...more
I would first like to say - isn't that cover AMAZING?! I just love it. Not that a cover necessarily has any bearing on a book but I know if I were in a book store that cover would call me from across the room.
OK - on to the book. I loved it. I sat down and read it in one sitting. Yup. That good. I found myself caught up in the story and just didn't want to put it down. This was not the first book I have read about Nell Gwynn but this one had more detail regarding her early childhood. Ms. Bagwell...more
OK - on to the book. I loved it. I sat down and read it in one sitting. Yup. That good. I found myself caught up in the story and just didn't want to put it down. This was not the first book I have read about Nell Gwynn but this one had more detail regarding her early childhood. Ms. Bagwell...more
Well, this one was definitely different from most of the other historical-english time-piece fiction books I've read.....
The HOW so, you ask?!?!?!?!?
Nell was not raised in court or raised to be a mistress, she literally grew up on the streets selling oysters.
She landed in the prostitution business to get out of her home life, and the King still willingly bedded her.
She was not whiney or mean, not the Anne Boelyn type.
She did, in fact, become a mistress, but had no aspirations to become the Kings...more
The HOW so, you ask?!?!?!?!?
Nell was not raised in court or raised to be a mistress, she literally grew up on the streets selling oysters.
She landed in the prostitution business to get out of her home life, and the King still willingly bedded her.
She was not whiney or mean, not the Anne Boelyn type.
She did, in fact, become a mistress, but had no aspirations to become the Kings...more
Apr 28, 2012
Jennifer Simmonds
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
historical-fiction
To be honest I wasn't expecting much from this, I only chose to try it as I've never read about Nell Gwynn and didn't know much about her. There are so many second-rate historical fiction authors out there, who churn out saccharine, boring bonkbusters without an ounce of research. Thankfully I was proved completely wrong with this book.
What you get is a very well-researched, readable novel, written with care and accuracy. Bagwell has managed to pull off something clever and unusual in that her d...more
What you get is a very well-researched, readable novel, written with care and accuracy. Bagwell has managed to pull off something clever and unusual in that her d...more
Gillian Bagwell’s THE DARLING STRUMPET tells the story of Nell Gwynn’s amazing rise from horrible poverty to become King Charles II’s mistress. If the story wasn’t based on the history of real people and events, readers would see it as impossible to accept: too improbable, unbelievable, and unrealistic. Instead, Bagwell gives a sensitive and insightful interpretation of one of the most unique women of the western world.
Bagwell’s descriptive talent puts us in mid-17th century England where the li...more
Bagwell’s descriptive talent puts us in mid-17th century England where the li...more
I’ve always loved books about Charles II, and have often wondered why that period of history is not as well-thumbed as the preceding Tudor period. The Stuart era was just as bloody, turbulent, passionate and packed with fascinating characters, if not more so.
One character I always liked the sound of was Nell Gwyn, one of Charles II’s mistresses, and so I was eager to read this novelisation of her life by Gillian Bagwell, an American author who has a background in acting, theatre directing, and...more
One character I always liked the sound of was Nell Gwyn, one of Charles II’s mistresses, and so I was eager to read this novelisation of her life by Gillian Bagwell, an American author who has a background in acting, theatre directing, and...more
I thoroughly enjoyed the first half or perhaps two thirds. It was raunchy and powerful, poignant and tender and clearly historically accurate. It goes along at a great gallop. The sex scenes are unparalleled!
Then it sort of runs out of steam. It's almost as though the author's passion for the tale diminished with Charles'sexual appetite for Nell and then she felt obliged to continue Nell's story to the bitter end for biographical authenticity. So the narrative becomes episodic and staccato, tou...more
Then it sort of runs out of steam. It's almost as though the author's passion for the tale diminished with Charles'sexual appetite for Nell and then she felt obliged to continue Nell's story to the bitter end for biographical authenticity. So the narrative becomes episodic and staccato, tou...more
Just a few brief thoughts.
The book is very well written and I think the author did an excellent job of portraying Nell's life in a very vivid and readable fashion. The Restoration theatre world was fascinating and the secondary characters, particularly libertines Rochester and Buckingham were colorful and realistic.
The ending chapters perhaps left me a bit cold - likely I found all the death depressing. I also wished for a bit more character development on Charles' part as I didn't feel Nell's...more
The book is very well written and I think the author did an excellent job of portraying Nell's life in a very vivid and readable fashion. The Restoration theatre world was fascinating and the secondary characters, particularly libertines Rochester and Buckingham were colorful and realistic.
The ending chapters perhaps left me a bit cold - likely I found all the death depressing. I also wished for a bit more character development on Charles' part as I didn't feel Nell's...more
Easy, breezy, charming and delightful...those words can describe this book AND the main character. Nell Gwynn was a teen harlot who captured the heart of King Charles II of England. The book skips along quickly, but makes every moment and every word count. Not only was I pleasantly transported to the second half of the 17th century, I cared so much about all of the people in Nelly's life. I love a good historical novel, and this was based on much research so it delivered on all cylinders. Oh, th...more
I really wish I could rate the book in three parts, because my opinion on the book varied so much during it.
One thing I'll say, is that I'm really happy it introduced this historical figure I had never known before, because I've never studied that period of history before. I don't know if it's just the spin on the character, but I really liked Nell Gwynn, and the fact that she was part of the common rabble and not one of the gentry made her a character who you could really identify with.
I really...more
One thing I'll say, is that I'm really happy it introduced this historical figure I had never known before, because I've never studied that period of history before. I don't know if it's just the spin on the character, but I really liked Nell Gwynn, and the fact that she was part of the common rabble and not one of the gentry made her a character who you could really identify with.
I really...more
3.5 stars
A generally enjoyable book, as long as you can overcome the graphic descriptions regarding Nell's rape, child prostitution and life as 17th century whore. Felt it was unnecessarily explicit in a lot of places to the point where I had to skim over the text in order to continue and not be put off completely. This felt particularly unnecessary when you read the authors notes in artistic licence and you find out that the character of Jack was entirely fictional and therefore the scenes of r...more
A generally enjoyable book, as long as you can overcome the graphic descriptions regarding Nell's rape, child prostitution and life as 17th century whore. Felt it was unnecessarily explicit in a lot of places to the point where I had to skim over the text in order to continue and not be put off completely. This felt particularly unnecessary when you read the authors notes in artistic licence and you find out that the character of Jack was entirely fictional and therefore the scenes of r...more
Entertaining and well researched. I took one point away because of gratuitous erotica material (I'm not a puritan, I just thought they were jarring with the rest of the book) and one more point because the historical information was always introduced clumsily in the same way:
Nell: oh what are the news I don't know anything about anything
Random character: *clear, didactic explanation of the event*
People don't live in a vacuum, courtesans or not. Imagine if someone asked you 2 weeks after 9/11 wha...more
Nell: oh what are the news I don't know anything about anything
Random character: *clear, didactic explanation of the event*
People don't live in a vacuum, courtesans or not. Imagine if someone asked you 2 weeks after 9/11 wha...more
I really enjoyed this book. I had never read about Charles II's era before and it has definitely wet my appetite! Now I know more about Nell Gwynn I love her. This is a real rags to riches tale and I enjoyed the fact that it had a very different feel to it from many of the other royal historical fictions I have read - it wasn't all about power and survival. I found all the detail about the theatre fascinating too. I found the excerpts from and details of the plays really interesting and would be...more
The story of Nell Gwynn, who loves King Charles II till her death, is a romantic tale that touches one's heart. Born poor and enslaved by a mother who beats her and wants only her work Nell decides to run away. Searching for her sister, Rose, she discovers that she can sell herself to boys and earn money. A little later she finds her raped by several boys who refuse to pay her. Finally, she finds Rose who agrees to help her. Like her sister, Nell turns to prostitution for a better way of life. S...more
“His Majesty saw women on the stage in Frankfurt and thought it a charming innovation”
The Darling Strumpet is the story of a girl who was nothing special but rose to national and historic fame. She’s known as one of the first actresses, one of the first women to be given the privilege to play female roles on the boards, but also for winning the love of a number of rich men, including the King of England (Charles II).
I liked Nell. She’s safely characterised (for such a potentially contentious sto...more
The Darling Strumpet is the story of a girl who was nothing special but rose to national and historic fame. She’s known as one of the first actresses, one of the first women to be given the privilege to play female roles on the boards, but also for winning the love of a number of rich men, including the King of England (Charles II).
I liked Nell. She’s safely characterised (for such a potentially contentious sto...more
This was a good companion (antidote?) to Forever Amber. The plots mirror each other, but Nell is a much more likeable heroine - even if she is idealized a bit. She is a fun character, and her positive attitude also helps quite a bit with making some of the darker episodes of the book easier for the reader to bear.
Because she was a real historical figure, I can see why the author chose to follow her tale all the way through to the end of her life (it's not like there are other possible outcomes),...more
Because she was a real historical figure, I can see why the author chose to follow her tale all the way through to the end of her life (it's not like there are other possible outcomes),...more
A very readable debut, The Darling Strumpet is a quick paced novel on the life on Nell Gwynn, mistress to King Charles II.
The author does an admirable job of describing life in London during the late 1600's, but I felt that the weaving of all aspects of the time period detracted from the development of Nell's character. There could have been a lot more depth to the relationships between Nell and her mentor, Charles Hart and between Nell and King Charles.
In a time where women had to choose betw...more
The author does an admirable job of describing life in London during the late 1600's, but I felt that the weaving of all aspects of the time period detracted from the development of Nell's character. There could have been a lot more depth to the relationships between Nell and her mentor, Charles Hart and between Nell and King Charles.
In a time where women had to choose betw...more
I had never heard of Nell Gwynn, but picked this up at he library based on the title alone. I believe more novels should make use of the word "strumpet" in their titles.
This was a respectable first novel, I feel like I learned more about several interesting British historical characters, but there were a lot of places where I was distracted by lack of background info. Plus there were too many Charleses and Jameses and not enough description of who was who. Also titles (Lord, etc) and first names...more
This was a respectable first novel, I feel like I learned more about several interesting British historical characters, but there were a lot of places where I was distracted by lack of background info. Plus there were too many Charleses and Jameses and not enough description of who was who. Also titles (Lord, etc) and first names...more
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Gillian Bagwell grew up in Berkeley, California, and began her professional life as an actress, studying at the University of California Berkeley and the Drama Studio London at Berkeley. She moved into directing and producing theatre, founding The Pasadena Shakespeare Company, where she served as artistic director for 9 years, producing 37 critically acclaimed shows.
She united her life-long love o...more
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Oct 13, 2011 06:11pm
Oct 13, 2011 06:47pm