owlmoose: (Default)
KJ ([personal profile] owlmoose) wrote2008-11-30 12:05 am
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Book review

(Hey, look, an easy way to copy over reviews from Goodreads! Suddenly I find the idea of writing reviews there much more appealing...)

The Sunne In Splendour: A Novel of Richard III The Sunne In Splendour: A Novel of Richard III by Sharon Kay Penman
My review
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book because it came highly, highly recommended by a friend [[livejournal.com profile] kunstarniki -- thanks!], so maybe I was going into it with my expectations set too high. This is not to say I didn't enjoy it -- I did, very much. I hadn't realized that there was controversy over the common conception of Richard III, and I'm always interested in getting a different take on historical figures, especially when the new perspective is well-backed by the historical record. History is written by the winners, and Richard III was most definitely not a winner as far as the historical record goes.

The story was fascinating and engaging, well written, an excellent balancing act of dozens of characters. The only thing holding me back from five full stars: reams of exposition. Something like a quarter of the book is expository; to be fair, it's hard to cover some twenty years of eventful history without some level of exposition, but many places could have been pared or streamlined without affecting the story, and some segments would have been more effective if Penmen had detailed at least some of the action.

This is my only negative, though. Overall I would say this was a lovely book, and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in English history.

I

[identity profile] kunstarniki.livejournal.com 2008-11-30 02:11 pm (UTC)(link)
I am very glad that you enjoyed this book. Now, being the scholar you are, you might like to take a look at Paul Murray Kendall's biography of Richard. It is lavishly footnoted and has some of the most fascinating extended notes I have ever seen. Also, in an appendix, he gives the evidence (such as it is) for and against the three suspects in the case of the disappearing Princes. Penman chose her favourite but I am not entirely convinced of her reasoning. In any event, the argument is a juicy one.

Thank you for directing me at that review site, it is worth the visiting. ;-)

Re: I

[identity profile] owlmoose.livejournal.com 2008-11-30 06:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I tend not to read much non-fiction, but I will keep an eye out for the Kendall. Thanks!