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Great Maria
Hardcover.
519 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1974
35 people are currently reading
1374 people want to read
About the author
Cecelia Holland
76 books205 followersPen name used by Elizabeth Eliot Carter.
Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.
Cecelia Holland is one of the world's most highly acclaimed and respected historical novelists, ranked by many alongside other giants in that field such as Mary Renault and Larry McMurtry. Over the span of her thirty year career, she's written almost thirty historical novels, including The Firedrake, Rakessy, Two Ravens, Ghost on the Steppe, Death of Attila, Hammer For Princes, The King's Road, Pillar of the Sky, The Lords of Vaumartin, Pacific Street, Sea Beggars, The Earl, The King in Winter, The Belt of Gold, The Serpent Dreamer, The High City, Kings of the North, and a series of fantasy novels, including The Soul Thief, The Witches Kitchen, The Serpent Dreamer, and Varanger. She also wrote the well-known science fiction novel Floating Worlds, which was nominated for a Locus Award in 1975. Her most recent book is a new fantasy novel, Dragon Heart.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
May 17, 2010
I began writing a review and then forgot to save it when I had to leave the PC. I still intend writing one, but I'm out of time for the moment. But to say in the interim that I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting this work. It has stood the test of time and it is very different from the norm. The voice is very powerful and some may find it an acquired taste. Maria is a fantastic heroine - gutsy, earthy, a stubborn survivor who will get her way in the end. Richard manages to be a hero despite doing some truly terrible things within our modern lens on the world - casually hitting his wife and behaving with extreme chauvinism. And yet the reader roots for him, or this one did. More later, but a very personal 5 stars and high recommendation for this novel. I do say that it's like bitter chocolate or strong blue cheese. Either you get it and love it, or you don't.
September 16, 2011
Read on the Nook. I loved this book so much I immediately started re-reading it, something I never do.
The scene is 10th century, southern Italy, where Norman lords are coming up against Muslim incursions and starting to beat them back. Maria is the daughter of a Norman robber baron whose castle is in a strategic position. She marries one of her father's knights, and together they embark on a difficult marriage and the task of becoming "great."
Sensitive readers be warned: The author does not sugarcoat the times. Maria's husband can beat her senseless and yet a few scenes later be tender with her and their children. The heroes aren't really heroes and the villains aren't really villains. To me the writing is compelling precisely because the characters and events are not prettied up to cater to modern sensibilities. This is how good historical fiction should be.
Neither of the main characters seem like the type to figure in a touching love story, but that's what it is. Holland's writing style is not sentimental. You won't have long soliloquies about the characters' feelings. In a few sentences, however, she can pack a lot of emotion. She also does a superb job of evoking the everyday life of a woman on the rougher edge of medieval nobility. As George Martin might say, her books are more the "fighting" type than the "kissing" type, even if there is kissy stuff in them. They're adventure stories with heart.
The historical inspiration is likely the conquest of southern Italy by the d'Hauteville brothers, but people and place names are fictionalized and the inspiration is only loose. The point is not to portray actual events so much as to use them as springboard to tell a story about a marriage, about brothers, and about loyalty and courage.
The scene is 10th century, southern Italy, where Norman lords are coming up against Muslim incursions and starting to beat them back. Maria is the daughter of a Norman robber baron whose castle is in a strategic position. She marries one of her father's knights, and together they embark on a difficult marriage and the task of becoming "great."
Sensitive readers be warned: The author does not sugarcoat the times. Maria's husband can beat her senseless and yet a few scenes later be tender with her and their children. The heroes aren't really heroes and the villains aren't really villains. To me the writing is compelling precisely because the characters and events are not prettied up to cater to modern sensibilities. This is how good historical fiction should be.
Neither of the main characters seem like the type to figure in a touching love story, but that's what it is. Holland's writing style is not sentimental. You won't have long soliloquies about the characters' feelings. In a few sentences, however, she can pack a lot of emotion. She also does a superb job of evoking the everyday life of a woman on the rougher edge of medieval nobility. As George Martin might say, her books are more the "fighting" type than the "kissing" type, even if there is kissy stuff in them. They're adventure stories with heart.
The historical inspiration is likely the conquest of southern Italy by the d'Hauteville brothers, but people and place names are fictionalized and the inspiration is only loose. The point is not to portray actual events so much as to use them as springboard to tell a story about a marriage, about brothers, and about loyalty and courage.
September 27, 2014
I've read this book over many times. I originally had a paperback that fell into two pieces which I kept together by means of a large rubber band. Finally found another pbk copy in a used book store, and then a hardcover (which I'd never seen before) on ebay.
Maria is a great protagonist - a woman in medieval times learning how to use what power she has. The story starts when she is 14 and her father wants to marry her off in order to cement his power in his small holding. Her relationship with the husband he chooses is at the heart of the story, but it is about Maria, her woman's perspective, and how she uses her strength to get what she wants. Holland doesn't forget that Maria is a woman with a woman's life - she just does a great job of painting a picture of an extraordinary, ordinary woman.
Maria is a great protagonist - a woman in medieval times learning how to use what power she has. The story starts when she is 14 and her father wants to marry her off in order to cement his power in his small holding. Her relationship with the husband he chooses is at the heart of the story, but it is about Maria, her woman's perspective, and how she uses her strength to get what she wants. Holland doesn't forget that Maria is a woman with a woman's life - she just does a great job of painting a picture of an extraordinary, ordinary woman.
June 18, 2015
Whew! This Maria history takes the meaning of the word "stubborn" to a whole new level of intensity. Couple that adjective with numerous other categories of strident, manipulative, cunning, cruel or forceful. But all are warrior-action related in performance. And seat them all within a 14 year old horse riding and field wandering virgin girl (Maria) of the 11th century medieval Norman/Muslim/German Sicily.
It's prose point to length and narration are markedly different than much of this historical fiction genre for the last 30 or 40 years. Here with Holland, it is progressive, chronological, event related and physically it is movement by movement sparse sentencing for character placements. And this is for decades of years after the opening "innocent" 14 year old's shrine visitation introduction. And also for dozens of major and probably more than 100 minor characters. The name of the game is survival (first) and defense (second). With prosperity a far third.
This book takes patience. The complexity of both the myriads of alliances and subterfuges so considerable that putting a number on them would take a master. Not I. When constant invasion and religious strife reign for century after century the enemy is everyone. And speaking in explanation to purpose or future movements/motives is a common habit for only the most stupid and earliest dead. The meaning of "we" changes contextually and continually, as well. Because this is Sicily. It's hard, stony land with fiery peaks and it's also fruit trees and grass. Sparsely settled with farm holds under ever changing physical, cultural, economic and sometimes religious, invasion. It's luxuriant color bright beauty coupled also within the most bestial and unforgiving of permissions. Maria's guile and arrogance of action, her choices and her outcomes? As the land; much the same kind of extreme oppositional contrasts and karma.
She is a robber baron's daughter. He keeps his mortared castle in profit with knightly defense by robbing pilgrims or wayfarers going to ports for trade. This father fixes her with a husband for an alliance. He is Richard. Richard is cruel, he beats her, he does not believe in God at all. She builds a shrine- she starts her revenge. This is also the Richard who befriends and has a compatriot of the Muslim component in their town. It is their decades of tale toward a Marna nobility and united governance.
Many modern readers might abhor the pace and the prose style. It is every moment in physical action described. Every horse stride and mounting inclusive to every page or ostler quip detailed. The conversation and the narration of thought pattern is in minuscule percentage of the whole length as opposed to the physical movement description word count. This is nearly the opposite in proportion for the current, more modern, historical fiction trend. Yet, it fits Sicily and it fits Maria's time perfectly! Few brusque words spoken, but underpinnings of meanings concur within every finger movement.
What you "hear" is not always what is happening. The enemy is outside, inside and beside. A most loved the most destroyed. A most honored the most slated for vindictive cabal.
There are numerous quotable paragraphs. And an incredible vivre of wit for both Maria and Richard. It is a culture where polar opposites can occur within mere minutes of each other. Not just in emotion, but also in hierarchy, comfort or health. Here we see violence from birth. A baby used as a shield. A loving friend placed as a decoy. Walls that hide slants to listen, or peep holes to see. But always in towers that go up to shelter and sight for defense. And always horses and knights to insure quick response to placement. And when you may succeed to sup, here comes the Pope's envoy to be your "friend".
Masterfully told in the cadence and spirit of medieval worldview. Highly rec.
It's prose point to length and narration are markedly different than much of this historical fiction genre for the last 30 or 40 years. Here with Holland, it is progressive, chronological, event related and physically it is movement by movement sparse sentencing for character placements. And this is for decades of years after the opening "innocent" 14 year old's shrine visitation introduction. And also for dozens of major and probably more than 100 minor characters. The name of the game is survival (first) and defense (second). With prosperity a far third.
This book takes patience. The complexity of both the myriads of alliances and subterfuges so considerable that putting a number on them would take a master. Not I. When constant invasion and religious strife reign for century after century the enemy is everyone. And speaking in explanation to purpose or future movements/motives is a common habit for only the most stupid and earliest dead. The meaning of "we" changes contextually and continually, as well. Because this is Sicily. It's hard, stony land with fiery peaks and it's also fruit trees and grass. Sparsely settled with farm holds under ever changing physical, cultural, economic and sometimes religious, invasion. It's luxuriant color bright beauty coupled also within the most bestial and unforgiving of permissions. Maria's guile and arrogance of action, her choices and her outcomes? As the land; much the same kind of extreme oppositional contrasts and karma.
She is a robber baron's daughter. He keeps his mortared castle in profit with knightly defense by robbing pilgrims or wayfarers going to ports for trade. This father fixes her with a husband for an alliance. He is Richard. Richard is cruel, he beats her, he does not believe in God at all. She builds a shrine- she starts her revenge. This is also the Richard who befriends and has a compatriot of the Muslim component in their town. It is their decades of tale toward a Marna nobility and united governance.
Many modern readers might abhor the pace and the prose style. It is every moment in physical action described. Every horse stride and mounting inclusive to every page or ostler quip detailed. The conversation and the narration of thought pattern is in minuscule percentage of the whole length as opposed to the physical movement description word count. This is nearly the opposite in proportion for the current, more modern, historical fiction trend. Yet, it fits Sicily and it fits Maria's time perfectly! Few brusque words spoken, but underpinnings of meanings concur within every finger movement.
What you "hear" is not always what is happening. The enemy is outside, inside and beside. A most loved the most destroyed. A most honored the most slated for vindictive cabal.
There are numerous quotable paragraphs. And an incredible vivre of wit for both Maria and Richard. It is a culture where polar opposites can occur within mere minutes of each other. Not just in emotion, but also in hierarchy, comfort or health. Here we see violence from birth. A baby used as a shield. A loving friend placed as a decoy. Walls that hide slants to listen, or peep holes to see. But always in towers that go up to shelter and sight for defense. And always horses and knights to insure quick response to placement. And when you may succeed to sup, here comes the Pope's envoy to be your "friend".
Masterfully told in the cadence and spirit of medieval worldview. Highly rec.
January 23, 2018
Update:
Let me just say, I've reread this book at least 5 times since my original review and each time I'm completely immersed into Maria's world again. She's now my all time favorite character and I judge every new female protagonist by the standard she sets. It's even more amazing when you reread because there are new insights you get everytime (like the fact that Richard loves her a lot more than he lets on). It never gets boring either, with the unconventional structure. I WISH I can find another historical romance like this.
Original Reveiw:
This is the kind of book that you can easily either hate or love. It's a long and realistic novel so it can be slow paced or confusing at times. The writing style is also a little detached which may put some people off. But if you get past that, this is truly an amazing story, the type that stays with you for a long time.
We start off with Maria, the 14 year old daughter of a robber baron in 12th century Italy. Right from the beginning, we are thrown into the harshness of her world as Maria, a product of her time, barely gets the chance to mourn over or reflect on this situation before she moves on and faces the next hurdle in her life. This type of storytelling is a little jarring but refreshingly free of drama and persists throughout the rest of the novel.
Maria soon agrees to marry her father's ambitious knight Richard, even though she likes his more handsome and charming younger brother. Her conflicted relationship to hi m is central to the story as they start a family, fight wars, and learn to handle their increasing power. At first, I did not like Richard at all...he's a cranky guy who has no problem belittling or abusing his wife when she disagrees with him. But you can tell that he really does love her and is one of the only people to have faith in her for cleverness and strength. Not gonna lie, I kept waiting for that moment when he realizes he crossed a line and begs for her forgiveness so that they could live happily ever after...obviously that never happened because this is not a romance with a cheap fix. This actual ending was much more satisfying.
Maria, Richard, and the rest of the characters are complex and well fleshed out. It's really enjoyable to watch Maria grow in the span of 20 years to be one of the best female characters I've seen.
Let me just say, I've reread this book at least 5 times since my original review and each time I'm completely immersed into Maria's world again. She's now my all time favorite character and I judge every new female protagonist by the standard she sets. It's even more amazing when you reread because there are new insights you get everytime (like the fact that Richard loves her a lot more than he lets on). It never gets boring either, with the unconventional structure. I WISH I can find another historical romance like this.
Original Reveiw:
This is the kind of book that you can easily either hate or love. It's a long and realistic novel so it can be slow paced or confusing at times. The writing style is also a little detached which may put some people off. But if you get past that, this is truly an amazing story, the type that stays with you for a long time.
We start off with Maria, the 14 year old daughter of a robber baron in 12th century Italy. Right from the beginning, we are thrown into the harshness of her world as Maria, a product of her time, barely gets the chance to mourn over or reflect on this situation before she moves on and faces the next hurdle in her life. This type of storytelling is a little jarring but refreshingly free of drama and persists throughout the rest of the novel.
Maria soon agrees to marry her father's ambitious knight Richard, even though she likes his more handsome and charming younger brother. Her conflicted relationship to hi m is central to the story as they start a family, fight wars, and learn to handle their increasing power. At first, I did not like Richard at all...he's a cranky guy who has no problem belittling or abusing his wife when she disagrees with him. But you can tell that he really does love her and is one of the only people to have faith in her for cleverness and strength. Not gonna lie, I kept waiting for that moment when he realizes he crossed a line and begs for her forgiveness so that they could live happily ever after...obviously that never happened because this is not a romance with a cheap fix. This actual ending was much more satisfying.
Maria, Richard, and the rest of the characters are complex and well fleshed out. It's really enjoyable to watch Maria grow in the span of 20 years to be one of the best female characters I've seen.
October 31, 2014
At the risk of admitting that I am the sort of person who is pleasantly surprised to discover water is wet despite going for a swim once every week or so, it is gratifying to discover, once more, how unromantic a romantic historical novel can be. Great Maria, of all of Cecelia Hollands' novels I've read this far, is certainly the most romantic of her books. Love and the relationship between a man and a woman plays a central role, and it's the first of her books to feature a female protagonist. It is also, incidentally, twice as long as everything else I've read by her.
Being a Holland novel, no-one gets off lightly. Maria's life is charted from her prepubescent innocence to her wily middle age. The daughter of a powerful Norman robber-knight in southern Italy in the early 11th century, she is married off to one of his more ambitious men, Richard (despite her own preference for Richard's younger brother, Roger.) When her father decides that Richard is getting a bit too big for his britches, his plan to kill him fails and Richard takes ownership of his castle and lands. Richard's ambitions are to rise above the role of thief, and he sets out to carve out his own place in the world.
Maria never questions her subservient role in this world. She doesn't long to be a knight or agitate for voting rights or rail against the closed medieval mind. Hers is a medieval mind. When her husband beats her, she doesn't like it or even love him for it, but she has to accept there's nothing she can do about it and her fate is tied to his. Gradually she comes into her own, prescribed, female role, often bringing Richard's violent wrath down on herself, sometimes because she is foolish, sometimes because she is clever, always because she is headstrong. Risking his temper is a thing she is prepared to do to get her way. Nonetheless, he grows to rely on her and her attraction to him is as much physical as it is anything else.
She has babies, not all of whom survive, and they grow, and Richard extends his conquests and his power, and there is danger and intrigues and violence and tempestuous scenes and passionate... stuff and eavesdropping and betrayals, all told in Hollands crisp, plain, practical style that makes no apologies for characters that are compelling and multi-faceted and sympathetic even with their monstrous faults, such as domestic abuse and murder.
Being a Holland novel, no-one gets off lightly. Maria's life is charted from her prepubescent innocence to her wily middle age. The daughter of a powerful Norman robber-knight in southern Italy in the early 11th century, she is married off to one of his more ambitious men, Richard (despite her own preference for Richard's younger brother, Roger.) When her father decides that Richard is getting a bit too big for his britches, his plan to kill him fails and Richard takes ownership of his castle and lands. Richard's ambitions are to rise above the role of thief, and he sets out to carve out his own place in the world.
Maria never questions her subservient role in this world. She doesn't long to be a knight or agitate for voting rights or rail against the closed medieval mind. Hers is a medieval mind. When her husband beats her, she doesn't like it or even love him for it, but she has to accept there's nothing she can do about it and her fate is tied to his. Gradually she comes into her own, prescribed, female role, often bringing Richard's violent wrath down on herself, sometimes because she is foolish, sometimes because she is clever, always because she is headstrong. Risking his temper is a thing she is prepared to do to get her way. Nonetheless, he grows to rely on her and her attraction to him is as much physical as it is anything else.
She has babies, not all of whom survive, and they grow, and Richard extends his conquests and his power, and there is danger and intrigues and violence and tempestuous scenes and passionate... stuff and eavesdropping and betrayals, all told in Hollands crisp, plain, practical style that makes no apologies for characters that are compelling and multi-faceted and sympathetic even with their monstrous faults, such as domestic abuse and murder.
September 1, 2010
Great Maria is the story of a woman during a time when women were expected to be subservient to their husbands – but Maria is anything but that. Maria was strong, opinionated, and took part in many different plots that arose around her. The biggest dynamic of this story is between Maria and her husband Richard. This was a segment that I always looked forward to. That isn’t to say that it was always a positive relationship – but I think you have to look at it in terms of the appropriateness to the time period. They caused such problems for each other, and Maria was really the best challenge for Richard. Although the central characters are Maria and Richard, the character that I found the most captivating was Richard’s brother, Roger. I found him more likable than Roger and his relationship with Maria was fun.
The author really created a great sense of the period, the time, and the place. I don’t know anything about this era and I don’t even know if any of these characters were real, but through the descriptions, I could really feel that I was right there in the hillsides and mountains, interacting with Saracens and townspeople, going to war.
I did have a few qualms with novel though. The book was lacking a sense of how much time has elapsed in between chapters or even sections of the chapter. Characters would make slight references to events that had elapsed between chapters, but you would never really know what exactly happened. That was very frustrating. I also had an issue with the ending of the story – it clearly illustrated what drove the characters (and this was a character driven novel), but it still left me wanting…something. I’m not exactly sure what.
3.5 out of 5 stars
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
The author really created a great sense of the period, the time, and the place. I don’t know anything about this era and I don’t even know if any of these characters were real, but through the descriptions, I could really feel that I was right there in the hillsides and mountains, interacting with Saracens and townspeople, going to war.
I did have a few qualms with novel though. The book was lacking a sense of how much time has elapsed in between chapters or even sections of the chapter. Characters would make slight references to events that had elapsed between chapters, but you would never really know what exactly happened. That was very frustrating. I also had an issue with the ending of the story – it clearly illustrated what drove the characters (and this was a character driven novel), but it still left me wanting…something. I’m not exactly sure what.
3.5 out of 5 stars
This book was received for review from the publisher - I was not compensated for my opinions and the above is my honest review.
April 6, 2013
This is probably my favourite medieval historical novel ever for its excellent period sense. I think she manages to convey the feeling of being a woman in that period pretty much spot on. Recently re-read it.
August 30, 2016
The book has a historical romantic look to the cover. I give this book 5 stars.
September 24, 2017
I loved this book! The characters were so well developed that I really cared about them. I'll definitely be reading more by this author. 5+ stars
September 2, 2014
One of the most remarkable books I have ever read. Cecelia Holland's writing is stellar, and her characters believable and complex. Her thorough research into the era she presents almost offhandedly, which has the effect of immersing us in the 11th century as thoroughly as if we'd entered a time machine. This exploration of marriage and woman's power (or lack thereof) is presented unsentimentally and with great beauty. Maria is a great and unforgettable heroine. As soon as I finished this book, I bought The Secret Eleanor, am already reading and loving it, and plan to read all Ms. Holland's books.
January 19, 2012
Astonishing writer, astonishing characters! People have told me for years to read her, but I've been so busy writing that I really didn't do much reading, especially in Historical fiction. Her spare style and period correctness was a sort of holy water pouring over me. She can write prose poetry, though, when she wants to--and she does. I respect the amount of research that went into this book, the complete submersion in period, and how the attitudes and ideas of people of that time--so very long ago--are easily expressed by the characters. She's a role model for anyone writing hist. fic., and I definitely include my humble self.
February 14, 2010
In Great Maria, noted historical fiction writer Cecelia Holland brings to life the turbulent 11th century in southern Italy. While the Norman nobles and barons battle each other and the Christians push the Saracens to the sea, Maria, the wife of a Norman knight, bravely faces the immense challenges with fortitude and courage. While Maria lives within the restraints of her time, her hopes and dreams speak to women of any age. Great Maria will appeal to readers who enjoy historical fiction that vividly and accurately portrays the lives of people of another time and place.
March 31, 2019
I'm torn with this book. Maria and Richard were very interesting characters but at times I really just wanted Maria to leave Richard. He was just not a nice man. I know people would say that was the time period but I was very upset at times at how she was treated. Maria was an amazing woman and I really enjoyed reading her story.
July 22, 2014
I'm marking this one down as Duly Forgotten.
Abandoned with nary a backward glance. I see what the author was going for, but that doesn't mean I want to go along with her. Other reviewers warned about the unusual writing style--lots of tiny, abrupt sentences. To me, the effect this had on the story was that the characters felt small and cut off, too. Eighty pages in, I still didn't really understand any of them...and what's worse is that I had no interest in understanding any of them. And then the physical violence in the story started, and I was done.
For reviews of old, little-known books I would recommend much more than I recommend this one, check out my site: Another look book
Abandoned with nary a backward glance. I see what the author was going for, but that doesn't mean I want to go along with her. Other reviewers warned about the unusual writing style--lots of tiny, abrupt sentences. To me, the effect this had on the story was that the characters felt small and cut off, too. Eighty pages in, I still didn't really understand any of them...and what's worse is that I had no interest in understanding any of them. And then the physical violence in the story started, and I was done.
For reviews of old, little-known books I would recommend much more than I recommend this one, check out my site: Another look book
December 31, 2024
Another early and enduring favorite historical romance. An unusual setting (southern Italy, 11th century) and rich characterizations enhance this story of the marriage arranged for the daughter of a robber baron. A powerful, though never traditionally romantic, partnership is formed.
One of the truly great historical fiction voices.
Also, one of the small group of books I can open to any page, start reading, and lose an hour in before I notice.
One of the truly great historical fiction voices.
Also, one of the small group of books I can open to any page, start reading, and lose an hour in before I notice.
September 29, 2017
I really had no idea what this book was about when I got it, but I loved the cover and it only cost me $2.00. The author uses no extra words, no flowery descriptions. The language is stark. At first I thought I wasn't going to like the book for that reason, but it all comes to life so wonderfully. Maria is so real, and I was sorry when it ended. An unexpected pleasure.
Want to read
August 7, 2020A part of The Hera Series by Soho Press
January 26, 2013
Fought through this one. I found the writing too choppy and that detracted from the story. Also, I found that I was unable to get emotionally connected. By the end, I was just glad I was finished the book.
February 15, 2011
Excellent historical novel, definitely NOT a historic romance.
June 15, 2021
A good read for fans of Sharon Kay penman and Philippe Gregory
June 5, 2019
DNF, gave up at 34%. Just not enough happening. Supposedly set in the eleventh century in Italy, but it could like the life of almost any woman anywhere in Europe any time between 500 and 1500 CE. A young woman gets married, pops out a few kids, deals with the running of a large household, loses people she loves over the years, and generally just lives a boring-to-read-about life. Two stars because I'm not sure if the problem is with the writing or if it just doesn't work for me personally.
October 25, 2024
Was originally gonna give it 3 stars, but it just got boring towards the end.
January 11, 2009
Really 3.5
Very plot heavy. And it's 500 pages. Almost felt like it had been written in installments---something new has to HAPPEN every month or whatever. And each incident has to be a little more... life-threatening? suspenseful?, maybe just "more" than the last. The ending seems to be just, well, that was the last month. There's no resolution, really it just ends. But apparently it was just written as a book.
Over 500 pages, there is (as certainly must be) some character development. If you squint really hard, you could sort of see it as people in an arranged marriage falling in love.
It takes place in an undetermined time (Dark Ages, sure, probably before Battle of Hastings) in an undetermined place (they're basically Norman and speaking French, but they live within spitting distance of Muslim Saracens; they mention at some point that they're south of the Alps; some other reviews say Southern Italy or Sicily---were there Normans there?).
We follow Maria through her life. She is born sort of upper middle class, the daughter of a robber. She marries one of her father's "knights" because he is ambitious (even though she really has the hots for her betrothed's brother). He makes his way thanks to his military and political abilities, and maybe a little due to her wits. By the end, they're quite successful.
The language is pretty simple---sometimes too simple, as I couldn't always follow. But it was never important. Enjoyable enough in the moment. Probably a good book for a long airplane ride. Weird and slightly jarring (to my 21st-century ears) intrusions of religion. I suppose that keeps up the idea of time and place, but I thought there could have been less.
It sounds like I'm just picking on flaws. I am giving it a positive review, as in sum it was enjoyable, and gave a good escape to time and place. But it's not a very enthusiastic positive review.
Very plot heavy. And it's 500 pages. Almost felt like it had been written in installments---something new has to HAPPEN every month or whatever. And each incident has to be a little more... life-threatening? suspenseful?, maybe just "more" than the last. The ending seems to be just, well, that was the last month. There's no resolution, really it just ends. But apparently it was just written as a book.
Over 500 pages, there is (as certainly must be) some character development. If you squint really hard, you could sort of see it as people in an arranged marriage falling in love.
It takes place in an undetermined time (Dark Ages, sure, probably before Battle of Hastings) in an undetermined place (they're basically Norman and speaking French, but they live within spitting distance of Muslim Saracens; they mention at some point that they're south of the Alps; some other reviews say Southern Italy or Sicily---were there Normans there?).
We follow Maria through her life. She is born sort of upper middle class, the daughter of a robber. She marries one of her father's "knights" because he is ambitious (even though she really has the hots for her betrothed's brother). He makes his way thanks to his military and political abilities, and maybe a little due to her wits. By the end, they're quite successful.
The language is pretty simple---sometimes too simple, as I couldn't always follow. But it was never important. Enjoyable enough in the moment. Probably a good book for a long airplane ride. Weird and slightly jarring (to my 21st-century ears) intrusions of religion. I suppose that keeps up the idea of time and place, but I thought there could have been less.
It sounds like I'm just picking on flaws. I am giving it a positive review, as in sum it was enjoyable, and gave a good escape to time and place. But it's not a very enthusiastic positive review.
October 17, 2017
A Woman's Crusade
This was my second reading of Great Maria, about 10 years apart. I, again, loved the main character, Maria, but this time, I understood and appreciated how her feminism was skillfully applied to the men who shared her life. Here is a woman in a man's world, without education and relegated to a woman's role, not only to become self aware and self sufficient but never to lose the ability to love in the face of great uncertainty.
The story is set in the century between the great crusades with expansion of Normans into Sarecen strongholds. Robber barons, knights and the divided catholic church form the playing field and those with the will to wield the might to win will be victorious. Brothers, William, Richard and Rodger, pit their skills and hearts against all, even, at times, against Maria.
The setting and characters are more than believable. Looking at this from the 21st century was, at times, hard to fathom and yet, it was amazing what beliefs abounded during this time period. I was incensed, alarmed, angry and thoroughly entrenched in Holland's story.
This was my second reading of Great Maria, about 10 years apart. I, again, loved the main character, Maria, but this time, I understood and appreciated how her feminism was skillfully applied to the men who shared her life. Here is a woman in a man's world, without education and relegated to a woman's role, not only to become self aware and self sufficient but never to lose the ability to love in the face of great uncertainty.
The story is set in the century between the great crusades with expansion of Normans into Sarecen strongholds. Robber barons, knights and the divided catholic church form the playing field and those with the will to wield the might to win will be victorious. Brothers, William, Richard and Rodger, pit their skills and hearts against all, even, at times, against Maria.
The setting and characters are more than believable. Looking at this from the 21st century was, at times, hard to fathom and yet, it was amazing what beliefs abounded during this time period. I was incensed, alarmed, angry and thoroughly entrenched in Holland's story.
December 21, 2017
Is this my favorite book of all time???? It may be. I've re-read it dozens of times over the years - first time in college, and it delights me to the same degree every time. Maria is probably the most captivating heroine of any book I've ever read - smart, resourceful, flawed, and brave. Her world is beautifully formed by Holland, and the other characters in the book are wonderfully drawn.
Holland is an absolutely terrific writer, but I haven't enjoyed any of her other books nearly as much.
Holland is an absolutely terrific writer, but I haven't enjoyed any of her other books nearly as much.
September 22, 2010
One of my favourite reads as a teenager. Still not too bad when I read it again as an adult. Maria is tough, loving and passionate and no man's doormat. Gotta love that. While some of what happens is pretty politically incorrect to modern eyes, wife-beating was recommended in the middle ages. If you can stomach that, then this one isn't too bad.
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Great_...
For the complete review, please go here:
http://www.epinions.com/review/Great_...
February 6, 2011
Maria was one very interesting character! Set in Sicily in the 1000s, the novel revolves around the conflicts of the Normans and the Saracens. I knew nothing about the history of Sicily in this time, so it was interesting to vicariously live it through the novel. Supposedly the novel is based upon the Hauteville family: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hautevil...
July 20, 2012
Loved this book so much, that i have reread it.
February 16, 2023
This is a completely different book from what I usually read but somehow I finished the whole thing and I actually had a hard time putting down this book. I’m confused but I think I enjoyed it.
It’s not a sweet romance where the hero loves the heroine with his whole heart and protects her from everything. It also isn’t a story where the hero and heroine are really the “good ones” against “bad ones”.
This is a story about a young woman’s life in the medieval times. She (Maria) gets married (an arranged marriage) and we as readers follow her life through both the good and bad. She is the main character and her husband Richard is a big part in her story. They are not the typical power couple or lovey dovey couple that I’m used to seeing in the books that I read. Most of the times I’m not even sure they like each other. Both have good and bad sides and it shows in their marriage. One thing that was really hard for me was that Richard has no problem beating Maria and does it a couple of times throughout the story. Many things happening in this story are disturbing from our modern perspective so I had to actively remind myself that I couldn’t judge the characters from my modern world perspective. One thing that also really bothered me was how young Maria was when they married (I have no idea how old Richard was). Richard is a very ambitious man and it seems like he always wants something better. This means that there is a lot of war and depressing thing in this book as Richard conqers more and more and Maria and their children live with him throughout it all. What I really liked with this book was how Maria becomes stronger and stronger and in the end she is an equal to Richard. Still even though this book was a lot heavier than what I usually read (I mostly only read lighthearted romance novels that make me happy) I still enjoyed it and found it very interesting to read about Maria’s life.
It’s not a sweet romance where the hero loves the heroine with his whole heart and protects her from everything. It also isn’t a story where the hero and heroine are really the “good ones” against “bad ones”.
This is a story about a young woman’s life in the medieval times. She (Maria) gets married (an arranged marriage) and we as readers follow her life through both the good and bad. She is the main character and her husband Richard is a big part in her story. They are not the typical power couple or lovey dovey couple that I’m used to seeing in the books that I read. Most of the times I’m not even sure they like each other. Both have good and bad sides and it shows in their marriage. One thing that was really hard for me was that Richard has no problem beating Maria and does it a couple of times throughout the story. Many things happening in this story are disturbing from our modern perspective so I had to actively remind myself that I couldn’t judge the characters from my modern world perspective. One thing that also really bothered me was how young Maria was when they married (I have no idea how old Richard was). Richard is a very ambitious man and it seems like he always wants something better. This means that there is a lot of war and depressing thing in this book as Richard conqers more and more and Maria and their children live with him throughout it all. What I really liked with this book was how Maria becomes stronger and stronger and in the end she is an equal to Richard. Still even though this book was a lot heavier than what I usually read (I mostly only read lighthearted romance novels that make me happy) I still enjoyed it and found it very interesting to read about Maria’s life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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