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The Scandalous Duchess
If you will be a great man’s mistress you must pay the price...
1372, The Savoy. Widow Lady Katherine Swynford presents herself for a role in the household of merciless royal prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, hoping to end her destitution. But the Duke’s scandalous proposition leaves her life of pious integrity reeling...
Seduced by the glare of royal adoration, Katherine becomes John’s mistress. She will leave behind everything she has stood for to play second fiddle to his young wife and ruthless ambition. She will live in the shadows of the most powerful man in England in the hope of a love greater than propriety.
But soon the court whispers – whore, harlot, vile temptress – reach the ears of not just John’s bride but his most dangerous political enemies. As the Plantagenet prince is accused of bringing England to its knees, who better to blame than shameless she-devil Katherine Swynford? Dragged from the shadows, Katherine must answer for her sins.
‘Anne O’Brien has joined the exclusive club of excellent historical novelists.’
Sunday Express
1372, The Savoy. Widow Lady Katherine Swynford presents herself for a role in the household of merciless royal prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, hoping to end her destitution. But the Duke’s scandalous proposition leaves her life of pious integrity reeling...
Seduced by the glare of royal adoration, Katherine becomes John’s mistress. She will leave behind everything she has stood for to play second fiddle to his young wife and ruthless ambition. She will live in the shadows of the most powerful man in England in the hope of a love greater than propriety.
But soon the court whispers – whore, harlot, vile temptress – reach the ears of not just John’s bride but his most dangerous political enemies. As the Plantagenet prince is accused of bringing England to its knees, who better to blame than shameless she-devil Katherine Swynford? Dragged from the shadows, Katherine must answer for her sins.
‘Anne O’Brien has joined the exclusive club of excellent historical novelists.’
Sunday Express
624 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2014
93 people are currently reading
1209 people want to read
About the author
Anne O'Brien
66 books776 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
My home is in the Welsh Marches, although much of my early life was spent in Yorkshire, most recently in the East Riding.Ann O'Brien The Marches is a remote region of England, surrounded by echoes from the past. Hereford is close with its famous Mappa Mundi and chained library.So is Shrewsbury, and also Ludlow with its splendid castle and its connections with our Plantagenet and Tudor kings. With my husband, I live in an eighteenth century timber framed cottage, which itself must have seen much history over two hundred years.
I have always enjoyed the appeal of History.I taught the subject with enthusiasm but it became my ambition to write historical romances. My first novel, The Runaway Heiress, was published by Mills and Boon in 2004.
This first book was a Regency Romance in the great tradition of Georgette Heyer - who has not admired her skill and delicate touch for the period? I have drawn on my interest in the Stuart century to write about the English Civil War and Restoration England of Charles II. Living in the Marches however I soon discovered the wealth of atmosphere and legend in this isolated part of England from medieval times. It was not long before I was encouraged to create a medieval romance inConquering Knight, Captive Lady.
When not writing, I have a large rambling garden where George and I grow organic vegetables and soft fruit - or perhaps I should admit that he grows them whilst I pick and cook them. We have a wild garden, an orchard, a formal pond and herbaceous flower borders. We share it all with rabbits and pheasants, frogs and goldfinches, hedgehogs and buzzards. It is a beautiful place. When we first settled into our cottage I planted a herb garden on a Tudor pattern with stone pathways and clipped box hedges. From this I developed my interest in herbs and their uses.
Nicholas Culpeper's The Complete Herbal, a fascinating resource to a historical novelist first published in 1649, has become essential bedside reading. As a result the use of herbs in medicine and witchcraft, for both good and ill, has appeared in some of my novels.
For pure relaxation I enjoy yoga as well as singing with a local Choral Society. Watercolour painting allows me to simply sit and appreciate the landscape and the flowers in my garden, when my mind is busy constructing my next plot.
My home is in the Welsh Marches, although much of my early life was spent in Yorkshire, most recently in the East Riding.Ann O'Brien The Marches is a remote region of England, surrounded by echoes from the past. Hereford is close with its famous Mappa Mundi and chained library.So is Shrewsbury, and also Ludlow with its splendid castle and its connections with our Plantagenet and Tudor kings. With my husband, I live in an eighteenth century timber framed cottage, which itself must have seen much history over two hundred years.
I have always enjoyed the appeal of History.I taught the subject with enthusiasm but it became my ambition to write historical romances. My first novel, The Runaway Heiress, was published by Mills and Boon in 2004.
This first book was a Regency Romance in the great tradition of Georgette Heyer - who has not admired her skill and delicate touch for the period? I have drawn on my interest in the Stuart century to write about the English Civil War and Restoration England of Charles II. Living in the Marches however I soon discovered the wealth of atmosphere and legend in this isolated part of England from medieval times. It was not long before I was encouraged to create a medieval romance inConquering Knight, Captive Lady.
When not writing, I have a large rambling garden where George and I grow organic vegetables and soft fruit - or perhaps I should admit that he grows them whilst I pick and cook them. We have a wild garden, an orchard, a formal pond and herbaceous flower borders. We share it all with rabbits and pheasants, frogs and goldfinches, hedgehogs and buzzards. It is a beautiful place. When we first settled into our cottage I planted a herb garden on a Tudor pattern with stone pathways and clipped box hedges. From this I developed my interest in herbs and their uses.
Nicholas Culpeper's The Complete Herbal, a fascinating resource to a historical novelist first published in 1649, has become essential bedside reading. As a result the use of herbs in medicine and witchcraft, for both good and ill, has appeared in some of my novels.
For pure relaxation I enjoy yoga as well as singing with a local Choral Society. Watercolour painting allows me to simply sit and appreciate the landscape and the flowers in my garden, when my mind is busy constructing my next plot.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
July 10, 2022
I came to this novel with very low expectations. I felt surprisingly indignant that another author had tried to 'remake' Katherine and The Scandalous Duchess' format was not designed to quell my concerns. The cover features a model with an obviously twenty-first century blonde dye job and within the first three pages, I spotted three typos - dairy maids became diary maids, instead of poring over books, the Duke poured over them. Additionally, all the way through, there was a problem with the typesetting for words containing the letter f. So inflamed became inf lamed, fury became f ury and often the f was left on one line and the rest of the word on the other. When reading a novel that is essentially a bodice ripper, it is surprisingly distracting. Still, not too far in, I realised the true reason why I had picked up the book in the first place. It was really good to read a book featuring John of Gaunt again.
I am a self-confessed geek over history. I am not even particularly selective concerning the period, I just like the stories. It is always interesting to imagine the lives of these people - would the fact that they lived hundreds of years ago have made them truly different from us? There are certain figures from history though whose stories dance no matter how long they have been in the ground. John of Gaunt is one of these. Despite holding the title of King of Castile, he never truly sat on a throne and yet he was one of the most influential men of his era and a renowned force on the battlefield. His lifestyle arguably caused the Peasants' Revolt, he was the uncle to Richard II and father to Henry IV, he was married thrice, the third time to his long-term mistress and governess to his daughters, Katherine Swynford. John of Gaunt was basically Sir Gawain except actually real. When I was in the Tower of London and saw the armour that is supposedly his, even though Alison Weir explained that it could not have been, I was incredibly excited. I am not sure if it is strange to have a crush on someone who died approximately six hundred years before you were born but yes, speaking candidly - I have a little bit of a thing for John of Gaunt.
For my full review:
http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspo...
I am a self-confessed geek over history. I am not even particularly selective concerning the period, I just like the stories. It is always interesting to imagine the lives of these people - would the fact that they lived hundreds of years ago have made them truly different from us? There are certain figures from history though whose stories dance no matter how long they have been in the ground. John of Gaunt is one of these. Despite holding the title of King of Castile, he never truly sat on a throne and yet he was one of the most influential men of his era and a renowned force on the battlefield. His lifestyle arguably caused the Peasants' Revolt, he was the uncle to Richard II and father to Henry IV, he was married thrice, the third time to his long-term mistress and governess to his daughters, Katherine Swynford. John of Gaunt was basically Sir Gawain except actually real. When I was in the Tower of London and saw the armour that is supposedly his, even though Alison Weir explained that it could not have been, I was incredibly excited. I am not sure if it is strange to have a crush on someone who died approximately six hundred years before you were born but yes, speaking candidly - I have a little bit of a thing for John of Gaunt.
For my full review:
http://girlwithherheadinabook.blogspo...
July 20, 2014
Unlike many court dramas, THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS is focused almost wholly on its female protagonist, Katherine Swynford, and the matters of her heart rather than on politics and royal intrigue, an important point of difference from other such books. The story mentions political events only in as much as they have an impact on Katherine's personal life. She is a woman completely lacking in political ambition, and this story is a romantic and domestic drama, nothing more - which does not mean that it is inconsequential.
This book centers firmly on the experiences of women in fourteenth-century England and their vicissitudes in conforming to the whims of men, the consequences of this condition, and the women's powerlessness to change their situation or act with any sort of autonomy. Early in the story comes a brief interlude in which Katherine receives romantic advice from a pilgrim who seems modeled quite blatantly on the Wife of Bath from Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES (made doubly ironic by the fact that Katherine's sister, Philippa, is married to Geoffrey Chaucer). It is an amusing reminder that mediaeval women were every bit as worldly as are modern women. THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS is thus both implicitly and explicitly a feminist book. When popular opinion turns against Katherine and Duke John's affair, Katherine says that "... fury flooded through me that the cruellest accusations were directed at me. The woman. The daughter of Eve, guilty of seduction as she had been since the beginning of time."
This book is also a very intimate look at the ramifications of royal blood for the human beings in whose veins it flows. With great privilege comes a great weight of duty, with little space for those everyday human emotions like, for instance, love. When a royal duke must marry for political reasons, is it really wrong for him to take a mistress for love? And when he does, what are the emotional consequences for the women involved? Overall, the book examines these questions closely, compellingly, and effectively, but far from perfectly. Unfortunately, the quality of the story's characterization, exposition, and style is somewhat patchy.
THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS has a surprisingly small cast of characters for a court drama - the only people of any real consequence in the story are Katherine, John, and John's wife, the Duchess Constanza. Even more limiting is the fact that Katherine's is the only point of view given in the book, placing the burden of the entire story on her shoulders alone, which may, in part, account for the book's flaws. Luckily, Katherine is a character easy to sympathize with, but she does, of course, have some irritating traits, too. She quickly demonstrates a wry, self-deprecating, and, in a sense, particularly feminine wit that is quite endearing. There is much emphasis placed on Katherine's piety and morality - we are made to understand in no uncertain terms that she is not a woman prone to scandalous activities. But neither is she without passion and desire, as demonstrated by her assertion that "Constanza would never understand that a woman could be drawn to a man for other reasons than wealth and power. She would never understand that I had rejected every moral teaching of my youth simply because the Duke had wanted me and I had been unable to resist his allure." However, Katherine does a little too much hypocritically pious hand-wringing to allow the reader to identify with her unreservedly, whereas the Duke's air of dormant menace makes him a much more enigmatic and interesting character.
The story begins at a fast pace and the first-person narrative gives it even more immediacy, although the style is just slightly stilted at times. However, the first half of the book has an air of superficiality that makes many scenes feel a little flat. There is something lacking in the professed love between Katherine and John - it is a love that is stated rather than demonstrated and is therefore difficult for the reader to feel truly invested in. The account of John and Katherine's courtship often reaches the fanciful heights of melodrama, although this is sometimes tempered by a lively humor. Thankfully, after the seeming superficiality of the first half of the book, the author seems to hit her stride about halfway through, drawing the reader in with more heartfelt emotions and more dramatic scenes that have real impact. From that point, the reader is more likely to find themselves emotionally invested in the story and its characters. This story contains a twist that instantly heightens emotions and the reader's sympathies, riveting the attention on the sudden burst of action and true conflict - conflict within and conflict without.
I found THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS to be an enjoyable and enlightening read, if inconsistent in quality. However, I must take issue with the publisher (rather than the author) on a few points. Typographical errors are irritatingly common in this book, as is sloppy punctuation and inappropriate word usage, all problems that should have been corrected during the editing process. After the close of the story, I also found the thirty-odd pages of additional material about the book, its author, and her writing process to be maddeningly excessive. The author's note explaining how much factual material she had to work with and how much of the story involved poetic licence is conventional and appropriate for a historical novel, and I can understand and appreciate the questions and suggestions included for use by book clubs. I also enjoy reading a short author biography. However, when this is followed by another four discrete sections on why the author writes, a Q&A about her writing, her writing life, and then a day in her life, I begin to fear I am simply being subjected to an extraordinarily lengthy advertisement of the author's other books - especially as these pages are peppered with website addresses. And finally, a list of the ten best places in which to read THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS ... I found that risible and all but insulting - I really don't need to be told where to read this book, especially when the suggestions include a dentist's waiting room and ruined castles on the other side of the planet from where I live!
This book centers firmly on the experiences of women in fourteenth-century England and their vicissitudes in conforming to the whims of men, the consequences of this condition, and the women's powerlessness to change their situation or act with any sort of autonomy. Early in the story comes a brief interlude in which Katherine receives romantic advice from a pilgrim who seems modeled quite blatantly on the Wife of Bath from Chaucer's CANTERBURY TALES (made doubly ironic by the fact that Katherine's sister, Philippa, is married to Geoffrey Chaucer). It is an amusing reminder that mediaeval women were every bit as worldly as are modern women. THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS is thus both implicitly and explicitly a feminist book. When popular opinion turns against Katherine and Duke John's affair, Katherine says that "... fury flooded through me that the cruellest accusations were directed at me. The woman. The daughter of Eve, guilty of seduction as she had been since the beginning of time."
This book is also a very intimate look at the ramifications of royal blood for the human beings in whose veins it flows. With great privilege comes a great weight of duty, with little space for those everyday human emotions like, for instance, love. When a royal duke must marry for political reasons, is it really wrong for him to take a mistress for love? And when he does, what are the emotional consequences for the women involved? Overall, the book examines these questions closely, compellingly, and effectively, but far from perfectly. Unfortunately, the quality of the story's characterization, exposition, and style is somewhat patchy.
THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS has a surprisingly small cast of characters for a court drama - the only people of any real consequence in the story are Katherine, John, and John's wife, the Duchess Constanza. Even more limiting is the fact that Katherine's is the only point of view given in the book, placing the burden of the entire story on her shoulders alone, which may, in part, account for the book's flaws. Luckily, Katherine is a character easy to sympathize with, but she does, of course, have some irritating traits, too. She quickly demonstrates a wry, self-deprecating, and, in a sense, particularly feminine wit that is quite endearing. There is much emphasis placed on Katherine's piety and morality - we are made to understand in no uncertain terms that she is not a woman prone to scandalous activities. But neither is she without passion and desire, as demonstrated by her assertion that "Constanza would never understand that a woman could be drawn to a man for other reasons than wealth and power. She would never understand that I had rejected every moral teaching of my youth simply because the Duke had wanted me and I had been unable to resist his allure." However, Katherine does a little too much hypocritically pious hand-wringing to allow the reader to identify with her unreservedly, whereas the Duke's air of dormant menace makes him a much more enigmatic and interesting character.
The story begins at a fast pace and the first-person narrative gives it even more immediacy, although the style is just slightly stilted at times. However, the first half of the book has an air of superficiality that makes many scenes feel a little flat. There is something lacking in the professed love between Katherine and John - it is a love that is stated rather than demonstrated and is therefore difficult for the reader to feel truly invested in. The account of John and Katherine's courtship often reaches the fanciful heights of melodrama, although this is sometimes tempered by a lively humor. Thankfully, after the seeming superficiality of the first half of the book, the author seems to hit her stride about halfway through, drawing the reader in with more heartfelt emotions and more dramatic scenes that have real impact. From that point, the reader is more likely to find themselves emotionally invested in the story and its characters. This story contains a twist that instantly heightens emotions and the reader's sympathies, riveting the attention on the sudden burst of action and true conflict - conflict within and conflict without.
I found THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS to be an enjoyable and enlightening read, if inconsistent in quality. However, I must take issue with the publisher (rather than the author) on a few points. Typographical errors are irritatingly common in this book, as is sloppy punctuation and inappropriate word usage, all problems that should have been corrected during the editing process. After the close of the story, I also found the thirty-odd pages of additional material about the book, its author, and her writing process to be maddeningly excessive. The author's note explaining how much factual material she had to work with and how much of the story involved poetic licence is conventional and appropriate for a historical novel, and I can understand and appreciate the questions and suggestions included for use by book clubs. I also enjoy reading a short author biography. However, when this is followed by another four discrete sections on why the author writes, a Q&A about her writing, her writing life, and then a day in her life, I begin to fear I am simply being subjected to an extraordinarily lengthy advertisement of the author's other books - especially as these pages are peppered with website addresses. And finally, a list of the ten best places in which to read THE SCANDALOUS DUCHESS ... I found that risible and all but insulting - I really don't need to be told where to read this book, especially when the suggestions include a dentist's waiting room and ruined castles on the other side of the planet from where I live!
July 7, 2019
Its historical fiction, about a lady we know little about for sure, so there are liberties taken with history. However, I liked it more than Anya Seton’s “Katherine”. There’s a lot of fluff, but you tear through all 500 pages quickly.
August 28, 2016
The book had a beginning that wasn’t too bad, despite 20% of it being too much UST (unresolved sexual tension) between the main characters all along. In the end, though, the story in 1st person started to falter, focusing overmuch on the romance and the inner emotions over a good plot, combined with a so-so writing. I also really failed to feel the characters were Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt as we knew them from history.
If you read Anya Seton's Katherine and loved it, or are interested in the life of Edward III's third son and his mistress-turned-wife, and how their relationship shaped royal English history, then I would encourage you to walk past this novel. You'd be disappointed.
If you read Anya Seton's Katherine and loved it, or are interested in the life of Edward III's third son and his mistress-turned-wife, and how their relationship shaped royal English history, then I would encourage you to walk past this novel. You'd be disappointed.
October 21, 2018
The least enjoyed of Anne O'Brien's books that I have read.
Possibly because I found her Katherine Swynford a boring, pious, at times selft-righteous, cow.
Worth reading if you have nothing else on hand.
Possibly because I found her Katherine Swynford a boring, pious, at times selft-righteous, cow.
Worth reading if you have nothing else on hand.
June 22, 2016
Royal scandals are not confined to the current history of bare-bottomed princes and topless brides; they have been with us since royalty began; and the love affair between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt was the hugest scandal of Plantagenet era. In a world where sin was blamed for every little thing that went wrong, Katherine and John were sitting ducks to be attributed the blame of all the kingdom’s ills. There were a lot of ills too – the Black Death, The Peasants Revolt and the failure to capture Castile to name but a few. There is not a lot of historical evidence on the details of Kathrine’s life, so working within the few historical facts that are known, author Anne O’Brien was able to let her imagination run free against a background of mediaeval politics and bring to life a wonderful love affair in a time when love matches were not the norm and political alliances were a necessity to survival.
Katherine Swynford had been brought up with the royal children under the care of good Queen Philippa; as a result she leads a life of integrity and dignity. She also served as a lady-in-waiting to Blanche – the first Duchess of Lancaster. With this experience behind her she petitions John Plantagenet for a position in his household serving his new Queen as she is now a widow and her stately manor is falling apart around her ears. He agrees, but only on the proviso that she becomes his mistress he assures her that he loves and adores her and will always respect and support her. She succumbs as she has always had feelings for him. Together they defy everyone, they break all the conventional rules, they have four children together, and, despite all the condemnation of their relationship (especially that of his wife) the two stay true to each other until he is in a position to marry him and make their children legitimate.
Anne O’Brien has brought a very believable Katherine to life on the pages, despite the danger she follows her heart and is torn between her love for John and her love for God, a constant battle between her conscience about committing adultery and her desire for John. She is not afraid to love him and neither is she afraid to speak her mind and berate him when needed. She is also incredibly brave and resilient as she is blamed for being a temptress, whore and for the political unrest that is plaguing England so death threats are made. I was enthralled by the story and swept along with the political machinations that were occurring outside of the relationship. For some twenty-five years their relationship continued, although occasionally battered by events and separated a couple of times for the good of England, their love never wavered for each other. The story gives believable reasons as to why a pious and moral, widow, with a strong sense of duty to her children would put her reputation and more importantly her immortal soul at risk to love a man who belonged to another. And, of course, it is through John and Katherine’s descendants that the Tudors become the ruling house of England.
With thanks to Harlequin Australia - Mira for my copy to read and review.
Katherine Swynford had been brought up with the royal children under the care of good Queen Philippa; as a result she leads a life of integrity and dignity. She also served as a lady-in-waiting to Blanche – the first Duchess of Lancaster. With this experience behind her she petitions John Plantagenet for a position in his household serving his new Queen as she is now a widow and her stately manor is falling apart around her ears. He agrees, but only on the proviso that she becomes his mistress he assures her that he loves and adores her and will always respect and support her. She succumbs as she has always had feelings for him. Together they defy everyone, they break all the conventional rules, they have four children together, and, despite all the condemnation of their relationship (especially that of his wife) the two stay true to each other until he is in a position to marry him and make their children legitimate.
Anne O’Brien has brought a very believable Katherine to life on the pages, despite the danger she follows her heart and is torn between her love for John and her love for God, a constant battle between her conscience about committing adultery and her desire for John. She is not afraid to love him and neither is she afraid to speak her mind and berate him when needed. She is also incredibly brave and resilient as she is blamed for being a temptress, whore and for the political unrest that is plaguing England so death threats are made. I was enthralled by the story and swept along with the political machinations that were occurring outside of the relationship. For some twenty-five years their relationship continued, although occasionally battered by events and separated a couple of times for the good of England, their love never wavered for each other. The story gives believable reasons as to why a pious and moral, widow, with a strong sense of duty to her children would put her reputation and more importantly her immortal soul at risk to love a man who belonged to another. And, of course, it is through John and Katherine’s descendants that the Tudors become the ruling house of England.
With thanks to Harlequin Australia - Mira for my copy to read and review.
August 30, 2014
First off I would like to recommend that you don't embark upon this novel if you know you're going to spend every second comparing it to Anya Seton's "Katherine". It would be entirely unfair do to this as "Katherine" is one of the most magnificent historical fiction books ever written and it's unlikely to be matched.
That being said, I enjoyed this novel by Anne O'Brien and found favor in how she chose to write her novel based upon the love affair of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. This is a very passionate portrayal of their lives together and is very personal in it's telling. What I mean by this is that this is not a novel that shows their relationship in the grand scheme of things, but rather their relationship IS the focal point of the novel. As Ms. O'Brien writes of their relationship in her author's note "I consider it to be a tale of compulsive desire and need, so much stronger than love" and this is clearly portrayed throughout the novel. Absolutely this is a romance novel BUT it is a romance novel set in the real world, a medieval world full of rigorous protocol and moralistic standards. Therefore the bad comes right along with the good. This is not a light-hearted romance tale, this is a raw and stark account of two people who love each other against all odds and endure a lot in the name of such love. It was an emotional roller-coaster.
As relentless of emotional portrayal this novel was I will say that it could be a heavy-going read at times. I found myself wanting to take a step back from it and wishing there was a wider perspective to be found from another character's point of view. However this was not the nature of this novel, it keeps you centered right in the middle of this fiery relationship and there the reader is stuck throughout. A very interestingly written novel and one I won't forget.
That being said, I enjoyed this novel by Anne O'Brien and found favor in how she chose to write her novel based upon the love affair of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt. This is a very passionate portrayal of their lives together and is very personal in it's telling. What I mean by this is that this is not a novel that shows their relationship in the grand scheme of things, but rather their relationship IS the focal point of the novel. As Ms. O'Brien writes of their relationship in her author's note "I consider it to be a tale of compulsive desire and need, so much stronger than love" and this is clearly portrayed throughout the novel. Absolutely this is a romance novel BUT it is a romance novel set in the real world, a medieval world full of rigorous protocol and moralistic standards. Therefore the bad comes right along with the good. This is not a light-hearted romance tale, this is a raw and stark account of two people who love each other against all odds and endure a lot in the name of such love. It was an emotional roller-coaster.
As relentless of emotional portrayal this novel was I will say that it could be a heavy-going read at times. I found myself wanting to take a step back from it and wishing there was a wider perspective to be found from another character's point of view. However this was not the nature of this novel, it keeps you centered right in the middle of this fiery relationship and there the reader is stuck throughout. A very interestingly written novel and one I won't forget.
February 21, 2014
Thank you to the author/publisher for the advance reading copy.
If you will be a great man’s mistress you must pay the price…
1372, The Savoy. Widow Lady Katherine Swynford presents herself for a role in the household of merciless royal prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, hoping to end her destitution. But the Duke’s scandalous proposition leaves her life of pious integrity reeling…
Right so first of all I should be clear – I’m not great at History, and I do not read many historical novels. This one being based on real people and events, for me it was an absolutely brand new story. Having read the blurb from the author at the back I understand how she has built the story up around the little that is known of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt – and done so beautifully.
I found the whole thing highly intriguing and it made fascinating reading. From the wonderfully drawn background and sense of the time, to the characters and the events surrounding them I was engaged and enthralled throughout. At its heart there is an emotional love story and some truly terrific characters.
It has certainly encouraged me to find out some more of the fact behind the fiction – and also given me a great reason for reading more books like this one. In fact I have just added Devils Consort by the same author to my next batch of purchases so you may hear about that one sometime soon.
Recommended for fans of Historical Fiction based in fact and for anyone who has not read in this genre before and are looking for a good place to start.
Happy Reading Folks!
If you will be a great man’s mistress you must pay the price…
1372, The Savoy. Widow Lady Katherine Swynford presents herself for a role in the household of merciless royal prince John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, hoping to end her destitution. But the Duke’s scandalous proposition leaves her life of pious integrity reeling…
Right so first of all I should be clear – I’m not great at History, and I do not read many historical novels. This one being based on real people and events, for me it was an absolutely brand new story. Having read the blurb from the author at the back I understand how she has built the story up around the little that is known of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt – and done so beautifully.
I found the whole thing highly intriguing and it made fascinating reading. From the wonderfully drawn background and sense of the time, to the characters and the events surrounding them I was engaged and enthralled throughout. At its heart there is an emotional love story and some truly terrific characters.
It has certainly encouraged me to find out some more of the fact behind the fiction – and also given me a great reason for reading more books like this one. In fact I have just added Devils Consort by the same author to my next batch of purchases so you may hear about that one sometime soon.
Recommended for fans of Historical Fiction based in fact and for anyone who has not read in this genre before and are looking for a good place to start.
Happy Reading Folks!
November 15, 2016
3 stars is a little generous.
I have read several by this author now and they are mildly diverting but not outstandingly historical. I do take the point that not a lot is known etc but others have done well on just as little to go on. The outstanding thing that struck me reading this is that all this author's heroines (they are more romances than HF really) are alike; they could almost be the same character - and they are all prone to a bit of hysterically misunderstanding and angry blaming. I hope this is not representative of the author herself! There is also a tendency to 'feistyness' which does pall and is historically ingenuous at best.
The author does still spin a good tale, though; it is always readable though historically annoying. Worth a read if you like a romance with a good dollop of multiple misunderstanding betwixt star-crossed lovers.
I have read several by this author now and they are mildly diverting but not outstandingly historical. I do take the point that not a lot is known etc but others have done well on just as little to go on. The outstanding thing that struck me reading this is that all this author's heroines (they are more romances than HF really) are alike; they could almost be the same character - and they are all prone to a bit of hysterically misunderstanding and angry blaming. I hope this is not representative of the author herself! There is also a tendency to 'feistyness' which does pall and is historically ingenuous at best.
The author does still spin a good tale, though; it is always readable though historically annoying. Worth a read if you like a romance with a good dollop of multiple misunderstanding betwixt star-crossed lovers.
April 1, 2021
3, maybe 3.5 stars. A long book that took me quite a while to get through. A fictionalised account of the long love affair of the real historical figures Lady Katherine Swynford with John of Gaunt, the Duke of Lancaster. Their incredible story was previously told in the iconic novel Katherine by Anya Seton, written in the 1950s, a book which I discovered as a teenager, and was probably one of the first historical romances I ever read.
O'Brien does not try to copy Seton's book in any way - she simply retells the story herself in her own way, which was a good move on her part. Her writing was a little slow-moving for me, however, and the book felt too long. There were sections that felt dragged out, then other sections that had sudden, abrupt jumps forward in time. The fascination of the subject material kept me reading, and I admit that O'Brien did convince about the strength of the love between the couple.
I was a bit disappointed to find that it was pretty much a closed-door romance though, with no explicit scenes beyond a bit of kissing or very mild touching. I personally would have liked some sex scenes. For me this would have added to the reality of their story. They were probably both very beautiful people, and their illicit romance defied the mores of their time. The fact that both were apparently strongly committed to their Christian faith probably points to the strength of their love. It may have begun in weakness and temptation, but the number of years it lasted, and their eventual marriage, tells us it became a very genuine love that persisted in the face of opposition and shaming.
I love that John and Katherine's descendants became ancestors of the Stuart and Tudor royal houses of Scotland and England. John was a younger son of the king but never became a king himself, however his descendants did. This is part of the fascination of the story.
So for me this book was a reasonably good but not outstanding read. Fabulous source material and characters, but the execution of the book lacked some oomph for me, and it was all a little bit flat. I won't be rereading this one, or seeking out other books by this author. Anya Seton's book however has stuck in my mind for years.
O'Brien does not try to copy Seton's book in any way - she simply retells the story herself in her own way, which was a good move on her part. Her writing was a little slow-moving for me, however, and the book felt too long. There were sections that felt dragged out, then other sections that had sudden, abrupt jumps forward in time. The fascination of the subject material kept me reading, and I admit that O'Brien did convince about the strength of the love between the couple.
I was a bit disappointed to find that it was pretty much a closed-door romance though, with no explicit scenes beyond a bit of kissing or very mild touching. I personally would have liked some sex scenes. For me this would have added to the reality of their story. They were probably both very beautiful people, and their illicit romance defied the mores of their time. The fact that both were apparently strongly committed to their Christian faith probably points to the strength of their love. It may have begun in weakness and temptation, but the number of years it lasted, and their eventual marriage, tells us it became a very genuine love that persisted in the face of opposition and shaming.
I love that John and Katherine's descendants became ancestors of the Stuart and Tudor royal houses of Scotland and England. John was a younger son of the king but never became a king himself, however his descendants did. This is part of the fascination of the story.
So for me this book was a reasonably good but not outstanding read. Fabulous source material and characters, but the execution of the book lacked some oomph for me, and it was all a little bit flat. I won't be rereading this one, or seeking out other books by this author. Anya Seton's book however has stuck in my mind for years.
May 5, 2016
I haven’t read any other Anne O’Brien books, so I have no basis for comparison against other works. I’m personally not a fan of first-person POV for actual historical people, either, but I gave it a chance because of the subject matter.
Unfortunately, because of the focus is so astonishingly heavy on the addictive love aspect that these two characters share and little else (romance does not have to be constant gush in my humble opinion, and certainly not almost every single scene) it caused Katherine - in my perception of her history, a woman of strength and intellect as well as grace and dignity - to come off bland and uninspired, and actually irritating. Her perpetual worry is how much she loves John but he might not feel the same, even when he tells her, and she lets us know constantly. Even after a 25+ year relationship, when, after all the things they'd experienced and lived through, she's worrying about whether he actually loves her. I was left wondering that if she was that distracted for so much of her life how she ever got anything done, including learn enough about anything to become a governess to ducal children (which is stressed as the *huge* role it was). I’m positive if she was that shallow and extraordinarily irresolute the Duke of Lancaster wouldn’t have left her such a glowing epitaph or let her so near his children to educate them! But this version of Gaunt, too, leaves much to be desired.
I think the story misses out on all that strength and wilfulness I believe Katherine had in bounds (especially in widowhood), which was still completely possible to possess even with the grace and dignity expected of someone brought up in Queen Philippa’s household. Women could be powerhouses, and have senses of humour, whilst still maintaining their emotions. I don't think a romance story should need to eject that to be romantic. Unfortunately, for me, this version of Katherine Swynford misses out on everything that made her whole, and I find it difficult to like heroines who have nothing much else to offer but selfish devotion.
Unfortunately, because of the focus is so astonishingly heavy on the addictive love aspect that these two characters share and little else (romance does not have to be constant gush in my humble opinion, and certainly not almost every single scene) it caused Katherine - in my perception of her history, a woman of strength and intellect as well as grace and dignity - to come off bland and uninspired, and actually irritating. Her perpetual worry is how much she loves John but he might not feel the same, even when he tells her, and she lets us know constantly. Even after a 25+ year relationship, when, after all the things they'd experienced and lived through, she's worrying about whether he actually loves her. I was left wondering that if she was that distracted for so much of her life how she ever got anything done, including learn enough about anything to become a governess to ducal children (which is stressed as the *huge* role it was). I’m positive if she was that shallow and extraordinarily irresolute the Duke of Lancaster wouldn’t have left her such a glowing epitaph or let her so near his children to educate them! But this version of Gaunt, too, leaves much to be desired.
I think the story misses out on all that strength and wilfulness I believe Katherine had in bounds (especially in widowhood), which was still completely possible to possess even with the grace and dignity expected of someone brought up in Queen Philippa’s household. Women could be powerhouses, and have senses of humour, whilst still maintaining their emotions. I don't think a romance story should need to eject that to be romantic. Unfortunately, for me, this version of Katherine Swynford misses out on everything that made her whole, and I find it difficult to like heroines who have nothing much else to offer but selfish devotion.
March 6, 2014
Firstly I’d like to thank ED PR for sending me this book to read and give an honest review. I previously read and very much enjoyed The Forbidden Queen (review on my blog) by the same author so I was really keen to get started on this one!
The prologue introduced me to Katherine and the unfortunate situation she found herself in. Katherine seemed like a strong, interesting woman and I was immediately drawn in by her. When the Duke’s proposition came along a short while later I found that it wasn’t as harsh as I had expected and, even though I felt he was rather quick off the mark, I actually quite liked him. Katherine’s reaction to the proposition was interesting and once again not as I had expected – as I read further and learned the strength of her feelings I began to understand her reaction better.
The Duke’s seduction of Katherine was wonderful to read, this part created a dangerous sort of excitement that radiated from the book. I felt nervous for Katherine when rumours began to circulate and I was surprised by this – being a married woman myself, I thought I would feel a strong dislike towards the ‘scandalous Duchess’ simply because of her involvement with a married man but somehow it wasn’t like that at all. She wasn’t as brazen as I thought she would be and I found myself respecting her attempts to put distance between herself and the Duke.
The whole story captivated me, I was taken along on a historical ride that had me glued to the pages and eventually I was brought to tears by an emotional epilogue. It was beautifully written once again, the author has the wonderful ability of making history come to life. I have to admit that history has never been one of my favourite subjects but with Anne’s books I find myself utterly immersed in the subject – the characters, the setting, the old-fashioned customs, and especially the romance, all combined to give me a fascinating glimpse into the past!
This was another fabulous, romantic read by Anne O’Brien.
The prologue introduced me to Katherine and the unfortunate situation she found herself in. Katherine seemed like a strong, interesting woman and I was immediately drawn in by her. When the Duke’s proposition came along a short while later I found that it wasn’t as harsh as I had expected and, even though I felt he was rather quick off the mark, I actually quite liked him. Katherine’s reaction to the proposition was interesting and once again not as I had expected – as I read further and learned the strength of her feelings I began to understand her reaction better.
The Duke’s seduction of Katherine was wonderful to read, this part created a dangerous sort of excitement that radiated from the book. I felt nervous for Katherine when rumours began to circulate and I was surprised by this – being a married woman myself, I thought I would feel a strong dislike towards the ‘scandalous Duchess’ simply because of her involvement with a married man but somehow it wasn’t like that at all. She wasn’t as brazen as I thought she would be and I found myself respecting her attempts to put distance between herself and the Duke.
The whole story captivated me, I was taken along on a historical ride that had me glued to the pages and eventually I was brought to tears by an emotional epilogue. It was beautifully written once again, the author has the wonderful ability of making history come to life. I have to admit that history has never been one of my favourite subjects but with Anne’s books I find myself utterly immersed in the subject – the characters, the setting, the old-fashioned customs, and especially the romance, all combined to give me a fascinating glimpse into the past!
This was another fabulous, romantic read by Anne O’Brien.
June 19, 2018
I've always been fond of John of Gaunt and Katherine, thus I expected to like this more. This was more Inline with romance more so than historical fiction. This book is from Katherine's pov. The author did a great job portraying the love between these two. I felt butterflies in my stomach on more than one occasion. When John and Katherine separated, it was like a gut punch, I was just as despondent as they were. Political drama & intrigue were light so it wasn't as exciting as say The Kings Concubine. Also the narrator had an annoying habit of over doing Katherine's voice which made her sound breathless and whiny all at once. All in all, it was a decent read, just dull at times--it could have definitely been shorter.
Story: 3.5
Narration: 2
Story: 3.5
Narration: 2
March 13, 2015
I remember walking out of the theater the night I went to see Keira Knightley's version of Pride and Prejudice and thinking, "That is just a good story". No matter how many times it's been told, there is just something satisfying in the telling of it.
As far as I'm concerned, the same goes for the true story of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. However, Anya Seton's novel Katherine is considered such a classic, I think it's scared away some other historical fiction authors who might have been attracted to this tale.
I'm glad Anne O'Brien took up the challenge. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that it was just nice to spend time with this couple again.
This was very much a historical romance. It is told from Katherine's perspective and focuses almost exclusively on John and Katherine's relationship. A lot of ink is spent on their passionate fights and passionate reunions at the expense of secondary character development and any but the most cursory examinations of 14th Century politics or socioeconomic realities. For example, there was a lot of hand-wringing about how their affair went against God, but I never got a sense of how powerful a force the church was on daily life in the middle ages. And their children wandered in and out of the story as the plot demanded. These flaws could have been quite annoying, but I found myself liking this couple despite them.
These were characters with a sense of humor. It was exciting to see both of them realize (perhaps at separate times) that this was an affair based on more than just lust. And, I admit by the time I got to Katherine's final conversation with John, I was in tears.
This may not be the definitive take on this story, but it's one well worth a look. It's too bad that it hasn't been published yet in the U.S. and is somewhat hard to come by on this side of the pond.
As far as I'm concerned, the same goes for the true story of John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford. However, Anya Seton's novel Katherine is considered such a classic, I think it's scared away some other historical fiction authors who might have been attracted to this tale.
I'm glad Anne O'Brien took up the challenge. I have to agree with a previous reviewer that it was just nice to spend time with this couple again.
This was very much a historical romance. It is told from Katherine's perspective and focuses almost exclusively on John and Katherine's relationship. A lot of ink is spent on their passionate fights and passionate reunions at the expense of secondary character development and any but the most cursory examinations of 14th Century politics or socioeconomic realities. For example, there was a lot of hand-wringing about how their affair went against God, but I never got a sense of how powerful a force the church was on daily life in the middle ages. And their children wandered in and out of the story as the plot demanded. These flaws could have been quite annoying, but I found myself liking this couple despite them.
These were characters with a sense of humor. It was exciting to see both of them realize (perhaps at separate times) that this was an affair based on more than just lust. And, I admit by the time I got to Katherine's final conversation with John, I was in tears.
This may not be the definitive take on this story, but it's one well worth a look. It's too bad that it hasn't been published yet in the U.S. and is somewhat hard to come by on this side of the pond.
January 18, 2014
I have to admit that I do enjoy Anne O'Brien as a writer of historical fiction. Maybe it's not great literature, but it's still an enjoyable ready and she actually makes a first person narrative come off, whereas with some other authors it sounds unnatural or is handled clumsily.
O'Brien's latest offering gives us the tale of Katherine de Swynford (nee de Roet), famous (or perhaps infamous!) as the mistress and later wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (and if you didn't know that he marries her, I think the title might give it away, so I don't think it's a spoiler!). There actually isn't all that much known about Katherine herself, which may seem surprising. I'm sure there may be other novels about her, but by far the best known is Anya Seton's 'Katherine' which might well give another author pause when looking to cover the same ground. The fact that so little is really known about her life does give an author a fair bit of freedom. It must be fairly obvious that there is a love story in there - she was his mistress for many years and then he chose to marry her, which I doubt anyone would have expected.
The novel's subtitle give it as 'the forbidden affair that started the Tudors' - who of course were descended from the legitimated Beaufort line.... but then again Joan was also the maternal grandmother of Edward IV and Richard III! The benefit of hindsight can show us clearly how a seemingly small decision, such as Katherine's decision to acquiesce in becoming John of Gaunt's mistress, can have such a huge impact - namely being a large factor in the Wars of the Roses!
I found this a well written and entertaining novel and I do enjoy my historical fiction! If you've read O'Brien before, I think you'll like this and if not I would recommend giving her a try. I find her writing far superior to the much touted Philippa Gregory.
O'Brien's latest offering gives us the tale of Katherine de Swynford (nee de Roet), famous (or perhaps infamous!) as the mistress and later wife of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster (and if you didn't know that he marries her, I think the title might give it away, so I don't think it's a spoiler!). There actually isn't all that much known about Katherine herself, which may seem surprising. I'm sure there may be other novels about her, but by far the best known is Anya Seton's 'Katherine' which might well give another author pause when looking to cover the same ground. The fact that so little is really known about her life does give an author a fair bit of freedom. It must be fairly obvious that there is a love story in there - she was his mistress for many years and then he chose to marry her, which I doubt anyone would have expected.
The novel's subtitle give it as 'the forbidden affair that started the Tudors' - who of course were descended from the legitimated Beaufort line.... but then again Joan was also the maternal grandmother of Edward IV and Richard III! The benefit of hindsight can show us clearly how a seemingly small decision, such as Katherine's decision to acquiesce in becoming John of Gaunt's mistress, can have such a huge impact - namely being a large factor in the Wars of the Roses!
I found this a well written and entertaining novel and I do enjoy my historical fiction! If you've read O'Brien before, I think you'll like this and if not I would recommend giving her a try. I find her writing far superior to the much touted Philippa Gregory.
March 24, 2014
I started reading this book with some trepidation as Anya Seton's KATHERINE was the book that started me on a lifelong obsession with historical novels - and I have eventually ended up writing them myself. I didn't like the over glamorous cover design! At first I felt uncertain - the book was very easy to read and romantic - starting straight into the Katherine Swynford/John of Gaunt relationship with very little build up, but the more I continued, the more I found that the remarkable historical events seemed to take over. This story cannot follow the classical romance because we know roughly what happened and a lot of it was not romantic at all. I felt that Anne O Brian conveyed the darker moments on Katherine's life very well and I found myself reading late at night, gripped by the heroines hardships - desperate for things to improve, as I knew they must. All in all I think this novel does add something of value to Katherine's astonishing story and I feel that the more writers who tackle this interesting period the better. When I finished it I went straight back to read the Anya Seton version again and then on to Alison Weir's excellent biography of Katherine Swynford. That can't be a bad reaction! Who is going to write the next version? Judging by the interest that has developed in the Tudor period from the many different versions - this could be the next big thing!
January 19, 2018
Unfortunately I found this book a disappointing read..
The author was focused over much on the inner turmoil -conflicting emotions and pangs of conscience ( which is strange because she made her own bed and was with him for over 25 years) and romance (is not even steamy-there was zero indication she was in love with John until all of a sudden she was head of heels)...over a good plot. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over... (I have no idea why it had to be stretched). Katherine was most irritating...this version of Katherine Swynford misses out on everything that made her whole ...Despite being little documentation about this enigmatic and historically important lady. I suppose it should give the writer 'a wind in the back' but obviously this is not the case with this book. (The same thing is with Joan of Kent). But the other half of the book is a bit better, so it's 3 stars
The author was focused over much on the inner turmoil -conflicting emotions and pangs of conscience ( which is strange because she made her own bed and was with him for over 25 years) and romance (is not even steamy-there was zero indication she was in love with John until all of a sudden she was head of heels)...over a good plot. I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over... (I have no idea why it had to be stretched). Katherine was most irritating...this version of Katherine Swynford misses out on everything that made her whole ...Despite being little documentation about this enigmatic and historically important lady. I suppose it should give the writer 'a wind in the back' but obviously this is not the case with this book. (The same thing is with Joan of Kent). But the other half of the book is a bit better, so it's 3 stars
August 16, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, although it did get off to a slow start. O'Brien's tale of the relationship between John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford is a beautifully written love story, that I found quite refreshing in comparison to many novels from the same genre.
March 4, 2015
Always interesting to read the back story of the Tudors a fascinating family. This author never disappoints.
February 6, 2019
I admit to being somewhat cautious with picking this up. I’m fascinated by the figure of Katherine Swynford and her relationship with John of Gaunt, but I hadn’t exactly loved Anya Seton’s Katherine, the iconic romance novel about the pair. And while I enjoyed Anne O’Brien’s The Shadow Queen, I was bitterly disappointed by the next novel of hers I read, The King's Sister, and many of the faults I’d found in that one were at risk of being repeated in The Scandalous Duchess, given they take place at roughly the same time and focus on the historical figures closely connected to each other.
To my delight, however, I found The Scandalous Duchess to be a fairly decent read. Whatever my reasons for picking up a book, I always hope I’ll like it and, even if The Scandalous Duchess isn’t a perfect match for me, I did at least somewhat enjoy reading it.
Part of the success with The Scandalous Duchess is O’Brien’s decision to focus in on the relationship between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt almost to the exclusion of all else. That does have some drawbacks – it means that primary conflict of the story is the will they/won’t they/they are/but will it last/oh no things are terrible/but can things get better/etc. romantic drama. At times this conflict verges on irritating as it’s repetitive and drawn out – drama for the sake of drama – but it also means that the focus is primarily on Katherine Swynford and her experiences of life, as opposed to court drama as glimpsed by Katherine Swynford.
As a side effect, the world that Katherine inhabits becomes very insular, which does mean that some things are skipped or glossed over. There’s one chapter in which Gaunt’s brother, the Black Prince, dies, shortly followed by their father, King Edward III, before ten-year-old Richard II is coronated and then Katherine’s daughter, Blanche, sickens and dies. With the exception of Blanche’s death, these events are only given a glancing mention. Perhaps that’s unfair criticism – Anne O’Brien can’t include everything in great detail and it is debatable whether these events would have relevant to Katherine – but as we’d already seen Gaunt in tears because of his brother’s ill-health and expressing fears that his father will soon follow his brother to the grave so it feels a bit odd gloss over these fears coming true.
Hilariously, as well, Katherine’s experience of the Great Uprising of 1381 is largely about her hiding in Pontefract and being the sole reason why Constanza, the Duchess of Lancaster (that is, the wife of the man Katherine’s having an affair with) is refused refuge in Pontefract, and her greatest grief is the loss of the Savoy Palace in London. Not one mention is made of the fact that her stepson, Gaunt’s only son and heir, Henry Bolingbroke, was in the Tower of London when the rebels broke into it and was lucky to escape with his life. Or that, within Anne O’Brien’s story universe, his sister and Katherine’s charge, Elizabeth of Lancaster, was there requiring rescue as well.
At another time, the feud between Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray appears to happen before Richard II’s truce with France, his second marriage or his revenge on the Lords of Appellant, only for references to those events to be shoved in later.
I enjoyed O’Brien’s characterisation of Katherine Swynford. Her personality felt mature and well-thought out, there’s a bit of complexity in that while she’s generally a good person, she does act poorly and pettily at times (see: doing nothing when her lover’s wife is refused refuge when she’s the sole reason for it). There’s not much historical evidence to go on, but it did feel this could have been Katherine Swynford. There are elements of John of Gaunt’s character I felt were quite true to life – his arrogance, his assurance that he will get what he wants (which unfortunately comes across quite rape-y when Katherine initially refuses to become his mistress) – and I do love the idea that he was quite terrible at being romantic (“you stir my loins, Katherine de Swynford” (exact quote)and “this quitclaim was issued on Valentine’s Day which means I still love you even though I’ve just rendered any obligations I have to you null and void” (paraphrased)), though perhaps that was inadvertent and I was really meant to be swooning over these things.
I do, however, feel that his character was white-washed. I mean, this is the guy who threatened to drag the Archbishop of Canterbury out of his own cathedral by the hair on his head. Here, the fact that he’s the number one enemy of the rebels in the Great Uprising is simply because he’s been made into the “scapegoat” of the unpopular policies of Richard II’s court and parliament – he hasn’t done anything wrong, honest, he’s really innocent! Similarly, no real mention is made of the fears that Gaunt would usurp the throne, the fact that he was desperately unpopular and efforts were taken by both parliament and the Black Prince to safeguard Richard II’s inheritance and succession to the throne. No, Gaunt is just generally a good guy and his unpopularity is down to him being an innocent scapegoat of unpopular policies. This, ultimately, is a big, steaming pile of bull.
O’Brien’s take on Richard II is still awful and he gets unfairly blamed for Gaunt’s death but at least he’s barely in the book this time yay.
In terms of historical accuracy, I don’t have a lot to say. O’Brien has a lot of room to invent for Katherine, because her world is so insular and what is known about her is so little, and what I tended to notice was relatively small (e.g. Thomas of Woodstock being named Duke of Gloucester in Edward III’s lifetime, when he was only raised to that title by Richard II), or repeats of mistakes I’d previously found in The King’s Sister. If you’re interested in historical accuracy, I’d recommend looking at my review of that book, but here follows a sampler. The Appellant Crisis was not just about removing Robert de Vere and his influence over Richard II but a whole host of issues that likely lead to the brief disposition of Richard and did lead to the forced exile or execution of a number of other individuals close to him. O’Brien repeats the same story about Bolingbroke and his wife Mary de Bohun consummating their marriage too early and their tragically short-lived son, Edward – the “evidence” of this narrative actually refers to Humphrey of Gloucester, the son of Thomas of Woodstock and Eleanor de Bohun, and the name “Edward” was invented by Alison Weir. Ian Mortimer’s The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King, published several years before The Scandalous Duchess, debunked this quite clearly. And, to be honest, if I bought this biography in an actual physical bookshop in Australia for under $30 in 2018, I’m sure Anne O’Brien could have found an affordable copy somewhere in England while she was researching and writing her book, much closer to the original publication date. It’s not as though it’s a vital plot point in her story; Henry and Mary barely appear in The Scandalous Duchess.
Yet, on the whole, I largely enjoyed this novel. It wasn’t perfect for me – I’m not much of a fan of melodramatic romances, and the treatment of Richard II remained a bugbear for me. But I enjoyed the characters and world and plot a lot more than I thought I would, which is always great. 2 stars.
To my delight, however, I found The Scandalous Duchess to be a fairly decent read. Whatever my reasons for picking up a book, I always hope I’ll like it and, even if The Scandalous Duchess isn’t a perfect match for me, I did at least somewhat enjoy reading it.
Part of the success with The Scandalous Duchess is O’Brien’s decision to focus in on the relationship between Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt almost to the exclusion of all else. That does have some drawbacks – it means that primary conflict of the story is the will they/won’t they/they are/but will it last/oh no things are terrible/but can things get better/etc. romantic drama. At times this conflict verges on irritating as it’s repetitive and drawn out – drama for the sake of drama – but it also means that the focus is primarily on Katherine Swynford and her experiences of life, as opposed to court drama as glimpsed by Katherine Swynford.
As a side effect, the world that Katherine inhabits becomes very insular, which does mean that some things are skipped or glossed over. There’s one chapter in which Gaunt’s brother, the Black Prince, dies, shortly followed by their father, King Edward III, before ten-year-old Richard II is coronated and then Katherine’s daughter, Blanche, sickens and dies. With the exception of Blanche’s death, these events are only given a glancing mention. Perhaps that’s unfair criticism – Anne O’Brien can’t include everything in great detail and it is debatable whether these events would have relevant to Katherine – but as we’d already seen Gaunt in tears because of his brother’s ill-health and expressing fears that his father will soon follow his brother to the grave so it feels a bit odd gloss over these fears coming true.
Hilariously, as well, Katherine’s experience of the Great Uprising of 1381 is largely about her hiding in Pontefract and being the sole reason why Constanza, the Duchess of Lancaster (that is, the wife of the man Katherine’s having an affair with) is refused refuge in Pontefract, and her greatest grief is the loss of the Savoy Palace in London. Not one mention is made of the fact that her stepson, Gaunt’s only son and heir, Henry Bolingbroke, was in the Tower of London when the rebels broke into it and was lucky to escape with his life. Or that, within Anne O’Brien’s story universe, his sister and Katherine’s charge, Elizabeth of Lancaster, was there requiring rescue as well.
At another time, the feud between Henry Bolingbroke and Thomas Mowbray appears to happen before Richard II’s truce with France, his second marriage or his revenge on the Lords of Appellant, only for references to those events to be shoved in later.
I enjoyed O’Brien’s characterisation of Katherine Swynford. Her personality felt mature and well-thought out, there’s a bit of complexity in that while she’s generally a good person, she does act poorly and pettily at times (see: doing nothing when her lover’s wife is refused refuge when she’s the sole reason for it). There’s not much historical evidence to go on, but it did feel this could have been Katherine Swynford. There are elements of John of Gaunt’s character I felt were quite true to life – his arrogance, his assurance that he will get what he wants (which unfortunately comes across quite rape-y when Katherine initially refuses to become his mistress) – and I do love the idea that he was quite terrible at being romantic (“you stir my loins, Katherine de Swynford” (exact quote)and “this quitclaim was issued on Valentine’s Day which means I still love you even though I’ve just rendered any obligations I have to you null and void” (paraphrased)), though perhaps that was inadvertent and I was really meant to be swooning over these things.
I do, however, feel that his character was white-washed. I mean, this is the guy who threatened to drag the Archbishop of Canterbury out of his own cathedral by the hair on his head. Here, the fact that he’s the number one enemy of the rebels in the Great Uprising is simply because he’s been made into the “scapegoat” of the unpopular policies of Richard II’s court and parliament – he hasn’t done anything wrong, honest, he’s really innocent! Similarly, no real mention is made of the fears that Gaunt would usurp the throne, the fact that he was desperately unpopular and efforts were taken by both parliament and the Black Prince to safeguard Richard II’s inheritance and succession to the throne. No, Gaunt is just generally a good guy and his unpopularity is down to him being an innocent scapegoat of unpopular policies. This, ultimately, is a big, steaming pile of bull.
O’Brien’s take on Richard II is still awful and he gets unfairly blamed for Gaunt’s death but at least he’s barely in the book this time yay.
In terms of historical accuracy, I don’t have a lot to say. O’Brien has a lot of room to invent for Katherine, because her world is so insular and what is known about her is so little, and what I tended to notice was relatively small (e.g. Thomas of Woodstock being named Duke of Gloucester in Edward III’s lifetime, when he was only raised to that title by Richard II), or repeats of mistakes I’d previously found in The King’s Sister. If you’re interested in historical accuracy, I’d recommend looking at my review of that book, but here follows a sampler. The Appellant Crisis was not just about removing Robert de Vere and his influence over Richard II but a whole host of issues that likely lead to the brief disposition of Richard and did lead to the forced exile or execution of a number of other individuals close to him. O’Brien repeats the same story about Bolingbroke and his wife Mary de Bohun consummating their marriage too early and their tragically short-lived son, Edward – the “evidence” of this narrative actually refers to Humphrey of Gloucester, the son of Thomas of Woodstock and Eleanor de Bohun, and the name “Edward” was invented by Alison Weir. Ian Mortimer’s The Fears of Henry IV: The Life of England's Self-made King, published several years before The Scandalous Duchess, debunked this quite clearly. And, to be honest, if I bought this biography in an actual physical bookshop in Australia for under $30 in 2018, I’m sure Anne O’Brien could have found an affordable copy somewhere in England while she was researching and writing her book, much closer to the original publication date. It’s not as though it’s a vital plot point in her story; Henry and Mary barely appear in The Scandalous Duchess.
Yet, on the whole, I largely enjoyed this novel. It wasn’t perfect for me – I’m not much of a fan of melodramatic romances, and the treatment of Richard II remained a bugbear for me. But I enjoyed the characters and world and plot a lot more than I thought I would, which is always great. 2 stars.
September 1, 2021
Je vais aller droit au but. Ce livre avait tout pour me plaire, un cadre historique en Angleterre, une romance et aussi un personnage principal qui malgré sa précarité fait tout ce qu’il peut pour s’en sortir et rester fidèle à ses principes.
Or, je ne sais pourquoi, mais dès les premières pages le style ne m’a pas plu. Comme d’habitude, je ne m’arrête pas et je persévère environ pendant 70 pages mais rien n’y fait. Je n’accroche pas à l’intrigue ni aux personnages. Je ne ressens rien, je lis sans réel intérêt pour cette histoire qui de par son côté historique avec des faits véridiques aurait dû me ravir. Cependant, rien n’est arrivé. Je suis resté indifférente à tout.
Malheureusement pour moi c’est un abandon pur et simple. De base, je persévère plus que ça car souvent, certains éléments me donnent tout de même envie de continuer. Pourtant ici, rien de tout cela. Je ne sais si cela vient de moi, mais j’ai eu une impression de fouillis au fil de ma courte lecture. Le personnage de Katherine ne m’inspire rien, j’ai essayé de m’attacher à cette jeune veuve, rien n’y a fait.
Pour conclure, cette histoire n’est pas faite pour moi, elle n’a pas su capturer mon attention, ce que je déplore car je n’aime pas abandonner une lecture, mais cette fois-ci, je n’ai pas eu envie de forcer.
https://la-bibliotheque-du-labyrinthe...
Or, je ne sais pourquoi, mais dès les premières pages le style ne m’a pas plu. Comme d’habitude, je ne m’arrête pas et je persévère environ pendant 70 pages mais rien n’y fait. Je n’accroche pas à l’intrigue ni aux personnages. Je ne ressens rien, je lis sans réel intérêt pour cette histoire qui de par son côté historique avec des faits véridiques aurait dû me ravir. Cependant, rien n’est arrivé. Je suis resté indifférente à tout.
Malheureusement pour moi c’est un abandon pur et simple. De base, je persévère plus que ça car souvent, certains éléments me donnent tout de même envie de continuer. Pourtant ici, rien de tout cela. Je ne sais si cela vient de moi, mais j’ai eu une impression de fouillis au fil de ma courte lecture. Le personnage de Katherine ne m’inspire rien, j’ai essayé de m’attacher à cette jeune veuve, rien n’y a fait.
Pour conclure, cette histoire n’est pas faite pour moi, elle n’a pas su capturer mon attention, ce que je déplore car je n’aime pas abandonner une lecture, mais cette fois-ci, je n’ai pas eu envie de forcer.
https://la-bibliotheque-du-labyrinthe...
June 29, 2024
Katherine Swynford has just lost her husband on the battlefield of Aquitaine and asks John Of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster, if she can be reinstated in his household. John has just remarried to Constanza of Castile, a pure political alliance as he wants to claim the Spanish throne in his wife’s name. Upon their meeting John asks Katherine to share his bed with him. But does Katherine want to become mistress of one of England’s most powerful men and risk everything in doing that?
Katherine Swynford has become notorious as the mistress of John Of Gaunt. She was the mother of his four Beaufort children and her descendants would eventually ascend the throne as the Tudors. But to be honest, I didn’t know much about her and this novel proved a great opportunity to get to know Katherine better.
I didn’t know that Swynford was not her maiden name (it’s De Poet), but that is was the name of her first husband Hugh Swynford. Nor did I know that John’s marriage to Constanza did survive so long (more than 20 years). Or that Catherine had been dealt with so harshly during the Peasant’s Revolt. So I only knew the general outline of her life and it was nice to get to know her better in The scandalous duchess.
Katherine herself is portrayed as a serious, religious and loyal woman. Not exactly what you expect from a mistress. John is an ambitious and powerful duke who wants the best for his country, yet also power-hungry and chivalrous as he will do anything for the woman he loves. Their relationship is a true love match and I believe it must have been so. The most powerful man in England – after the death of his father and brother, John is one of the chief advisors of King Richard II – would never choose a ‘nobody’ as his third wife.
But because the book focuses so much on Katherine and her feelings, it’s sometimes far removed from the action. Katherine is very often just waiting for John and being informed by others of certain events. This makes the story a bit slow at times. Normally, the main characters in ‘O Brien’s books take a bit more part in the political action (Constance Of York or Joan Of Kent for example).
So it’s not my favourite O’ Brien novel, but I did enjoy reading it.
Dutch review:
Katherine Swynford heeft net haar man verloren op het slagveld van Aquitanië en vraagt aan de hertog Van Lancaster - John Of Gaunt - of ze opnieuw een plek kan krijgen in zijn huishouden. John is net hertrouwd met Constanza van Castilië en wil in naam van zijn vrouw de Spaanse troon bemachtigen. Het is dus een puur politieke alliantie. John vraagt Katherine daarom om met hem zijn bed te delen. Maar wil Katherine wel minnares worden van één van de machtigste mannen van Engeland en daarbij haar reputatie op het spel zetten?
Katherine Swynford is berucht als minnares van John Of Gaunt (Jan Van Gent). Zij werd moeder van zijn vier Beaufort kinderen en haar nakomelingen zouden uiteindelijk als de Tudor dynastie de troon bestijgen. Maar eigenlijk wist ik niet zo veel over haar en dus was het fijn om dit dikke boek over haar leven te lezen. Van aan de dood van haar eerste man tot aan de dood van haar tweede man en grote liefde.
Ik wist niet dat Swynford niet haar meisjesnaam was, maar wel de naam van haar man Hugh Swynford. Ik wist ook niet dat het huwelijk met Constanza zo lang heeft geduurd. Of dat Catherine tijdens de Peasant's Revolt zo hard was aangepakt. Ik kende dus alleen de grote lijnen uit haar leven en het was fijn om haar in The scandalous duchess beter te leren kennen.
Katherine zelf wordt neergezet als een serieuze, gelovige en trouwe vrouw. Niet echt wat je verwacht van een minnares. John als een gedreven en machtige hertog die het beste wil voor zijn land, toch ook wat honger naar macht heeft en alles doet voor de vrouw van wie hij houdt. Hun relatie is een echte liefdesmatch en ik geloof ook dat dat zo moet geweest zijn. De machtigste man van Engeland, want na de dood van zijn vader en broer begeleidt John koning Richard II, zou nooit zomaar als derde echtgenote een 'nobody' kiezen.
Maar doordat het boek zo focust op Katherine en haar gevoelens staat het soms ver van de actie. Katherine is heel vaak gewoon op John aan het wachten en wordt op de hoogte gesteld van de gebeurtenissen. Ze doet zelf verder niet zo veel. Dat maakt dat het soms wat traag leest. En dat hebben de andere boeken van 'O Brien, waar de vrouwen meer in de actie staan, wel wat minder.
Het is dus niet mijn favoriete werk van haar, maar ik heb het wel graag gelezen.
Katherine Swynford has become notorious as the mistress of John Of Gaunt. She was the mother of his four Beaufort children and her descendants would eventually ascend the throne as the Tudors. But to be honest, I didn’t know much about her and this novel proved a great opportunity to get to know Katherine better.
I didn’t know that Swynford was not her maiden name (it’s De Poet), but that is was the name of her first husband Hugh Swynford. Nor did I know that John’s marriage to Constanza did survive so long (more than 20 years). Or that Catherine had been dealt with so harshly during the Peasant’s Revolt. So I only knew the general outline of her life and it was nice to get to know her better in The scandalous duchess.
Katherine herself is portrayed as a serious, religious and loyal woman. Not exactly what you expect from a mistress. John is an ambitious and powerful duke who wants the best for his country, yet also power-hungry and chivalrous as he will do anything for the woman he loves. Their relationship is a true love match and I believe it must have been so. The most powerful man in England – after the death of his father and brother, John is one of the chief advisors of King Richard II – would never choose a ‘nobody’ as his third wife.
But because the book focuses so much on Katherine and her feelings, it’s sometimes far removed from the action. Katherine is very often just waiting for John and being informed by others of certain events. This makes the story a bit slow at times. Normally, the main characters in ‘O Brien’s books take a bit more part in the political action (Constance Of York or Joan Of Kent for example).
So it’s not my favourite O’ Brien novel, but I did enjoy reading it.
Dutch review:
Katherine Swynford heeft net haar man verloren op het slagveld van Aquitanië en vraagt aan de hertog Van Lancaster - John Of Gaunt - of ze opnieuw een plek kan krijgen in zijn huishouden. John is net hertrouwd met Constanza van Castilië en wil in naam van zijn vrouw de Spaanse troon bemachtigen. Het is dus een puur politieke alliantie. John vraagt Katherine daarom om met hem zijn bed te delen. Maar wil Katherine wel minnares worden van één van de machtigste mannen van Engeland en daarbij haar reputatie op het spel zetten?
Katherine Swynford is berucht als minnares van John Of Gaunt (Jan Van Gent). Zij werd moeder van zijn vier Beaufort kinderen en haar nakomelingen zouden uiteindelijk als de Tudor dynastie de troon bestijgen. Maar eigenlijk wist ik niet zo veel over haar en dus was het fijn om dit dikke boek over haar leven te lezen. Van aan de dood van haar eerste man tot aan de dood van haar tweede man en grote liefde.
Ik wist niet dat Swynford niet haar meisjesnaam was, maar wel de naam van haar man Hugh Swynford. Ik wist ook niet dat het huwelijk met Constanza zo lang heeft geduurd. Of dat Catherine tijdens de Peasant's Revolt zo hard was aangepakt. Ik kende dus alleen de grote lijnen uit haar leven en het was fijn om haar in The scandalous duchess beter te leren kennen.
Katherine zelf wordt neergezet als een serieuze, gelovige en trouwe vrouw. Niet echt wat je verwacht van een minnares. John als een gedreven en machtige hertog die het beste wil voor zijn land, toch ook wat honger naar macht heeft en alles doet voor de vrouw van wie hij houdt. Hun relatie is een echte liefdesmatch en ik geloof ook dat dat zo moet geweest zijn. De machtigste man van Engeland, want na de dood van zijn vader en broer begeleidt John koning Richard II, zou nooit zomaar als derde echtgenote een 'nobody' kiezen.
Maar doordat het boek zo focust op Katherine en haar gevoelens staat het soms ver van de actie. Katherine is heel vaak gewoon op John aan het wachten en wordt op de hoogte gesteld van de gebeurtenissen. Ze doet zelf verder niet zo veel. Dat maakt dat het soms wat traag leest. En dat hebben de andere boeken van 'O Brien, waar de vrouwen meer in de actie staan, wel wat minder.
Het is dus niet mijn favoriete werk van haar, maar ik heb het wel graag gelezen.
July 30, 2018
Very engaging and transportive to that era. Great read.
June 17, 2014
This is going to be the most complex review that I think I have written. As complex as the scandalous affair between a duke and a young widow..
Okay so, the first 200 pages were the longest and most painful of my life and I very, very nearly gave up on reading it.
"I want you!"
"But it's such a sin!"
"I know... but still...?"
"Well I would, but you know... sins and all that..."
To-ing and fro-ing like a medieval boat travelling to Aquitaine.
Regardless I stuck with it, like a young widow with her twit hero of a Duke.
After these 200 pages however there was a subtle change in the theme of the story, gone was the oppressing idea of sin and the intial trepidation concerning their souls should they become adulterers, and in its place grew a deep love that was really truly touching. This was a very long novel and at times it felt as though there was nothing going on to develop the plot, yet there was such a subtle and well-crafted development that it was without realisation that I watched Kathryn and John evolve from their lust and into fleeting glances that conveyed an entire conversation. These touching and gentle exchanges that spoke more of love and respect that that inital burning desire. By the end of the novel I felt everything that these characters were feeling, just because O'Brien had connected me so closely to their relationship and lives. I hurt when Kathryn received the Quitclaim, and I cried in my car on my lunch break reading the final chapters, reading those final precious minutes between them. Moreso as Kathryn talks to John once he has already gone and her scolding him for putting her back in the widow's weeds that he so hated in the first chapters. A real summation of their lives, a full circle from the birth of their love to death.
I found Kathyn to be quite a weak character despite the fact that O'Brien obviously tries to display her as a strong woman. I wish she had called John up on more of his slights against her, such as his other affairs. If he really loved her more than any other I would sincerely doubt that sleeping with anyone but her would be acceptable to him - would he have allowed her to sleep with another man? - and to give the excuse of "Well, I'm a man, duhhh." really put me off John as a character, undermining his image as an honourable man and as the true love of Kathryn.
As the novel wore on, I grew to feel a begrudging sympathy with Kathryn who seemed destined to love a man who slighted her often.
The book was a bit too long, John wasn't the honourable hero that I would usually love and Kathryn wasn't as strong as I had hoped her to be, but the writing of this novel was so spellbinding and completely engrossing, and my reaction was just so strong. I was emotionally connected to the characters for better and for worse and after crying my way through the last few chapters and spending the remainder of the day thinking about them (and hoping that John was nicer in real life...) I couldn't not give four stars.
Okay so, the first 200 pages were the longest and most painful of my life and I very, very nearly gave up on reading it.
"I want you!"
"But it's such a sin!"
"I know... but still...?"
"Well I would, but you know... sins and all that..."
To-ing and fro-ing like a medieval boat travelling to Aquitaine.
Regardless I stuck with it, like a young widow with her
After these 200 pages however there was a subtle change in the theme of the story, gone was the oppressing idea of sin and the intial trepidation concerning their souls should they become adulterers, and in its place grew a deep love that was really truly touching. This was a very long novel and at times it felt as though there was nothing going on to develop the plot, yet there was such a subtle and well-crafted development that it was without realisation that I watched Kathryn and John evolve from their lust and into fleeting glances that conveyed an entire conversation. These touching and gentle exchanges that spoke more of love and respect that that inital burning desire. By the end of the novel I felt everything that these characters were feeling, just because O'Brien had connected me so closely to their relationship and lives. I hurt when Kathryn received the Quitclaim, and I cried in my car on my lunch break reading the final chapters, reading those final precious minutes between them. Moreso as Kathryn talks to John once he has already gone and her scolding him for putting her back in the widow's weeds that he so hated in the first chapters. A real summation of their lives, a full circle from the birth of their love to death.
I found Kathyn to be quite a weak character despite the fact that O'Brien obviously tries to display her as a strong woman. I wish she had called John up on more of his slights against her, such as his other affairs. If he really loved her more than any other I would sincerely doubt that sleeping with anyone but her would be acceptable to him - would he have allowed her to sleep with another man? - and to give the excuse of "Well, I'm a man, duhhh." really put me off John as a character, undermining his image as an honourable man and as the true love of Kathryn.
As the novel wore on, I grew to feel a begrudging sympathy with Kathryn who seemed destined to love a man who slighted her often.
The book was a bit too long, John wasn't the honourable hero that I would usually love and Kathryn wasn't as strong as I had hoped her to be, but the writing of this novel was so spellbinding and completely engrossing, and my reaction was just so strong. I was emotionally connected to the characters for better and for worse and after crying my way through the last few chapters and spending the remainder of the day thinking about them (and hoping that John was nicer in real life...) I couldn't not give four stars.
February 7, 2017
Even though it may not be fair, it is impossible for me to think about this book without comparing it to Anya Seton's Katherine, which is one of my favourite books ever. That is also the reason why I simply had to read this book when I stumbled upon it in the library - how could I resist reading another take of the captivating love affair between Katherine and John, even though I had reservations from the beginning because I knew it could not be nearly as wonderful as Seton's novel. Without this comparison I might have given The Scandalous Duchess three stars, but because of Katherine I just can't. Then again, the writing really isn't very good, so probably not. The awfully modern "medieval" cover (which is of course not the author's fault) and the typos don't help making a favourable impression either.
While Katherine tells the story of Katherine's life from the age of 16 to old age with vivid descriptions of medieval England, The Scandalous Duchess offers a very narrow point of view. O'Brien tells the story through Katherine's eyes in first person narrative, beginning after she was first widowed and ending when she becomes a widow again. The main focus is far from the politics and "the big picture". This book is all about the love affair and Katherine's inner turmoil: conflicting emotions, love, passion, jealousy, anguish and pangs of conscience. I have no idea why it had to be stretched out to nearly 600 pages - the repetition grew weary after a while.
I know that in truth we know very little about the details of Katherine's life and her relationship with John of Gaunt, but still there is too much in this book that feels simply wrong, and not only because I am subconsciously thinking Seton's version to be the "real" story. My main complaints have to do with family trees and timelines. Even though there is no absolute certainty, Katherine is generally believed to be the youngest of her siblings, yet here Philippa is her little sister. Most sources say that Katherine married Hugh Swynford at the age of 16 or 17, yet here she becomes a mother at 14. I have no idea why O'Brien has made Thomas the youngest Beaufort instead of Joan, for I haven't encountered any other source saying that's the correct order.
The author's note doesn't offer any explanations for the deviations from the generally accepted dates, but instead the "end credits" provides the reader with an agonisingly long description of "a day in the life" of the author and suggestions of places where one should read this book (too late, by the way - maybe you should have started with those, not that any of those were viable options for me anyway).
While Katherine tells the story of Katherine's life from the age of 16 to old age with vivid descriptions of medieval England, The Scandalous Duchess offers a very narrow point of view. O'Brien tells the story through Katherine's eyes in first person narrative, beginning after she was first widowed and ending when she becomes a widow again. The main focus is far from the politics and "the big picture". This book is all about the love affair and Katherine's inner turmoil: conflicting emotions, love, passion, jealousy, anguish and pangs of conscience. I have no idea why it had to be stretched out to nearly 600 pages - the repetition grew weary after a while.
I know that in truth we know very little about the details of Katherine's life and her relationship with John of Gaunt, but still there is too much in this book that feels simply wrong, and not only because I am subconsciously thinking Seton's version to be the "real" story. My main complaints have to do with family trees and timelines. Even though there is no absolute certainty, Katherine is generally believed to be the youngest of her siblings, yet here Philippa is her little sister. Most sources say that Katherine married Hugh Swynford at the age of 16 or 17, yet here she becomes a mother at 14. I have no idea why O'Brien has made Thomas the youngest Beaufort instead of Joan, for I haven't encountered any other source saying that's the correct order.
The author's note doesn't offer any explanations for the deviations from the generally accepted dates, but instead the "end credits" provides the reader with an agonisingly long description of "a day in the life" of the author and suggestions of places where one should read this book (too late, by the way - maybe you should have started with those, not that any of those were viable options for me anyway).
May 6, 2014
One of the greatest love stories, the 25 year affair and eventual marriage of Katherine Swynford and John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, younger son of King Edward III.
The story isn't new to me, I read the classic, Anya Seton's Katherine quite a few years ago and was excited to read Anne O'Brien's take on things. There's little documented of Katherine which offers an author quite a bit of freedom but Anne O'Brien grounds this fictionalised story firmly in historical events; The Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt, The Hundred Years' War.
I was once again surprised that John & Katherine's longstanding, passionate affair didn't elicit more sympathy from me, for John's wife, Constance of Castile. But, no attacks of conscience here. For me, great love definitely won over strategic alliance.
John was one of the most charismatic and influential men of his time ... I'd have had a hard time refusing his mistress offer, even fearing for my reputation and mortal soul. HA
John and Katherine had four 'Beaufort' children together, legitimised after their marriage, and from their descendants came the Royal Houses of York and Tudor ... a very significant couple to dynastic England.
Through political unrest, public scandal, great shame, separation and sorrow, their love stood the test of time.
The story isn't new to me, I read the classic, Anya Seton's Katherine quite a few years ago and was excited to read Anne O'Brien's take on things. There's little documented of Katherine which offers an author quite a bit of freedom but Anne O'Brien grounds this fictionalised story firmly in historical events; The Black Death, the Peasants' Revolt, The Hundred Years' War.
I was once again surprised that John & Katherine's longstanding, passionate affair didn't elicit more sympathy from me, for John's wife, Constance of Castile. But, no attacks of conscience here. For me, great love definitely won over strategic alliance.
John was one of the most charismatic and influential men of his time ... I'd have had a hard time refusing his mistress offer, even fearing for my reputation and mortal soul. HA
John and Katherine had four 'Beaufort' children together, legitimised after their marriage, and from their descendants came the Royal Houses of York and Tudor ... a very significant couple to dynastic England.
Through political unrest, public scandal, great shame, separation and sorrow, their love stood the test of time.
April 7, 2014
An impoverished widow Lady Katherine Swynford seeks employment with the Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt. She had been raised by his mother and served his first wife Blanche as a damsel until her death. She is shocked that instead of being offered a place as damsel to his new wife Constanza or in the ducal nurseries he wants her to be his mistress. This goes against all her beliefs so she flees back to son's estates.
Dire need forces her to risk being compromised by finally accepting a place assisting the new Duchess as she prepares for the birth of her first child. Eventually she gives in to the duke's advances and becomes his secret mistress. Then not long after the birth of the Duke and Duchess' child she flees back to her old home. She has a shameful secret to hide. Eventually their affair is discovered and the Duke is forced to repudiate her during the Peasants' Revolt.
She is forced to retreat to her own property taking their Beaufort children with her. How long will she be forced to stay in exile away from the man she loves?
A great historical drama which sows the seeds for the wars of the roses and the Tudor dynasty.
Dire need forces her to risk being compromised by finally accepting a place assisting the new Duchess as she prepares for the birth of her first child. Eventually she gives in to the duke's advances and becomes his secret mistress. Then not long after the birth of the Duke and Duchess' child she flees back to her old home. She has a shameful secret to hide. Eventually their affair is discovered and the Duke is forced to repudiate her during the Peasants' Revolt.
She is forced to retreat to her own property taking their Beaufort children with her. How long will she be forced to stay in exile away from the man she loves?
A great historical drama which sows the seeds for the wars of the roses and the Tudor dynasty.
February 2, 2014
I think any author writing a novel about Katherine Swynford has a hard row to hoe. The quintessential historical novel about this enigmatic and historically important lady has to be Anya Seton’s ‘Katherine’ and for many readers any other novels about her are going to be measured against this classic and found wanting. Unfortunately this new novel featuring Katherine falls into this category.
If you haven’t read ‘Katherine’ then you will probably enjoy this romanticised version of what is actually a marvellous love story. John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford overcame many years of separation to achieve what seems to have been a happy marriage and this shines through the book. I found some of the dialogue clunky and unbelievable and found myself skimming some of it. Unfortunately I found this book a disappointing read.
If you haven’t read ‘Katherine’ then you will probably enjoy this romanticised version of what is actually a marvellous love story. John of Gaunt and Katherine Swynford overcame many years of separation to achieve what seems to have been a happy marriage and this shines through the book. I found some of the dialogue clunky and unbelievable and found myself skimming some of it. Unfortunately I found this book a disappointing read.
March 20, 2014
Oh I do love a good medieval romance! And the story of Katherine de Swynford and John of Gaunt is a favourite of mine. Anne O'Brien writes a good story and keeps us entertained throughout the book. I think she covers the history relatively well considering the lack of material available to us. I liked the way she portrayed Lancaster as well as the relationship between him, his wife, his mistress, his children, his king. And I liked the way she portrayed Katherine - the mistress who has always been of interest to me (after all where would the Plantagenet and Tudor lines without her!) I didn't like the way she skipped through "love scenes" - definitely would have liked a bit more detail!! - but it is a Harlequin book LOL!
November 2, 2017
Previously this year I read 'The Life of Katherine Swynford, Duchess of Lancaster', by Alison Weir. EXCELLENT non fiction giving all known facts & documents in existence of the great love match between Katherine & John. Fascinating story. I don't usually read 'this type of book' (The Scandalous Duchess), but was intrigued when I found this book in a charity shop, turned it over and saw it is about Lady Katherine Swynford. Wanting to know more, I paid very little and brought it home to sit and wait on my current pile of books to read. I must say, it illuminates John and Katherine's love story further. Top rate historical fiction, without being explicit and dicey like I feared. ***there are a lot of typos and missing words in here that need serious attention!
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