Young Bess is a story that is familiar to many Tudor fans, as it focuses on Tudor times that surrounded Elizabeth I as she was growing up. Although this is a historical novel, I found it full of interesting facts regarding the important players of the time, but it was written in such a way that it felt like Margaret was right here telling us the story as she knew it. Originally written in 1944, I didn't find the prose too outdated, except for a few mentions of the word 'gay' which has now been turned from meaning happy and joyful into something of a sexual leaning. In fact, it is such an easy verse that I would not hesitate to recommend this to young adult readers as well, which perhaps this audience was intended by Margaret Irwin in the first place.The one major theme in my reading for the past few years has been Tudor related. I almost always enjoy a story regarding Tudor times, and this was no exception, as I completed this novel over a span of 36 hours, reading pieces here and there. The fact that this novel was written in 1944 probably appeals to me more simply due to the sheer respectability of its nature, for lack of a better word. I enjoy reading the older prose as it seems more authentically written. The story of Bess as she falls in love with Thomas Seymour was written as if it were quite scandalous, as it should have been, yet it was not done in a bawdy nature. The overall tone of the book was to display the political upheaval of the time: Henry VIII and his six wives were no longer, his last wife Catherine Parr died soon after giving birth to Tom Seymour's daughter. Elizabeth was portrayed almost as being a typical teenager, with the devil-may-care attitude, until she ultimately matures and discovers the ultimate goal of her life, which was to become the Queen of England. Those readers who are hoping for the simple coming of age story of young Elizabeth will be disappointed. Although this read does give insight into what might have been going through Bess' mind, there are almost full chapters where Young Bess is not mentioned at all. Instead, it would focus on the other people who were ultimately having a profound effect on England. There was Elizabeth's younger brother, Edward, who became the King of England at age nine. Therefore, Edward Seymour, also called Somerset after his estate, is featured in abundance, not just because he is Tom Seymour's brother, but because he was the Protector of the Realm during Edward's early minority. I found Somerset to be a very interesting character, along with his wife Anne who was the one who ruled the husband. A very interesting back story to be sure, and is one that I would like to research further. Thankfully, there was not a lot on Elizabeth's much older sister, Mary, but I have a feeling that in the second installment of this trilogy Mary will feature quite prominently as she is one who rules after young King Edward passes. Of course, we cannot forget Lady Jane Grey, who is mentioned in Young Bess as more of a rival to the young Elizabeth and less as a friend. Also mentioned is the governess Katherine Ashley, and although Bess seemed distressed that she was imprisoned, at other times Ms. Ashley seemed taxing on Bess' patience, which is in opposition to countless reports of how Elizabeth and Kat doted on each other. But at this point as Bess was a teenager, Irwin's retelling seems to ring true.I enjoyed the way that Elizabeth's brother Edward VI was portrayed, as a child thrust into such an exalted position, yet, still as a child, felt he had no control over certain matters. His uncles, the three Seymour brothers, were prominent in the story as Edward struggles with his uncles and ultimately tires of them. Two of the three Seymour brothers are executed once the novel is done. Edward always complained he had too many uncles! Towards the end of the novel, John Dudley was holding the reins for Edward while he patiently waited for Edward to die. It was not a great stopping point for the novel, but the next installment will be reissued in October, and the last one comes in April 2011. I will be sure to read them all, this was an informative and entertaining read and I am going to look into some more of Margaret Irwin's works. Young Bess is a must read for anyone interested in the Tudor times and to get a feel for what it was like to Elizabeth I as she grew up without a real home or many loved ones.
Whether as a child or as an adult; the life of Queen Elizabeth I was quite interesting and dramatic, to say the least. Margaret Irwin begins her Elizabeth Trilogy following the future Gloriana as a young teen aging both physically and mentally in, “Young Bess”. Irwin’s writing strikes the reader with instant literary tones in the realm of flowery descriptions, symbolism, and vivid imagery. This captures the reader without turning “Young Bess” into a fluff piece by focusing ardently on historical events (“Young Bess” is more history than fiction). The issue with this is that there are some historical inaccuracies but perhaps Irwin can be forgiven as “Young Bess” was published in the 1940s. “Young Bess” can definitely be described as ‘dry’ as the text contains little dialogue and the narrator merely describes events instead of allowing the reader to live through them. Much of the plot is a history recap versus actually revealing Elizabeth, at all. In fact, Elizabeth feels sort of like an afterthought instead of being a main character. There are quite a few instances where Irwin tries to create controversy by simply name-calling characters and using elementary-level teasing instead of imaginatively weaving it into the plot. This feels like debasing the events and doesn’t truly add anything to the story. At approximately the halfway point, Irwin infuses “Young Bess” with a bit more of a fictional styling creating a faster pace amongst the pages. Elizabeth begins to come off the pages much more in comparison than she was and Irwin explores angles on how her childhood may have affected her adult self. Also evident at this point are unique highlights which other Tudor HF novels never focus on (such as Thomas Seymour’s time spent in Hungary). This is quite welcomed. In true Irwin style, “Young Bess” jumps between characters and their points of view of the story. This, luckily, is not overwhelming to the reader and does not create any chunkiness (although it reduces the spotlight on Elizabeth even more). Another common Irwin trait, heavy foreshadowing, is infused into the text of “Young Bess”. This is more noticeable for those familiar with Elizabeth and may not be as striking to the general reader. The concluding chapters of “Young Bess” are quite evocative with emotion and shed an understandable and relatable light to the hysterical feeling surrounding the execution of Thomas Seymour and the last days of King Edward’s reign. Sadly, this still bypasses the views of Elizabeth and ends the novel rather abruptly (this may be due to the fact that there are more books within the trilogy). Like most other older HF novels; Irwin did not include any notes to explain any historical liberties taken or a genealogical table which could be of use to the general reader. Overall, “Young Bess” is rather strong in terms of historical focus but weak when it comes to retaining the essence of a novel. The pages fail to bring Elizabeth alive therefore eclipsing any character growth while the plot doesn’t express a proper arc. “Young Bess” is consequentially somewhat dry and flat. The novel basically displays an absence of excitement or that special, “oomph”. Despite these complaints, “Young Bess” is a rather good historical overview for those seeking less fluff and is therefore recommended for readers interested in the Tudors.
Do You like book Young Bess (2007)?
This is about the youth of Elizabeth I.Declared a bastard after her mother isexecuted, she is restored to her rightful placeby Katherine Parr, sixth wife of Henry VIII.Then the King dies. Katherine marrieds her live,Thomas Seymour but Thomas has secret ambitions forpower. He begins by befriending Edward VI and thenattempting to seduce the fourteen year old Elizabethputting both of them in peril of their lives.Elizabeth, lively, flirtatious, precociously intelligentand acutely intuitive outsmarts all her protagonists.
—Gaile
From my blog...[return]Exquisitely written, well researched, with intense and vivid imagery, Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen is an absolutely amazing beginning of what promises to be a spectacular trilogy chronicling the life of Queen Elizabeth. Margaret Irwin has such a brilliant command of this time period, the reader is immediately transported back in time to the end of King Henry VIII's rule as a young Bess has moved in with the newly widowed Catherine Parr and her new husband Thomas Seymour and King Edward IV sits upon the thrown. I do believe my favourite genre, if pressed to choose would be historical fiction and Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen is a shining example of exactly why historical fiction is such a fabulous genre. This novel is well researched, the characters are made quite real to the reader and the plot will keep the reader turning the pages, even if the reader does in fact already know the historical facts, one cannot help but anxiously await what will happen next in this novel. The only negative I can think of is the fact that I must wait until October 2010, for the release of the second book of the trilogy, Elizabeth, Captive Princess. An absolute must read, I give Young Bess The Girl Who Would Be Queen high marks all around and recommend this novel to everyone.
—Jennifer
The first in a trilogy about the early life of Queen Elizabeth I and the perilous nature of her existence as a royal princess who skillfully manages to keep herself alive and eventually fulfil her personal sense of destiny to become Queen of England. The book introduces us to Elizabeth as a young girl of 13 who is living in the shadow of her dead mother, Anne Boleyn, and as a result is already astute and watchful of the political machinations of courtiers and the Privy Council in the last days of Henry VIII's reign. However when Henry dies, she is delighted to be given a home with her beloved stepmother, Catherine Parr and her new husband, the dashing Thomas Seymour. Elizabeth's situation becomes dangerous however when the mutual affection between herself and Seymour becomes more passionate, partly because of the hurt it inflicts on Catherine, but mostly because such a match would be seen as unsuitable and would advance the ambitions of Seymour. Catherine's suspicions of their attachment mean that Elizabeth is sent to set up her own household at Hatfield though when Catherine dies in childbirth and Seymour continues to pursue her the situation becomes critical. Rumours abound about their apparent romance and Elizabeth, who is portrayed in the book as obviously smitten with Seymour, is torn between her feelings and her sense of destiny and desire to stay alive. She is devastated when Seymour's inappropriate ambitions put him in the Tower and he is eventually beheaded. Her precarious position and the fallout from the damage to her reputation is well described as is the young King Edward's pathetic situation as a pious and overworked puppet king manipulated by a ruthless Privy Council headed by The Lord Protector, Hertford, who is even prepared to behead his brother Seymour rather than risk his own position as foremost politician in the land. The book is written in a highly romantic style with flowery, elaborate prose and colourful imagery. It is littered with numerous quotations and references from historical documents and the fact it was written in the forties may account for the less matter of fact more old fashioned style of writing. Nevertheless, the language and metaphor really does immerse the reader in an evocative, heady atmosphere of intrigue, passion and politics and lifts the characters out of the history books and into the realm of the living and breathing. Although the book seems to be meticulously researched, I was a little uncomfortable with the feelings attributed to Elizabeth for Seymour and wondered about the veracity of some of the references. On the whole though, I greatly enjoyed the book and it is ideal for the history student who wants bring key figures in late Tudor history to life and also for those who are fascinated with Elizabeth and the Tudors and want to indulge in a damn good read.
—Laura Jane
