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The Lady Elizabeth | 
 enlarge | Author: Alison Weir
Publisher: Hutchinson
Category: Book
List Price: £12.99
Buy New: £6.99
You Save: £6.00 (46%)
New (32) Used (7) Collectible (1) from £6.95
Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 363
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 496
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.5
Dimensions (in): 9.4 x 6.3 x 1.7
ISBN: 0091796725
EAN: 9780091796723
ASIN: 0091796725
Publication Date: April 3, 2008
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Condition: Brand new book dispatched from stock in the UK
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 An entertaining read June 10, 2008
4 out of 5 found this review helpful
I enjoy historical novels and am a reader of all things tudor both fact and fiction. Whilst this was an entertaining read, I completely agree with the previous reviewer who stated Alison Weir's dialogue could be quite nauseating at times. She writes with a simplicity which does not reflect the period or subject matter. At times it is almost, "he said", "she said", which did annoy after a while.
In addition, I believe this period of time and particularly the story of Elizabeth is interesting enough without having to incorporate myth, legend and the supernatural as fact. The author herself states in her epilogue that she does not believe some of the things on which she has elaborated.
See Phillipa Gregory for a superior example of how to write Tudor history.
 Nauseous June 3, 2008
7 out of 11 found this review helpful
I find the subject very interesting but her style is nauseating, too sycophantic/reverential, the sweetness of her characters is cloying and unreal.
Hmmm May 29, 2008
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I read 'Lady Elizabeth' recently and unlike all the other reviews here it left me cold. I must admit to not usually choosing to read historical novels and so have little to compare it to in terms of peer comparison.
Whilst the portrayal of Elizabeth as a teenager and feisty young woman was good, and showed well the intertangled web of relationships in which she was involved, Alison Weir's characterisation of the young Elizabeth, I feel, was somewhat clumsy. She seemed desperate to emphasise the childs precociousness and in doing so lost sense of her innocence (except where sexual matters were concerned) as a young girl.
Her writing throughout the book remained very literal, showing little fiction writing skill of using inference and deduction to intrigue the reader and let him or her draw their own conclusions by leaving clues through characters actions and speech.
Despite it being referred to in the authors note in the back of the book, the speech throughout the book veered from authentic Tudor phrasing to more modern variations, which often made for uncomfortable reading.
However, her true skill throughout the book lay in her conjuring up colourful and authentic historic images, which she did well, her 'history' cannot be doubted, although I would question her decision to include Anne Boleyn's ghost which had no place in the book and felt entirely incongruent with what she was trying to achieve.
A useful book in terms of bringing history to life but not one I would read for reading pleasure.
 The lady Elizabeth- an amazing story May 24, 2008
3 out of 4 found this review helpful
I have just finished reading this excellent book- full of the detail I would expect from such a respected historian. It also comes with the story "readability" of a fast paced, exciting novel with danger, political double dealings and has given me a deeper appreciation of the amazing woman Elizabeth was.
One thing I like about the way Alison Weir writes in both her novels is the way she does not attempt to justify the morality of the day by modern standards of equalilty. There is no overt feminist tone that would have been totally out of place in Tudor England. Alison cleverly leaves it to the reader to make their own judgement about the status of women and individuals fighting through predjudices through the historical facts and comments of the time, without imposing modern appreciation.
The only negatives for me, were the embellishments after the episode with the Admiral (which the author later explains in the epilogue) and that the script ended rather abruptly, with the last parts seeming thinner in detail than I would have liked.
The lady Elizabeth was a prodical genius it seems and by her wit and cleverness survived amazingly against many odds to become queen.
A fascinating and gripping read.
 a pacy, moving historical novel May 12, 2008
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
Acclaimed historian and author Alison Weir has evoked real empathy with her subject, the Princess who would one day become Queen Elizabeth I. Weir brings to life the intruige of the Tudor court, the fervent religious struggles and also the triumph and tragedy of the divided Tudor family; all of which the young Princess must rely on her wits to survive.
Disgraced and banished while still in her infancy, the child Elizabeth lives on the unpredictable whim of her father, King Henry VIII. A dangerous combination of precociousness and will, Elizabeth's yearning to win the love of her father vies with her increasing fascination with the controversy and conspiracy surrounding her dead mother, whom she is determined to exonerate. As an adolescent Elizabeth struggles torturously to reconcile her desire, in the form of the ambitious Admiral Seymour, and her duty; emerging as a courageous, astute and also passionate young woman with her heart set upon the English throne. But Elizabeth's path is fraught with danger in many forms; seductions, revolts and the interference of foreign powers: not to mention the lethal religious conflict embodied in her conflict with her troubled half-sister Mary.
While most biographers and novelists focus on Elizabeth's reign as Queen, Alison Weir has charted the journey from naivety to maturity of one of the most remarkable women in history. She gives real imaginative insight into what transformed a young girl into a feared and admired ruler and I would recommend this book not only as accessible historical fiction but as one of the most exciting lives ever lived beautifully transferred into script.
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