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Tradescant #1
Earthly Joys
#1 New York Times bestselling author and “queen of royal fiction” (USA TODAY) Philippa Gregory brings to life the passionate, turbulent times of seventeenth-century England as seen through the eyes of the country’s most famous royal gardener.John Tradescant’s fame and skill as a gardener are unsurpassed in seventeenth-century England, but it is his clear-sighted honesty and loyalty that make him an invaluable servant. As an informal confidant of Sir Robert Cecil, adviser to King James I, he witnesses the making of history, from the Gunpowder Plot to the accession of King Charles I and the growing animosity between Parliament and court. Tradescant’s talents soon come to the attention of the most powerful man in the country, the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, the lover of King Charles I. Tradescant has always been faithful to his masters, but Buckingham is unlike any he has ever flamboyant, outrageously charming, and utterly reckless. Every certainty upon which Tradescant has based his life—his love of his wife and children, his passion for his work, his loyalty to his country—is shattered as he follows Buckingham to court, to war, and to the forbidden territories of human love.
528 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 6, 1998
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6358 people want to read
About the author
Philippa Gregory
133 books36.6k followersDR PHILIPPA GREGORY studied history at the University of Sussex and was awarded a PhD by the University of Edinburgh where she is a Regent and was made Alumna of the Year in 2009. She holds an honorary degree from Teesside University, and is a fellow of the Universities of Sussex and Cardiff. Philippa is a member of the Society of Authors and in 2016, was presented with the Outstanding Contribution to Historical Fiction Award by the Historical Writers’ Association. In 2018, she was awarded an Honorary Platinum Award by Neilsen for achieving significant lifetime sales across her entire book output. In 2021, she was awarded a CBE for services to literature and to her charity Gardens for the Gambia. and was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
She welcomes visitors to her site www.PhilippaGregory.com.
Philippa's Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/PhilippaGregoryOfficial
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 546 reviews
October 1, 2013
Phillipa Gregory's books are, to me, a bit like junk food. I know that they aren't good for me, but I somehow can't stop.
They aren't good for me in the sense that being based on real historical characters, and to some extent real events, they seduce you into thinking that they are real history, but of course they are purely fiction. However, I'm aware that her story will get lodged in the strange recesses of my brain, and at some point I'll recall parts of the story as fact.
That said, they are compelling reading, and I always seem to find myself slipping back for an illicit chapter or two when I should be doing something else useful.
Earthly Joys is the story of John Tradescant, gardener extraordinaire and collector of rare and strange plants. We follow his life through the reigns of King James and Charles I, brushing with plague, corruption, the intrigues of court, and the horrors of war. I particularly enjoyed this one as I share some of John's joy in getting things to grow, and the respite to be received by losing oneself in getting your hands dirty.
Great book - thoroughly enjoyed it and was sad when I finished it.
They aren't good for me in the sense that being based on real historical characters, and to some extent real events, they seduce you into thinking that they are real history, but of course they are purely fiction. However, I'm aware that her story will get lodged in the strange recesses of my brain, and at some point I'll recall parts of the story as fact.
That said, they are compelling reading, and I always seem to find myself slipping back for an illicit chapter or two when I should be doing something else useful.
Earthly Joys is the story of John Tradescant, gardener extraordinaire and collector of rare and strange plants. We follow his life through the reigns of King James and Charles I, brushing with plague, corruption, the intrigues of court, and the horrors of war. I particularly enjoyed this one as I share some of John's joy in getting things to grow, and the respite to be received by losing oneself in getting your hands dirty.
Great book - thoroughly enjoyed it and was sad when I finished it.
February 14, 2019
How delightful to be back reading Philippa's smooth and tranquil prose. I have a strong fondness for this authors writing and I take a lot of joy in reading her superb books so she mostly gets a high rating from me.
This book is no exception, we follow the story of John Tradescant and his journey through life and through servitude to his masters. Unbeknownst to me Tradescant was a real person from the 1570's to 1637 and served various royal courtiers/advisers as their gardener. I held off the Wikipedia search until I finished the book so I joyfully went through this novel not knowing that what I was reading was actually close to fact. I have read all the Tudor novels that Philippa has written but my history knowledge is a bit hazy after Elizabeth 1 so I was excited to read this, as to me, this is the best form of learning, and with Philippa's descriptive writing you really get sucked in and understand the sense of what it was like to be in those times.
I will now say that I am no gardener, I have no knowledge of plants or trees. I did initially think that with the main character being a gardener this would bore me, that not even philippa's beautiful writing could enrapture me. How very wrong I was. The description of each plant, scene and garden was so spellbinding I got totally lost within the story. Philippa makes you truly love the nature around you and opened my eyes to the beauty nature beholds.
Now I did enjoy this novel but there were some downers for me. The main character was an absolute fool. The decisions this character made were so frustrating. I hate it when I cannot connect with a main character, and this was difficult in the sense the writing was so wonderful but the character was so exasperating. I was conflicted throughout. I found the pace of this novel to be a lot slower than others, it just took a while for anything to get going. For instance I was looking forward to see how Philippa would integrate the Gunpowder Plot. I was sorely disappointed. This big moment in history was reduced to about a page, and I honestly think she may of missed a trick with that.
Throughout my conflicting journey reading this, I was reduced to tears by the end. Was this because finally I had grown affection to John Tradescant himself or because of how beautifully written this novel was? I will continue on with Virgin Earth and I am looking forward to the beauty of the descriptions, but honestly, I am missing the Tudor Court novels, 4 stars from me this time. :) x
This book is no exception, we follow the story of John Tradescant and his journey through life and through servitude to his masters. Unbeknownst to me Tradescant was a real person from the 1570's to 1637 and served various royal courtiers/advisers as their gardener. I held off the Wikipedia search until I finished the book so I joyfully went through this novel not knowing that what I was reading was actually close to fact. I have read all the Tudor novels that Philippa has written but my history knowledge is a bit hazy after Elizabeth 1 so I was excited to read this, as to me, this is the best form of learning, and with Philippa's descriptive writing you really get sucked in and understand the sense of what it was like to be in those times.
I will now say that I am no gardener, I have no knowledge of plants or trees. I did initially think that with the main character being a gardener this would bore me, that not even philippa's beautiful writing could enrapture me. How very wrong I was. The description of each plant, scene and garden was so spellbinding I got totally lost within the story. Philippa makes you truly love the nature around you and opened my eyes to the beauty nature beholds.
Now I did enjoy this novel but there were some downers for me. The main character was an absolute fool. The decisions this character made were so frustrating. I hate it when I cannot connect with a main character, and this was difficult in the sense the writing was so wonderful but the character was so exasperating. I was conflicted throughout. I found the pace of this novel to be a lot slower than others, it just took a while for anything to get going. For instance I was looking forward to see how Philippa would integrate the Gunpowder Plot. I was sorely disappointed. This big moment in history was reduced to about a page, and I honestly think she may of missed a trick with that.
Throughout my conflicting journey reading this, I was reduced to tears by the end. Was this because finally I had grown affection to John Tradescant himself or because of how beautifully written this novel was? I will continue on with Virgin Earth and I am looking forward to the beauty of the descriptions, but honestly, I am missing the Tudor Court novels, 4 stars from me this time. :) x
February 23, 2021
I will add that a few readers have made negative comments about the relationship between John Tradescant and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham. Really! It is only about four (4) lines worth in the entire book; hardly worth a mention. But if you don't want to read a description about a gay encounter, then don't read a book shelved as GLBT!
I don't think I could review this book any better than this: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am going straight on to Virgin Earth!
I don't think I could review this book any better than this: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am going straight on to Virgin Earth!
November 16, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed this story - the second novel featuring the Duke of Buckingham that I've read within a month! I found Gregory's prose easy to read, her assuredness in her historical detail very gratifying, and her protagonists - all of them - highly sympathetic (but most particularly John Tradescant the elder, the gardener and a man's man in every sense of the word). The battle scenes were sufficiently repulsive without being actually sickening. I've yet to find many novels about gay men (by women) that don't fall into the worst of the hoary old happy-ever-after romance patterns, and this was a refreshing change. I particularly loved the slow, careful development of John's character, as we begin to see how his apparently over-the-top sense of feudal loyalty is underpinned by unacknowledged sexual yearnings that lead inevitably to Buckingham's bed. Nothing really comes of John's passionate attachment to Buckingham (and passionate it is, even though he is profoundly disillusioned by Buckingham's character, and even wishes him dead by the end), except for three nights and a fair deal of heartache. But Gregory does not leave us depressed, giving us instead a second generation for hope and a fair death for our good friend John. Add to that some really interesting detail about botany (and botanical financial speculation!) that was just enough but not too much for this non-botanist. I have found here both a novel and a novelist I think I will return to.
September 2, 2008
Actually detested the book. Slow, very little to like about any of the characters. Quit reading half way through and then skipped extremely quickly to see what happened at the end. Disgusting, vulgar, boring, nothing at all to make it worth your time.
June 11, 2010
I wouldn’t say “if you aren’t into gardening, don’t get this,” but you WILL appreciate it a lot more if you have an inkling of gardening and plants. It’s the story of a very famous – and one of the first “celebrity” gardeners, John Tradescant who was a gardener to many famous people during the reign of three monarchs, Elizabeth I, James I and Charles I.
She paints a very believable picture of John, his family and his life. John is a man who must belong to a master, that’s how his life has always been and that’s how he thinks his life must always be. He starts the book in the employ of Robert Cecil, building the gardens of Hatfield House and he is very close – a confidante and friend – to the great man. After he dies, John moves around from master to master until he is ordered to the new and fabulous estate of George Villiers – first Duke of Buckingham, the most powerful man in the land and favourite of the then King, James I. It is in Villiers’ service that he discovers a lot about the meaning of loyalty and a lot more about himself.
This is a “Romance” in both senses of the word, the author does a wonderful job telling a fair portion of Tradescant the Older’s story, although missing out some portions of it, to my disappointment and amusingly missing out that he actually looked like a pregnant goat, if the portraits of the day were to believed. It was easier NOT to look at what he looked like, because then it was easier to believe that the beautiful George Villiers would want to bed him.
I enjoyed it a lot, however, more – it has to be said – for the fascinating insight into the introduction of plants into England (he brought the first six horse chestnut “conkers” back to England for example, and lost money in Tulipmania) – rather than for the homosexual story. However, the litery license that Gregory takes by assuming an affair with Villiers works perfectly within the character that she has drawn and it’s a vital thread in the book.
Gregory writes convincingly and in a very approachable style although strangely I didn’t get addicted to this book in ways that I have with others. I had no desperation to find out what happened, even when I was in the early parts of the book. In fact it took me well over a month to read, while I read many other books in the interim.
She paints a very believable picture of John, his family and his life. John is a man who must belong to a master, that’s how his life has always been and that’s how he thinks his life must always be. He starts the book in the employ of Robert Cecil, building the gardens of Hatfield House and he is very close – a confidante and friend – to the great man. After he dies, John moves around from master to master until he is ordered to the new and fabulous estate of George Villiers – first Duke of Buckingham, the most powerful man in the land and favourite of the then King, James I. It is in Villiers’ service that he discovers a lot about the meaning of loyalty and a lot more about himself.
This is a “Romance” in both senses of the word, the author does a wonderful job telling a fair portion of Tradescant the Older’s story, although missing out some portions of it, to my disappointment and amusingly missing out that he actually looked like a pregnant goat, if the portraits of the day were to believed. It was easier NOT to look at what he looked like, because then it was easier to believe that the beautiful George Villiers would want to bed him.
I enjoyed it a lot, however, more – it has to be said – for the fascinating insight into the introduction of plants into England (he brought the first six horse chestnut “conkers” back to England for example, and lost money in Tulipmania) – rather than for the homosexual story. However, the litery license that Gregory takes by assuming an affair with Villiers works perfectly within the character that she has drawn and it’s a vital thread in the book.
Gregory writes convincingly and in a very approachable style although strangely I didn’t get addicted to this book in ways that I have with others. I had no desperation to find out what happened, even when I was in the early parts of the book. In fact it took me well over a month to read, while I read many other books in the interim.
July 2, 2008
I liked this book, and learned quite a bit about King James's court, King Charles, and the Duke of Buckingham. Further research told me that the main character of this book was, in fact a real person, and this account was true. I think she took a few more liberties with the writing of this book than some of the others. This was probably because John Tradescent was a Gardener and had a lot less recorded about him than royalty and nobels did. This book discusses homosexual behaviors in the courts of both King James and Charles, and does include some bedroom scenes. I had a harder time relating to the characte because I did not understand the male, dutiful subject, point of view but I think that Gregory did a good job of capturing the changing of attitudes happening between generations on the cusp of a Civil war. I found myself scandlized in parts of the book, still dissapointed when it was over, and eager to read the sequel.
January 13, 2024
I liked the sequel Virgin Earth so much better!
(Reviewed 3/8/08)
(Reviewed 3/8/08)
October 5, 2018
DNF. Not a good book, I'm afraid. Very slow, and the main character behaves in very strange and inexplicable ways. The only good thing here is the garden descriptions, but that's not enough to hold my interest or a whole novel.
November 24, 2013
Philippa Gregory takes a step outside her Tudor / War of the Roses comfort zone in this thoroughly enjoyable book set in early 17th-century England and focusing on the comparatively unfamiliar figure of John Tradescant the Elder. The most celebrated horticulturalist and naturalist of the age, Tradescant served successively as gardener to Sir Robert Cecil and the Duke of Buckingham - a task which takes him across Europe in search of new and exotic specimens for his lords' gardens. Many of the plants he brings back have become mainstays of English gardens - the horse-chestnut, for example. Gregory conveys the thrilling possibilities of an age when any journey might result in discoveries of plants and animals - and an age when an expanding world was also the catalyst for new ideas about duty, kingship and the rights of the people. As Tradescant watches from the outer ring of court hangers-on, he sees the English monarchy losing its place in people's hearts as the throne passes from Elizabeth to James and then to Charles. Times are dangerous and radical ideas even begin to take root in the loyal Tradescant's own family.
I haven't read many of Gregory's books and I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. My main criticism would be that, as ever, she can't resist sexing up history a little bit - and I suspect that poor old Tradescant would turn in his grave if he could see what his fictional self was getting up to. But, if you take this with a small pinch of salt, it offers a glimpse into an aspect of British history that very rarely crops up in novels, and the combination of sprightly writing and loving descriptions of gardens should appeal to lots of green-fingered readers. For myself, I very much enjoyed the chance to learn more about Tradescant - a remarkable man - and I'll be looking out for a proper biography in the hope of filling in some of the gaps (and learning more about his travels, which were much more significant than Gregory gives them credit for, I think). In any case, it's always good to find a novel set in a less familiar period of history, and I'm going to be reading the sequel, Virgin Earth, before too long.
For a full review, please see my blog:
http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/20...
I haven't read many of Gregory's books and I enjoyed this much more than I expected to. My main criticism would be that, as ever, she can't resist sexing up history a little bit - and I suspect that poor old Tradescant would turn in his grave if he could see what his fictional self was getting up to. But, if you take this with a small pinch of salt, it offers a glimpse into an aspect of British history that very rarely crops up in novels, and the combination of sprightly writing and loving descriptions of gardens should appeal to lots of green-fingered readers. For myself, I very much enjoyed the chance to learn more about Tradescant - a remarkable man - and I'll be looking out for a proper biography in the hope of filling in some of the gaps (and learning more about his travels, which were much more significant than Gregory gives them credit for, I think). In any case, it's always good to find a novel set in a less familiar period of history, and I'm going to be reading the sequel, Virgin Earth, before too long.
For a full review, please see my blog:
http://theidlewoman.blogspot.co.uk/20...
September 17, 2013
For the first half of the book I was saying to myself "There is no way a gardener would be so chummy with the nobility he worked for. And he wouldn't be a traveling companion with them." Then I
looked up John Tradescant and discovered that he did go on several
expeditions and military campaigns. I'm still not convinced that his employers would use him as a confidant or seek his advise on anything other than gardening.
He was obviously an intelligent man and a dedicated gardener. On
all his travels he was constantly on the lookout for new plants to take back to England. His gardens were laboratories for new and rare
plants as well as works of art.
I got perturbed with him and his blind loyalty to whoever his lord and master was at the time. He probably didn't have too much choice
in the matter of who he worked for especially when the King asked for
his service, but he seemed quite content to relegate his wife and son to a low priority.
His infatuation with the Duke of Buckingham was especially cloying.
I wonder if the portrayal of their relationship is accurate.
August 19, 2014
This is my favourite Philippa Gregory book since The Queen's Fool. I'm not super familiar with the whole James I/Charles I period, so seeing it all through the lens of John Tradescant, master gardener to the STARS, was fascinating and fun. Loved all the stuff about gardening, loved all the stuff about the CRAZY tulip bulb stock market, loved all the stuff about the shifting attitudes to religion and service, loved the tiny bit of hot gay action - loved it. Can't wait to read the second book about his son.
September 22, 2018
While mysteries and suspense are my favourite genres, I do enjoy historical fiction as well. I've often had patrons at the library recommend Philippa Gregory to me. Earthly Joys is the first book I've read by Gregory.
Earthly Joys opens in 1603 with the death of Queen Elizabeth and the succession of her cousin King James VI of Scotland - the beginning the Stuart reign of England. Earthly Joys is written through the eyes of and life of gardener John Tradescant. It was only on further investigation that I learned that Tradescant is an actual historical figure. He was gardener to the aristocracy , a traveler, a collector and much, much more.
Gregory's research is detailed and her fictionalization of Tradescant's life is fascinating. He is a strong personality, but loyalty, honour and duty drive the decisions in his life. I quite liked him to begin with, but found my opinion often changed as his life progressed. And that was true of many of the characters, including his wife Elizabeth and son John. They are not as mercurial as John the Elder, but I applauded their views, beliefs and hopes for a different society. There are some particularly vile characters - notably the Duke of Buckingham.
Tradescant's love of plants and trees and his skills are so vividly depicted that I felt I could 'see' his garden. Rich detail is woven throughout Gregory's narrative clearly illustrating both time and place.
Now, this isn't a time period I would normally gravitate to, but I chose to listen to Earthly Joys, which made a huge difference. I felt drawn into the story, could make sense of what political machinations were afoot and the characters sprang to life for me.
The reader was David Rintoul and he was absolutely wonderful. He has a powerful voice and uses it well. He captured the character of John the Elder perfectly, using his voice to interpret Gregory's work and bring it life. His tones are rich and sonorous with a lovely gravelly undertone. He uses a softer tone for the female players that works just as well. His voice is pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. He matches his voice to the tenor of the tale.
Earthly Joys covers the whole of John the Elder's life. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Tradescant story continues in a sequel titled Virgin Earth with John the Younger taking the lead role.
Earthly Joys opens in 1603 with the death of Queen Elizabeth and the succession of her cousin King James VI of Scotland - the beginning the Stuart reign of England. Earthly Joys is written through the eyes of and life of gardener John Tradescant. It was only on further investigation that I learned that Tradescant is an actual historical figure. He was gardener to the aristocracy , a traveler, a collector and much, much more.
Gregory's research is detailed and her fictionalization of Tradescant's life is fascinating. He is a strong personality, but loyalty, honour and duty drive the decisions in his life. I quite liked him to begin with, but found my opinion often changed as his life progressed. And that was true of many of the characters, including his wife Elizabeth and son John. They are not as mercurial as John the Elder, but I applauded their views, beliefs and hopes for a different society. There are some particularly vile characters - notably the Duke of Buckingham.
Tradescant's love of plants and trees and his skills are so vividly depicted that I felt I could 'see' his garden. Rich detail is woven throughout Gregory's narrative clearly illustrating both time and place.
Now, this isn't a time period I would normally gravitate to, but I chose to listen to Earthly Joys, which made a huge difference. I felt drawn into the story, could make sense of what political machinations were afoot and the characters sprang to life for me.
The reader was David Rintoul and he was absolutely wonderful. He has a powerful voice and uses it well. He captured the character of John the Elder perfectly, using his voice to interpret Gregory's work and bring it life. His tones are rich and sonorous with a lovely gravelly undertone. He uses a softer tone for the female players that works just as well. His voice is pleasant to listen to and easy to understand. He matches his voice to the tenor of the tale.
Earthly Joys covers the whole of John the Elder's life. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Tradescant story continues in a sequel titled Virgin Earth with John the Younger taking the lead role.
July 29, 2023
I am not the biggest fan of Philippa Gregory. I had read three of her books previous to this and two of them were 2 star reads (and low 2 stars at that) and the other was a DNF. As a result, I was a bit dubious about picking up another of her works. However, the premise of this one intrigued me and I wasn't overly familiar with the main character, John Tradescant, so I decided to give it a go. Whilst I didn't love it by any means, I did enjoy it a lot more than I expected to. I thought Gregory did a good job of bringing the period to life and I enjoyed many of the descriptions, including those of the gardens (John Tradescant is a gardener so plants and gardening techniques play a large role in the story). Tradescant himself is not the easiest character to like, he can be very narrow minded and I found his unquestioning loyalty to his masters frustrating at times. However, much like his plants, he grew on me throughout the story and I found myself rooting for him despite his shortcomings. The first quarter or so of the book was quite slow going and there were numerous occasions where my attention wandered a bit. However, things really picked up once the Duke of Buckingham came onto the scene. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and although it's unlikely . Accurate or not, it made for an interesting plot development.
All in all, a pretty decent book. I would recommend checking it out if you are both a fan and non fan of Philippa Gregory because it is quite different from some of her more famous novels and might just surprise you (in a good way) as it did me.
Reread - July 2023 - Enjoyed it even more the second time around, so have upped my rating to 4 stars.
All in all, a pretty decent book. I would recommend checking it out if you are both a fan and non fan of Philippa Gregory because it is quite different from some of her more famous novels and might just surprise you (in a good way) as it did me.
Reread - July 2023 - Enjoyed it even more the second time around, so have upped my rating to 4 stars.
January 22, 2020
A great disappointment of a read. I usually enjoy Philippa Gregory's books but this was slow, tedious, repetitive and about 200 pages too long. There were too many sub stories vying for the reader's attention and, irritatingly, the same phrases were used again and again throughout. I felt there were at least three earlier occasions on which to finish the book but it was is if the author did not want to do so and so found another sub story to continue it further - to just short of 500 pages. It took me ages to read and I was glad to see the back of it.
August 25, 2016
QUATTRO E 1/2
Recensione sul sito LA FENICE BOOK
La storia è quella di John Tradescant uomo esistito realmente tra il 1570 e il 1638, è stato un naturalista, botanico, collezionista e viaggiatore britannico. John si insinua nella storia e Philippa esperta narratrice di eventi ci racconta la sua vita. Travagliata, sottomessa, bonaria. Lui crede indissolubilmente nel suo lavoro, devoto al suo padrone che è sotto Dio fino allo stremo, fino a un amore malato.
Ancora una volta le pagine scorrono veloci e potenti soprattutto nella prima parte. John Tradescant fu prima giardiniere per Robert Cecil, un uomo buono e bruttino, che amministrava gli averi del regno d'Inghilterra poi quelli di Re Giacomo I che venne nominato non solo Re di Scozia ma anche Re d'Inghilterra dopo la morte della Regina. Cecil istruisce Giacomo al nuovo regno ma non sa ciò che gli aspetta. Il Re di Scozia è diverso, aperto alla libidine, alla lussuria, un uomo sposato che ama gli uomini tra cui il suo preferito George Villiers, Duca di Buckingham, bello come un angelo sceso in terra. Le vicende si susseguono e Cecil, muore poco dopo istruendo John e facendolo crescere sia come giardiniere, sia come personaggio. John viene assunto dal figlio ma la mancanza del suo padrone lo rende irrequieto e decide di andarsene.
Nel 1622 viene chiamato dal Duca di Buckingham per rifare due giardini e qui la sua vita viene stravolta, Gorge è cresciuto dal niente e John gli è devoto ancor più che con il primo padrone.
Un ruolo fondamentale l'ha avuto la moglie Elizabeth, forte decisa ma anche remissiva; una donna pia alla preghiera che molte volte mi è sembrata stucchevole e deleteria. John era un instancabile viaggiatore e forse fin troppe volte la lasciava sola a compatire le sue pene ma non era manesco, non le imponeva le cose e le lasciava esprimere le sue idee. Sappiamo quanto queste doti erano importanti in quel periodo buio, quando le donne venivano trattate alla stregua degli animali e non potevano avere una considerazione propria e la libertà. Elizabeth la moglie di John Tradescant fa crescere il suo unico figlio secondo le sue idee e lo porta a studiare e esprimere ideali liberali in contrapposizione con il padre fin troppo sottomesso al suo padrone quasi come un cane che attende l'osso, un uomo soggiogato nella seconda parte del romanzo da un uomo.
Ci sono molti aspetti che si denotano nel romanzo, aspetti che ritroviamo oggi e con decisione possiamo affermare che come allora, anche oggi vi sono queste difficoltà. Il Re poteva tutto terre, ricchezze, vite ...ed essere omosessuale non fermava di certo le sue campagne o il suo potere. Qualcosa di celato si nascondeva nelle corti, forse anche più di oggi e veniva sfoggiato almeno in quel periodo liberamente proprio come viene narrato da Philippa in questo romanzo, baci saffici e bevute erano normali e concesse. Il Re era al di sopra di ogni cosa.
La storia è scorrevole, nella prima parte interessante sotto molteplici punti, la descrizione delle piante, l'amore quasi viscerale che John ha per esse, l'incarnazione che le piante hanno nel suo inconscio e la personalità per ogni giardino a seconda della persona che vi vive. John cerca di scoprire nuove vite viaggiando per il mondo e carpire la linfa vitale che scorre dentro. La seconda parte del romanzo l'ho trovata molto lenta, John si perde e va a sfiorare quasi la paranoia allontanandosi dalle piante e dal suo giardino e avvicinandosi a un amore terreno, l'amore per il suo padrone che diventa quasi viscerale, fobico e osceno. Sinceramente mi sarei aspettata qualcosa di diverso e più potente che la voglia di provare nuove fonti di piacere, anche se capisco bene la vita che dovevano condurre allora gli uomini, sporchi, soli e affamati.
Naturalmente nulla di tutto ciò che può essere effimero va a sminuire la storia, anzi la stessa va contemplata ancora di più, nella sua vena romanzata la scrittrice riesce sempre a riportarci alla bellezza dei particolari, diventa semplice e scivola via riportandoci in quel mondo fatto di angherie e prepotenza, povertà e benessere, potere e persuasione.
John è un uomo onesto ma come gli ha insegnato Cecil, suo grande maestro, amico e compagno deve pur sacrificare qualcosa per far crescere la propria vita e così si rende conto della sua instabilità, della sua perdita di fede e cerca di redimere ai suo sbagli.
Le descrizioni accurate, la sfrontatezza della storia e la bellezza della realtà rende questo romanzo, come tutti quelli che ha scritto Philippa, bello e insostituibile. Le sue parole divengono petali di un fiore prezioso che cresce e si dirama, come la vita, come la gioia, come il dolore.
Un romanzo storico forte e potente.
Recensione sul sito LA FENICE BOOK
La storia è quella di John Tradescant uomo esistito realmente tra il 1570 e il 1638, è stato un naturalista, botanico, collezionista e viaggiatore britannico. John si insinua nella storia e Philippa esperta narratrice di eventi ci racconta la sua vita. Travagliata, sottomessa, bonaria. Lui crede indissolubilmente nel suo lavoro, devoto al suo padrone che è sotto Dio fino allo stremo, fino a un amore malato.
Ancora una volta le pagine scorrono veloci e potenti soprattutto nella prima parte. John Tradescant fu prima giardiniere per Robert Cecil, un uomo buono e bruttino, che amministrava gli averi del regno d'Inghilterra poi quelli di Re Giacomo I che venne nominato non solo Re di Scozia ma anche Re d'Inghilterra dopo la morte della Regina. Cecil istruisce Giacomo al nuovo regno ma non sa ciò che gli aspetta. Il Re di Scozia è diverso, aperto alla libidine, alla lussuria, un uomo sposato che ama gli uomini tra cui il suo preferito George Villiers, Duca di Buckingham, bello come un angelo sceso in terra. Le vicende si susseguono e Cecil, muore poco dopo istruendo John e facendolo crescere sia come giardiniere, sia come personaggio. John viene assunto dal figlio ma la mancanza del suo padrone lo rende irrequieto e decide di andarsene.
Nel 1622 viene chiamato dal Duca di Buckingham per rifare due giardini e qui la sua vita viene stravolta, Gorge è cresciuto dal niente e John gli è devoto ancor più che con il primo padrone.
Un ruolo fondamentale l'ha avuto la moglie Elizabeth, forte decisa ma anche remissiva; una donna pia alla preghiera che molte volte mi è sembrata stucchevole e deleteria. John era un instancabile viaggiatore e forse fin troppe volte la lasciava sola a compatire le sue pene ma non era manesco, non le imponeva le cose e le lasciava esprimere le sue idee. Sappiamo quanto queste doti erano importanti in quel periodo buio, quando le donne venivano trattate alla stregua degli animali e non potevano avere una considerazione propria e la libertà. Elizabeth la moglie di John Tradescant fa crescere il suo unico figlio secondo le sue idee e lo porta a studiare e esprimere ideali liberali in contrapposizione con il padre fin troppo sottomesso al suo padrone quasi come un cane che attende l'osso, un uomo soggiogato nella seconda parte del romanzo da un uomo.
Ci sono molti aspetti che si denotano nel romanzo, aspetti che ritroviamo oggi e con decisione possiamo affermare che come allora, anche oggi vi sono queste difficoltà. Il Re poteva tutto terre, ricchezze, vite ...ed essere omosessuale non fermava di certo le sue campagne o il suo potere. Qualcosa di celato si nascondeva nelle corti, forse anche più di oggi e veniva sfoggiato almeno in quel periodo liberamente proprio come viene narrato da Philippa in questo romanzo, baci saffici e bevute erano normali e concesse. Il Re era al di sopra di ogni cosa.
La storia è scorrevole, nella prima parte interessante sotto molteplici punti, la descrizione delle piante, l'amore quasi viscerale che John ha per esse, l'incarnazione che le piante hanno nel suo inconscio e la personalità per ogni giardino a seconda della persona che vi vive. John cerca di scoprire nuove vite viaggiando per il mondo e carpire la linfa vitale che scorre dentro. La seconda parte del romanzo l'ho trovata molto lenta, John si perde e va a sfiorare quasi la paranoia allontanandosi dalle piante e dal suo giardino e avvicinandosi a un amore terreno, l'amore per il suo padrone che diventa quasi viscerale, fobico e osceno. Sinceramente mi sarei aspettata qualcosa di diverso e più potente che la voglia di provare nuove fonti di piacere, anche se capisco bene la vita che dovevano condurre allora gli uomini, sporchi, soli e affamati.
Naturalmente nulla di tutto ciò che può essere effimero va a sminuire la storia, anzi la stessa va contemplata ancora di più, nella sua vena romanzata la scrittrice riesce sempre a riportarci alla bellezza dei particolari, diventa semplice e scivola via riportandoci in quel mondo fatto di angherie e prepotenza, povertà e benessere, potere e persuasione.
John è un uomo onesto ma come gli ha insegnato Cecil, suo grande maestro, amico e compagno deve pur sacrificare qualcosa per far crescere la propria vita e così si rende conto della sua instabilità, della sua perdita di fede e cerca di redimere ai suo sbagli.
Le descrizioni accurate, la sfrontatezza della storia e la bellezza della realtà rende questo romanzo, come tutti quelli che ha scritto Philippa, bello e insostituibile. Le sue parole divengono petali di un fiore prezioso che cresce e si dirama, come la vita, come la gioia, come il dolore.
Un romanzo storico forte e potente.
November 6, 2019
Although I normally read books quite quickly, I stretched out my reading of this one over a few days. The vividly portrayed Renaissance England setting, the complex, familiar characters, and the interesting, steady flow of the plot line made me want to stay in this story longer than I usually do with others.
“Earthly Joys” is about John Tradescant, a gardener in the time of King James I. While other men entwine themselves in politics and charge eagerly off to war, John is content to nurture seedlings, discover new plants, and watch his beloved trees grow along with his life. John ends up becoming the loyal personal servant of George Villiers, the young and handsome Duke of Buckingham, and the king's favorite. As the years slip by, John sacrifices his family and his life for his master, viewing him at different times as a son, a brother, a friend, and a lover.
I just loved this story! There was so much complexity, so many undercurrents, so many sub-plots. Though I have certainly heard more than a few complaints about the historical accuracy of Philippa Gregory's works, this one in particular, I found this to be a very well written book.
First of all, the way that Gregory writes is just lovely. She captures everything so perfectly. Some authors write their books with a poetic beauty, some with a touch of appreciated humor, some with drama, some with characters you can't help loving, but Gregory seems to mix a bit of all these together into a writing style that just compels you to keep reading. I had to struggle to put the book down, or not read so quickly as I normally do, because despite wanting to savor this book, I also felt compelled to tear through it in one sitting.
I read a review on the back cover of another of her books that said no one has mastered Renaissance England like Philippa Gregory. I don't know if I would go so far as to put her at the absolute top, but she has definitely mastered this setting. I just absolutely LOVE books that fully transport you to another time and place, and this book certainly succeeds with that.
The only parts that I felt a lack of a setting were when John travels the world – to India, Asia, Russia, and France. Surprisingly, there is a very large lack of placement here. After being so sharply introduced to the sights and smells of England, it was a bit startling to suddenly be whisked off to another country – even if a similar one, such as France – and have no descriptions of a setting at all.
In these scenes, the author focuses on John himself, his botany, and other things that are going on in the plot. But the scenery is left a mystery, something that I felt extremely odd, considering how good Gregory is at that.
All of the characters in “Earthly Joys” and wonderful. John is a simple man, and yet, we see into his thoughts and actions so deeply that he becomes a complex, and essentially a very realistically ordinary, yet interesting man. The relationship between him and his wife was an extremely well written one, and though there was no great love story, Gregory combined fondness, duty, love, resentment, and guilt into a very believable marriage. George Villiers was another of my favorite characters. Or at least, another of the most well written characters – I hated him! Excessively arrogant, reckless, selfish, and – the reader is led to believe – a traitor and a murder.
Something about this book that I was not expecting was how sexual it was. Gregory makes no attempt to hide all of the homosexual alliances, affairs, and romances going on at the time – in fact, she makes good use of them and even has John take a male lover as well.
All of the characters, settings, politics, and events in this book were very well written. I am looking forward to reading Gregory's new book, due out in August.
“Earthly Joys” is about John Tradescant, a gardener in the time of King James I. While other men entwine themselves in politics and charge eagerly off to war, John is content to nurture seedlings, discover new plants, and watch his beloved trees grow along with his life. John ends up becoming the loyal personal servant of George Villiers, the young and handsome Duke of Buckingham, and the king's favorite. As the years slip by, John sacrifices his family and his life for his master, viewing him at different times as a son, a brother, a friend, and a lover.
I just loved this story! There was so much complexity, so many undercurrents, so many sub-plots. Though I have certainly heard more than a few complaints about the historical accuracy of Philippa Gregory's works, this one in particular, I found this to be a very well written book.
First of all, the way that Gregory writes is just lovely. She captures everything so perfectly. Some authors write their books with a poetic beauty, some with a touch of appreciated humor, some with drama, some with characters you can't help loving, but Gregory seems to mix a bit of all these together into a writing style that just compels you to keep reading. I had to struggle to put the book down, or not read so quickly as I normally do, because despite wanting to savor this book, I also felt compelled to tear through it in one sitting.
I read a review on the back cover of another of her books that said no one has mastered Renaissance England like Philippa Gregory. I don't know if I would go so far as to put her at the absolute top, but she has definitely mastered this setting. I just absolutely LOVE books that fully transport you to another time and place, and this book certainly succeeds with that.
The only parts that I felt a lack of a setting were when John travels the world – to India, Asia, Russia, and France. Surprisingly, there is a very large lack of placement here. After being so sharply introduced to the sights and smells of England, it was a bit startling to suddenly be whisked off to another country – even if a similar one, such as France – and have no descriptions of a setting at all.
In these scenes, the author focuses on John himself, his botany, and other things that are going on in the plot. But the scenery is left a mystery, something that I felt extremely odd, considering how good Gregory is at that.
All of the characters in “Earthly Joys” and wonderful. John is a simple man, and yet, we see into his thoughts and actions so deeply that he becomes a complex, and essentially a very realistically ordinary, yet interesting man. The relationship between him and his wife was an extremely well written one, and though there was no great love story, Gregory combined fondness, duty, love, resentment, and guilt into a very believable marriage. George Villiers was another of my favorite characters. Or at least, another of the most well written characters – I hated him! Excessively arrogant, reckless, selfish, and – the reader is led to believe – a traitor and a murder.
Something about this book that I was not expecting was how sexual it was. Gregory makes no attempt to hide all of the homosexual alliances, affairs, and romances going on at the time – in fact, she makes good use of them and even has John take a male lover as well.
All of the characters, settings, politics, and events in this book were very well written. I am looking forward to reading Gregory's new book, due out in August.
October 30, 2022
4.5 stars. I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. I usually read multiple books at once but as soon as I finished my other book, I couldn't start another one until this one was finished. I was just too interested in what was going to happen. Honestly, a really great read. My only complaint was that the book ended on a cliffhanger. As soon as I finished and saw that a big question was going to go unanswered, I said aloud to my husband, "That saucy little minx! How could she?!" But it worked because now I'm definitely going to read the sequel soon.
April 9, 2018
.Well written, complex historical fiction; this book did a lot to call into question things like heteronormativity and the gender order and showed some problems associated with the gender order and with class. That was all to the good.
What I didn't enjoy was spending quite so much time with the unlikeable John Tradescant who could be servile with his "masters" and quite dismissive and emotionally stingy with his wife. Wives seemed in the book to be less human beings than resources to be exploited...John got Elizabeth's dowry, her labour and her womb and what did she get in return? Mind you her mother treated her badly so being shut up in his house like one of his curiosities was meant to be OK compared to that (arguable).
To discuss all the pros and cons adequately I would need to give examples, that would be "spoilers, if you like historical fiction you should probably read this yourself and see what you think. It was longish but had enough movement (just) to get away with it. I got annoyed toward the end when John who was now all domesticated was portrayed as the ideal family man and a hero, one of the characters going so far as to glowingly paint him "the greatest man of our age". Oh please!
I liked aspects of John's "big love" but the narcissism of the person was as infuriating as John's neglect of everything and everyone apart from them (in a sort of misplaced narcissism of his own). I felt deeply sorry for all the characters in the book, even a little for the bimbo queen who was just a less successful (because female and not pretty) version of Buckingham.
I did like that men were referred to consistently as "beautiful". I suspect that ws faithful to the time but also a refreshing way to remember how discourse changes.
This one is worth a look if you like historical fiction- it's not all gowns and coquettry there is some real content here.
What I didn't enjoy was spending quite so much time with the unlikeable John Tradescant who could be servile with his "masters" and quite dismissive and emotionally stingy with his wife. Wives seemed in the book to be less human beings than resources to be exploited...John got Elizabeth's dowry, her labour and her womb and what did she get in return? Mind you her mother treated her badly so being shut up in his house like one of his curiosities was meant to be OK compared to that (arguable).
To discuss all the pros and cons adequately I would need to give examples, that would be "spoilers, if you like historical fiction you should probably read this yourself and see what you think. It was longish but had enough movement (just) to get away with it. I got annoyed toward the end when John who was now all domesticated was portrayed as the ideal family man and a hero, one of the characters going so far as to glowingly paint him "the greatest man of our age". Oh please!
I liked aspects of John's "big love" but the narcissism of the person was as infuriating as John's neglect of everything and everyone apart from them (in a sort of misplaced narcissism of his own). I felt deeply sorry for all the characters in the book, even a little for the bimbo queen who was just a less successful (because female and not pretty) version of Buckingham.
I did like that men were referred to consistently as "beautiful". I suspect that ws faithful to the time but also a refreshing way to remember how discourse changes.
This one is worth a look if you like historical fiction- it's not all gowns and coquettry there is some real content here.
September 12, 2020
I bought this book after visiting the Garden Museum in Lambeth, London, and learning about John Tradescant. Of course, this is fiction, but it is based on real-life characters and locations and is an easy way to learn about this time in England’s history (1600s). For the first 170 pages or more, I wasn’t hugely impressed with the story - nothing happened! But I became more interested as the story continued, and it held my interest to the end. It’s not an exciting tale, but I liked learning about the importance of tulips and about all the trees, flowers and plants that were introduced to England by Tradescant. It’s wonderful to know that Tradescant’s collections of plants and curiosities - England’s first museum open to the public - were the foundation of the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford (opened in 1683).
I would like to read this book’s sequel, Virgin Earth, about Tradescant the Younger. Next time I’m able to travel to England, I want to check out the gardens Tradescant designed or worked on, if they’re open to the public: Hatfield House, New Hall, Salisbury House, Oatlands Palace and again to the St-Mary-at-Lambeth church site, now Garden Museum, where father and son are buried.
Two picky issues: The author is British, the story is set in England, yet words use the American spelling (-or rather than -our). Incongruous! Also, the typestyle in this edition makes the capital letter J look like an I. With Tradescant the Younger being called J, there were countless times I misread it as “I” and had to reread the sentence.
I would like to read this book’s sequel, Virgin Earth, about Tradescant the Younger. Next time I’m able to travel to England, I want to check out the gardens Tradescant designed or worked on, if they’re open to the public: Hatfield House, New Hall, Salisbury House, Oatlands Palace and again to the St-Mary-at-Lambeth church site, now Garden Museum, where father and son are buried.
Two picky issues: The author is British, the story is set in England, yet words use the American spelling (-or rather than -our). Incongruous! Also, the typestyle in this edition makes the capital letter J look like an I. With Tradescant the Younger being called J, there were countless times I misread it as “I” and had to reread the sentence.
January 5, 2011
This is Philippa Gregory’s usual well written story of English royalty and the politics, intrigue, deception and corruption of 17th century England. King James is newly crowned the King of England and he has surrounded himself with loyal trusted advisors such as Cecil Roberts and the Duke of Buckingham. The story is told from the point of view of John Tradescant, the gardener for these men. John’s skill as a gardener catches the attention of the powerful men of England who want to create a showcase garden in their palaces to show off their wealth to the royal court.
Although this book has a lot of details of plants, I enjoyed all the descriptions and especially of the travels to procure plants rare to England. This is not simply a book about the gardens of England, but the character development of John and his son John show how the attitudes of the English common people are changing towards their royalty and their quest for freedom and the ability to possess their own private land. What is happening in America at this time is having an impact on the English populace and they are starting to get dissatisfied with the extravagance of the English royalty while the country is suffering from bad harvests and the plague. Although I enjoyed this book, this is not my favorite book by this author. There were some places where she went into too much of the same detail and the book dragged in a few places.
Although this book has a lot of details of plants, I enjoyed all the descriptions and especially of the travels to procure plants rare to England. This is not simply a book about the gardens of England, but the character development of John and his son John show how the attitudes of the English common people are changing towards their royalty and their quest for freedom and the ability to possess their own private land. What is happening in America at this time is having an impact on the English populace and they are starting to get dissatisfied with the extravagance of the English royalty while the country is suffering from bad harvests and the plague. Although I enjoyed this book, this is not my favorite book by this author. There were some places where she went into too much of the same detail and the book dragged in a few places.
November 25, 2008
I felt the story was compelling; it was easy for me to want to read more. The characters were complex and learned and changed as they grew. It also inspired me to do more with my garden! It reminded me once again how much we take tulips for granted...
I was very interested in the history behind it. Most of the characters are real, I understand. Was the main character a real person? This is a period of time I know less about than other periods (Elizabethan, for example, or Georgian and later), so it was interesting to me to fit this in to the other eras I know about.
I like that she tackled big issues (religion, monarchy and hierarchy and fealty), but didn't have a dictated answer, even at the end.
Although I thought the end, when he finds a nice young lady to take care of his grandchildren was a little bit of an easy out... Overall, very nice, though!
I was very interested in the history behind it. Most of the characters are real, I understand. Was the main character a real person? This is a period of time I know less about than other periods (Elizabethan, for example, or Georgian and later), so it was interesting to me to fit this in to the other eras I know about.
I like that she tackled big issues (religion, monarchy and hierarchy and fealty), but didn't have a dictated answer, even at the end.
Although I thought the end, when he finds a nice young lady to take care of his grandchildren was a little bit of an easy out... Overall, very nice, though!
July 13, 2009
I just finished this book by Philippa Gregory. In my opinion it was not her best work. My favorite of hers would be "The Other Boleyn Girl". However, the theme was very interesting. The book is based on the story of a head gardener for the king Charles I of England and previously to several other important historical figures such as the Duke of Buckingham and Sir Robert Cecil. He was a most respected gardener who was also a botanist and traveller and who introduced many species of plants, trees and flowers from all over the world to the famous English Gardens that we know and love. What impressed me was the fact that Mrs. Gregory based her novel on a figure of such humble importance and made the book so believable and interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes the genre of historical fiction, gardening, English royal history or has read other Philippa Gregory books.
November 4, 2018
DNF. Very dry writing. If you're into plants and excruciatingly long details on how to grow them, where they come from, what the seeds look like, blahblahblah, then this is for you. If you're into merry olde England court politics...well, there's a bit of that, but not enough to keep it interesting.
January 3, 2017
This book was so boring, it was perfect to read before going to bed. It took me months to finish because I was so uninterested in any of the characters, events or feelings.
It's pretty special when a book can make forbidden same-sex love dull.
It's pretty special when a book can make forbidden same-sex love dull.
February 19, 2017
Not quite as enjoyable as Gregory's typical fare. The main character was largely unlikeable and didn't even become interesting until 300 pages in. Peripheral characters lacked depth.
August 21, 2025
I keep reading books, but nothing ever comes close to this one. it is my favorite book for years now, from the beautiful writing, to the story itself ( I guess that is more personal to me, the gardens, the rare fruits, following one’s passion overseas, beautiful palaces, the rise of political movement, royal secrecy and controversy, I mean it just compiles everything that I love into one masterfully woven story, that is why it is so personally my favorite, It definitely won’t be everyone’s favorite thing to read, but if you also admire the elements that I mentioned then you will absolutely love this book.)
And the best thing is that I discovered it completely randomly in the discounted section! And I don’t understand how Philipa Gregory is not more popular! I mean she is one of the most dedicated authors I’ve ever discovered, the mere amount of research alone just to write a novel like this, this book at least took years to write, in my opinion. Writing historical fiction with this much detail, when it is not the time period you live in, is serious dedication and needs you to be super meticulous. It simply fascinated me.
The book is a long, slow read, but absolutely enjoyable through and through. it felt like I was reading one long poem, with the most stunning scenery. I also love the fact that you are learning so much about different things reading this book, like how pomegranates were introduced to England from Jordan in the 1660s by the protagonist (which is based on a real gardener that lived at the time period, and philipa was inspired by his story) and how sweet clementines were in the winter, and the living conditions of soldiers stuck in long wars, and the preparations made to set sail on huge wooden ships, and how fast it could all go wrong…it felt like I had travelled alongside this gardener, and yes, Philipa had researched all these fields meticulously in order for the reader to feel this way.
Usually I spoil in my reviews, but let this be an ode to how much i love this book and respect its author, that I would like whoever discovers it to take the time to read it with only the poetry I have written for it. Know that I envy you.
And the best thing is that I discovered it completely randomly in the discounted section! And I don’t understand how Philipa Gregory is not more popular! I mean she is one of the most dedicated authors I’ve ever discovered, the mere amount of research alone just to write a novel like this, this book at least took years to write, in my opinion. Writing historical fiction with this much detail, when it is not the time period you live in, is serious dedication and needs you to be super meticulous. It simply fascinated me.
The book is a long, slow read, but absolutely enjoyable through and through. it felt like I was reading one long poem, with the most stunning scenery. I also love the fact that you are learning so much about different things reading this book, like how pomegranates were introduced to England from Jordan in the 1660s by the protagonist (which is based on a real gardener that lived at the time period, and philipa was inspired by his story) and how sweet clementines were in the winter, and the living conditions of soldiers stuck in long wars, and the preparations made to set sail on huge wooden ships, and how fast it could all go wrong…it felt like I had travelled alongside this gardener, and yes, Philipa had researched all these fields meticulously in order for the reader to feel this way.
Usually I spoil in my reviews, but let this be an ode to how much i love this book and respect its author, that I would like whoever discovers it to take the time to read it with only the poetry I have written for it. Know that I envy you.
November 20, 2018
Title: Earthly Joys
Author: Philippa Gregory
Read by: David Rintoul
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Length: Approximately 17 hours and 46 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!
John Trandescant is the gardener for Lord Robert Cecil, Queen Elizabeth I’s trusted advisor. John takes great pleasure in creating and maintaining beautiful gardens and likes being a man that Earl Cecil is trust. After Queen Elizabeth’s death, James I of Scotland comes to rule over England. What changes will he make? John may not always agree with how things are run, but he knows his place in the proper order of the world. John marries, has a son, and continues his adventures around the world looking for perfect plant specimens. After Lord Cecil’s death, he goes through a series of new masters until one, Lord Buckingham, changes his life forever. Will John be able to continue with his life as he has lived it for the previous sixty years?
I really enjoyed this book, except for my one woe with the story line in the spoiler below. I really loved seeing this time period through a gardener’s eyes. I thought it was wonderful that he was in fact a real person and a famous gardener. I love the description of the amazing gardens that he put together and the plants he discovered around the world. I also loved the descriptions of the tulip speculation in Holland.
I really like how John’s story and that of his family paralleled British history at the time. John is loyal to his master and his King, but his faith is shattered after going to war and seeing the mistakes that his master makes that kill innocent men. Do the lords and kings of England deserve the blind love and devotion of the people? The novel builds toward the English Civil war but ends before its start. I literally scream “NOOOOOOO!” when this audiobook ended as I wanted to learn more about the next generation of the Trandescant family and where history would take them. I was excited to see there is another book after this one and I can’t wait until it is out on audiobook.
SPOILER ALERT
I had a hard time with John and Lord Buckingham’s relationship. On one hand, John seemed to scorn the lifestyle at court, but then the book implies that Lord Buckingham was John’s one true love. That seemed strange to me as one of the best parts of the book to me was John realizing he has been used by Buckingham on the boat after the great defeat to show that Buckingham still had someone who loved him. Then after their return to England, Buckingham carelessly threw him aside. This represented how the nobility used the working class and did not care about them.
SPOILER END
David Rintoul is a fabulous narrator. He had a unique voice for each character and acted out the parts. I really appreciate and enjoy that in an audiobook narrator.
Overall, Earthly Joys was a riveting novel set during the Stuart era in England starring a gardener who was a great man during a fascinating time in history.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2018...
Author: Philippa Gregory
Read by: David Rintoul
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Length: Approximately 17 hours and 46 minutes
Source: Review Copy from Simon & Schuster. Thank-you!
John Trandescant is the gardener for Lord Robert Cecil, Queen Elizabeth I’s trusted advisor. John takes great pleasure in creating and maintaining beautiful gardens and likes being a man that Earl Cecil is trust. After Queen Elizabeth’s death, James I of Scotland comes to rule over England. What changes will he make? John may not always agree with how things are run, but he knows his place in the proper order of the world. John marries, has a son, and continues his adventures around the world looking for perfect plant specimens. After Lord Cecil’s death, he goes through a series of new masters until one, Lord Buckingham, changes his life forever. Will John be able to continue with his life as he has lived it for the previous sixty years?
I really enjoyed this book, except for my one woe with the story line in the spoiler below. I really loved seeing this time period through a gardener’s eyes. I thought it was wonderful that he was in fact a real person and a famous gardener. I love the description of the amazing gardens that he put together and the plants he discovered around the world. I also loved the descriptions of the tulip speculation in Holland.
I really like how John’s story and that of his family paralleled British history at the time. John is loyal to his master and his King, but his faith is shattered after going to war and seeing the mistakes that his master makes that kill innocent men. Do the lords and kings of England deserve the blind love and devotion of the people? The novel builds toward the English Civil war but ends before its start. I literally scream “NOOOOOOO!” when this audiobook ended as I wanted to learn more about the next generation of the Trandescant family and where history would take them. I was excited to see there is another book after this one and I can’t wait until it is out on audiobook.
SPOILER ALERT
I had a hard time with John and Lord Buckingham’s relationship. On one hand, John seemed to scorn the lifestyle at court, but then the book implies that Lord Buckingham was John’s one true love. That seemed strange to me as one of the best parts of the book to me was John realizing he has been used by Buckingham on the boat after the great defeat to show that Buckingham still had someone who loved him. Then after their return to England, Buckingham carelessly threw him aside. This represented how the nobility used the working class and did not care about them.
SPOILER END
David Rintoul is a fabulous narrator. He had a unique voice for each character and acted out the parts. I really appreciate and enjoy that in an audiobook narrator.
Overall, Earthly Joys was a riveting novel set during the Stuart era in England starring a gardener who was a great man during a fascinating time in history.
This review was first posted on my blog at: https://lauragerold.blogspot.com/2018...
June 16, 2019
Among the last pages of the book is A Touchstone Reading Group Guide. Discussion point 6 states in part: "John describes his love for the Duke after they have sex as being wholly different from the love between a man and a woman....Do you think he is being unfaithful to Elizabeth?"
The answer to this question, I realized, is no. This is the automatic answer that came to my mind. I find this perspective interesting because it never really occurred to me that John was actually being unfaithful to Elizabeth. I saw the two relationships as completely different, in both hierarchy and depth.
As a person who insists on fidelity, I was surprised to find that Phillipa Gregory managed to convince me in this case. Because of her powers of persuasion, I will give this book 4 stars instead of the 3 I had intended.
The answer to this question, I realized, is no. This is the automatic answer that came to my mind. I find this perspective interesting because it never really occurred to me that John was actually being unfaithful to Elizabeth. I saw the two relationships as completely different, in both hierarchy and depth.
As a person who insists on fidelity, I was surprised to find that Phillipa Gregory managed to convince me in this case. Because of her powers of persuasion, I will give this book 4 stars instead of the 3 I had intended.
November 28, 2023
I enjoyed this book, especially as I learnt alot whilst reading it. The book centers on John Tradescant, an influential Stuart gardener who sought out and nurtured plant species and introduced many of them to Britain. It was interesting to learn about historical figures I was not familiar with before such as Lord Cecil, Charles 1 and the enigmatic Lord Buckingham. Although I found the middle of the book a bit slow and monotonous at times, this book piqued my interest to learn more about the time period.
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