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Devil's Queen: Part 7 - End
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Sara W
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Oct 16, 2010 11:40AM
Please discuss Part VII: Queen Mother, July 1559 - August 1572 to Epilogue here.
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I was really enjoying it, but I started to get a little annoyed with this Catherine character. She's a little too good compared to what I'm used to and a bit of a hypocrite - it's bad to kill a king and push a puppy, but go ahead and murder a pregnant prostitute. I know she's remorseful about it, but I think that's part of the problem I have with her - I like a mean, evil and calculating Catherine who doesn't regret her actions. I think that's part of a problem I have in general with a lot of modern historical fiction - the main character always seems SO good (Mary in The Other Boleyn Girl, Juana in The Last Queen and Cleopatra in George's book come to mind). I don't know, I seem to like my main characters with a little dirt on them! I'm sure I'm in a minority here because people really love those books. :)
I really didn't care for this book, especially a couple of twists the author threw in at the end that AFAIK have no basis in historical fact - and no author's note to back her up.I agree, I like my MC's with some dirt as well. I doubt anyone will top Dumas' Catherine in La Reine Margot. OTT yes, but delightfully so.
I think part of my problem is that I know quite a bit about many of the people I read about now, so I expect them to act a certain way in the books, and when they don't, I'm a little thrown off by it. Maybe I would have really liked this book if it was the first Catherine de Medici one I read. It started out good for me, but now it's just a little blah. I've felt that way about quite a few books I've read lately - maybe my attention span is screwed up!I'll have to try the Dumas' book. It's one I've heard about here and there and have been meaning to get.
Sara W wrote: "I was really enjoying it, but I started to get a little annoyed with this Catherine character. She's a little too good compared to what I'm used to and a bit of a hypocrite - it's bad to kill a ki..."I didn't think Catherine was supposed to be "good", she talked a lot about how she was "different" from certain others because she was capable of a ruthlessness for the sake of her or her family's survival. I think the author was trying to make Catherine's historical deeds seem human but it just came across as unrealistic.
I agree I don't like characters to be complete saints but at the same time, I don't like them to be completely evil, they both suggest a lack of depth. I think the author was trying to obtain that depth and didn't succeed.
Sara W wrote: "I think part of my problem is that I know quite a bit about many of the people I read about now, so I expect them to act a certain way in the books, and when they don't, I'm a little thrown off by ..."Sarah, La Reine Margot is actually the first in a trilogy set on the Valois. The second is Chicot the Jester and then The Fortyfive Guardsmen. Laura has read Chicot (the french version) and loved it.
I agree that what Catherine was doing she was doing for the sake of her survival or that of her family. I just didn't believe the magic/mysticism that she used to achieve her ends.
Robin wrote: "Sara W wrote: "I was really enjoying it, but I started to get a little annoyed with this Catherine character. She's a little too good compared to what I'm used to and a bit of a hypocrite - it's b..."Yeah, I do agree that the author was trying to make her more human, which is probably why Catherine's remorseful and cries after certain things that happen in the book. It certainly makes it easier to relate to her - I think I just didn't expect to relate to Catherine de Medici (which probably goes to your unrealistic point - at least for me, things seemed unrealistic - I don't expect her to cry or be remorseful).
I do prefer this book to the ones that make Diane look like a saint though (there was one book that was just terrible to Catherine - half the descriptions were about her being fat or unattractive - can't think of the title, but I didn't finish reading it). I can see why people would enjoy the book - I just don't personally care for it as I get closer to the end.
Misfit wrote: "Sara W wrote: "I think part of my problem is that I know quite a bit about many of the people I read about now, so I expect them to act a certain way in the books, and when they don't, I'm a little..."yes indeed, I have already read 2 books from the Valois trilogy and I am planning to read the FourtyFive pretty soon.
