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I, the King
Based on the life of Philip IV, King of Spain.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1966
About the author
Frances Parkinson Keyes
145 books96 followersFrances Parkinson Keyes was an American author who wrote about her life as the wife of a U.S. Senator and novels set in New England, Louisiana, and Europe. A convert to Roman Catholicism, her later works frequently featured Catholic themes and beliefs. Her last name rhymes with "skies," not "keys."
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
June 14, 2016
I first read this book around 1970. The time period is the early 1600s, and is placed in Spain during the reign of Philip IV. The book is historical fiction, based on true events and real people.
One of the "real people" in this story, Sor Maria de Agreda, a Spanish nun and abbess of Conceptionist Convent in Agreda, Spain, holds a special fascination for me. According to the book, Sor Maria was able to travel outside her body (bilocation) and visit other lands, specifically the new world in what is now New Mexico. In multiple visits to these new world natives, she told them of Jesus, and instructed them to go find the priests in distant settlements and ask to be instructed in the ways of Jesus. The order to which she belonged wore a habit of a very distinctive color of blue. The natives did as Sor Maria asked and told the priests that they were sent by the "Lady in Blue." I looked for more info on this woman, but the only material I could find was in Spanish, and I am not fluent enough to slog through the material. However, I have recently seen a book on Amazon titled "The Lady in Blue" about this same woman, but have not yet read the book. The review of the book looked like it might be fantasy.
Sor Maria became a correspondent of Philip IV of Spain and their letters were used as research for this book.
The story is about Philip IV of Spain, and the women who most influenced his life. It takes place at the time that Spain is in decline as a world power. There are world politics, court intrigues and power struggles as Philip strives to maintain the power and prestige of Spain without sacrificing the Catholic church to politics.
The other women in the story are Isabel de Bourbon, his first wife and Queen of Spain until her death; Maria Ines Calderon, an actress and Philip's true love; Mariana of Austria, second wife of Philip; a beautiful young novice; and Philip's childhood nurse.
Oh! And there are illustrations. Lots of good pictures of all the important people in the story, as well as maps.
One of the "real people" in this story, Sor Maria de Agreda, a Spanish nun and abbess of Conceptionist Convent in Agreda, Spain, holds a special fascination for me. According to the book, Sor Maria was able to travel outside her body (bilocation) and visit other lands, specifically the new world in what is now New Mexico. In multiple visits to these new world natives, she told them of Jesus, and instructed them to go find the priests in distant settlements and ask to be instructed in the ways of Jesus. The order to which she belonged wore a habit of a very distinctive color of blue. The natives did as Sor Maria asked and told the priests that they were sent by the "Lady in Blue." I looked for more info on this woman, but the only material I could find was in Spanish, and I am not fluent enough to slog through the material. However, I have recently seen a book on Amazon titled "The Lady in Blue" about this same woman, but have not yet read the book. The review of the book looked like it might be fantasy.
Sor Maria became a correspondent of Philip IV of Spain and their letters were used as research for this book.
The story is about Philip IV of Spain, and the women who most influenced his life. It takes place at the time that Spain is in decline as a world power. There are world politics, court intrigues and power struggles as Philip strives to maintain the power and prestige of Spain without sacrificing the Catholic church to politics.
The other women in the story are Isabel de Bourbon, his first wife and Queen of Spain until her death; Maria Ines Calderon, an actress and Philip's true love; Mariana of Austria, second wife of Philip; a beautiful young novice; and Philip's childhood nurse.
Oh! And there are illustrations. Lots of good pictures of all the important people in the story, as well as maps.
December 7, 2022
One type of fiction I enjoy reading is historical fiction about a real person. Not a true biography, which has been deeply researched, but an interpretation that gives the reader insight into how the person may have thought and why he made the decisions he did. Well written historical fiction biographies can bring to life people you never knew about.
I, the King by Frances Parkinson Keyes is a fictionalized biography about King Philip IV of Spain (1621 - 1665) and partly considered King of Portugal (1621 - 1640). He was the king of the Spanish empire, but it was already in decline by the time of his death.
Ms. Keyes tells his life story through the women who most influenced him. The king was married twice, had mistresses of whom one was the love of his life, and corresponded with a cloistered nun, leaving behind more than 600 letters exchanged between them.
Although I write historical romance, it is not the dry facts that intrigue me but the people who lived behind the statistics. I, the King brings a remote political figure to life.
I, the King by Frances Parkinson Keyes is a fictionalized biography about King Philip IV of Spain (1621 - 1665) and partly considered King of Portugal (1621 - 1640). He was the king of the Spanish empire, but it was already in decline by the time of his death.
Ms. Keyes tells his life story through the women who most influenced him. The king was married twice, had mistresses of whom one was the love of his life, and corresponded with a cloistered nun, leaving behind more than 600 letters exchanged between them.
Although I write historical romance, it is not the dry facts that intrigue me but the people who lived behind the statistics. I, the King brings a remote political figure to life.
July 25, 2016
As I noted at the time, I found that this book was heavy with history and only hit its stride when Sor Maria came into Phillips life. "Ultimately, it was a book I could respect but not really like."
May 6, 2020
Having read an 'historical novel' earlier this year that left me wanting I was a little concerned about starting this one but, the family books I inherited is my only 'library' during this pandemic, so I delved in. I was thoroughly delighted with the book as it read like a novel but still felt like it was presenting history quite soundly. The quotes from other authors at the beginning of each major section boded well that this was a researched work. The extensive Author's Notes and Bibliography bore this out at the end.
Warning to a twenty-first century audience, though, that a book written fifty years ago dealt with certain aspects of history differently to how it would be dealt with today. For example, no judgement is made or implied towards the then-common practice among European nobility of marrying close relatives (to shore up alliances, consolidate land holdings, etc.). I was quite uncomfortable with one such occurrence but the book was only presenting what was.
Warning to a twenty-first century audience, though, that a book written fifty years ago dealt with certain aspects of history differently to how it would be dealt with today. For example, no judgement is made or implied towards the then-common practice among European nobility of marrying close relatives (to shore up alliances, consolidate land holdings, etc.). I was quite uncomfortable with one such occurrence but the book was only presenting what was.
July 1, 2008
An amazing book with small margins, this book manages to delve deeply into Philip's life and the lives of those nearest and dearest to him, without ever becoming pedantic or lost in the details. As no book can ever be a truly exhaustive source, this book gave plenty of tangents on which I based further research and additional reading on the life and times of those "movers and shakers" in the early to mid 1600's in Southwestern Europe (especially Spain).
April 13, 2015
"Philip knew that this son he would not bear to see. Juan would understand"
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews