This was a surprisingly absorbing read. I'm still a bit stressed, so I've been binging on historical fiction (I even ordered my first Heyer novels). Koen's novel is sprightly told and competently researched. It mixes historical figures into the narrative fairly well (though they aren't nearly as captivating as the main characters or the actual historical figures they are based upon). I'm debating between a two and a three star. On one hand, when I think on it, it doesn't seems to be a particularly memorable book. On the other, I found it very hard to put down and couldn't wait to see how it ends. I'm going with the higher score, because I was absorbed while it lasted and found the ending moving. Below are what I see as its pros and cons. I've tried to keep it as spoiler-free as possible.(+) Its characters are all flawed. There are villains and heroes, but they are presented a three-dimensional and very human (except for maybe the French characters).(+) I loved the depiction of the South Sea Bubble's rippling destruction through London society. Maybe this is due to current events or just the fact I find it be an interesting historical event.(+) Well-written female characters. Much more so than their male counterparts, the female characters present a balance of realistic, feisty characters who at the same time are being clearly shaped by the social/economic/legal/restrictions placed upon them. This doesn't just apply to the upper class leads (Barbara and her grandmother, Alice, who I think is the lead in the prequel), but Barbara's maid Therese and to a lesser extent, Diana's maid Clemmie were intriguing to follow. (+)Related to this, the book focuses exclusively on the upper-class, with the only real exceptions being servants, but it does a nice job outlining the hierarchy within that class fairly well.(+) While I knew where the plot was going for the first half, the second half was a lovely surprise. (+) Tony's character arc.(+) The ending.(-) There's a "dark secret" for one of the characters. The text dances around it, Barbara is blind to it until the climax in the center of the book (I don't think this is a spoiler, since it is heavily, heavily foreshadowed). The problem is that it is pretty obvious what it is and connects to the other negative.(-) I'm stressed and tired, so I'm just not going to think this much about it, but I'm debating whether this is a bit of a homophobic, conservative text. The counterargument I keep telling myself is that all the characters are flawed so it is not as if its portraying "straight" characters as saints, and that abortion was a messy, dangerous procedure during the time, so the lingering focus on its negative effects is supportable. It does seem to negatively present anyone that enjoys sex without having a deep, emotional connection to their partner.(-) Hyacinth, Barbara's slave, is an incredibly flat character. His role is to be precious and cute. Given the timeline, the equal might flesh his character out more. For a text that has multiple female characters muse on how society oppresses them, it was a little annoying to have such a positive portrayal of slavery. "A little" because his treatment fit with the plot's logic: there are several women mourning their childless state and see him as a way to fill the void. The way he is used as an emotional crutch and toy for these women could have been an interesting way to explore the racial/slavery issues that the novel ignores.Neither positive or negative: (*) It captures details of the eighteenth century, but the narrative voice itself is very late twentieth century.(*) The depictions of smallpox and other fun diseases were more detailed than I had expected. They aren't the most graphic scenes, but they were a more vivid than I usually encounter in this genre.(*) Sex scenes seemed to be more detailed for lust-based couplings and more euphemistic for the emotion-based ones. I found this a little weird.Will I read more of her work in the future? I probably will. I'm debating whether or not want to read the prequel or the sequel. The backstory for this novel isn't that intriguing to me, and while Alice is a delightful secondary character, I'm not very excited about having her as the center of an entire book. I am curious about the sequel, but the publisher's description is rather dull.
After some grappling and soul-searching, I have finally decided not to finish this book. As Karen said in her review, there's nothing wrong with indulging in a trashy novel occasionally, but 750 pages is a big investment for trash.This book reminded me of some of the Philippa Gregory books I've tried to read and abandoned, although I did find the characters here slightly more interesting. Barbara, a beautiful (how could she not be?), headstrong (naturally) 15-year-old is engaged to 40-something Lord Roger Devane, whom she loves in a worshipful way, and you just know that she's going to get hurt in this relationship. Although this worshipful unrequited love by heroines has annoyed me in the past, I could forgive it a little -- just a little -- in Barbara because she is, after all, 15. Roger has agreed to marry little Barbara despite their age difference because she comes with property in which he would like to invest. Roger, though mostly a cad, actually does care for Barbara on some level, although his love clearly doesn't match hers (a deeply rooted passion which is based on, uh, his good looks?). It takes them a while to actually get married, because of scheming on the part of various family members with regard to the property and milking Roger. As a result, the book was slower than your typical Harlequin-cum-historical-romance, and I closed it after finally reaching their wedding night on page 250 or so. Other things that annoyed me included ridiculously heavy-handed characterization. For example, Barbara's cousin Tony, the stupid-but-goodhearted character in the book, continuously leaves off the first words of his sentences in an effort to remind you of his limited intelligence, except for those rare moments where he shines in heroically. His sentences in those scenes are helpfully complete, sometimes accompanied by asides from the author pointing out that this was one of the rare occasions in which he spoke in full sentences. What is that? Is he just pretending to be dumb the rest of the time? I wasn't motivated to read far enough to solve this mystery. Barbara also consistently lifts her chin whenever she's deciding to defy authority. She's lifting her chin -- look out, world! These types of trashy-pretending-to-be-literary historical romances are also often guilty of anachronism. I found the character of Roger's friend Tommy Carlyle, a flaming homosexual complete with heels, make-up, and sexy young men draped on his arms, extremely difficult to swallow for the 1700s. Look -- I don't know much about that period of history, but I really find it hard to believe that one could be so blatantly homosexual and still function as a part of high society in those days, a group which, in this book, included the British royal family (another hallmark of this type of historical fiction -- of course, they're all best buds with the people in the history books, as Sarah pointed out in her review of "March").I actually gave this three stars because, if you're a more forgiving reader who likes historical romance, I could see this being a good read despite its flaws. If it had been shorter and tighter, I would have finished it and maybe even enjoyed it. However, if you want a good historical romance, I would suggest "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon instead.
Do You like book Through A Glass Darkly (2003)?
Seeing the various 1 and 2 star reviews for this brilliant novel and its sequel, Now Face to Face, confirms me in the belief, growing over the past year, that a certain proportion of today's readers are so poorly educated and emotionally blunted that great historical fiction is completely wasted on them.I found the characters in these novels were richly crafted, well rounded people who lived within the beliefs and culture of their time, rather than modern day people plopped into the middle of some imagined past. The relationships in these books were real too, not wish fulfillment Cinderella fantasies. The writing carried me along, painting rich detailed scenes I could sink into while keeping me turning the pages, wondering what would happen next. Yes, they are big long books, but they are creating a whole world filled with real people. And the brilliance and complexity of the plotting of these two volumes is breathtaking. Reading both books back to back was like time traveling to the second and third decade of the 1700s, a period about which I knew almost nothing. I loved that we were not repeating the same old stories about the same three historical personages the poorly educated can't get enough of. (Please, no more Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth, and Jane Austen!) It was a pleasure to read a book this entertaining that also taught me a lot about events in an obscure corner of history. It was a delight to read a novel with such a fascinating and flawed set of characters about whom we end up caring so very deeply. It was even more delightful not to have the Pretender romanticized and to see the real cost of political machinations and political venality made so clear. Thanks you Ms. Koen for restoring my faith in historical novels!
—Jenny Brown
“When I was a child I spake as a child. I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I become a man I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly, but then face to face”Through a Glass Darkly is the second in a three book series set in Georgian England. Barbara is the granddaughter of the Duke and Duchess of Tamworth and she and her younger siblings were raised by their grandparents instead of their parents Kit and Diana Alderley. Kit is an exiled Jacobite involved in the plots to put James III on the throne and Diana is a scheming slut desperate to wed Diana off to a wealthy man to save her from her creditors. Diana is negotiating with the much older but very wealthy Roger Montgeoffry, Earl Devane, and Barbara is thrilled as she'd always loved Roger from afar - although Diana’s insatiable greed might bring those talks to a screeching halt.The path to true love and married bliss is never easy, especially when you have a family as complicated and double dealing as the Barbara’s -it is way too complex to try and explain - just sit back and enjoy the fun. Roger eventually takes his new wife and business to Paris and an innocent Barbara soon gets quite an education in the debauched lifestyle of the French court and its courtiers. Someone from Roger's past returns that thoroughly upsets Barbara's marital applecart and sends her life spinning out of control, and only Grandmama can set it to rights. Or can she?And that's all I'm going to tell you - I don't write book reports. This is the second time I've read the book and I enjoyed it just as much as the first. While I enjoyed all of the family's antics, I most especially adored Grandmama and her cats, as well as Barbara's very smutty mother who steals every scene she’s in. I loved watching Barbara mature from a young innocent (you will want to slap her a few times) to a mature woman who could take just about anything life threw her way – and life throws her a lot of heartache. It broke my heart watching Tony’s unrequited love for Barbara, and as for Philippe? Grrrrrr. This is a book to be savored, like a box of fine chocolate or a rich red wine. Highly recommended, and one I will read again and again and again. The first book in the series is Dark Angels and the last is Now Face to Face. I recommend reading Dark Angels last after you have come to know and love the old Duchess, then go back and read Alice and Richard’s story.
—Misfit
This was both very good and very disappointing at the same time. I couldn't put it down, but neither did it give me happy, cheerful feelings.This is the story of the maturing of a young girl, Barbara, in 18th century England. She has a passionate loving nature and though of the upper class, does not always abide by the typical conventions and standards all the time. All her life she has been distantly in love with a man who served her very famous grandfather, and one day, her very selfish and broke mother promises to marry her to him. Lord Devane only wants to marry her because of a large piece of property that is her dowry. However, our heroine is determined to marry him and to make him love her. The results of her determination bring her both happiness, and mostly, sadness. But her experiences do make her an interesting unique woman.I recommend this to those who like historical fiction and who don't mind quite a bit of the grittier side of marriage and sex.
—Jessica
